I participated in a group volunteer event that involved ridding up the shorelines of invasive species. Pickleweed was not one of the species we were on a mission to remove, but education on the landscape, history, and variety of fauna was given to the participants. It is quite interesting to learn about the history of the land and how it became what it is today.
Let’s get back to pickleweed. Pickleweed is an invasive shoreline succulent shrub. It is salty, crunchy, and can be compared to sea asparagus. It can be used as a topping in the same way capers are used. Several restaurants have started adding this plant to their dishes.
A fellow volunteer shared that she harvests, prepares, and eats pickleweed regularly and also makes it for friends. This is what sparked the idea for me to give it a try. I gathered some up after the work was done and prepared some to taste at home.
My recipe is below. Also watch my YouTube video of the preparation.
Ingredients:
- Pickleweed
- Olive oil
- Ground black pepper
Instructions:
- Harvest pickleweed from the seashore.
- Bring a pot of water to boil while you clean the pickleweed.
- Remove sticks and stems and discard, keeping just the leaves.
- Rinse well under cold water at least twice.
- Drop cleaned pickleweed leaves in boiling water for 3-5 minutes.
- While that’s boiling, prepare an ice bath. It’s just ice cubes and some water. This helps to stop the cooking process once they’re done.
- Strain pickleweed and drop into ice bath.
- Strain out ice bath.
- Add olive oil and ground black pepper to your liking.
- Serve and enjoy!
Instagram @abundanceofvegetables
YouTube short Pickleweed tuna sandwich https://youtube.com/shorts/gBbOiq8P824?feature=share
YouTube full video Pickleweed https://youtu.be/7IaSYqRhHqU
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