Eat The Weeds: Episode 91: Purslane

[@nikrguy]

I was first introduced to purslane by a Chinese friend of mine who gave it to me in a steamed dumpling with pork. Yum. He dries it and uses it as a green in dumplings during the winter. He has told me that if you want to dry it that it has to be blanched briefly. This is my favorite green. I'm glad you did it!

[@otakop67]

Well, Deane, I tried some yesterday using the military method for determining edibility. First, I washed what I clipped to rid it of any chemicals. Next I placed a leaf in my mouth and held it there without chewing for 10 minutes, no ill effects. Next I chewed some and held for 5 minutes without swallowing, no ill effects. Finally I swallowed it and had no ill effects. I followed the same procedure for the stems as well. It's been 24 hours so far so I guess it passes the Dick Deuerling method.

[@fbt2007]

What a great plant to know about. One of the most nutritious and it's been under my feet all along. You have educated me so, sorry less for you:-) It's amazing that the plant is not cultivated here in the U.S. especially with all of our health fads. We fortify our orange juice but hey, lets ignore one of the most nutritious plants we have. 5 stars and one of my favorite videos that you have made! Thanks Green Deane.

[@kirkha100]

Sauté onion till translucent in olive oil or butter. Add a little crushed red pepper, salt. Chop and add purslane. Finish with a little chicken broth, till bright green and tender. Put on hot corn tortilla with mild farmers cheese(queso fresco) roll it up and enjoy. It called Verdalagas, in Spanish. Delicious.

[@Shuggies]

I appreciate this. Thanks for sharing !)D

[@EatTheWeeds]

Some times I feel like the last expert in the slide rule must have felt. It was a tool that put us on the moon and now worthless. Most folks view foraging as bizarre at best, dangerous at worse. They also trust agriculture to feed them.

[@jackjones9460]

Maybe so, but Slide Rules never became useless; just fell out of favor.

[@williammay2332]

I know some people that only forage at Publix. If purslane was in the ground behind the store, they wouldn't touch it. Yank it up and put it in the produce isle and they'll drop a couple of bucks for it. I'm old enough to have been in the slide rule club in HS. (The slider on a rule is a cursor, the same as that arrow/bar that moves around your screen.)

[@queenelcene638]

Now farmers are being paid to kill their crops, so we have food shortages...😳🤷‍♀️🙇‍♀️

[@moses777exodus]

Very informative. Much Blessings to you. Thanks for sharing, Lord-Jesus-Christ dot

[@ericmccann21]

I totally agree with you but the more we learn to identity and forage the more secure I feel walking around and trying new stuff. Last year I foraged wild plums and mulberries and folks on the nearby bike paths must have thought I was crazy. No one would try the mulberries, pin cherries, wild plums or June berries I picked all around me... More for me I guess!

[@MachanicalChicken]

I love your videos. People dont realize that foraged greens are probably more nutritious than the groceries we buy. I have the stuff growing all over my yard and eat it on a regular basis

[@EatTheWeeds]

On many purslane the blossoms stay open for only a few hours, usually right after the morning sun hits them. Then they close. So you may have to look at them several times to catch them in blossom. There are some spurges that resemble purslane but they have white sap. Purslane seeds tiny black things about the size of the eye of a needle, and edible.

[@kleineroteHex]

while I have a darn time growing moss roses - portulaca grandiflora - my weed variety does AMAZINGLY well. Just had a salad with purslane in, it grows every where, but best in my flower pots LOL I love my weeds! free food and often healthier than the cultivated "food". You Sir are the best ! Because I was tired of weeding my garden a few years ago I looked the stuff up. Found Eat the Weeds and am so happy since! Less weeding more food.

[@EatTheWeeds]

I knew an old Italian organic gardener (back in the early 80s) who said "you have to let the bugs have some of them. "

[@formarjoram]

Purslane! I have fond memories of picking bunches of this stuff in our family farm in Egypt, and bringing it home for my mother to cook in the traditional manner. This video is so nostalgic for me, thank you for posting about this delicious little plant!

[@kellycrouch9576]

Love this guy’s presentation. Laidback,calming and informative and all the questions I have are already in his presentation. Thanks Green Bean!!

