Cut off the tips of the leaves from the artichokes if they have little thorns on the ends. Since the thorns soften while cooking and do not endanger the person eating the artichoke, this procedure is primarily decorative. But by cutting them off, you can handle the artichokes more easily.

Cut the artichoke's tip off by about 3/4 to an inch. For this, a bread knife with serrations works nicely.

Remove any tiny leaves that are near the stem's base.

Leave up to an inch of the artichoke after trimming the extra stem. Although the stems of the artichoke might be more bitter than the remainder of the plant, some people enjoy eating them. The stems' inside cores have a flavour similar to the heart.

Artichokes should be rinsed under cold running water. Open up the leaves a little as you rinse them to make it easier for the water to enter.

Put the garlic, a lemon slice, a bay leaf, and a few inches of water in a big pot (this adds wonderful flavour to the artichokes). Place a steaming basket within.

Artichokes should be placed on top of the steaming basket. Pot is covered. After bringing to a boil, lower heat to a simmer.