Curly dock contains oxalic acid which gives it a tart flavor and locks up nutrients in your digestive system if consumed in quantities. But those loose seeds can still be offered as food. Thank you for supporting The Self Sufficient HomeAcre! The author lives outside of Chicago with her husband, son, 2 dogs, 1 cat, and a variety of poultry. How to Harvest and Use Curly Dock. I didn’t like all the previous dock leaves I had eaten because they were stressed out and stunted from growing in poor, gravelly soils. Your info is never shared. Besides curly dock, broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius) is the main species that’s eaten. I ended up putting them in the blender - I suspect a pile of the chaff got mixed in with the flour. Store in an airtight container. . Emails are sent about 1-2 times monthly. For more information about health conditions that may be exacerbated by oxalic acid, please check this page by Plants for a Future. Thank you very much, Frank! 1 cup flour of your choice (I use all-purpose wheat flour). The plant’s green stalks, which turn red in the colder months, fill with seeds in … Thank you for your support! The seeds are also edible by chickens. With its long, curling leaves and strictly standing large stalks, yellow dock is further distinguished by its ruddy-colored seeds that arrive in the fall. They will have a slimy texture…this is good. They often remain on the plant throughout winter. Albert invited me to go dig yellow dock root the next morning. The easiest time of year to notice it is in summer, fall, and often in the winter, when you can easily observe the multitudinous seeds. Regardless, dock leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. Furthermore, it stimulates the flow of bile, which aids digestion. They are all edible, however the quality of taste varies from one to the next.
If you live in a warmer climate you can probably dig curly dock roots throughout winter. This Site Uses Cookies… The Self Sufficient HomeAcre is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. (I’m not always home at lunchtime, but I got home just in time yesterday when Lisa was working on this.). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. With care, stalks loaded with seed can be harvested and keep upright in a bucket without losing too many seeds in transport. Cut into desired shapes. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "theselfsuffic-20";
This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. Like the cattail, the curly dock’s roots, leaves, stems, and seeds are all edible. Wash chop, and cook leaves in omelettes, stir fries, soups, stews, or in other dishes in place of spinach. This is why with foraging it’s important to try species from varying locations! Furthermore, it’s not typically as prolific of a weed as dandelion— at least not in urban areas. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual";
We don’t have enough growing in our area to collect the quantity of seeds needed to make flour. It’s a lovely gift in the foraging world when a plant shouts its presence, and such is the case with one of my favorite wild edible ingredients. The papery seeds and flower stalk mature to a reddish brown in late summer and are easy to spot in the landscape. Since dock plants are perennial, the same plant will sprout under last years stalk in the spring. Curly Dock Rumex crispus Season: Seeds in late summer and fall Habitat: Fields, meadows, open ground Details: Curly dock, or "yellow dock," (pictured above) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the buckwheat family and it is native to Europe and Western Asia. Start by knowing that there are a number of varied species, some native and some invasive. See more ideas about Wild edibles, Dock, Edible. If you know what to look for, however, you'll find forests and fields are veritable grocery stores. Despite this large quantity, they are rather inconspicuous because they are small and greenish (though they can also be yellowish or pinkish.) Energy equals starch, which is the tasty part of the root that we humans like to consume! My grandparents took me ‘cow slipping’ in early spring as a kid. If you like our foraging tutorials, please consider joining us on Patreon! amzn_assoc_region = "US";
Of course, you are farther south than I am so you might be right about the leaves being too big! I haven’t tried eating the seeds of curly dock yet. I love the medicinal properties of wild plants and trees. Your info is never shared. If it’s tender enough, eat it raw; otherwise it’s delicious steamed or sautéed. The plant has both basal leaves and leaves on the stem, which are alternate. It is quick work to gather cupfuls of seed. The leaves in my field are probably too big already to try this year. The seeds grow in massive quantities on the stem and are quite easy to collect. The outer layer may be stringy, but this can be peeled before eating. Western dock (R. occidentalis), dooryard dock (R. longifolius), field dock (R. stenphyllus), wild rhubarb (R. hymenosepalus) and patience dock (R. patientia) are all edible as well. This morning I tried making some curly dock seed flour for some waffles. These leaves are not as bitter. amzn_assoc_asins = "0976626608,1615648895";
