Abundance

 Purslane grew all over my garden this summer -- huge, succulent plants. I plucked the tender growing tips a few at a time to toss into my salads. It is a highly nutritious "weed" as it is one of the few plant sources of Omega 3 fatty acids, which are great for moderating inflammation, among other benefits. One of the main reasons people take fish oil supplements is to get their Omega 3s.

The amount of Omega 3 fatty acids in purslane does not match the level in fish oil. You'd probably have to eat the entire large basket full of purslane pictured above to get one day's worth, but getting nutrients from various sources is always good. Besides, purslane is a free food that grows in your garden without you have to do anything, except not pull it. 

Purslane always grows in my garden, but i have never seen it in such abundance nor such huge plants. I wanted to find some way to preserve it for future use. Of course, I turned to online resources, as well as the book "Just Weeds." 

One recommendation was to dehydrate it, pack it in and air-tight jar, and later grind it into powder to add to food to boost nutrition. Purslane has very little flavor of its own, so it's a great way to add nutrition without compromising the flavor of the dish. Plus enough of it can serve as a thickening agent if the sauce is a bit thin. (So can dehydrated and ground okra.)

But I wanted to do something else, as well.

Why not ferment it.

I packed six- to eight-inch lengths of tender stems into a jar, added peppercorns, garlic and Thai chiles, maybe some ginger, I forget. Then I cover the purslane with brine (3 tablespoons un-iodized salt to 1 quart water) and set a jar full of water small enough to fit in the mouth of the jar without getting stuck to weight the plant material down so it remains covered wit the brine. (A critical key to brine fermentation is to keep the plant material submerged.)

A week or more later I capped it tightly and stuck it in the refrigerator.

I am delighted with the result. It reminds me of seaweed, not the dried sheets you buy, but miniature live seaweed. (I know, it's not pretty, but it's tasty and nutritious.)

I particularly like eating it as a side to Asian inspired dishes. Brine fermentation works for all sorts of vegetables, from the common cucumber to mixed wild greens. One of my favorites is winter radishes and purple daikon radishes. Red radishes stain the brine red and are gorgeous. 

Purslane is related to some pretty garden flowers, such as moss rose, and is one of the many "weeds" that are good food, often more nutritious than our cultivated fare. Next time purslane pops up in your garden, don't curse it, eat it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbZ866s59M4