Can Some of your Weeds be a Tasty Treat?
Just imagine for a minute, it's late May, light breeze, low 70's, the sun is shining brightly, and you are walking slowly, admiring your amazing native woodland edge. But wait!! Ugggg!! You gasp as you come across an invading patch of young burdock. Immediately, you get down on your knees and start pulling and pulling. At the end of your admirable weeding, you have an impressive mound of helpless burdock. Before you add these bad acting plants to your compost pile, you might want to consider an alternative.
Did you know that many of the weeds that you find in your native garden or restoration are in fact edible? Low and behold some even taste good with a little culinary finesse! Maybe weeding won't seem like such a laborious chore if you can save a few greens for a tasty and healthy lunch or dinner.
Disclaimer: Before you eat any weeds make sure that you have positively identified each plant species! Also, make sure you wash all plants thoroughly before cooking.
Here are ten weeds often found in our restoration areas that can be used to satisfy your appetite:
1. Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) - Stop! Get your gloves and be
careful when collecting this plant! If you rub up against it with your bare skin it can leave a rash and bring on a stinging and itching sensation. It has dark green leaves with many teeth and tiny greenish-white flowers that are clustered along the stem. Many people carefully collect the leaves of this plant and then boil them to make a tea. Once the plant material is boiled, it loses its stinging capabilities and is safe to eat.
2. Lamb's Quarters (Chenopodium album) - A very common weed found in many yards or disturbed sites, Lamb's Quarters has light green leaves with a silvery underside. You can eat the young leaves raw or boil them in water and cover with a slab of butter. The seeds can also be collected as a sort of quinoa-like grain or they can be crushed for flour.
3. Burdock (Arctium minus) - This plant is often
distinguished by the burrs you find embedded in your clothes and dog's fur. With young plants, the stems and roots can be peeled and boiled, and some say it tastes like asparagus.
4. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) -Purslane is a short, creeping plant with dark green, round leaves and small yellow flowers. It has very high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, making it very healthy to eat.
5. Dandelions (Taraxacum
officinale) - This familiar small, yellow flowered plant is very common and easily identified. It is full of essential vitamins. Use the leaves for a salad or a nice flavorful tea. The
flowers can also be made into wine! You can also eat the roots, like other root vegetables, or it can be used as a coffee substitute.
6. Plantain (Plantago major) - This is a short dark green plant with ruffled leaves and stems with small green flowers. Harvest the young leaves and boil them. Then sauté them with butter and garlic.
|
|
|
Watercress
2005 Peter M. Dziuk
|
7. Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) - This European weed chokes out small streams and creeks. It is just like the watercress you can find in the grocery store. Use the leaves in salads, soups, and other great dishes!
8. Curly Dock (Rumex crispus) - Curly dock has long wavy green leaves. It forms a rosette its first year, and then sends a shoot of flowers up its second year. The plant and its flowers turn a rusty color in the fall. The young leaves can be eaten raw while the older leaves taste better cooked. The rust colored seeds can be eaten raw or cooked and ground to make a coffee substitute.
9. Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea)-
Creeping Charlie is a very short plant with dark green leaves, a reddish stem, and small purple flowers. It invades lawns and restorations as a ground cover. Young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked and then added to a soup or omelet. Leaves can also be used for tea. Some homebrewers even put it in their beer like hops to improve clarity and preserve taste!
10. Garlic Mustard (Alliaria officinalis) - This is a common weed with white flowers that grows best in the shade. It stays in a rosette on the ground its first year and then sends up a stalk with flowers its second year. You can harvest the early leaves, flowers, and seed ponds to eat raw or cook to add a peppery flavor to dishes.
We encourage you to research and learn more about tasty recipes that you can make with these pesky weeds you find in your backyard. Happy foraging!
Who would have thought that some of your weeds may actually have a silver lining!
Remember, please verify your weed identifications and the proper way to cook your greens before consuming any plant material!
