Edible Weeds

EDIBLE WEEDS

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Burdock (Arctium lappa)	root pickled, boiled in soups and stews cultivated as a vegetable in Japan where it is known as gobo. The stalks are scraped and cooked like celery. The roots can be eaten raw in salads or added to stir fries.
Cattail (Typha latifolia) -	the pollen can be used to enrich flour. The unripe flower spikes can be cooked as a vegetable and the young shoots and inner stems are eaten raw or cooked.
Century plant (Agave americana) -	the flower stems and leaf bases can be roasted and eaten. Certain species can be made into alcoholic drinks such as tequila.
Chickweed (Stellaria media)	leaves chopped in salads / can be added raw to salads or cooked as a vegetable.
Chicory (Cichorium intybus)	- the roots of this plant are used as a coffee additive. The sky blue flowers are also edible and make a terrific addition to salads.
Cresses	leaves young in salad; cooked in soup
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)	Dandelion greens are, in fact, quite nutritious. They are high in vitamins A and C, and iron. All parts of the dandelion are edible: the roots, flowers and "dandelion greens" not only have medicinal uses, but also culinary uses. You should harvest dandelion greens in early spring, before the flowers appear and after the first frost in fall is another time when dandelion greens aren't so bitter. Dandelion root can be roasted as a coffee-substitute, or boiled and stir-fried as a cooked vegetable. Dandelion flower can be made into a wine, or boiled and stir-fried as a cooked vegetable. Dandelion greens (i.e., the leaves) can be boiled, as you would spinach, and used as a cooked vegetable, in sandwiches or as a salad green with some "bite." young leaves in salads, steamed, wilted, or cooked in dandelion gravy (served over mashed potatoes); young flowers in wine; dipped in egg then cornmeal and fried
Epazote (Chenopodium ambrosioides)	a tropical American weed commonly used in Mexican cooking to flavor corn, beans, mushrooms, seafood, fish, soups, and sauces.
Garlic mustard (Alliaria officinalis)	- the young leaves add a mild garlic flavor to salads, sandwiches, and soups.
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)	the leaves and flowers can be used for herbal tea.
Horseweed (Conyza canadensis)	- the young leaves can be cooked as a vegetable.
Kudzu (Pueraria lobata)	- AKA Japanese arrowroot. It is a prolific weed in south Florida. A starch can be made from its roots. This starch can be used to thicken sauces and gravies as you would use cornstarch. The leaves can be battered and fried.
Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album)	leaves, shoots young in salad; cook and use like spinach
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum)	- the young leaves with the spines removed are eaten raw or cooked as a spinach-like vegetable. The flower buds can be eaten, they are like miniature artichokes.
Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum)
Plantain (Plantago spp.)	leaves the young leaves are edible if the fibrous midribs and veins are removed. The seeds are also edible.
Prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola)	- the young leaves can be eaten raw in salads or cooked as a vegetable.
Purslane (Portulaca olearacea)	This edible weed is actually a succulent herb. Use the stems, leaves and seeds in stir-frys. Purslane is only good to eat when it's young. The flavor deteriorates once it starts to bloom. Don’t eat the ornamental flowering species, P. grandiflora. If purslane is growing in your garden it means you have healthy, fertile soil! Contains alpha-linolenic acid, one of the highly sought-after Omega-3 fatty acids. The stems are high in vitamin C. leaves, stems very young leaves chopped in salads, salty garnish; blanch and saute with olive oil, garlic, and chile tastes similar to spinach and the leaves and stems can be eaten raw in salads or cooked or pickled in vinegar. Cooked purslane has a mucilaginous texture similar to okra.
Red Clover	flowers chopped in salads, steeped in tea, cooked in soup
Sheep's sorrel (Rumex acetosella)	- the young leaves can be added to salads, sauces, soups, and egg dishes.
Shepherd's Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris	leaves blanch and saute with olive oil, garlic, and chile has been used as a food for thousands of years. The seed pods have a peppery flavor and can be used as a seasoning.
Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica)	the cooked young leaves can be eaten like spinach, added to soups and egg and vegetable dishes. Do not consume raw leaves, they are covered with highly irritating hairs thus the name STINGING nettle.
Violet	leaves, flowers young leaves in salad, add to marinara sauce; flowers in fruit salad, syrup, sorbet, candied
	Dandelion is a bitter-sweet, cooling herb with diuretic and laxative effects. It also stimulates liver function and improves digestion. Horseweed is a slightly aromatic bitter tonic that acts as a diuretic and checks bleeding. Kudzu is a sweet, cooling, tonic herb that increases perspiration, relieves pain, relaxes spasms, lowers blood pressure, and soothes the digestive system. Milk thistle is a bitter, diuretic, tonic herb that regenerates liver cells, stimulates bile flow and relaxes spasms. Plantain (P. psyllium) contains up to 30% mucilage, which swells in the gut, acting as a bulk laxative which also soothes irritated membranes. Purslane is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids that can help to reduce one's cholesterol levels. Sheep's sorrel is best known as an ingredient of Essiac, a native American anti-cancer remedy. Safety Precautions When using any type of plant material moderation is key. Ingesting too much of even the most benign substance can cause you to become ill. Never harvest weeds from the side of the road. These plants may be contaminated from vehicle exhaust fumes. Never harvest weeds in the wild unless you are absolutely certain of their identification and you have the permission of the land owner and you know that the field hasn't been sprayed with any harmful chemicals. The safest way to harvest weeds is to look in your own yard. I have purslane growing allover my yard but I had to purchase seeds to establish my patches of chicory and dandelion which I planted in my garden next to my other herbs and vegetables. Always practice organic gardening techniques in your garden especially when it's food you intend to eat. Further Reading Edible Wild Plants, Peterson Field Guides. Houghton Mifflin Co. Guide to Edible Weeds. James A. Duke. Random House, 1999. Handbook of Edible Weeds, James A. Duke. CRC Press, 2001. Herbal Remedy Gardens, Dorie Byers. Storey Books, 1999. Includes a section on edible weeds.