[@GEOPUZZLE]

Dave Canterbury mentioned your channel in one of his recent videos so I decided to check it out. This video is the first I watched. I recognized the plant as one of the most prolific "weeds" in my flower bed. I've pulled the stuff out and thrown away garbage bags full of it but, no more! I just tried some and it really is crispy and delicious. From now on it goes in my salad.

[@stefswatchinyoutubeagain4769]

Mine was taking over parts of my yard and my invading my neighbors yard, thanks to me, so I just sprayed the crap out of it. I definitely won’t be eating any now 😩

[@angelinimartini]

@@stefswatchinyoutubeagain4769 it’s taken over my yard and I’m pretty sure I couldn’t eat and share all of it if I could. I’m seeing it almost everywhere in the city. It’s just spread like wild fire. Had never seen it here before. Trying not to use herbicide… but I’m losing the battle

[@AudriaWitt-Preiss]

If you let it spread out a little, its super easy to pull up because the big ones will beat out the small ones and it has shallow roots. Pull it out of places you dont want it, eat some, compost the rest. Then let the ones that ARE where they belong grow some. He kept talking about pickles, easiest way in the world it to strip fat juicy stems of their leaves off into a soup, cut them the height of your pickle jar and drop them into the liquid left over after you finish off the last store bought pickle. Try one at 24 hours, 3 days, a week and a month. Then you will know your preferences. Absolutely the same thought as pickled asparagus.

[@brendahodgins]

I have been using this for years as a decorative addition to hanging baskets and my cement planters. Thrilled to find out earlier this year on this video - it is a great food. I just now ate some. It is very tasty raw... and it is young so it sounds like it will even get better. So yummy so grateful, thank you.

[@JohnDoeRando]

I just tried it for the first time. DELICIOUS!!! I'm blessed to have bunches in my garden.

[@sandyv6266]

I read your article on Hawthorn. I am here to tell you that I have consumed (ate) hundreds of hawthorn berries and lived to tell you about it. :-)

[@suzysmith7280]

My grandma used to grow this and cook for us when we visited as I loved it😍😊

[@dazigg]

But! Know Deane that you are appreciated and your efforts are recognized for the time-honored traditions they attempt to further and support! You are actively doing your part in your way and we see that, and we thank you. I personally have learned so much from you, you've given me a deeper perspective into my surroundings and you've inspired me to get as "Green" as I can! In everything I do! You are a valuable resource! :)

[@39satcom]

Score! I've been interested in purslane for years. Thanks for the very thorough video. Subscribed!

[@HIStoryindeed]

Thankfully, I have this wonderful plant naturally occurring at my home in NY. I subscribed to your channel when I acquired water hyacinth for my goldfish pond and came across your video on them. I thought then that I found a needle in the YT haystack, so I knew you would have covered this gem too! The water hyacinths are now part of my aquaponic vegetable gardening and the purslane is part of my diet. Bravo brother, nice work. Deane, you empower people, thank you for your many contributions.

[@johnh5958]

I was thinking about producing youtube videos on the subject of edible wild plants, but after I discovered Green Deane's I realized mine would be superfluous at best. This is a superb series.

[@Happyfsscist33]

Different people appeal to different people.

[@Happyfsscist33]

If you live in a different area. It's a huge subject are you a good cook a good weed cooking show or your own niche.

[@percymiller4570]

I wish you still made videos. I've just recently stumbled upon your channel and absolutely love the content! Everyone has videos of foraging wild food more North. You, in Florida and me in southern Louisiana, have a lot of the same plants. I can't find any other channels that are specific to our region.

[@TheNESRules]

I love your videos, I keep finding out these weeds that have been growing in the garden every year are actually quite good. After doing more research on Purslane, I even found that its beneficial to other garden plants as its deep roots bring up water to them.

[@jackjones9460]

I’ve heard of purslane before but not as much as you just shared. Thank you!

[@TheMrbumpas]

I harvest some every year,and I take the time at least once a year to collect and save the seeds.A little tedious but just half a teaspoon of seeds will grow a large patch. Always grow it as ground cover between veggies,free meal every time I weed.

