Indian balsam in particular is well known and feared as a weed by many gardeners. How about gorging yourself on this herb? Is it even edible?
Which parts of the balsam are edible?
The Indian balsam is partly edible: the pink flowers and strange-looking seeds can be eaten raw. They taste sweet or nutty. However, the leaves and stems should only be consumed when cooked, otherwise they can be slightly poisonous.
Flowers and seeds are edible
The pink flowers and small strange-looking seeds of impatiens are edible. This applies to all species. Unlike them, you should not consume the leaves and stems raw. Cooking is something else
The sweet flowers as edible decoration
The flowers are present from July. New flowers can form until October or the first frost. Therefore, the period from July to October is the collection time for these.
The flowers can be eaten raw. They taste sweet due to their high nectar content. Whether as an edible decoration for dishes, in salads or for making flower jelly - the possible uses are numerous.
The nutty seeds as a snack
The seeds of the jewelweed are harvested in autumn. Their taste is slightly nutty. It is vaguely reminiscent of fresh walnuts. If you have a lot of time, you can harvest many seeds and use them, for example, as a flour substitute for gluten-free dishes. The seeds are ideal for the following dishes:
- Muffins
- Spramcake
- Pancakes
- Risotto
- Pesto
- Bratlings
Both the ripe seeds and the immature (white colored) seeds are edible raw. They also taste delicious when roasted. In this form they are good for muesli or for snacking in between meals.
Leaves – not very tasty
While the fresh leaves are slightly poisonous and can cause nausea, the leaves are edible when cooked. For example, they can be prepared like spinach. But from a culinary point of view there is little to gain from them due to the bitter substances and acids they contain.
The leaves should therefore be viewed as 'emergency food'. It's a shame, because otherwise you would have a good reason to harvest the jewelweed, which would make control easier.
Tip
Poisoning, for example from eating too many raw jewelweed leaves, can manifest itself in nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, among other things. The body tries to get rid of the toxins it contains.
