Also known as Portulaca Sativa or Pigweed :o :o
Purslane was mentioned on Horizon recently as being very high in Omega 3 and good in salads,Has anybody tried growing it or eaten it ???
Also has anyone any idea of where to get the seeds from ??? l know many of you have seed catalogues.......Please :-*
Hi Bambi
I grew it a couple of years ago with no difficulty. It's kind of bland but has an unusual succulent eating quality. Nice in salad. I started mine off in the greenhouse in spring and planted out in the garden. It likes a good soil and plenty of sun.
I saw the Horizon programme too and will be growing plenty this year as a result!
Both HDRA and Suffolk herbs have both the golden and the green varieties. The former is a bit more tender...
Thank You TM,l like the sound of growing it with no difficulty ;D
Ok,Thank you Wardy ;D
I don't have any seed catalogues,can anyone suggest one which has the Purlane seeds.............Thank you.
Winter purslane AKA Miners Lettuce AKA Montia AKA Claytonia, or officially Montia Perfoliata is a completely different plant. A kind of winter weed which is kind of OK when there's nothing much else about...
Go and stand in the corner Wardy ;)
They also say kids love it!
Handy as I have a couple of kids who need Omega3 - it's exhausting round here sometimes. Cannot get them to eat greasy fish which as a near vegan I don't like getting too close either.
Yep, agreed - oily fish is full of mercury apparently...
Quote from: wardy on October 13, 2005, 12:48:59
Chiltern Seeds Online Shop.  Have I redeemed myself TM? It deffo says its Purslane portulacea :)
Thank You Wardy :-*
No, no, no Bambi - don't buy that, if you want omega 3 you want one of these two, honest:
http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=purslane&search_in_description=0&x=17&y=7
(I think after midday Wardy's probably had a bit too much sweet sherry, so just ignore her) ;)
Just noticed it's cheaper here, look under 'Purslane':
http://www.suffolkherbs.com/data/SH/includes/frameset.asp?SHOP=SH&LAN=UK&MAIN=Default
...but the site is horrible to use.
Quote from: terrace max on October 13, 2005, 19:52:01
No, no, no Bambi - don't buy that, if you want omega 3 you want one of these two, honest:
http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=purslane&search_in_description=0&x=17&y=7
(I think after midday Wardy's probably had a bit too much sweet sherry, so just ignore her) ;)
Thanks TM ;D This looks a great site .............and thank you Wardy ;)
If oily fish is too greasy, have you tried steaming it or baking it? I can't cope with it if it's gone anywhere near fat in the cooking, but steaming in particular takes a bit of the oil out.
Hi Terrace Max,
             Fish from the sea do contain trace mercury in their system, however it is not strictly true to say that oily fish are more likely to be carriers.
Mercury is a heavy element and will therefore find its way into the systems of bottom feeders like cod.
The fish containing the most beneficial oils is Mackrel, and being a top feeder it is far less likely to be subjected to the poisons of mercury.
On the subject of omega oils the best source of these oils actually comes from hemp seed, it contains omega 3 and 6 in the correct balance for human consumption.
Unfortunately being related to cannabis you need a licence to grow it in this country. >:(
The charity that my daughter works for sent people out to Afghanistan just after the end of the war to show the local people how to grow hemp.
In their country they can get 3 crops in a year and for those who are starving it is a life saver. ;D
For those who wish to avail themselves of this as a supplement it can be purchased as an organic oil extract.
It is marketed by Viridian, comes in a 200 ml bottle it costs £8-50, it has a nutty flavour and is not unpleasant to take.
Hemp seed is highly nutritious, and also as a bonus has the beneficial effect of softening the skin, my daughter swears by it.
                           PREMTAL
Hi Premtal
Puzzled now. Pregnant women in the US are advised to avoid mackerel (and swordfish) because of the mercury contamination ??? Can't get into a scientific debate about it though, because I don't know what I'm talking about!!
Anyway, this is what the US gov says about it:
QuoteNearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of methylmercury. However, larger fish that have lived longer have the highest levels of methylmercury because they've had more time to accumulate it. These large fish (swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish) pose the greatest risk.
Quote...some fish and shellfish contain higher levels of mercury that may harm an unborn baby or young child's developing nervous system. The risks from mercury in fish and shellfish depend on the amount of fish and shellfish eaten and the levels of mercury in the fish and shellfish. Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are advising women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children to avoid some types of fish and eat fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.
So it seems the fishes' longevity is also key. I read somewhere else that toxins are concentrated in fishes' fat cells - so oily fish are a always bit suspect. Maybe an argument for sticking lower down the food chain? After all - the fish get their Omega 3 from plants...
It's difficult to find anything useful from our government - perhaps they have a fishing industry to prop up??
Agree
entirely with everything you say about hemp though.
Now, pass me a sherry Wardy! :)
Quote from: PREMTAL on October 14, 2005, 04:19:01
Hemp seed is highly nutritious, and also as a bonus has the beneficial effect of softening the skin, my daughter swears by it.
PREMTAL
Ah, but does it also soften the head?