[@brendahodgins]

Purslane is very pretty in hanging baskets planted by themselves. I have surprised many people when they realize what it is... I just love them, I plant 3 to a pot sandyish soil but lots of liquid fertilizer. I wont be adding the fertilizer any more! I love your videos. I gather lots. Learning more here. Thanks xoxo

[@acykat2069]

There is a patch of purslane near my house that catches the runoff from a cajun restaurant's dumpster. It reeks to high heaven during crawfish season, but the plant grows as large as any rose bush with leaves the size of nickles! Probably not safe to eat, but I'm often astounded by the tenacity of this plant.

[@QuestioningQuilter]

I would love to see you cooking this and the other weeds you find.

[@abyssquick]

This one I pick all the time. There are some upright forms that grow around my yard. There are also smaller, redder plants.

[@abyssquick]

Like the ornamental pink portulaca at wal-mart. I collected seed from the large, upright purslane, and it's now all over the garden. But I don't mind. Some of the paddle-shaped leaves are the size of my thumb. It's really a great vegetable.

[@OchoaShelsea]

This is awesome! I'm such a huge fan of Purslane, and I'm so glad I found you Green Dean! Eat the Weeds Indeed!

[@royahold1966]

Green Dean is super awesome!

[@rayme4raw]

@jimjamerman I have a ton of purslane growing between the cracks in my flagstone porch, it only gets 6 hours of direct sunlight. it's doing very well.

[@wcclarence2147]

Yeah I live in Northeast, Deanwood to be exact and I 'v found it in only one spot just off of Minnesota Ave.

[@1fanger]

I work in lawn care and horticulture and never knew of one trait of purslane- it will not die if left on the ground after picking it. I would be going down a flower bed, sweating like mad, picking this stuff and just leaving it on the ground to die. All I was doing is allowing it to continue to flower and produce seed. Apparently, the watery pith in the stems will keep it alive long enough to re-seed itself. You can come back and it would still be there, going to flower after pulling it.

[@EatTheWeeds]

Well, they are quite difference. Purlane tends to be a smooth leaf, thick with little or no central vein or lateral veins. The Kummerowia as a very distinct center rib and very distinct veins running off the central rib. Comparatively one looks smooth and fleshy, the other ridged and rough, sometimes even partially folded in the middle. The purslane leaf does not fold.

[@origirox]

Those are questions I wrestle with too that you pose in the middle of you video. I guess more Purslane for me. I enjoy a slight lemon and salty flavor from Purslane (raw). Yummmers!!! TY

[@EatTheWeeds]

@permiepat Perhaps but I think it would be a chore. The plant is mostly water to start with. You won't end up with much.

[@SanJoseBob]

Deane, Like the gentleman from Mexico said, in Spanish it's called "Verdolagas". My dad is Native American (Apache, New Mexico) and my mom is Spanish. He taught her to Saute Purslane with Onions & canned Corned Beef,..... delish! That was many years ago, but to this day, if I find it growing wild I will pick it. Treat it like you would Spinach. I just discovered your site and will subscribe and follow your knowledgeable advice. SanJoseBob.

[@KristinEspinasse]

Thanks for the video! I have been yanking this weed out of my garden pots (here in France), unaware that it is an edible plant! Tomorrow morning I will check for the yellow flowers -- otherwise, I am sure this is the same plant. I just checked the seed pods which are identical, as is the red stem and the "paddle" leaves. Off to read the comments here, which seem to be full of great tips! Merci beaucoup.

[@saltlifegull4091]

Super cool video! Hope it lives thru the winter in Florida.

[@EatTheWeeds]

It does have oxalic acid, 1,679 to 16,790 ppm. The more ammonium in the soil the less oxalic acid.

[@AScannerClearly]

Purlsane is by far my favorite wild edible (to date), and is also the first one I ever identified in my garden. I've kind of let it go out there and it grows all over the place, but some of the leaves have white spots on them, fungal infections surely since it's been raining so much this year in New Jersey... so I'm ending up picking off 1/2 to 1/4th of the leaves on every plant I harvest. But still my favorite though.

