In Pursuit of Purslane

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea), P. sativa,  (Golden purslane), P. halimoides (Desert portulaca), P. grandifolia (Garden purslane), P. retusa, are members of the Portulacaceae Family.

Common names: Wild Portulaca, Indian Cress, Pussley

Finnish: portulakka,

French: Porcellana, purslane

German: Portulak. 
Greek: Andrakla, glystrida

Italian: Porcillac

Portuguese: Baldroegas

Sanskrit: Loni

Spanish: Verdolaga 

Swedish: portulak, portlak, trädgårdsportlak, vildportlak.

It is believed the genus name; Portulaca is from the Latin porto meaning gate, in reference to how the seed capsules open. Laca translates to milk in reference to its juiciness. Oleracea means, “eaten as a cultivated herb.”  

Native to Persia, Africa and India, purslane was hailed as a medicine plant by Hippocrates, Dioscorides and Galen.  As a salad herb, it spread into Central, South and North America. Purslane was widely used by Native Peoples of the American Southwest. Purslane seeds were discovered in lake deposits in Ontario that date back to the 1400’s. Thoreau ate and wrote about purslane while living at Walden Pond. Purslane is reported to have been one of Mahatma Gandhi's favorite foods, encouraging the peoples of India to eat locally. It is common in Creole cooking and in the Mideastern salad, fattoush. There are as many as one hundred species, and all are edible.

Purslane makes a cooling summer food and its high water content quenches thirst. It’s pleasant sour flavor can be enjoyed raw or cooked. It is best eaten raw with a touch of apple cider vinegar and olive oil. It can be used in place of okra in recipes. Include this juicy plant in salads; stir fry, gazpacho, soups, salsas, tostadas and pickles. Bake shoots with breadcrumbs as a casserole.  It an also be steamed and prepared like spinach. It goes great with tomatoes and avocado. When cooked it becomes somewhat mucilaginous and used as a thickener. It can be dehydrated for future use, but blanching first facilitates this.  Or precook and freeze. Juicing purslane tones the bladder and prostate. Dried seeds are edible and can be ground and added to flour. Purslane has long been used to feed chickens and pigs. 

The leaves and young stems are the parts used. One hundred grams of fresh purslane contains about 2,500 IU beta-carotene, 103 mg. calcium and 25 mg vitamin C. In 1986, purslane was discovered to be the richest plant source of omega-3 fatty acids, one cup yielding about 400 milligrams, which helps reduce the risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. 

Purslane also contains vitamins B1, B2, niacin, B6, folate, and E, as well as calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, dopamine, noradrenalin, sterols, malic acid, oxalic acid, glutamic acid, asparagic acid, glucose, fructose, sucrose, mucilage and is 25% protein. 

It has a very alkalinizing effect on the body. When harvested in the morning, it is tarter, and milder in late afternoon, as the plant traps carbon dioxide in its leaves early and converts it into glucose later in the day.

Purslane has been used throughout history in treatment of allergies, cardiac weakness, dry cough, diarrhea, dysentery, fever, gingivitis, immune health, scurvy, sore throat, ulcers, urinary tract infections and worms.       

Topically purslane has been used as a poultice or compress on bee stings, boils, burns, cuts, hemorrhoids, and swellings. Its juice has been used as an eyewash for cataracts. It can be mashed and used as a facial for dry skin. It makes a moistening addition to bath water or hair conditioner for dry skin and hair. Chew this herb for gum and tooth sensitivities, as it tightens loose teeth and improves gum recession.                         

Avoid large dosages during pregnancy. Purslane is not recommended for people with internal coldness and weak digestion. The only close look alike is spurge, which is toxic and exudes a white sap when cut. Purslane’s is clear. 

Purslane appears later in the spring than many other greens. Purslane is an annual succulent growing as a matted creeping herb with prostrate reddish stems four to twenty four inches long,

The leaves are smooth, flat paddle shaped, opposite and about one half to one inch long and arranged alternately. 

The flowers are five petaled with two sepals yellow, bloom at the junctures of the leaves and stems, and open on sunny days for only a few hours. 

Seedpods lift off like a cap.  One plant can yield more then fifty thousand seeds and retain the ability to germinate after being dormant for forty years. 

Purslane makes an excellent easy care edible ground cover and remains tender throughout the growing season. Purslane creates a moist microclimate for other plants, protecting topsoil. Its roots bring nutrients closer to the surface for other plants. It was once believed to offer protection from evil spirits. 

