PURSLANE: HEALTH BENEFITS AND RECIPES

judsoncarroll4
judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,282 admin
edited October 2020 in Wild Edibles & Medicinals

Good article on Purslane:

PURSLANE: HEALTH BENEFITS AND RECIPES


A WEED WORTH KEEPING

By Celeste Longacre

April 29, 2020

Portulaca - Purslane


Jacopo Ventura/Getty Images

Purslane, or Portulaca oleracea, is a garden weed that is edible and has many health benefits. Find out the benefits of the purslane plant here, and get a purslane recipe!


PURSLANE HEALTH BENEFITS

Like many other weeds, purslane is not only edible but also far more nutritious than many of the crops that we plant! Here’s just a few of the health benefits of purslane:

  • Seven times the beta-carotene of carrots
  • Six times more vitamin E than spinach
  • Fourteen times more Omega 3 fatty acids.

Purslane is also said to be a natural remedy for insomnia. It has many of the same health benefits as other leafy greens. Immigrants from India originally brought it with them to our shores, where it has escaped into gardens and backyards everywhere.

WHAT IS PURSLANE: CROP OR WEED?

See the purslane picture below. It’s a plant most of us consider a weed. I have never planted purslane yet it appears every spring in my garden. A succulent, purslane can tolerate drought and the heat of summer. I let it grow in between my rows of carrots and beets and in other places where it isn’t bothering my veggies. Once it is touching my crops, I take it out and eat it.

Full article:

https://www.almanac.com/news/gardening/celeste-garden/purslane-weed-benefits-and-recipe

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Comments

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,395 admin

    Great article @judsoncarroll4! I looked up the recipe and will have to try that.

    Good companion article for the one on TGN's blog.

    I have had purslane in my garden before when it has come in with other store-bought plants but it is not a weed that is usual in my area. This year I bought 3 plants in hopes that it will seed and start an invasion for me.

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  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,282 admin
    https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/861686#Comment_861686

    I'm an okra fanatic, so I tend to use purslane the same way. I've never grown any, but I sure will now!

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  • seeker.nancy - Central Texas
    seeker.nancy - Central Texas Posts: 795 ✭✭✭✭

    I bought seed, a variety that is supposed to have larger leaves. I tossed it into the garden but it did not take yet. Maybe I need to plant it in a pot that is sheltered to get it going. It comes up AFTER other stuff or so I have observed. I'm really looking forward to it!

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  • Linda Bittle
    Linda Bittle Posts: 1,469 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That's one I've been wanting to add to my diet, but was unsure how to use it. Thanks!

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  • twila.tjsd
    twila.tjsd Posts: 1 ✭✭✭

    Ok, digging up some and putting in with my peppers.

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  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,395 admin

    Welcome to the TGN forum @twila.tjsd. You will find a variety of posts here about eating the weeds.

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  • smik123
    smik123 Posts: 60 ✭✭✭

    I like the idea of foraging this although I checked the article on this site and I don't see any mention of dopplegangers---anyone know of any?

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  • Desiree
    Desiree Posts: 255 ✭✭✭

    @smik123 The only look-alike that I was warned about is spurge. It grows in a similar way but is easy to tell apart. If you do a search for comparison you'll see what I mean. Purslane is more succulent and spurge is flat.

    image.png


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  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 1,937 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Sounds interesting. Will have to learn more about identifying it then go looking. Don't think I have seen anything like that growing wild here, so might have to get some seed and try growing it. Eventually I hope my garden will be more wild or weed foods than the "normal" purchased varieties.

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  • KimWilson
    KimWilson Posts: 197 ✭✭✭

    I planted purslane for the first time ever this year. It came up fine and I am hoping to just leave it alone this year hoping that it will get well established. It is something that I have pulled as a weed forever. Silly me. Live and learn. I can't wait to actually taste it.

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  • seeker.nancy - Central Texas
    seeker.nancy - Central Texas Posts: 795 ✭✭✭✭

    I planted purslane as well. I transplanted into two beds. The one is a major hot spot so it's struggling a bit but hanging in there. The taste of these are tart in a lemon kind of way. Tastes great in a salad but also on a sandwich.

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  • frogvalley
    frogvalley Posts: 675 ✭✭✭✭

    I love purslane. This year has been tremendous for it. It's been happy as sunshine.

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  • nicksamanda11
    nicksamanda11 Posts: 713 ✭✭✭✭

    God sprung up some purslane in my planters a few years ago. I let it go to seed and now every year it grows extremely well in my planters. So, yeah God- thanks!😇

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  • Megan Venturella
    Megan Venturella Posts: 678 ✭✭✭✭

    I know in Palestine they put it in soup too. I love it fresh as well.

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  • Ferg
    Ferg Posts: 285 ✭✭✭

    purslane is wildly popular in Asia and quite pricey at 'specialty markets' in the US.

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  • MelissaLynne
    MelissaLynne Posts: 205 ✭✭✭

    Perfect timing, I just discovered a couple plants while weeding the garden. :) thanks for the information!

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  • John
    John Posts: 163 ✭✭✭

    Very interesting-i'll be looking into this now for sure. Thank you! :)

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  • Nicoleburba
    Nicoleburba Posts: 58 ✭✭✭

    My daughter has a lot of purslane in her garden. For a while, she did not know what it was, then we looked up on line and figured out that it is a very valuable "wild vegetable". My daughter tried purslane in salads, but had too much of it growing. She gave me 3 big shopping bags full of purslane. I washed it and put in the freezer. We like fresh purslane in salads and I use the frozen one in smoothies. Purslane fits very nicely among all other ingredients. Of course fresh is better, but until we learned what it was, purslane overwhelmed my daughter's garden. I will try to use my frozen purslane in soups in the fall, as @Megan Venturella noted. I also made a face mask together with crushed cucumber. Purslane holds together cucumber mass very well. This mask nourishes skin very nicely and makes it smooth. May be I will need to add anything else into this combination, I am just learning.

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  • frogvalley
    frogvalley Posts: 675 ✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2020

    I have a plant at my gate so grab some to eat on my way in and out of the yard. Love the color, the crunch and the flowers.

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  • valizona
    valizona Posts: 48 ✭✭✭

    Purslane is the amazingly- nutritious "weed" that grows exceedingly well with absolutely no attention, or water at times. Absolutely grow some on purpose or cultivate the naturally planted ones.

    I've been told that in Mexico it;s used in picodagallo (freshly chopped onions, cukes, tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro, salt, and lemon/lime juice. I've done it and its a GREAT use for it. Takes on the flavor of what it's mixed with and so good for you! Guilt-free tacos!!

    dont think I saw this mentioned yet, but can also be used as substitute for aloe. I once blended some up and slathered on my dear young friend (6yo) who had just stood unaware in a fire ant pile. They never forgot how much it helped.

    Considering it's medicinally-equivelant use of aloe, begs the question how soothing/healing it would also be to the GI tract. Anyone know? My suspicion is yes, it would be.

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