[@MarkDaGardna]

I have been snacking on Purslane since I discovered it in my garden. It thrives better than my tomatoes cucumbers or peppers and requires no maintenance whatsoever. I think I will make this a permanent plant in my garden. Like you say, "More Food For Me!"

[@janastormont2278]

I just plant the root right in the yard. I also cut the top of the weed to eat and leave the roots and a little bit of the stem. It grows back and I can harvest it again.

[@greendeane1]

Good advice. My speciality is harvesting rather than growing.

[@lycosa2000]

That's good advice, and what I would have likely done anyhow. The more I learn, the more I have an affinity for those little edible weeds that find their way into my yard. The lubbers are a marching force this time of year and the only thing I've done is relocate them from my favorite plants since they are easy enough to spot. Also, thanks for doing what you do. I've found it near impossible to find any good books for Florida plant ID and you've really removed a lot of the head scratching.

[@EatTheWeeds]

Sounds good... it will do well in the spring and fall, goes a bit wilty in the summer.

[@johnu78]

I finally had been able to gather up enough Purslane to steam. I steamed a big pot of it a few days ago and it was great. It tastes a lot like spinach.

[@Rahel]

Green Deane, thank you so much! Thanks to you, I identified some purslane today and intend to do with it exactly what you have done: transplant it, let it re-seed, and eat it!

[@Paladin57]

I love this plant! On our farm it is quite common. When I'm walking my dog, I always grab a handful for a snack. I've never really prepared it, but may do so. Thanks for putting this video together Deane :)

[@EatTheWeeds]

Bought it? At a garden store for landscaping? First, theyu put a lot of stuff on those kinds of plants so that is one issue. And while those cultvars might be edible I do not know of anyone who has tried them. They've always been on my list of things to explore.

[@EatTheWeeds]

I am not a luddite but I have some reservations about GMO. DNA strands are like standing dominoes with junctures. Change one domino and a different cascade of traits can happen. I know two yams. They are similar. One vine twists clockwise, one vine counterclockwise. One is toxic the other is not. Did the gene that changed the direction of twist also cause a DNA cascade that also included creating toxins? Do gene insertions cause changes we don't know about or look for but which can harm us?

[@julietcollins2334]

thank you kindly sir... i use it in green smoothies, but hadn't thought of transplanting others ppls weeds into my garden...

[@EatTheWeeds]

Yep... I think I will do Pine next, but the last eight may take a while... time, season... et cetera

[@otakop67]

Everything with the plant seemed identical to the one you have there except for the size of the flower, so I wasn't horribly worried. My only concern was unknown allergies, but I seem to have passed the test. I'd put the taste of this one to be similar to salted watermelon once you get a little close to the rind. I bought this because for the life of me I couldn't find it in the wild. Just my luck, I find a wild one in the garden center's parking lot on the way out. It's being seeded as we speak

[@qualqui]

@AyumuHasegawa me thinks there are various kinds out there, here on the central plateau, the flowers are white with a pinkish tinge.

[@soupsoua]

I never knew that's what they were called. My family likes to fry it with chopped beef and pepper, add some salt and it taste amazing. :)

[@AudriaWitt-Preiss]

You never used the word succulent. But for those watching this its a good way to tell purselane apart from other plants is often its the only bulbus leaf “weed” around if you dont live somewhere that cacti are common.

[@Mrbfgray]

Just made my first Purslane cultivation plot via transplanting some random one's in the yard....have yet to eat more than a taste. Mine happens to be the low to the ground type perhaps due to 'ducking the mower blades' selection process, it's apparently very drought tolerant based on some of the dry locations I find it doing well.

[@rayaengler4427]

I love your enthusiasm for weeds, it hurts me how so many people kill these noble nutritious greens. Would you share the names of nurseries that sell medicinal plants (weeds) ? Since there are so many varieties of the same plant, I want to make sure I get the right ones. Thank you for your labor of love.

[@liferoadministries]

Take the plant when you find it, turn it upside down and shake it onto a paper plate. There will be a lot of tiny black seeds. Super easy to grow.