Then grind them in a grain grinder, coffee grinder, mortar and pestle, or blender to make flour. This website has some interesting information about curly dock…. The main stem is ribbed, stout, and mostly unbranched. Then transfer them onto a well-greased baking sheet. In several states yellow dock is listed as a noxious weed. Curly dock should not be consumed by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. If you want to learn homesteading skills, like raising chickens and preserving the harvest for winter, you’ve come to the right place. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. Four Season Foraging LLC • PO Box 8764, Minneapolis, MN 55408 • 612.440.5958 • info@fourseasonforaging.com. The Beginner’s Guide to Backyard Homesteading. Thank you for the information. Here in the West we have Rumex occidentalis, or Western dock plant. Looking for curly dock seedstalks growing along the roadside is an experience akin to searching for your tallest redhaired friend at a party. Infusions are used for herbs with delicate aromatic principles that require more careful preparation. Curly dock (also known as yellow dock, sour dock, and butter dock, as well as other names) is one of the first wild greens ready to harvest in spring. A thin whitish sheath grows around the node (where the petiole and stalk meet.) amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual";
My Gram cooked up the greens in boiling water and we would pour on a little apple cider vinegar. Strain the liquid into a mug or jar and discard the plant material. You will not pay any extra for these products. Seeds appear in late summer, and should be harvested when they’re brown, dry, and papery. Lately I’ve spent some time in nature, harvesting autumn goods. “Yup, there they are,” you’ll quickly note each time your eyes scan the scenery. Reply. I have read differing opinions on this. Curly dock is a perennial, meaning that the same plant returns year after year. We gather, process, and package every seed variety we carry ourselves with love and care in small batches. Another foraging goal of mine is to harvest some and at least give them a try. Then observe the plant as it ages through the fall and winter, and then start picking the dead winter stalks. Serves 4 to 6. However you eat spinach – do the same for these greens. Me too! Thank you for the information! I was wondering what to do with all the curly dock in my pasture! Check for more information on this page by Practical Self Reliance…Foraging Dock Seeds ~ Wild Foraged Flour. Chop into hummus or sour cream dip for a ‘lemony’ flavor. You’ll have a large amount in no time! It’s a simple way for you to help Four Season Foraging keep producing the informative content that you enjoy. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "theselfsuffic-20";
It is reputed to taste similar to buckwheat, another related plant. Have you foraged for curly dock? Mature curled dock seedheads (early summer) have a distant "rust" color. Decoctions are used for tough, woody material such as roots, bark, and twigs, in order to extract the active constituents. I spent several hours yesterday harvesting, cleaning, chopping, and blanching curly dock and stinging nettles for lunch, dinner, and for freezing. Information about your use of this site is shared with Google. Hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) is a winter or summer annual weed (depending on location).Stems can be 3-9 inches long, and the leaves are mostly on the lower portion of the stem in a basal rosette. Put the chopped root in a non-reactive pot, such as stainless steel or glass. Curly dock (Rumex crispus, also called yellow dock) is one of those plants that is easily overlooked. Start looking for dock leaves in early spring. The leaves were large, light green, and supple; and they tasted just like spinach! I ended up putting them in the blender - I suspect a pile of the chaff got mixed in with the flour. To make a decoction, start with ½ cup finely chopped fresh root. The plant can reach heights of one to five feet at maturity. Dock seeds can be used whole to make dock seed crackers, but for most purposes, it’s better to grind it into flour. Lisa Lombardo is the author of The Beginner's Guide to Backyard Homesteading and she writes about gardening and homesteading for this website and The New Homesteader's Almanac. But this compound is also found in