Sorrel, Rumex: “Sour Lettuce”
Please don’t be intimidated by the fact that “sorrel” derives from the French word for “sour.” I have picky kids in my Garden Club routinely begging to eat sorrel; I think that says something. Sorrel is an herb that is easy to grow, produces for multiple seasons, and comes back yearly.
Please read on to be properly introduced to sorrel.
![Rumex acetosa is also known as common sorrel. Photograph by Jules via Flickr.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/sorrel-jules-flickr-733x488.jpg)
Sorrel leaves, generally speaking, are bright green, spinach-like, and pointed like an arrow. The taste, admittedly, is sour at first but there is also a lemony tang that comes forward and makes it surprisingly refreshing.
During the Middle Ages, before citrus fruit entered Europe, people cooked with sorrel to lend a tart flavor. After citrus fruits became popular, sorrel basically became a memory. Eventually it made a slight comeback and today this herb is widely used in French cooking, in sauces and soups.
![Photograph by Nick Saltmarsh via Flickr.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/sorrel-rumex-acetosa-nick-saltmarsh-flickr-733x977.jpg)
The reason for sorrel’s zippiness is because of its high level of oxalic acid (similar to spinach). Older leaves have more of this acid present; it’s better to cook larger leaves than to eat them raw. Sorrel is also high in vitamin C, which once made it a popular preventative measure for scurvy (and now considered a useful antioxidant).
![Red-veined sorrel. Photograph via Seattle Urban Farm Company. For more, see Secrets of Success: Winter Gardening from Seattle Urban Farm.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/fields/Seattle Urban Farm Company Red Veined Sorrel, Gardenista-733x485.jpg)
A 4-inch pot of Red Veined Dock (as shown above) is $6.95 from Annie’s Annuals.
Cheat Sheet
- From early spring to late fall, sorrel leaves grow quickly from the center to make a clump 2 feet high and wide, making it a long-blooming green.
- If left to flower and go to seed, sorrel will re-seed itself around your garden beds. You can divide healthy-looking clumps and either re-plant them or give them to friends.
- When thinking of eating sorrel, go by this simplified rule: short leaves, eat raw. Large leaves, eat cooked. Also, if you don’t have a lemon to make a salad dressing, use sorrel to add tang.
![A packet of 500 Large Leaf Sorrel Seeds is \$\2.95 from My Seed Needs.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/sorrel-rumex-acetosa-my-seed-needs-733x733.jpg)
Keep It Alive
- In the spring after the soil has warmed, you can sow sorrel seeds. (I, however, like to buy 4-inch starts from the nursery.)
- Sorrel requires little babysitting, other than harvesting and removing any slug-damaged leaves. In July, when temperatures rise, sorrel may bolt; trim off the tall flower stalks to encourage more leaf production.
- Prefers full sun, but I have successfully grown sorrel in part sun. Also appreciates moist, fertile soil.
N.B.: For more edible gardening ideas, see:
- Edibles: A Field Guide.
- 23 and Me: My Favorite Edible Plants for Shade.
- Hardscaping 101: Design Guide for Edible Gardens.
- Small Space Gardening: The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden.
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