[@sarahnoda]

Thank you! I found one of these wild, planted it at home in hopes of having it next season. But then I noticed the leaves would close for the evening and open for midday and wondered if I didn't have the right plant. Now I know!

[@sarahnoda]

@Brian Shaw yep, mine tend to fold upward and close a couple hours before sunset. It's quite neat.

[@EatTheWeeds]

The USDA map, which can be very wrong, says it does not grow in Alaska. However, it grows in British Columbia so I suspect it is in Alaska, too, as plants don't pay attention to borders.

[@andreaberryman5354]

Purslane is a heat-lover. It grows in WA, but not on our coasts because the summers don't stay above 90°. I doubt it can live in AK-too far North to fry. Lol

[@lycosa2000]

They are grasshoppers. Here in Florida, they hatch out in pretty large numbers sometime around March. They absolutely stunning in color. If you google images of the young ones they are black with yellow and red on them. They are plant devouring machines and when they hatch out, they usually congregate together in pretty large numbers. Problem is, they have no natural predators (that I know of) because they are toxic. Something might be able to stomach them, but I've never seen anything eat one.

[@RachaelARaines]

I steam this and serve it with a wild rice blend. It's also good in a salad with cucumbers and tomatoes with a vinaigrette.

[@AyumuHasegawa]

I have purslane growing around my huse and I love going outside in the morning to look at the flowers but they have redish purple flowers instead of yellow

[@EatTheWeeds]

Thanks for writing.... on the garden web there are a lot of forums where one can ask questions, and here. Legumes range from toxic to edible from the garden. And some folks are allergic to even the edible ones. Legumes were not considered human food in the distant past. They are not well-represent in mesolithic middens. Cooking does not get rid of toxicity in that family. It is NOT a family to experiment with. Make sure it is edible or leave it alone.

[@doriswoo4455]

Thank you so much. Enjoy all your videos.

[@StarFlower99654]

Oh wow, when i was a kid (in ohio) we had to weed the garden and this was one of those 'weeds' my brother and me called it rubber plant. Had no idea of its name or value. I dont think they grow here in Alaska tho or at least i havent seen any??

[@MrBlank5]

Mr. Deane, I greatly enjoy all your videos and thank you for the information they provide. On this particular video though, I was wondering as to how exactly a person would go about pickleing the purslane? Thank you kindly and I look forward to your next video.

[@kameyu1000]

And it doesn't look like prostrate knotweed. Another think I noticed is late the leaves are shaped like purslane leaves and are as big as purslane leaves, but are only about as thick as clover or wood sorrel leaves. So they weren't very fleshy.

[@EatTheWeeds]

Probably a spruge. White sap is a huge warning sign to leave it alone. If I didn't mention it on my video I did on my site. There are some edible plants with white sap but very few.

[@MeyerG4Indiana]

Great editing! ( keeps the info coming at brain speed ...... few others do.) Great delivery and content. Thanks for sharing your gifts. I must subscribe.

[@EatTheWeeds]

@jimjamerman My first answer is no. Then I would recommend Edible Plants of North America by Elias and Dykeman (2008 edition or later, that's important.) Then with few drawings Edible Plants of the Gulf South by Charles Allen.

[@EatTheWeeds]

As it is mostly water, drying is not a prime option. It does, however, pickle well.

[@EatTheWeeds]

Thanks for writing... I have found wild purslane preferable to commercial strains. We would have to know what they are selling, a commercial cultivar or a wild one.

[@lesliepostin]

wonderful video deane! so timely also, as i have magnificent purslane growing in my strawberry bed and i just harvested a huge batch tonight! thanks for sharing all the benefits of eating this wonderful green! :)

[@lolvivo8783]

Love ur channel. Its called Indias gift to the world.

[@arrhazes8198]

Thank you for your work! I really appreciate it!

[@HungryHillboy]

This was a great video and subject. It makes me sad when I hear people talking about hunger and malnutrition in this country. Its all about perception and education. Great job Green Dean trying to educate people.

[@WhyYouSo]

I forgot all about this...but the other morning I woke early and looked in on my plants...there was my purslane with those elusive blossoms open! WOWEE! I only ate 1 leaf because they're pretty small plants, just getting started...Not Bad! :-P Lotsa Love, Deane~~

[@abyssquick]

...and sandspur is edible when young. I use it like wheatgrass, to make juice.

