Purslane. Destroy Or Eat?

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Among the plants that show a fantastic ability to survive in any conditions of life, there is a familiar to many vegetable growers, Purslane. True, more often people do not know about its rich inner content, and therefore, by any means, they try to rid their piece of land from annoying weeds. However, there are many countries on the planet in which Purslane is in high esteem. It is specially grown and served fresh, stewed or pickled, enriching the body with active substances necessary for good health

Weed or vegetable

Not every plant immediately becomes a favorite of a person. For example, cereals such as rye and oats, which are now in great esteem, were among our great-great-great-grandfathers in the weeds. They interfered with the cultivation of wheat, the very "spelled" that the avaricious priest had to feed Balda in the tale of A. S. Pushkin.

There are other cases in the history of Mankind when a plant successfully grown for human nutrition was suddenly banned and forgotten for centuries, until suddenly someone “discovered” its beneficial qualities again, finding in it a panacea to save people from hunger. For example, fate laughed at Amaranth, successfully grown by the American Indians before the arrival of the European conquerors.

The latter include the Garden Purslane, the seeds of which were found by archaeologists during excavations of settlements of people who lived in the 7th century BC. Although there have been no bans on Purslane in history, it is not always referred to as a vegetable crop, but is counted among the evil weeds, mercilessly exterminating.

But in Mexico, some countries of Asia and the Middle East, in most of Europe, Purslane is classified as a vegetable crop, using the leaves, stems and flower buds of the plant in soups, salads, stews. Purslane is superior in its qualities to spinach, which not everyone succeeds in growing, while Purslane grows beautifully without requiring close attention.

So, to deal with Purslane like a weed, or to make it your friend, by including it in the menu, depends on the specific person.

A few points when using Purslane for food

* Firstly, it is necessary to clarify which plant is being discussed. Indeed, today it is not uncommon in summer cottages to have decorative Purslane, pleasing with large flowers that close their bright multi-colored petals at night or in cloudy weather. He also has juicy leaves, but they are not suitable for food.

For the human diet, nature has created Purslane with succulent, fleshy foliage and small yellow or white flowers. Its undersized bushes often creep along the surface of the earth, making their way even between the concrete slabs of the sidewalks. True, the Purslane growing in city parks is also not suitable for food due to the pollution of the city air and soil.

But that Purslane with yellow flowers that accidentally wandered into your country spaces, just asks for the dining table.

* Secondly, it is advisable to cut off the branches of Purslane in the early morning. This is due to the fact that the pleasant sourness of the herb of the plant, created by oxalic and malic acids, is maximal precisely in the morning hours, since these acids are a product of the night metabolism in the leaves and stems of the plant, and during the day they are consumed by the Purslane itself, significantly reducing the amount of these acids by the evening …

* Thirdly, people with high blood pressure should limit their intake of Purslane.

Benefits for the vegetable garden

Numbered in ineradicable weeds, Purslane actually does a very beneficial job for the land, providing a healthy grass cover from the burning sun's rays, thereby stabilizing soil moisture. With its agile roots, it loosens hard soil, delivering moisture and nutrients from the depths to the surface.

To destroy is not a tricky business, to make an ally is much more effective!