Red Sorrel

Latin name: Rumex acetosa

🌱 Days to Sprout: 7-14

😋 Plant food: after true leaves 

✂️ Thin to: 3 plants per yCube

🍅 Days to Maturity: 60-75

💡 Gardyn Location: Peripheral

📏 Plant Size: <1 ft

💚 Care Level: Intermediate

Red Sorrel is native to grassland habitats all over Europe and parts of Central Asia. Other common names include Sheep sorrel, Field sorrel, and Sour Weed, the latter of which matches the plant’s Latin name given for its acidic, tart flavor. Red Sorrel is rare to find outside of farmer’s markets due to its short shelf life after harvest.

Red Sorrel has beautiful, deep red-veined leaves 3-6 inches long and lovely, star-shaped flowers. Similar to common wood sorrel, Red Sorrel leaves have a tart, lemony tang derived from oxalic acid. Just one cup of Red Sorrel provides 2.6g of protein, which is relatively high for an herb, plus over 100% of your daily vitamin A and C needs. Vitamin A is essential for vision and healthy organ function, while vitamin C is an important component for immune health and wound healing. Red Sorrel is also a good source of potassium, which contributes to cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure.

Younger leaves are more tender than mature foliage and can be mixed into fresh salads, added to wraps, or used as a delicate, edible garnish. Mature leaves have a distinct tangy-lemon flavor that mellows slightly with cooking. If using mature leaves, you may choose to remove the stems and ribs before cooking as they can be a bit stringy. Red sorrel complements fish, meat, eggs, and potatoes as a sautéed side dish or as part of a flavorful serving sauce. It’s also an excellent addition to soups.

💡Temperature: Prefers cooler temperatures (60-70°F), and if placed in higher temperatures, it will turn bitter and bolt.

✂️ Pruning: Check the roots monthly and trim any that are brown or extending past the yPod. Snip any yellow or brown leaves if they appear.

🥬 Harvest: For ongoing harvest, snip the outer leaves just above the base of the plant once they reach 4 inches tall to let the inner leaves continue to grow. Leave 1/3 of the plant if you want it to keep growing. To harvest all at once, wait until it reaches maturity, then harvest from the base.

French-Style Sorrel Soup

Recipe source: www.honest-food.net 

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

• 1/2 cup chopped green or bunching onions

• 4-6 cups of chopped sorrel, packed

• Salt

• 3 tablespoons flour

• 1 quart chicken stock or vegetable stock

• 2 egg yolks

• 1/2 cup cream

Instructions

1. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the green onions or ramps and turn the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot and cook gently for 10 minutes.

2. While the onions are cooking, pour the stock into another pot and bring to a simmer.

3. Turn the heat up, add the sorrel leaves and a healthy pinch of salt to the pot with the onions, and stir well. When the sorrel is mostly wilted, turn the heat back to medium-low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Mix in the flour and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.

4. Whisk in the hot stock, stirring constantly. Bring this to a simmer.

5. To finish the soup, whisk together the egg yolks and cream. Temper the mixture by ladling a little soup into it with one hand, while you whisk the egg-cream mix with the other. Repeat this three times. (You are doing this to prevent the eggs from scrambling).

6. Now start whisking the soup. Pour the hot egg-cream-soup mixture into the pot with the soup, whisking all the way. Add the final tablespoon of butter.

7. Let this cook below a simmer for 5 minutes. Do not let it boil or the soup will break. Serve at once with bread and a nice white wine, or a floral beer like a Belgian.

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