Plant ID card |
|
|---|---|
Botanical name |
Rumex acetosa. |
Common name |
Sorrel, common sorrel, sorrel. |
Family |
Polygonaceae. |
Origin |
Europe and Asia. |
Dimensions |
Up to 20 cm in height. |
Foliage |
Leaves with a subtly tangy taste, fleshy, oval in shape forming a bright green tuft. |
Bloom |
From May to September, clusters of flowers appear. |
Exposure |
Sunny (or light shade in the South of France). |
Ground |
Fresh, light, humus and non-limestone. |
Rusticity |
Up to -20°C. |
An aromatic plant consumed for its leaves, sorrel is easy to grow as long as it flourishes in sufficiently rich and fresh soil.
Two or three clumps are enough to satisfy the needs of an average family.
When and how to sow sorrel in the garden?
Between April and the end of May,
sow sorrel seeds in cool, open ground.
For that :
Soak the seeds for 24 hours before in water;
Aerate the soil using a garden fork and smooth with a rake;
Form a row and sow your sorrel seeds in pockets every 25 cm;
Cover with a thin layer of potting soil and water in fine rain.
Make sure the soil remains moist until the seeds germinate and emerge;
Thin out to keep only the most vigorous plants.
If you are planning a larger production to offer some to those around you, space the rows about 40 cm apart.
Also read: The top 20 aromatic herbs to grow at home
When and how to plant sorrel in the garden?
It is also possible to plant sorrel plants in the ground
in spring or fall
.
To do this, prepare the soil well, to deepen it and lighten it.
Add organic matter, very appreciated by sorrel.
Space each plant 20 cm in all directions.
To multiply your sorrel plants, opt for the simple and effective division method every 3 or 4 years.
Replant the fragments in compost-rich soil.
Good to know: sorrel goes well with thyme or (curly) parsley.
It is also possible to plant sorrel plants in the spring or fall.
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No use without permission.
How to care for sorrel?
First challenge:
preventing the sorrel from going to seed
.
To do this, cut the stems adorned with flowers as soon as they appear.
This will prevent your plant from becoming exhausted.
Maintaining sorrel also involves monitoring watering throughout the year and especially in cases of high heat and hoeing and weeding regularly to prevent the appearance of weeds.
When and how should sorrel be harvested?
3 months after sowing, it’s time to harvest your sorrel!
The peak season for sorrel is in spring and summer.
Do not take the entire clump, but only the leaves you need.
Choose those that are outside.
Pick by hand,
pinching the base of the leaf
between your thumb and forefinger and pulling gently.
You can also use small scissors.
How to cook sorrel?
Try a sorrel and potato soup!
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No use without permission.
When you have taken your sorrel leaves, separate them from the stems, which you can put in your compost.
Steamed, stewed, melted with butter or raw, sorrel and its fresh, tangy taste never go unnoticed in the mouth.
Try a sorrel and potato soup, a sorrel fondue with cream or a sorrel pesto to accompany fresh pasta.
Also read: Seasonal vegetables: to enjoy all year round!
Raw sorrel chopped in a vinaigrette or chopped on an omelette is also delicious.
The raw young shoots can be eaten in salad.
It can also be part of the ingredients of a tasty sauce for your salmon steak (sorrel, shallot, white wine, lemon, cream, etc.).
Just like spinach, sorrel reduces a lot when cooked: allow 350 g of leaves per person.
What are the properties of sorrel?
Sorrel has been consumed for its
digestive properties
for centuries.
It is also consumed for its nutritional properties: this leafy vegetable is rich in vitamins C and E but also in potassium, magnesium and trace elements.
Be careful, however, because its high content of oxalic acid can have undesirable effects on the mucous membranes of the intestines, which it can irritate.
People with kidney weaknesses should not consume too much.