What is Purslane?
Common purslane is an annual succulent… and a weed! You read that right! It’s a weed that is also part of the same family as cacti. Purslane is also known as portulaca oleracea, pigweed, or little hogweed. But don’t worry – this is not the same plant as this absolutely terrifying Giant Hogweed!
This underappreciated weed is actually quite nutritious! Although it grows all over the place today, gardeners often consider it a pest and throw it out.
From a central series of roots, numerous stems covered in fleshy leaves branch off and end in flowers that are eventually replaced by seed pods containing many tiny, dark seeds. See some of these seed pods in the featured photo above.
If you want a longer article with some intriguing historical context, I enjoyed this piece from the Chicago Tribune circa 2010. I’ve included a couple other resources at the end of this post as well.
Navigating this page:
How do you prepare purslane?
When raw, purslane has a subtle, sour, almost salty flavor that’s reminiscent of lemon. It’s really unique, and a lot of the sour flavor is present in the tender stems.
Purslane can be:
- Eaten raw as part of a salad drizzled with olive oil and vinegar
- Lightly cooked as you would prepare spinach by sautéing it in oil
- Dropped into a soup
- Served raw, plated with grilled fish or with tinned sardines
- Pickled
As a new fan of this unique succulent/weed, I have really enjoyed using it raw in a Greek-style salad. I have my recipe for a Greek Purslane Salad that includes feta, tomatoes, and radishes posted on the site as well.
Preparing the purslane to eat
Since purslane is a weed that grows close to the ground, you’ll want to thoroughly wash it before consuming. If you grow this in your garden, be mindful of where any critters are using the bathroom…
Remove the root before washing to save yourself some trouble. Wash the leaves and stems thoroughly. A salad spinner makes this process fairly quick. You’ll see tiny black specks as you wash the stems – those are just edible seeds being knocked loose from the plant. You can tear or chop the washed, tender stems into bite-size pieces.
When is Purslane in season?
Per the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA), purslane has a long season of availability – when you can find it. It’s in season from April to November. Your local availability will likely vary depending on the climate.
Kidney Concerns
Purslane contains a lot of calcium oxalate. This can be problematic in some situations including (but is not limited to):
- If you are at risk of kidney stone formation
- If you are on a diet where you need to be cautious about your consumption of oxalates or dark leafy greens (such as dialysis recipients)
Speak to your healthcare provider before consuming any new foods if you are carefully monitoring your diet due to any underlying health conditions.
References
- Chicago Tribune – Purslane: A weed worth eating
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox had a useful summary of the plant’s structure and properties
- Md. Kamal Uddin, Abdul Shukor Juraimi, Md Sabir Hossain, Most. Altaf Un Nahar, Md. Eaqub Ali, M. M. Rahman, “Purslane Weed (Portulaca oleracea): A Prospective Plant Source of Nutrition, Omega-3 Fatty Acid, and Antioxidant Attributes”, The Scientific World Journal, vol. 2014, Article ID 951019, 6 pages, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/951019