experiencelifemag.com Print › | Back › Purslane This succulent leafy vegetable is rich in omega-3s and melatonin. By Cary Neff July-August 2009 Food Basics Nutritional Know-How Eat Up! Kitchen Tricks Purslane is said to have been one of Mahatma Gandhi’s favorite foods. But here in the United States it’s widely considered a weed. It’s time to put this nutritional plant on our plates instead of the compost pile. Food Basics Purslane (Portulaca oleracea), also called miner’s lettuce, pigweed and hogweed, is a succulent ground cover that grows wild throughout North America. Its leaves and stems, which may be bland or tart, taste like a slightly peppery cucumber. The tear-shaped leaves can be ultra-thin and tender or broad and fibrous. Harvested in midsummer, purslane’s smooth, green or red stems are slender and delicate. At the end of the growing season, the thick stems are tough and stringy and should be discarded. This delicious vegetable can be gathered in many places, does well in most home gardens, and is becoming more available in farmers’ markets, ethnic markets and restaurants. Nutritional Know-How Purslane’s leaves are high in alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid we usually get from fish or flaxseed. It also contains small amounts of EPA and DHA, longer-chain omega-3s rarely found in any food except fish and fish oil. Omega-3s nourish brain cells and may decrease the risk of depression, hyperactivity, migraines and Alzheimer’s disease (some promising studies have also shown that omega-3s might ameliorate the symptoms of depression, anxiety and other mood disorders). They also support the immune system, prevent inflammation and some types of cancer, lower cholesterol (LDL), and help the body regulate blood pressure and clotting. They’ve been found helpful in treating type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Purslane is also a source of calcium, potassium, iron, glutathione, essential amino acids, and vitamins E, C and A. Pregnant women should avoid purslane since it can cause the uterine muscles to contract. Eat Up! For a flavorful salad, toss raw purslane with other lettuces, like arugula, butter lettuce, spinach, mache or romaine. Add a lightly sweet and tart dressing, such as honey mustard. Enhance ordinary mayonnaise-based salads — chicken, egg, tuna, shrimp and turkey — by replacing celery with chopped purslane sprigs and stems.  Use purslane in sandwiches instead of lettuce. Raw purslane makes an attractive garnish. In recipes that call for watercress, try purslane instead. Stir purslane into soups and stews, just as you would use spinach. To cook, steam purslane for one to two minutes. Or sauté it in a hot pan with olive oil until it’s lightly wilted. Serve as a side dish. Kitchen Tricks Refrigerate purslane in an open plastic bag with a paper towel at the bottom. It will keep for about a week. Before eating, cut off roots. Soak leaves and stems in cold water to remove any dirt, then dry. Cut off and discard heavy stems. Because of purslane’s variable tastes, always sample it before using it in raw or cooked recipes. Younger small leaves will be sweeter and more delicate. If the purslane has matured and has larger stems, make sure the flavor is not too strong for your palate. Chef Cary Neff is the president of the consulting firm Culinary Innovations and the author of the New York Times bestseller Conscious Cuisine (Sourcebooks, 2002). For details on how to prepare Honey Dijon Purslane and Red Potato Salad; Purslane and Arugula Salad; and Purslane, Corn and Chicken Wrap, check out the Web Extras! at the top right of this page..

Purslane

This succulent leafy vegetable is rich in omega-3s and melatonin.

Food Basics
Nutritional Know-How
Eat Up!
Kitchen Tricks

Purslane is said to have been one of Mahatma Gandhi’s favorite foods. But here in the United States it’s widely considered a weed. It’s time to put this nutritional plant on our plates instead of the compost pile.

Food Basics (Back to Top)
Purslane (Portulaca oleracea), also called miner’s lettuce, pigweed and hogweed, is a succulent ground cover that grows wild throughout North America. Its leaves and stems, which may be bland or tart, taste like a slightly peppery cucumber. The tear-shaped leaves can be ultra-thin and tender or broad and fibrous. Harvested in midsummer, purslane’s smooth, green or red stems are slender and delicate. At the end of the growing season, the thick stems are tough and stringy and should be discarded. This delicious vegetable can be gathered in many places, does well in most home gardens, and is becoming more available in farmers’ markets, ethnic markets and restaurants.

Nutritional Know-How (Back to Top)
Purslane’s leaves are high in alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid we usually get from fish or flaxseed. It also contains small amounts of EPA and DHA, longer-chain omega-3s rarely found in any food except fish and fish oil. Omega-3s nourish brain cells and may decrease the risk of depression, hyperactivity, migraines and Alzheimer’s disease (some promising studies have also shown that omega-3s might ameliorate the symptoms of depression, anxiety and other mood disorders). They also support the immune system, prevent inflammation and some types of cancer, lower cholesterol (LDL), and help the body regulate blood pressure and clotting. They’ve been found helpful in treating type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Purslane is also a source of calcium, potassium, iron, glutathione, essential amino acids, and vitamins E, C and A. Pregnant women should avoid purslane since it can cause the uterine muscles to contract.