Oily fish are predators of open water, and the concern is probably that the larger ones have had time to eat lots of smaller fish which will have picked up any mercury contamination that's about.
Hi Terrace Max,
Like yourself I am not well versed in the deeper science of this subject and do not doubt that in American coastal waters it has been shown to be a problem.
The Americans however are more likely to have problems with mercury build up in their fish population. Given that they have healthy fish stocks the fish live longer before entering the food chain.
We on the other hand are constantly being told that our fish stocks are in danger. This being the case it would seem unlikely that our food fish would live long enough to build up high levels of mercury.
I agree entirely with your assessment of government info
the nearest thing to an answer that you get is to be told that "it is within permitted limits" whatever that means. ::)
PS:- I think that our fish stocks are more likely to glow in the dark. ;D
PREMTAL
Quote from: Bambi.1 on October 12, 2005, 18:53:57
Also known as Portulaca Sativa or Pigweed :o :o
Purslane was mentioned on Horizon recently as being very high in Omega 3 and good in salads,Has anybody tried growing it or eaten it ???
Also has anyone any idea of where to get the seeds from ??? l know many of you have seed catalogues.......Please :-*
To get back at the original question about purslane, I think everyone in The Netherlands knows this vegetable but I don't think there's one child who likes it hahaha. There's two kinds here, summer and winter purslane. I don't like it at all, it's kind of sour and slimy but I grow it every year for my mother who loves it.
Someone wrote that they start it off (was it in a greenhouse?) and plant it out, I don't see how you can do that, unless they are talking about a different sort that I don't know about. You harvest the seedlings and you need zillions of them for a meal, if you let them grow on, it will become woody.
Here are a couple of pictures of purslain growing and harvested. Hope it helps.
Purslain growing in the foreground
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v168/fergina/volkstuin/veggiePlotSpr20052_resize.jpg)
Harvested purslain on the left in the trug
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v168/fergina/volkstuin/GoodHarvest052_resize.jpg)
OK to summarise - Ina is growing Winter Purslane aka Miner's Lettuce. Latin name MONTIA PERFOLIATA. This is a winter weed which I find difficult to get going from seed but once it's in, self-seeds everywhere. Not a gourmet delight. NOT loved by children. But a useful winter stand by.
The plant relevant to this thread due to its Omega 3 content is (Summer) Purslane, PORTULACA OLERACEA. This comes in Green or Golden varieties. It's bland but has an interesting texture.
This is what an internet search came up with:
QuoteP. oleracea contains many biologically active compounds and is a source of many nutrients. Some of the biologically active (and, in some case, potentially toxic compounds) include free oxalic acids, alkaloids, omega-3 fatty acids, coumarins, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, and anthraquinone glycosides. It has high contents of Omega-3 fatty acids and protein (compared to other vegetables) (Ezekwe, et al. 1999). The quantity of these compounds in P. oleracea varies with the growing conditions (e.g., planting date, soil quality, fertilization) and the age of the plant. Some of the compounds in Portulaca oleracea are listed below.
alanine -- plant and herb (570-13,400 ppm)
alkaloids -- leaf (300 ppm)
caffeic acid -- plant
calcium oxalate -- herb
catechol -- plant
beta-cyanin -- herb
digalactosyldiacylglycerol -- herb
docosahexaenoic acid -- herb
dopa -- plant
eicosapentaenoic acid -- herb (10 ppm)
HCN -- plant
histidine -- herb (220-5,170 ppm)
l-noradrenalin -- plant (2,500 ppm)
linoleic acid -- herb (704-18,245 ppm) and seed (67,686 ppm)
linolenic acid - herb (3,221-64,315 ppm) and seed (17,226 ppm)
alpha-linolenic acid -- herb (4,000-80,000 ppm)
lysine -- herb (650-13,200 ppm)
methionine -- herb (90-2,814 ppm)
norepinephrine -- plant
oleic acid -- herb (16-2,160 ppm) and seed (49,935 ppm)
omega-3's -- plant (30,000 ppm)
oxalates -- shoot
oxalic acid -- plant (1,679-16,790 ppm)
phytin-p -- plant (4-40 ppm)
saponin -- plant
sinapic acid -- plant
beta-sitosterol -- seed
tannin -- plant
threonine -- herb (470-9,400 ppm)
tryptophan -- herb (160-3,400 ppm)
valine -- herb (660-13,200 ppm
Hope this helps Omega 3 hunters and purslane enthusiasts everywhere. :)
And from the Plants for a Future database, more fun facts about PORTULACA OLERACEA:
QuotePhysical Characteristics
Annual growing to 0.25m by 0.25m . It is frost tender. It is in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen from July to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile. We rate it 3 out of 5 for usefulness.
The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Cultivated Beds.
Edible Uses
Leaves; Salt; Seed.
