For some gardeners it grows rampant and is considered a weed. With the other gardeners who would like to see him, he doesn't feel well even after sowing and dies. We're talking about horn sorrel. Did you know it's edible?
Is horn sorrel edible and how to use it?
The horn sorrel is edible; its sour, fruity taste comes from the leaves and flowers, which can be eaten raw. Fruits and roots are also edible, for example as vegetables. However, because of the oxalic acid it contains, consumption should be kept in moderation and, above all, used in doses for medicinal purposes.
The characteristics by which you recognize him
The horn sorrel blooms from May to October. It shows its yellow flowers. The flowers consist of, among other things, five petals and hairy, green-colored sepals. The leaves lie beneath them. They like to have a reddish tint. Their shape is inverted heart-shaped, they are fingered and stalked in three parts.
Horn sorrel is often found in deciduous and coniferous forests. Even in winter it can peek out from under the snow cover. It prefers to grow on acidic soils in partially shaded areas. If you walk through the forest between March and April, you're sure to come across him!
A sour-fruity taste
If you have collected fresh sorrel, you can try it. It can be eaten raw and tastes sour, slightly fruity and spicy. Most often its leaves and flowers are eaten. But its fruits and roots are also edible, for example prepared as vegetables in a pot or pan.
The quantity makes the poison
Sorrel is poisonous in large quantities. It contains oxalic acid, which is also found in rhubarb, beetroot and spinach. It is partially destroyed when heated and, in large quantities, has a negative effect on physical well-being.
Use well-dosed for healing purposes
If you want to take horn sorrel, for example as a juice, tea infusion, tincture or in a salad, you should dose it sparingly. You should use the juice e.g. B. don't drink it straight and by the glass. It is better to dilute the juice with water or tea and drink no more than 50 ml per day.
Areas of application where it has an effect
Due to its mucilage, its high vitamin C content, its fatty oils and other ingredients, horn sorrel is medicinal and can be used, among other things, for:
- Rheumatism
- Heartburn
- Intestinal cramps
- Gout
- Gallstones
- Urinary tract infections
- Fever
Tip
In households with small children and free-roaming pets, it is advisable not to plant horned sorrel too lushly, but rather to destroy it because of its toxicity.
