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The Amazing, Edible Weed That Is Packed With Nutrition
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5. It is Easy to Grow!
If you live in an area where purslane is scarce or appears to be non-existent, perhaps the case is that someone already harvested it! The good news is that purslane is super easy to grow. It loves rocky soil, sandy soil, salty soil, you name it! Even if you live in an apartment, you can grow purslane in a few pots, simply cut off what you want, and it will quickly grow right back again. It does tend to spread pretty quickly, however, so you should be careful not to let it take over your yard or your garden but once you try this tasty little plant, you will definitely make room for it in your garden somewhere!
There does appear to be one drawback to this plant — it does contain oxalates. Oxalates are bad news for those who tend to get kidney stones as oxalates are part of what makes up kidney stones. If you have had kidney stones, you might want to skip this plant.
Oxalates also have what might be called anti-nutrient compounds because they can interfere with the absorption of the minerals it contains, such as calcium and magnesium.
You can limit the amount of oxalates, however, by growing or collecting purslane that is grown in full sun. For some reason, this greatly diminishes the amount of oxalates. You can also consume yogurt with your meal that contains purslane as yogurt also reduces oxalates in all foods.
You can use purslane in almost any recipe that calls for lettuce or spinach. In fact, Martha Washington, the wife of first president George Washington, once had a recipe in her handwritten recipe book for pickled “purslane” , so this plant not only has been around for quite some time, but it can be used in almost every dish you can imagine.
Some chefs have stated that purslane should be eaten raw, lightly steamed, or cooked until it is falling apart, otherwise, it tends to have a slimy texture some people find unpleasant.
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Why not give this nutritionally rich plant a try? You have nothing to lose and you might just find one of your favorite new foods is growing in your supermarket parking lot!
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