Sorrel - A Spring Super Food

As soon as spring was in the air I knew it was only a matter of time before sorrel reappeared on the allotment. It isn't the most handsome plant by any means but it's always a welcome sight because it's the first salad crop that starts growing after the winter. In fact, it's actually tough enough to cope with the frosts that we can still experience into late spring / early summer making it a real winner as a reliable early leafy green.

Sorrel is a green leaf vegetable native to Europe. It is also called common sorrel or spinach dock, and is actually considered less a vegetable and more an herb in some cultures. In appearance sorrel greatly resembles spinach and in taste sorrel can range from comparable to the kiwifruit in young leaves, to a more acidic tasting older leaf. As sorrel ages it tends to grow more acidic due to the presence of oxalic acid, which actually gets stronger and tastes more prominent.

Young sorrel may be harvested to use in salads, soups or stews giving an amazingly zingy taste wherever you use it. If you are planning on using sorrel in salads, it’s a good idea to stick with small tender leaves that have the fruitier and less acidic taste. Young sorrel leaves are also excellent when lightly cooked, similar to the taste of cooked chard or spinach. For soups and stews, older sorrel can be used because it adds tang and flavor to the dish.

From a nutritional standpoint sorrel has high levels of vitamins A nd C. It also contrains moderate levels of calcium, potassium and magnesium meaning it packs a big nutritional punch for a little leaf. However, it is worth noting that it contains very high levels of oxalic acid meaning it may not be suitable for people with kidney problems or rheumatism. And when you first start eating it try it in small doses - it's got a laxative effect if you eat too much of it!

Comments

[cheap baseball hats]

I wonder which variety you're growing? This is French Sorrel I think.

[catering los angeles]

I took a class on finding edible food on in the woods like 11 years ago. Sorrel were the first thing. One of the interesting things about Sorrel, green dock grows near Sorrel. If you crush the leaves of Sorrel or even better , the liquid from the root and rub it anywhere you’ve been stung by Sorrel, it goes away. Nature is cool!

[Liz]

Sorrel is a great crop to grow. Don't let if run to seed though as it can spread all over the place. Though by the sounds of it the chucks wouldn't object to this :)

[Akgpodcast]

I have just sown a new batch of sorrel seeds, to bolster the plants already in the garden. It's not that we're really big sorrel fans - the chickens are!

[Ruth]

This will be my first year at attempting to grow sorrel - I'm quite excited at the prospect! I've sown some in a pot in the greenhouse and will also sow some outdoors in a few weeks but after seeing how hardy it is I might just go ahead and sow some direct into the garden now!

[Liz]

I wonder which variety you're growing? This is French Sorrel I think.

[Paul]

I only discovered sorrel last year, I grew it as a cut and come again salad leaf (it was a much smaller plant than the one in your pic, with red stemmed leaves) and was amazed at how much flavour was packed into those little leaves... Lovely! :)