Edible Weeds - List of Weeds You Can Eat & Tips on How to Prepare Them
What to eat
Are dandelions the bane of your existence or a side salad? The answer depends on your perspective and sense of adventure. Weeds grow faster and stronger than most plants we want in our gardens, and we can’t even compost some of them. But there is an alternative. Some edible weeds can be prepared in meals.
Some weeds are poisonous, of course, but many can be safely eaten. Consult a book or horticulture expert before eating any weeds unless you are absolutely sure they are healthy and edible. Decide early in the season if you are killing or eating weeds. Many weed killers are a threat to weeds, flowers, grass and people. Sprayed dandelions don’t make a good lunch.
Also, take care eating weeds if you are prone to allergies. Start slowly before munching a whole dandelion salad. There is a longer list of edible weeds at the Landscape America website, which specializes in weed information. Here are a few of the most common examples, along with how to prepare the weeds.
• Dandelion: As noted, dandelion leaves can be sprinkled into salad to add a unique flavor. Indian herbalists say a dandelion infusion can treat anemia, jaundice and nervousness while purifying the blood. Flowers can be made into wine or jam.
• Lambsquarter: Young leaves can be mixed into salad or steamed and cooked like spinach.
• Purslane: Leaves and stems can be chopped in salads or sautéed, but only the very young leaves. Older leaves can be quite bitter. The young leaves are sold in specialty grocery stores and known for high levels of vitamin C and omega 3 fatty acids.
• Red clover: Flowers can be chopped in salads, steeped in tea or cooked in soup
• Japanese knotweed: One frugal home chef takes advantage of the invasive weed as a tasty meal. Young shoots and leaves can be sautéed with a little oil and seasonings. He said the flavor is lemony and good, and compares the texture to asparagus. Another knotweed option is using them in pies as a rhubarb substitute.
• Kudzu: The root can be ground into a cornstarch substitute.
• Milk thistle: Young leaves without prickles can be used like spinach — raw or cooked. Flower buds are also edible.
This post is part of the series: Edible Flowers and Weeds
Several beautiful and ugly plants from the yard can be eaten in salads, cooked or added to teas or jams.