many cultivated plants, including rhubarb, spinach, and Swiss chard. Harvesting Dock Seed. In Canada, it grows in Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia. (See below for close-up pictures of the seeds.) I can attest that the curly dock omelet was very tasty! I’m Lisa Lynn and this is The Self Sufficient HomeAcre. Harvest dock stems in late spring and early summer, before it reaches full height and any flowers appear. I have actually used the medium aged leaves too and cooked them like spinach. Native to Europe, it has been introduced to all fifty states in the US and all Canadian provinces except Nunavut. Yellow Dock or Curled Dock (Rumex crispus) This native of Europe is found along roadsides, fields, and waste ground throughout U.S. and southern Canada (Gleason and Cronquist, 1996). Stems are sturdy and can be cut and installed inside an enclosure for animals to glean the seeds off the stalks themselves. The dark-brown to black seed pods remain on the stalk until the spring when leaves start growing again. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings. Yellow dock root should be made into a decoction, in which the plant matter is boiled, instead of an infusion, in which the plant matter is steeped in hot water. How to Harvest, Prepare, and Use Yellow Dock Root Medicinally by Survival Sherpa. Dock seeds are prolific everywhere you look right now, so this is a great time to gather them and make dock seed flour. Cow slips aren’t plentiful in our area, so I leave them and harvest curly dock as an alternative…and I savor the flavor in spring! On a well-floured surface roll dough thinly. Continuing my Northern California Bushcraft series, we’re going to talk about a common wild edible – curly dock.This plant is found throughout most of the United States, with several variations being found in different regions. I have a friend who harvests dock for medicinal purposes. For information about preparing curly dock root for potential medicinal uses, check out How to Harvest, Prepare, and Use Yellow Dock Root Medicinally by Survival Sherpa. Still, if you must pull it out of your pasture so the cows don’t get sick, why not eat curly dock while you’re at it?. The creases along this dock leaf is a sign that it unfurled recently and is therefore likely tender and delicious. I think that you take the self reliance challenge to a new level! Curled Dock root. I started this blog to share my adventures in homesteading and self-sufficiency. This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services, to personalize ads and to analyze traffic. I wrote a primer on harvesting and using dock seed flour, including half a dozen recipes too. We respect your privacy. The blog is generally updated twice a month. Across the Pacific North-west, wild edible plants are available during most of the year. And as I happened to watch a tv show about all kind of recipes you can do with the curly dock and as I remembered that we have a lot of it in the backyard, I started harvesting some seeds for my curly dock seeds flour bread. Dock grows as an invasive weed all over the world. These crackers have a wonderfully earthy flavor. It’s unfortunate that people aren’t more familiar with it, as the leaves, stem, seed, and root are all edible or medicinal. Thank you, Kathi! Also known as curly dock, yellow dock (Rumex crispus) is a member of the buckwheat family.This perennial herb, which is often considered to be a weed, grows wild in many areas of North America. These tasty greens will be much appreciated in the winter while the garden and wild areas sleep under a blanket of snow. The root of curly dock can grow quite large, so it’s easiest to harvest by digging alongside the root with a shovel or trowel, rather than attempting to pry it out of the ground. This gives you the unique opportunity to harvest young dock leaves and last years dock seeds at the same time. . Do you like getting dirt under your fingernails? Thanks for sharing so much great information. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart";
Lisa grew up on a farm and has continued learning about horticulture, animal husbandry, and home food preservation ever since. Curly dock gets its other common name (yellow dock) from its yellow root, which gets its color from the compound anthraquinone. amzn_assoc_design = "in_content";
