Favourite uses for purslane?

For the first time I'm growing an improved variety of purslane, rather than the usual little weedy stuff. This one is tall and has huge leaves! Anything I started in a pot to transplant out got a sprinkle of purslane seeds in it, hoping it'll spread itself around. In the past I've never had more than I could use in the occasional salad or steamed mixed greens. I suspect that will change now.

Any favourite uses for purslane?

Cook it, pretty much any recipe for watercress you could sub purslane.

I tried out some of my go to seasonings on some last night, and it was good.

Steamed purslane with minced ginger and five spice, sprinkle of sesame seeds. I ate it with the last of my potatoes from the fall.

I usually use purslane raw in my salads. I like the slightly tangy flavor and the tender crunchiness. Even in this crazy heat it stays tender.

I've used purslane as one of the greens when making pesto - usually using parsley, arugula and kale to go with it.
Many people think "pesto" automatically means pine nuts and basil, but it's more a *way* of making a spread, and I often use either sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds as mu pesto-buddy can eat those, and my sister uses walnuts because she finds them cheaper and easier to grind.

If you google 'purslane chimichurri'.. that stuff is AMAZING, goes on everything, freezes well and makes great gifts. Everyone gets a jar when I come across a good patch. I've had success doing what I think was a 'mediterranian' lacto ferment with purslane, hot chilli, oregano and garlic. I also freeze the leaves for adding to smoothies and soups/stews throughout the year.

Where did you get your purslane seeds? I want to try some.

Jan White wrote:For the first time I'm growing an improved variety of purslane, rather than the usual little weedy stuff. This one is tall and has huge leaves!

@Jan - I would be very appreciative if you expounded on this.  Is there a varietal name for the purslane you bought?  Where did you buy your seeds?  Can you post some photos?

I have sampled bits of wild "weedy" purslane as I've come across them in the past, and often found them bitter.  This year I'm also growing a cultivated variety for the first time, but it is just ornamental purslane.  You can buy it in hanging pots at LOWES (and elsewhere, too, I should imagine).  Don't know how similar this is to the "improved purslane" you are describing.

Mine have only been in the ground for a month, but so far they are thriving in poor soil, well top-dressed, with only natural rain (which has been fairly reliable for me so far this summer), and about 4-6 hours of direct sun.  Interestingly, mine have magenta flowers, whereas I'd always understood that purslane typically has yellow flowers.  So far, their tendrils are spreading outwards rather than upwards.  I'd say they are about 6" tall at most, forming a mound about 18" across.  We'll see how big they grow (and how much I cut them back for harvest, of course).

So far I've only used mine in fresh in salads, in which it is great!  Crunchy, succulent, and mild.  Smoothies is another obvious use, and the simple steamed greens described already by several here.  I like the idea of freezing some for smoothie application later in the season.  Sorry, no particularly original recipes to share : (

Please give me the official Latin name of your purslane. The problem here is: in Dutch there are two different vegetables both called 'postelein' (the Dutch word for purslane). One is called 'winterpostelein' (winter purslane) and the other 'zomerpostelein' (summer purslane). As if they were two different varieties of the same vegetable species ... but they aren't. The winter purslane is Claytonia perfoliata and the summer purslane is Portulaca oleracea. I think the last one is what you call purslane (in the USA) ... am I right?

The purslane that volunteers in my small yard is at risk of dog visits, so I have rarely been able to enjoy much of it. This year for the first time, one of the organic farmers at my local farmers market has been offering wonderful weeds for sale, including dandelions, lambs quarters and purslane. I bought some purslane and it turned out to be a massive large cluster with big stems. I pickled it with apple cider vinegar, small sweet onion slices and some honey. Even I was impressed. Only 3 jars, but a delightful summer treat. With smaller quantities, I simply slice it up in salads or stir fries.

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:Please give me the official Latin name of your purslane. The problem here is: in Dutch there are two different vegetables both called 'postelein' (the Dutch word for purslane). One is called 'winterpostelein' (winter purslane) and the other 'zomerpostelein' (summer purslane). As if they were two different varieties of the same vegetable species ... but they aren't. The winter purslane is Claytonia perfoliata and the summer purslane is Portulaca oleracea. I think the last one is what you call purslane (in the USA) ... am I right?

Yes, I believe that you are correct: when North Americans discuss "purslane," I think you can reliably assume we are referencing Portulaca oleracea.

Matthew Nistico wrote:

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:Please give me the official Latin name of your purslane. The problem here is: in Dutch there are two different vegetables both called 'postelein' (the Dutch word for purslane). One is called 'winterpostelein' (winter purslane) and the other 'zomerpostelein' (summer purslane). As if they were two different varieties of the same vegetable species ... but they aren't. The winter purslane is Claytonia perfoliata and the summer purslane is Portulaca oleracea. I think the last one is what you call purslane (in the USA) ... am I right?

Yes, I believe that you are correct: when North Americans discuss "purslane," I think you can reliably assume we are referencing Portulaca oleracea.

