To pick a good artichoke, feel the weight. You are looking for the heavier ones. They should have tightly bound leaves that are enclosed in themselves. Artichokes travel well and can last a week or two stored.  The leaves will lose their color as they dry out over time. Once chosen, use a sharp knife to chop the top of the artichoke off, trim the stem, and use kitchen shears to trim the pointed tips off all the remaining outer leaves. At this point, we use our hands to open the artichoke. Spread the leaves apart and rinse quickly with cold water. Shake out any excess and immediately rub fresh lemon juice over any recently trimmed areas to prevent browning. From there, you will prep your artichoke as required for your recipe.