Leaves and stems - raw or cooked[1, 4, 12, 27, 37]. The young leaves are a very acceptable addition to salads, their mucilaginous quality also making them a good substitute for okra as a thickener in soups[4, 183]. Older leaves are used as a potherb[4]. The leaves have a somewhat sour flavour[85]. A spicy and somewhat salty taste[9]. The leaves are a source of omega-3 fatty acids, though seed sources such as walnuts are magnitudes richer[222]. The leaves can be dried for later use[85]. They contain about 1.8% protein, 0.5% fat, 6.5% carbohydrate, 2.2% ash[179]. Another analysis gives the following figures per 100g ZMB. 245 - 296 calories, 17.6 - 34.5g protein, 2.4 - 5.3g fat, 35.5 - 63.2g carbohydrate, 8.5 - 14.6g fibre, 15.9 - 24.7g ash, 898 - 2078mg calcium, 320 - 774mg phosphorus, 11.2 - 46.7mg iron, 55mg sodium, 505 - 3120mg potassium, 10560 - 20000ug B-carotene equivalent, 0.23 - 0.48mg thiamine, 1.12 - 1.6mg riboflavin, 5.58 - 6.72mg niacin and 168 - 333mg ascorbic acid[218].
Seed - raw or cooked[62, 102, 159]. The seed can be ground into a powder and mixed with cereals for use in gruels, bread, pancakes etc[183, 193]. The seed is rather small and fiddly to utilize[85]. In arid areas of Australia the plants grow quite large and can produce 10, 000 seeds per plant, a person can harvest several pounds of seed in a day. The seeding plants are uprooted and placed in a pile on sheets or something similar, in a few days the seeds are shed and can be collected from the sheet[193]. In Britain, however, yields are likely to be very low, especially in cool or wet summers[K]. The seed contains (per 100g ZMB) 21g protein, 18.9g fat 3.4g ash[218]. Fatty acids of the seeds are 10.9% palmitic, 3.7% stearic, 1.3% behenic, 28.7% oleic, 38.9% linoleic and 9.9% linolenic[218].
The ash of burnt plants is used as a salt substitute[183].
Medicinal Uses
Antiscorbutic; Depurative; Diuretic; Febrifuge; Vermifuge.
The plant is antibacterial, antiscorbutic, depurative, diuretic and febrifuge[4, 7, 147, 152, 238]. The leaves are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which is thought to be important in preventing heart attacks and strengthening the immune system[238]. Seed sources such as walnuts, however, are much richer sources[222]. The fresh juice is used in the treatment of strangury, coughs, sores etc[4, 7, 147, 152]. The leaves are poulticed and applied to burns[222], both they and the plant juice are particularly effective in the treatment of skin diseases and insect stings[7, 238]. A tea made from the leaves is used in the treatment of stomach aches and headaches[222]. The leaf juice is applied to earaches, it is also said to alleviate caterpillar stings[222]. The leaves can be harvested at any time before the plant flowers, they are used fresh or dried[238]. This remedy is not given to pregnant women or to patients with digestive problems[238].
The seeds are tonic and vermifuge[218, 240]. They are prescribed for dyspepsia and opacities of the cornea[218].
Cultivation details
Requires a moist light rich well-drained soil in a sunny position[4, 37, 200]. Plants will not produce good quality leaves when growing in dry conditions[4].
A perennial plant in warmer climates than Britain, purslane is killed by frost but can be grown as a half-hardy annual in this country[1].
Occasionally cultivated for its edible leaves, this is a form of purslane with golden/yellow leaves. Plants take about six to eight weeks to produce a crop from seed and can then be harvested on a cut and come again principle[4].
Propagation
Seed - for an early crop, the seed is best sown under protection in early spring and can then be planted out in late spring[4]. Outdoor sowings in situ take place from late spring to late summer, successional sowings being made every two to three weeks if a constant supply of the leaves is required[4]
You now know more about Purslane than 98.95% of the population...
Nope, it's summer purslane I grow Max, portulaca oleracea.
I googled for pictures and winter purslane looks nothing like it.
Here it's always harvested when very young, if you leave them too long, the stems tend to get though. It's normally eaten cooked.
The tiny seeds are broadcast on top of moist soil and covered with clear plastic. When the red color of the sprouts is visible after a few days, I remove the plastic. I usually manage to harvest two or three times from the same lot but I leave the thick stems, then the plants get too big and I turn them under.
I just don't like it but how did they know that it was healthy when I was a kid, (long before the Omega 3 hype)............ that and cod liver oil brrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Apologies Ina. :-\
All I can say is it seems you grow summer purslane like I grow winter purslane! If you let summer purslane grow on it's the big fleshy leaves that are the edible bit, rather than the stems. I'll definitely try your method next year. :)
Fascinating data there from Terrace Max! I also had a quick ferret through the USDA database, and I think there are two things:
(1) the amount of Omega 3 is tiny - you'd get more from one sardine than eating purslane for a month!
(2) the Omega 3 in purslane (and most veggies, I believe) is alpha-linolenic acid. This is indeed technically Omega 3, but is a "parent" acid. The body needs to synthesise two other Omega 3 acids from it in order to give the healthy benefits. All the dietary recommendations are to get your Omega 3 from fish oil; if not then you'll need a lot of seeds and nuts.