Thank you Matthew

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:Please give me the official Latin name of your purslane. The problem here is: in Dutch there are two different vegetables both called 'postelein' (the Dutch word for purslane). One is called 'winterpostelein' (winter purslane) and the other 'zomerpostelein' (summer purslane). As if they were two different varieties of the same vegetable species ... but they aren't. The winter purslane is Claytonia perfoliata and the summer purslane is Portulaca oleracea. I think the last one is what you call purslane (in the USA) ... am I right?

The Claytonia perfoliata that you call "winter purslane" I know as "miners' lettuce."

Okay, here is a recipe prominent on the interwebs:  Turkish Purslane Salad with Yogurt

Wash and pick a good pile of purslane leaves and fine stems.
Measure about a cup of Greek strained yogurt (I imagine the ratio of yogurt to purslane is a matter of personal taste).
Add a clove of garlic, minced.
Add a pinch of salt.
Add a drizzle of olive oil.
Stir together and garnish with chili flakes (again, to taste - I imagine that Aleppo pepper or some other non-spicy pepper flakes would also be good if you wanted to avoid the heat).

I also found recipes that add a dash of cider vinegar, a little dried mint, and/or a sprinkling of chopped walnuts.

I can confirm I'm growing P oleracea. It's mithra broadleaf purslane from experimental farm network.

Here's a picture of one of my biggest clumps. It's actually been watered a few times this summer cause it's growing with a naked seeded pumpkin I've been babying along in hopes of getting enough seeds to experiment with next year. The purslane is much happier than the pumpkin. The purslane is about 50cm tall, stems about 2cm at the base. My soil is atrocious. If someone planted this stuff in actual garden soil, I'm sure it would get much bigger.

I'm not super sensitive to bitter tastes and can't comment on that, but I never understood the lemony flavour everyone talked about purslane having. It just tasted kind of green and earthy to me. Now that I have something growing that actually seems worth harvesting, I've discovered that it's the stems that are lemony. So make sure you eat stems and leaves together for best flavour.

I haven't eaten much more of it because I want to collect lots of seeds, so no new food ideas to report.

In the past, I've grown "Golden Purslane",(seeds from seedsofchange.com).  I had never seen wild ("common") purslane until this year... I was blessed with a beautiful large plant, (approx. 24"), I found in the area I cleared for a garden.  I love to snack on it right off the plant...never bitter.  I've collected, probably, 1,000 seeds just from a few stems.  I put the whole stems in a ziplock bag and slapped it on the counter a few times, then separated seeds from plant debris.  Had to use very strong reading glasses to do this because the seeds are so tiny.
Never occurred to use it any other way than raw, but the posts in this thread have given me inspiration to experiment.  I'll have to find the article again, but I read the seeds have a very benefical effect when consumed.  I believe it mentioned them being used in a trial on controlling blood sugar.  My memory on it is vague, so don't quote me.

I grew this same variety from Seeds of Change, and it was prolific and I only ever ate it raw in salads.  I haven't grown it in a few years, and this year the 'weedy' ones are all over formerly bare ground among our grama grassland. I'm inspired to grow the tasty one again and try some of these green-sauce recipes too.

We have purslane growing in our lawn and garden.  It has the unfortunate name of "pigweed" but it does taste slightly sweet to me.  It grows as a prostrate, producing a fair amount of seed after small yellow flowers..  I eat it and mallow when I am out in the garden.  It is interesting to see the vertical variety.

Jessie, can you tell a difference in the taste?  To me, golden and common purslane taste the same, (although it has been a few years since I ate golden).  When I spotted the common purslane plant in my garden, I was elated!  Wild edibles and medicinals are such a gift!

I just got some. It's the little weedy type but that's OK. I was leaving a restaurant and noticed it growing in the sidewalk. I gently pulled it and it came out roots and all. I wrapped it in a wet napkin and took it home. I proceeded to set it by the sink and got distracted. 5 days later I remembered it. Unwrapped it, it was already growing into the napkin. Planted it in a pot and it is doing great

Hmm... I grew golden purslane once and it didn't seem much different from the weedy type in growth habit or size. Unless someone tells me something amazing about it, I think I'll stick to this Mithra one.

Now I know which plant you call Purslane, I can tell you there are some of those plants growing in the allotment plot I started renting this year, without me ever planting or sowing them. I don't know if the person who rented before me grew Purslane, or if they are real 'wild flowers'. Because they are only a few, I want them to grow flowers and seeds, so next year I can have more of them.
The allotment garden, when I first came there in early spring, was covered for a large part with the other plant I mentioned ('winterpostelein'), which you call 'miners lettuce'.