Eat Up! (Back to Top)
For a flavorful salad, toss raw purslane with other lettuces, like arugula, butter lettuce, spinach, mache or romaine. Add a lightly sweet and tart dressing, such as honey mustard.

• Enhance ordinary mayonnaise-based salads — chicken, egg, tuna, shrimp and turkey — by replacing celery with chopped purslane sprigs and stems. 
• Use purslane in sandwiches instead of lettuce.
• Raw purslane makes an attractive garnish.
• In recipes that call for watercress, try purslane instead.
• Stir purslane into soups and stews, just as you would use spinach.
• To cook, steam purslane for one to two minutes. Or sauté it in a hot pan with olive oil until it’s lightly wilted. Serve as a side dish.

Kitchen Tricks (Back to Top)

• Refrigerate purslane in an open plastic bag with a paper towel at the bottom. It will keep for about a week.
• Before eating, cut off roots. Soak leaves and stems in cold water to remove any dirt, then dry. Cut off and discard heavy stems.
• Because of purslane’s variable tastes, always sample it before using it in raw or cooked recipes. Younger small leaves will be sweeter and more delicate. If the purslane has matured and has larger stems, make sure the flavor is not too strong for your palate.

Chef Cary Neff is the president of the consulting firm Culinary Innovations and the author of the New York Times bestseller Conscious Cuisine (Sourcebooks, 2002).

For details on how to prepare Honey Dijon Purslane and Red Potato Salad; Purslane and Arugula Salad; and Purslane, Corn and Chicken Wrap, check out the Web Extras! at the top right of this page..

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August 18, 2009

Jamie, EL Editor says:

Hi, Robin! You're absolutely correct - the photo that originally appeared on our site was mache; I've updated it to a shot of purslane that our art director took herself! Here's what happened: In the original layout for the magazine, we mistakenly used a stock photo of mache (the one that used to be here); a team member realized the error and we replaced it with an original photo (now seen here). As a I was preparing images to use for the Web site, I grabbed the first available photo, which was of mache. So sorry about that! Thanks for being so observant and helping us get it right!

August 14, 2009

Robin says:

Are you sure that is a picture of purslane heading your article? It looks like macha to me. Purslane is a succulant and has fat paddle like leaves joined to reddish fat stems; It does not have the kind of veins your picture show - you plant looks more like it belongs to the cole family. There are so many excellent pictures on the Internet of Purslane - It really is a disservice to people to show a picture of a completely different plant with your article.

August 14, 2009

Robin says:

Just left a comment - I meant it looks like mache or corn salad to me. I just look at picture of mache on the Internet and I think that is definitly what is shown in your picture.

July 29, 2009

Pilar, Experience Life Editor in Chief says:

We're sorry to hear you've had a hard time locating Purslane. It is gradually becoming more available in markets but is still much more challenging to find in some regions and markets than others. It might be worth making some calls to your local farmers' markets, ethnic markets, and food co-ops. But the easiest way to secure a steady supply of purslane is to plant some in your yard, or in a shallow pot or other container. It grows very easily - like a weed, because it is one! - and should do very well in Austin, Texas most of the year. Purslane seeds are available from The Cook's Garden catalog (800) 457-9703, or you can order it via the Web from Seeds of Change and Territorial (see links below). You may also be able to find a local edible-garden supply that can provide you with a small pot to start with - or a neighbor or nearby gardening forum (see davesgarden.com link below for folks in your area) who might give you a cutting you can let root in a glass and then plant. Start with a just a few plants, and within a single season, you can probably grow enough purslane to harvest and eat on a regular basis. Purslane does best in the sun, isn't very picky about soil and doesn't need a great deal of water. It's hardy enough to survive most conditions and often reseeds itself from year to year. Beware that if you do let its flowers go to seed, you should expect it to spread like crazy, so choose your planting spot carefully, and if you DON'T want the plants to spread, cut flowers before they go to seed. Here are some links on growing and finding purslane: Ehow.com: http://bit.ly/2xckzU; Seedsofchange.com: http://bit.ly/14heU8; Territorialseed.com: http://bit.ly/12FJLY; Bellybytes.com: http://bit.ly/jQxqF; Davesgarden.com: http://bit.ly/ZleK8. Good luck, and enjoy. Purslane is one of our very favorite vegetables!

July 29, 2009

Tammy H. says:

Thank you for your lengthy and informative response. As I was watering my hanging baskets one morning, I noticed the plant in the basket (lovely yellow flowers) and it's leaves looking very similar to the Purslane photo in the magazine. The identification tag was still in the basket. Eureka! It said Purslane! I was amazed, yet cautious to eat the leaves because it probably has been sprayed with insecticides, but I did purchases the plant at HEB a local grocer in Cedar Park/Austin. I will order the seeds and start growing our very own Purslane!

July 29, 2009

Tammy H. says:

I contacted Whole Foods, an organic grocery in Austin, Texas. but they said they never heard of purslane. I am very interested in using it in my diet. Can you tell me where I can find Purslane Portulaca oleracea, also called miner's lettuce?