[@kryptiea]

lol I have been fighting this weed in my garden for 4 years. It has to be this it has the stems that turn kind of red as it gets older and the seed pods and small yellow flowers. Not 2 weeks ago i pulled a bundle of this up muttering about this weed. I will not be throwing anymore of it away!!

[@pepperheadtoo]

an easy to "transplant" purslane is simply drop a sprig of it on a place you want it to grow and let the plant drop its seeds (the plant will rush its seeds to maturity before it dries up)

[@dreamweaver8102]

It's growing in my backyard, I've sautéed it and yum

[@MomofukoU]

Love your vids! When I was a child, my grandparents showed me many of the "weeds" you teach about. Thank you for jogging my memory bank, so I don't break the bank purchasing many of these edibles at the market. Which, I have been doing for years. Why? May be the explanation is that when "some" folks saw me picking "weeds" years ago, they said something like, why....you can't eat that, it is a weed...it might kill you. I knew I had eaten them before, but, I began to second guess. Duh! TYVM!

[@janastormont2278]

I wash my harvested purslane over a bowl so the little black seeds fall to the bottom of the bowl. I simply pour the seeds where I want purslane to grow in our yard - usually somewhere I am already watering like at the the trunk of a tree.

[@janarosem]

I absolutely love your work and your videos!! Thank you so much :D

[@lycosa2000]

Deane, I love your videos and they've helped me with identification for a lot of plants around in Ocala. At least the common ones. Since a lot of your videos seem to end with you, in what I assume is you sitting in your backyard, I was wondering if you share all the food in your yard with the local insects or do you have some green method of protecting your 'weeds'? I only ask because Lubbers are upon us and they are hungry!

[@Eclectician]

Purslane is definitely in full swing here in the DC area right now. I've noticed some people use multicolour flowering purslane for decorum. Is it the same as the purslane in your video and thus also edible?

[@sloshgator]

Green Deane says that he doesn't like commercially grown purslane. I've bought purslane from Lukas Nursery (Oviedo, FL) and I think it is very tasty in salads. (The worker thought I was joking (or crazy) when I told here I intended to eat it.) I mention it because maybe they have a unique, tasty variety. I will try the wild ones though -- maybe I don't know what I'm missing. It is just easier to buy the plants from Lukas' in the Spring.

[@abuelita23xxx]

Sir, i believe we have quite a large patch of purslane growing wild in our backyard. As we live in Eastern Iowa, we are coming on to the cold winter. Is there a way to keep this through the winter? Can it grow in a container inside our house? Can we freeze it? As we make lots of Mexican food, this may be a great "find". Thank you.

[@Khono]

Mmm, looks like a succulent! I need to take your advice and transplant some from the wild. A pity that woman was so obstinate, I'd love to have such a garden. But maybe she'll remember what you said if they fall on hard times and she'll get a taste for it.

[@killuminatepeacefulness3948]

i have my own growing in a pot indoors right now. i harvested the seeds and the end of last summer

[@ericmccann21]

I love the sour varieties of wild purslane and wild sorrel together 😋

[@TOKEN511]

Thank you for reminding me to pick up a few plants for transplant. It grows wild all over my area. 5*

[@adeebsanjeeda7471]

we eat purslane lot we cook in lintels and in tomatoes and meat ,very tasty eat with rice or chapati.

[@EatTheWeeds]

No book yet but I do have regular classes in West Palm Beach

[@noelconroy3647]

Hi thanks for valuable information and have a Happy new week ahead and family 🍀👍🌹🍁🌽🌿🍂

[@jammatoonarmy]

interesting thing is, heat breaks down long chain fatty acids. eat your greens, and lots of them and you'll get all the LCFA you need :)

[@ChristopherJones16]

mix it into your scrambled eggs :)

[@GemmasMusic]

Putting it into a smoothie also works!

[@EatTheWeeds]

@abuelita23xxx Sure, take it inside and put it in a sunny window. It's hardy and easy to grow.