A true survivor, purslane thrives in rich garden soil, lawns, sidewalks, roadside, vacant lots, rose beds, sandy stream bottoms, preferring sun over shade and is okay with dry to damp soil. 

Pinch off the tops to encourage branching. If only the tips are collected, it will continue to produce. Its roots can be as deep as twelve inches, breaking through hard soil and spread out on the surface in multiple directions. If you want its growth to continue, pull the above ground portion and allow the roots to remain in the ground. If wanting to curtail its growth pull it out of the ground, break off the top six inches and put in a colander for the next meal and return the rest of the plant to the garden to mulch other plants you are wanting to cultivate. 

Purslane Pickles

Fill jar with purslane stems, cut into four-inch sections, add raw apple cider vinegar and allow to sit for two weeks in the refrigerator. 

Purslane Sauerkraut 

4 cups purslane, chopped

1 tablespoon salt

Mix and place in a pickle press for two weeks.

Salad

1 cup young purslane

1 small onion, or handful chives, chopped

1 tomato chopped

½ cup parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

Garnish with edible flowers and enjoy summer’s blessings.

Hay Fever

Hay fever (allergic rhinitis) is a common allergy resulting in itchiness, congestion, and discharge of the mouths, eyes and ears, and nose, sneezing, bronchial irritation and swollen mucus membranes. Though hay fever is not truly a fever, its symptoms can resemble one. The best strategies for allergies include avoiding the allergen, strengthening the immune system and easing the symptoms.

Common offenders are tree pollens (cypress, elm, hickory, juniper, maple, oak, poplar, privet, sycamore and walnut), mold spores and the pollens of marsh elder, ragweed, amaranth, sagebrush and tumbleweed. Grasses that often pose problems are Bermuda grass, orchard blue, red grass and Timothy. Most garden plants and wildflowers are pollinated by bees and other insects and are less likely to produce allergic reactions. Each type of pollen causes its own antibodies to be produced. The main antibody involved in hay fever is Immunoglobulin E (IgE). 

Eat a wholesome diet focusing on green leafy vegetables and dark orange vegetables like carrots and winter squashes for their beta-carotene and flavonoid content to strengthen the mucus membranes of the respiratory system. Pungent foods such as garlic, ginger and onions help open nasal passages. Avoid foods that can create extra phlegm such as wheat, dairy and sugar. 

Pollens tend to be highest in the morning so plan excursions in the afternoon or evening when possible. Hanging bed cloths outside to dry may increase one's exposure to pollens. Install an air filtration device.  If you do use air conditioning, clean or change the filters at least twice a year. Keep windows closed when pollen counts are at their highest, from 5 to 10 a.m., in the evenings, and  on hot breezy days. 

Rain can bring blessed relief.   Bathe before bed to wash off air borne allergies. If you find yourself in the midst of a pollen allergy attack, take a shower to wash away pollens.  Using a neti pot with one teaspoon of non-iodized salt in a pint of water can help relieve symptoms as it tightens, cleans and cools congested membranes. Splashing the face and eyes with cold water several times daily reduces congestion and promotes drainage of histamine from tissues.  

Regular exercise, dance, martial arts, meditation, biofeedback, hypnosis, and acupuncture can help one cope with allergies. The Sun Salutation is excellent for opening respiratory passages. Humming, singing and chanting help increase circulation to the throat and sinuses and can help improve allergies that affect the respiratory system. 

Look for herbal allies containing some of the following botanicals:

Eyebright herb contains flavonoids that strengthens mucus membranes of nose and eyes.  Ginger root is anti-inflammatory and improves respiratory capacity.  Licorice root is soothing to irritated respiratory passages. Marshmallow root moistens dry tissue. Mullein leaf reduces inflammation of the trachea and soothes irritated tissues. Nettle herb dissolve mucus in the lungs. 

Vitamin C lowers blood histamine levels, detoxifies foreign substances and strengthens adrenal 

glands. Quercetin, a flavonoid has significant anti-inflammatory activity inhibiting both the manufacture and release of histamine and other allergens. Panothenic acid   supports exhausted adrenal glands that cope with the stress of allergies and when are functioning are more capable of producing their own natural anti-inflammatory cortisone.  Vitamin B 6 is diuretic and can relieve some of the swelling and fluid retention associated with allergies.  

Finding the right homeopathic remedy can also bring great relief. A homeopath can help you find that remedy that best matches your concerns. You can also find remedies in natural food stores that combine some of the most common remedies. Remedies that are made from local plant pollens that help one be less sensitive to local allergens.