I happily agreed to get dirty digging this “weed.” Yellow Dock (Rumex crispus) Most fields, waste places, roadsides, and weedy yards are good locations to find yellow dock (aka ~ curly dock, sour dock, narrow dock, garden patience and curled dock. Dock flowers mid-summer, and goes to seed late summer or early fall producing thousands of seeds on each plant. To gather, simply grab a stalk with one hand while gently pulling the seeds off with the other hand. Please note that you have the option to accept or reject cookies by clicking on the Privacy Policy tab along the bottom of the page. The self-reliance challenge sounds fun! Also known as sour dock, yellow dock, and narrowleaf dock, one reason controlling curly dock weeds is so hard is because plants may bloom and produce seeds twice a year. Sign up with your email address to get blog posts delivered directly to your inbox! Broad-leaved dock can be found in all 50 US states except Nevada, Wyoming, and North Dakota. All seed varieties are grown at our farm or locally and sustainably wildcrafted by us. Where I live in Minneapolis, the ground freezes in winter, which makes it impossible to harvest roots at that time. It’s just extra fiber and won’t hurt you. The decoction can be drank hot or cold, and can be stored in the fridge for up to 48 hours. grow in the United States and Canada. In the early spring dock leaves are some of the first wild edibles to … Make sure you are confident in your identification and are harvesting Rumex crispus, and not a look-alike plant. Think of dock as the love child of spinach and rhubarb or sorrel (R. acetosa), and you’ll get a good idea about the flavor of this edible wild green.So how to go about foraging curly dock? Do you want to be more self-reliant? You will not pay any extra when you purchase products through these links, but I will receive a small commission. Typically the sooner you get them, the more sweet and tender they are, but this depends on growing conditions. Curly dock may also be called yellow dock, sour dock, or narrowleaf dock, depending on where they are purchased. Learn more about Yellow Dock uses, effectiveness, possible side effects, interactions, dosage, user ratings and products that contain Yellow Dock amzn_assoc_linkid = "cb7ce61c68c9eb3df3234d89c728f6b1";
While one often reads warnings about oxalic acid in wild food literature, one rarely hears warnings about eating those domesticated foods. Harvesting and Marketing`'' Edible Wild Plants 0 S. Clemenis Many people are familiar with picking and eating huckleberries and blackberries. See more ideas about Plants, Old trampoline, Garden seeds. Four Season Foraging now offers free audio versions of articles with the help of a text-to-speech website. I have curly dock growing in abundance; the only use I’d ever heard of was grinding the seeds for flour, something I’ve never tried. Add in water very slowly until the dough is pliable (not sticky). This morning I tried making some curly dock seed flour for some waffles. The seeds come off the stalk easily once they’re dried, and in an area full of dock seed you should be able to collect several cups in just a few minutes.
Prefer to listen to this article? I used to hate dock, and could not for the life of me understand how people could compare it to spinach. Flowers grow in branching clusters at the top of the plant, in groups of 10 to 25. The seeds of the yellow dock, once dried thoroughly, are edible as well. While many wild foraged grains must be winnowed , the pods of Rumex Crispus are small enough that it is more efficient to grind them with the grain. What is yellow dock? ... Curly dock roots can be made into a flour.First peel the root mash strain to remove fibers dry and pound to a flour. I believe that this is best way to learn to identify plants in winter. Curly dock is surprisingly nutritious and can easily compete with known vegetables in terms of nutrition. She has earned an Associate of Applied Science in Horticulture and a Bachelor of Fine Arts. And I had some of the curly dock greens mixed with stinging nettle with dinner. May 1, 2020 - How to gather seeds, store them properly and plant them at the right time and in the right way!. Then I found a beautiful stand of it growing in an open pine forest. Curly dock (also known as yellow dock, sour dock, and butter dock, as well as other names) is one of the first wild greens ready to harvest in spring. If using dried root, you will need less: only about ⅓ of the original amount, or about 3 tablespoons in this instance. This compound has a laxative effect, making yellow dock root an excellent remedy for constipation. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0";
Root is a yellow man shaped, pointing down, that helps downward movement in digestive tract. They were easy to harvest - almost impossible to winnow since the seeds were so small. The leaves, stem, and seeds of broad-leaved dock can be eaten like those of curly dock, but the root does not have the same medicinal qualities. Curly dock has oxalic acid in it and should be eaten in moderation. Keep an eye out for this ordinary plant, and soon you will be able to pick it out of the landscape! amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon";
