Free food - wild growing Purslane
I had no idea that a plant like that exists until I moved to Portugal. It turns out that it is a very common weed that will start to grow on its own in the garden or just around fields.
One of those that you don't have to care about, just pick it when you need it.
Portulaca oleracea
Also known as Common Purslane or duckweed is actually a succulent plant that belongs to Portulacaceae family. Which would explain it's extreme tolerance to lack of water and high temperatures.
It can be found in the warmer regions: South of Europe, North Africa, Middle East and parts of Asia. It grows very close to the ground and spreads to create this red and green circles up to 30-40 cm across. When the conditions are right it will flower with tiny, yellow blooms.
And of course it is edible! The leaves and younger stems are perfect for salads and can also be used in soups. They flavour is mild and slightly sour.
Ideally would be to be able to pick it in the clean place in the wild, but I also saw it in shops in those ready to go salad packs.
Those red stems are very impressive. In the thickest part close to the center they can get to 1cm in diameter. That part is not the nicest to eat as it does get hard and and stringy.
Shot with Nikon D5500 + Sigma 105mm lens
All photos and text are my own.
I have seen this plant plenty of times near sidewalks and other places. I thought it was just weed, but now I see that it is edible. That is incredible. It is also incredible that it grows in such dry places and its able to thrive. The things that you learn around here.
I dare to say that most weeds around are edible. We just don't know about it :)
They had to learn how to survive in hard conditions even if people keep pulling them out.
Glad I could share some cool info! :))
Well, everything is edible if you think about it. Poisonous is another thing. I bet there are some cool things in the garden that I could add to my salad.
Thanks for the info! :D
Hahaha True :)
I am sure of that! If you have common dandelions and daisies... you can start from that ;)
I don't have any but will look up info about the things I do have.
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STOPWait, what??! These things are edible? :O
I just cleaned a bunch of them in the garden...
I'm going make a few grow now and test it out.
The more you know.
Yep they are!
And they are god for you too :)
Already identified a few and letting them grow. ✌️
Nice! Love to have some in my garden! But I never see this plant around! 😎
Maybe it doesn't grow in your region...
I thought it would though.
I will have a look around!
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Thanks very much! :)
I honestly never thought about this plant as food. It loves to take over laws where I live so I often pull it and replant it. There's so much that sometimes I throw it on a heap pile to dry out but the plant doesn't care it's like..
I'm definitely going to eat that bugger now after it taunted me for years!
Great post @ewkaw thank you for your educative contribution!
Yeaaa that's the one!! :D hahah
It is amazing how many plants out there is edible or have some good properties and we simply don't know about it! Our grandparents were much smarter that way.
Now it is all fun to learn it back while I shoot all the plants I find :)
Lol yeah I'm interested in finding more edibles now too.
A while ago I gave a friend heaps of haworthia..
And her bunny rabbit munched them to death.
It particularly focused on all the center tender bits.
Maybe I'll try some too!
Ops...
I never heard of haworthias being edible. For humans anyway. Bunnies obviously love it :)
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Thanks for the information, we have a lot of this plant, but I never suspected that it is edible)
Next year I will definitely try and share my impressions ...
I wouldn't never knew it is edible if I didn't see people munching it :)
Please try it, just make sure it is the right one ;)
I will not confuse it, I know this plant, it is difficult to confuse it with something, I just did not know about its edibility)
Enjoy then :)
Mandatory, but only next summer!)
In Cyprus, it is added to salads.
I haven't tried the soup.
In a soup it loses the sour flavour. Try it :)
It's good when it's her season, thanks!
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