The sorrel (Rumex acetosa) is a plant that can spread widely under suitable site conditions. Control in the lawn can, however, go hand in hand with a harvest for the kitchen.

Eat sorrel raw or not?

In principle, you can also eat the young and juicy leaves of the sorrel raw, as the plant is not really poisonous when consumed in normal quantities, despite its special ingredients. After all, the leaves of the sorrel contain a lot of vitamin C and other valuable ingredients. However, certain amounts should not be exceeded when consumed due to the oxalic acid it contains. If you harvest sorrel near forest edges, you should not only be aware of possible fertilization of the meadows with liquid manure, but also potential contamination with fox tapeworm eggs. Unless you harvest the leaves of the sorrel from your own fenced property, you should either wash the leaves extremely thoroughly or even boil them before eating.

Harvest the sorrel at the right time

The flowers of the sorrel change color from green to red during the flowering period from May to July. At the same time, the leaves also begin to turn reddish in places. This circumstance is also an indication of an increasing content of oxalic acid in the plants. Therefore, you should only harvest the young and fresh green leaves of the sorrel in spring and, if necessary, extend the season by freezing or storing them.

Conjure up delicious dishes with sorrel

You can usually eat harmless sorrel from unpolluted meadows or from your own garden lawn raw, for example as a spicy salad ingredient. But you can also use it to cook other tasty recipes with a pleasant degree of acidity. These include classics like:

  • Frankfurt's green sauce
  • Salad refined with sorrel
  • Herb quark
  • sorrel soup
  • Pickled sorrel

tips and tricks

Make sure never to prepare dishes with sorrel in an iron or aluminum pot. Otherwise they tend to develop a metallic taste. Also, the leaf stalks usually contain more acid than the green leaves of the plant.

Category:

Herbs