Both of these plants I like to eat in the same way I eat spinach and other greens:
- melt some butter (or use oil if you prefer)
- sauté an onion, cut in small slices
- add garlic, cut fine and as much as you like
- add the greens (cut, but not too fine)
- let the greens 'melt'
- add some eggs, stir a little, then let it become an 'omelette'
- add salt and pepper and eat it with (rye) bread

I've done similar to Lindy's idea of pickling purslane.  I used the thickest stems I can find, removing the leaves and small side stems. Then pack it into jars and add salt brine as one would do to make pickles.  After a few days, they are still crunchy, but have lost the "tart lemony" taste and can be eaten like pickles, used in potato salad or just eaten alongside green salads or a tomato sandwich. I keep my jars in the fridge as it is too hot in the kitchen.  
Also I've dried it - mostly the skinny stems and leaves that I pulled off when making 'pickles'. Easiest and quickest way to dry them: I blend them in the food processor to make a paste and spread it out on dryer sheets.  It becomes crumbly but can be stored in powdered form and sprinkled on other foods or in soups. I have made 'pesto' or 'salad dressing' with it also. Add garlic, lemon juice, avocado, salt, soaked sunflower &/or pumpkin seeds (or walnuts for pesto) with handfuls of purslane and blend till smooth.  I suppose it can be used fresh or dried in this manner.  Adjust the ingredients to your taste and for the food to be served with it.
Purslane is very high in Omega 3, a good fatty acid to prevent heart/blood vessel disease, so it's a win-win weed!
https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/purslane.html
https://www.verywellfit.com/purslane-nutrition-facts-4692802
https://www.healwithfood.org/health-benefits/purslane-nutritional-value.php
On another note, I've read that purslane is a bi-annual(?) meaning that it grows every other or every third year from its own seed.  I had a large patch growing and it went to seed but the next year there was not a single plant.  I wondered why and went to look it up.  So I thought maybe next year it will come up again.  Unfortunately I have not had any regrow in the area and am puzzled.  A friend who lives in the valley several miles from me pulls the stuff out with fury and it still comes up year after year and she can't get rid of it.  Go figure.  Maybe it's because I get snow/frost here - does that kill the seeds? I have managed to "transplant" some of her pulled out plants in a shady area of the yard and keep it watered.  I read that it thrives in nutrient poor, dry soil and neglect, but that doesn't seem to be true here - especially with the extremely dry and hot weather we're having, I have to water it.  I also think that pinching off the tips from time to time helps keep it from getting spindly and dying out.
 

Jan White wrote:I can confirm I'm growing P oleracea. It's mithra broadleaf purslane from experimental farm network.

Thank you Jan.  Experimental Farm Network ships to Australia so I was lucky to order some of the mithra purslane for myself.  We have the prostrate variety here so not only will we be able to grow both varieties but also use the recipes here to add variety to the diet.  Thanks for pointing the way to EFN  What is the best way start the seeds?  Pots in the greenhouse or straight into the garden?
Thanks all

Denise Cares wrote:...Unfortunately I have not had any regrow in the area and am puzzled.  A friend who lives in the valley several miles from me pulls the stuff out with fury and it still comes up year after year and she can't get rid of it.  Go figure.  Maybe it's because I get snow/frost here - does that kill the seeds?

I wouldn't know for sure, but I highly doubt that is the problem.  It's not a tropical species.  Purslane grows across the temperate world.  Not sure what your problem was, but I don't think it was the snow.

This prolific weed grows everywhere in my backyard! Almost all the weeds in my yard are edible (mallow, purslane, tropical spiderwort).

I usually just stir fry it with mushrooms and other veggies.

I haven't made it yet, but my friend has told me about a traditional Mexican recipe for a pork stew with verdolagas (the Spanish name for purslane). Hank Shaw has a good recipe for it here:
https://honest-food.net/braised-pork-with-purslane/

Paul Fookes wrote:What is the best way start the seeds?  Pots in the greenhouse or straight into the garden?
Thanks all

This is my first year growing it and I just had one seed package, so I haven't experimented much. I started it outside in pots of other things that were getting transplanted out. Naked seeded pumpkin, good king Henry, and some kale all got a sprinkle of purslane seeds. With mulch, robins, and dry spring weather, I find direct seeding small seeds to be ineffective unless I can seed very, very heavily. I'll try it next year once I've collected seed from this year's crop. I'll leave enough for it to hopefully reseed itself as well.

Austin Durant wrote:I haven't made it yet, but my friend has told me about a traditional Mexican recipe for a pork stew with verdolagas (the Spanish name for purslane). Hank Shaw has a good recipe for it here:
https://honest-food.net/braised-pork-with-purslane/

Thanks for posting!  Looks delicious.  I'm even more excited to be plugged into this guy's website.  I already own one of his cookbooks, but didn't realize his website was such a treasure trove of resources.

@Jan White - Thank you for posting the photo of your mithra purslane.  Wow, I can see what you mean by "improved variety."  Very different from the common weedy purslane, or even the ornamental ones I've added to my garden this year.

I will surely try it out sometime.  Though I must say, I was counting on purslane as one of my go-to groundcover species.  Mithra's upright habit should make for easy harvest and a (maybe?) more productive plant.  But I would kind of miss the utility of an indestructible edible groundcover.