Miner ’s lettuce is a rampantly - growing edible pot that is highly nutritious . Also known as genus Claytonia or “ wintertime purslane , ” this flora is loaded with vitamin C and minerals and has medicative properties . Plus , miner ’s lettuce is a luscious improver to salad and soup !
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Wildcrafting Weeds
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About Miner’s Lettuce
Miner ’s pelf ( Claytonia perfoliata ) is a wonderful wild gullible aboriginal to the West Coast of the United States . It grows almost everywhere , and harvesting is ample by springtime .
It commonly maturate during spring and spill , but in milder climate , it also can keep growing during the wintertime . I ’ve seen huge patches under coniferous tree trees as too soon as January in Northern California !
Historically , miner ’s pelf was used by Indigenous Americans in California for food for thought and medicine . The native Ohlone people called it “ rooreh ” and used it medicinally in plaster word form or as a succus .
This flowering plant is also know as wintertime purslane , although it is quite unlike in appearing fromcommon purslane , which has low succulent paddle shaped leaves . Both are edible , though !
Miner ’s dough gets its name from the California gold miners who eat it to prevent scurvy . It ’s high in vitamin C , and the leaves , stanch , and blossom are all comestible , nominate harvest and eat it simple .
While we do n’t take heed about scurvy too often anymore , these bits of wild greens were necessary for survival before we had handily triple - wash and bag salad greens in the grocery store .
aboveboard , I still recall these wild William Green are just as important to us today . They are super healthy , and nothing is as satisfying as pick your edible wild greens and sum them to a soup or salad .
Related : What to Forage in Spring : 20 + eatable and Medicinal Plants and Fungi
Where to Find Miner’s Lettuce
Claytonia is aboriginal to the westerly voice of the United States , Canada , and Mexico and is easy to find growing wildly in these field .
It has been introduced in many other realm , let in other part of the United States and Western Europe , and it can beplanted from seedin gardens as a salad green .
Miner ’s lettuce prefer cool and moist areas in partial shade , so it get prolifically on the West Coast of the US . It love the damp , soft weather condition and is easily find develop beneath tall tree that provide shade .
Claytonia grows in demented areas and is common in yards and gardens . so keep your eyes disrobe for it whenbackyard foraging . It often grows alongsidechickweed , another edible and medicinal weed .
How to Identify Miner’s Lettuce
The best part about forage for miner ’s lettuce is how plentiful it grows and how easy it is identified . It is a untoughened , lush annual green that grow in a rosette shape and is mostly available in fall and springtime .
Its leaf is mostly round , almost lily pad - calculate , and can range from 1 to 6 inches across . I ’ve ascertain some huge single on the central California slide , so believe me , they do survive !
Miner ’s lettuce is jolly plain once you ’ve visualize it with a small white or pinkish flower powerful in the middle of the lily pad - mould leaf .
It ’s anearly spring wild greenin the West and a welcome sight for those excited to see the last of dreary wintertime days for the class and quick for any small house of leaping ’s beginning !
Harvesting Claytonia
When harvest home miner ’s wampum , it ’s important to be certain that it has n’t been sprayed and is growing in a clean surface area away from road overflow , heavy understructure traffic , and pet waste matter .
Whether foraged from the wild or grown in your G , miner ’s lolly is easy to harvest . With scissors or garden shear , cut the leaf like you wouldlettuce .
The younger leaves are more warm and have a curt , soft , and sweet taste standardized to baby spinach . As the conditions warms and the leave years , they take on a more bitter flavor .
Miner’s Lettuce Look-alikes
Luckily , miner ’s wampum has no real look - alikes , making it an excellent works for beginning foragers . I love a plant life that is easy to identify and is super low - risk to forage !
Edible Uses of Miner’s Lettuce
Miner ’s lettuce is one of the tasty edible weeds . It is easy to forage , so you ’ll be throw it into all of your salad and soup before you be intimate it .
All parts of the plant are edible , which makes it comfortable to reap and train . The leafage have a mild flavor and are tender and crisp , perfect for eat sore insalads , smoothies , orpesto .
It can be cooked like Spinacia oleracea or add together to soup . This is a very versatile industrial plant to eat . utilize it anywhere you ’d normally throw extra greens in your meal , and it will taste delicious . It is great sautéed with eggs !
When it come to flavour , edibleness , and US , miner ’s moolah is standardised tochickweedandpurslane . Its gamey vitamin century subject makes it a knock-down rise for unsusceptibility , too .
Medicinal Uses of Miner’s Lettuce
Miner ’s sugar is mucilaginous and contains saponin , and has cooling , soothing , and hydrating qualities that bring wondrously for ironical , itchy , and irritated skin .
It works well to employ in a poultice to console and help speed up the healing of minor wounds and can be taken internally as a tea for digestive issues or as a general tonic .
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