Sorrel – delicious, nutritious and free!

First of all, what the heck is sorrel?

Sorrel is a broad name applied sort of indiscriminately to a number of leafy, perennial herbs with a similar distinct flavour. It’s incredibly yummy and nutritious!

I only learned of sorrel’s deliciousness about 5 years ago. It is now one of my absolute favourite greens – sour, tangy, available almost everywhere (for free!) — plus, it’s nearly impossible to kill 😉 When we go on long family walks or bike rides, I used to pack heaps of snacks. Now, the kids just help themselves to the abundance of wild sorrel along our path (not that a few leaves of sorrel will satiate hunger, but it does leave an intense flavour in your mouth that is very satisfying). That’s right – time AND money SAVED! #MomHack.

Learning about and foraging for local wild plants is fascinating and educational stuff for youngsters and adults, alike. Visit me on Instagram @jackielane_lovenlife for more foraging fun and recipes with weeds 🙂

When it comes to sorrel, there are MANY types. Living in Ontario, Canada, I am going to focus on three types: Wood Sorrel, Sheep’s Sorrel and French Sorrel. All three types offer the same tart, citrus-y flavour and are absolutely flourishing on my property in rural Ottawa, despite my lack of green thumbs (or perhaps it’s *due* to my weeding delinquency…..).

PREPARATION

Sorrel is tasty when eaten fresh, as a tangy addition to salads, on sandwiches, tacos, pizza, or straight-up in your face. It can also be cooked into soups, sauces, quiche or made into a fantastic pesto, salsa, or even dried and made into a healthy tea (Note: tea made from these types of sorrel differ from Caribbean ‘sorrel tea’— which is a bright red, spiced tea, actually made from hibiscus. In Jamaica, hibiscus is known as sorrel).

Interestingly, sheep’s sorrel is one of the main ingredients in Essiac tea, a Canadian-made concoction with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immuno-stimulating potential, well-known to many cancer patients.

NUTRITION

An excellent source of fibre, phytonutrients and folic acid, sorrel is highly nutritious. It is high in vitamin C and also contains vitamins A, E and K as well as iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Similar to spinach and other leafy greens, sorrel also contains oxalic acid. In *extremely* high doses, oxalic acid can be toxic to individuals susceptible to kidney stones. Therefore, consume sorrel in sensible moderation (i.e. don’t eat large quantities daily).

IDENTIFICATION

Below, are some key identifying features of the three above-noted types of sorrel (which are, oddly enough, not all related, but do share the same name and same lemony taste).

WOOD SORREL (Oxalis stricta)

Often mistaken for clover, wood sorrel has 3 folded heart-shaped leaves; while clover leaves, also in sets of 3 (unless you’re lucky!) are oval-shaped. Yellow wood sorrel has green leaves and small yellow flower buds. Some other species of wood sorrel have darker purple leaves and pink or violet flowers. Wood sorrel is a common and persistent lawn weed. It can be found in sunny garden beds and shaded forests, and can be harvested from spring to fall. Both the leaves and flowers are edible.

SHEEP’S SORREL (Rumex acetosella)

Another common perennial weed, sheep’s sorrel is a flowering plant in the buckwheat family. It typically grows in highly acidic soil, in clumps. It has arrow-shaped leaves, with two lobes at the base of the leaf. The edible leaves are bright green, with either green or reddish coloured stems. The mature plant has reddish-brown clustered flowers branching out on long stalks.

FRENCH SORREL (Rumex scutatus)

Unlike the two wild “common weeds” noted above, French sorrel is typically found in garden centers and farmers’ markets. However, once planted (if in a good location), French sorrel will grow back year after year and gradually increase in size. French sorrel grows in clusters of bright green arrow-shaped leaves. Though I have not yet tried it, apparently, French sorrel is well suited to container gardening, so can be brought indoors for year-round tangy salad making.

CONCLUSION

With its impressive nutritional value, culinary versatility and hardiness (even in frigid Ottawa!), it’s shocking that these sour perennials aren’t more commonplace in the kitchen. With my kids regularly ‘snacking’ on backyard weeds, they tend to offer bits of sorrel to visitors and I have yet to meet anyone who hasn’t enjoyed munching on a clump of sour greens 🙂

As always with wild edibles, only consume if you can *positively* identify the plant. Wood sorrel is a good starting point, to test your taste for these wonderfully tart greens as it is easy to identify with no real look-alikes.

Happy foraging!

Have you tried sorrel? Which type(s) and how did you like it?

Please comment below – I would love to hear how others use their sorrel!