Rumex acetosa

 

Perennial

 

Height: 2 to 3 feet

 

Soil: Rich, well drained

 

Exposure: Full sun

 

Propagation: Seeds, root division

 

Origin: Europe

 

Parts Used: Leaves

 

Culinary: The leaves of sorrel can be used in soups and added to salads. Leaves can be wrapped around meat as a tenderizer or add it pounded to the marinade.

 

Medicinal: Sorrel kill putrefaction in the blood, expels worms. The leaves eaten as a salad in the spring are an excellent preventive for scurvy.

 

Folklore: Sorrel is known to have been eaten in ancient Egypt and by the Romans, who liked the sorrel to offset their rich food.

 

Other Names: Sourgrass, Meadow Sorrel, Garden Sorrel, Greensauce, Soursuds

 

Helpful Hints: The acidity of sorrel leaves will turn metal knives black when used to chop them. Use stainless steel knives.

 

Growing Tips: Sow seeds in early spring 1/4 inch deep in rows 12 inches apart. When seedlings are 3 inches tall, thin to 12 inches apart. Cut shoots before flower opens. Cut plant to ground to encourage fall crop.

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Recipe

 

Sorrel Soup

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4 tablespoons butter

4 cups sorrel, cleaned and shredded

4 1/2 cups chicken stock or water

2 eggs, separated

1/4 cup heavy cream

6 slices of French bread, sauteed in butter

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Heat the butter, add sorrel, and toss over medium heat until the greens are wilted. Cover with the stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the unbeaten egg whites through a strained directly into the soup, stirring constantly. Mix egg yolks and cream and make the liaison (whisking the hot sauce bit by bit into the yolks and cream very slowly), reheating without boiling. 

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Serve each portion over a slice of sauteed bread. 

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Yield: 6 servings

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