Harvesting Purslane stems?

[DawnStudent]

Hello, A critter beat me to harvesting my purslane leaves 🙁 They left me with thick, juicy stems … should I harvest stems to add to my smoothies (Omega 3s)? Some of the stems are budding, some are flowering, and some are turning into seed pods at the very end … but all the leaves along the 8 inch stems are gone. Or is that just grasping at straws? Monographs talk about the leaves but state that ariel parts are medicinal.

[Patricia PearsonStudent]

I just discovered purslane this summer, and have enjoyed eating stems and leaves. I use them in salads and stir-fry. Nutritious and tasty! If stems are all that’s available, I would sure use them.

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Jennifer Cowan, Carolyn Mazarakis, Dawn

[DawnStudentTopic Author]

Thank you Patricia, I really appreciate your experience with the stems. That has been on my mind all of this time. I took some stems and tried to dry them; I saw on one of the plant walk videos that Doc relayed that they really don’t dry well 🙂  So, just to double check, you eat them raw in salads and fry them up a bit in the stir fry? Do you prefer cooked or fresh? I have not tasted them but will try to grow them again next year. (these I grew from seeds.)  Thank you again for feedback.

[Carolyn MazarakisStudent]

Thank you for your posts on purslane.  This summer was my first time growing it, and leaf miners destroyed most of the leaves or at least left them in a state I didn’t want to eat.  I never knew those little beasts existed or where they came from. So I wound up chopping the stems into 1/4″ – 1/2″ pieces and either dehydrated them or added them to soups.  They dehydrated easily that way, but I haven’t tried rehydrating them. I figured at least the nutrition is preserved.   Any smaller pieces on the dehydrator tray shrank into nothingness and fell through the cracks. Purslane stalks also made a pretty decent substitute for celery, either in salads or as a raw snack — had to peel or discard woodier parts — and they last in the fridge for quite a while with a few drops of water in the container.  I imagine chopping and freezing might be an option too.  As you come up with ideas, I would love to hear more.  Thank you again.

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

The stems are tasty and about as good as the leaves.

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

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Jorie Strobel

[Author]

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