This site earns income from advertising and affiliate sales. Yellow dock, also known as Rumex crispus, is native to Europe but is currently grown throughout much of the United States. Look for it along roadsides, ditches, edges of wooded areas, and in fields. Do you know why it is not advised for pregnant women? Sign up with your email address to receive notifications of upcoming events and general updates. Yellow dock has the “crisp” leaves with curly edges. Wash thoroughly and use leaves raw in salads or in place of lettuce on a sandwich. Description. Leaves at the base of the plant are larger than the leaves at the top of the plant. I just don’t eat a big plateful to avoid overdoing it. Sometimes the leaves are curly at the edges, giving it its popular name “Curly Dock.” There are about 25 species of Dock in the North American continent – some have been imported from Europe. (Make sure you scrub the root clean first!) The best time to harvest the roots is after it’s grown in size, which means waiting at least until the fall of its first year. The branched taproots are yellow in color and may be harvested. It is toxic to livestock, although they tend to avoid the bitter leaves and would have to eat quite a bit to be poisoned. We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. The standard dosage is one cup 3 times a day, though this varies depending on the person and the condition. This relative of rhubarb is a hardy herbaceous perennial weed native to Europe that has naturalized in the US. Foraging Dock Seeds ~ Wild Foraged Flour. It doesn’t have a showy flower and the leaves can look kind of generic. Leaf margins are deeply lobed. However, this does require a note of caution, as oxalic acid prevents the assimilation of minerals such as calcium and iron. I’m glad you are willing to eat the wild foods I cook . Wait to harvest curly dock seeds until they are a rich rust brown and have started to dry out. Harvesting Dock … However, outside of this range it can be a problematic, aggressive weed. Before you eat any wild plants, make sure you have identified them correctly and you’re preparing them properly. Then keep the spot in mind for some yummy greens the following spring, and dig in! amzn_assoc_design = "in_content";
Mature seeds may be harvested and used to grind flour, although this is a time consuming task. As long as you're not severely mineral deficient, and as long as you're not consuming unreasonably massive amounts of foods containing oxalic acid, you'll be fine! amzn_assoc_region = "US";
The root also has a diuretic effect, meaning that it stimulates urination. However, the best portion is the stem itself! As a relative of buckwheat, dock seeds are edible as well! amzn_assoc_asins = "1451656203,030795661X";
. I believe that this is due to an unfair bias against wild foods. Yellow dock herbs have been used for centuries, valued for their medicinal and nutritional qualities. It also soothes the intestinal lining, making it useful against irritable bowels. Yellow dock is more wide-ranging. Hi Caylea, Basal leaves can be as long as 12 inches and around 2 ½ inches wide; the leaves become smaller as they ascend the stem. Otherwise you can harvest the root in the spring of its second year, or any year thereafter. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0";
Dock plant. Sign up for Honest-to-Goodness Homesteading Information and get my new eBook 'Secrets to a Weed & Pest Free Homestead' for FREE! The plant may also cause intestinal discomfort to some people. “Curled dock is high in fiber and has more vitamin A in its leaves than an equal amount of carrots: 12,900 I.U. Simply click the play button on the right! Harvest leaves when young and tender for best flavor. Curly dock (Rumex crispus, also called yellow dock) is one of those plants that is easily overlooked.It doesn’t have a showy flower and the leaves can look kind of generic. The leaves of curly dock are hairless, long and narrow, and often have wavy or curly edges—which is where it gets its common name. This post is not intended as a identification guide and you should use a reliable source to identify wild foods before consuming. Furthermore, it’s not typically as prolific of a weed as dandelion— at least not in urban areas. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. If you haven’t ever cooked with dock seeds, they’re an easy and healthy source of wild flour to forage. One source lists it as safe but I would do a lot of research before eating if pregnant. Learn how your comment data is processed. Happy to share, ShawnaLee! This blog post was chosen in a poll by Patreon members. Dock leaves and stems contain oxalic acid, which is what gives them their yummy sour flavor. As well as being a food source for humans, it's also an important source of food for the caterpillars of many butterflies. I’ve read several comments that curly dock roots may be eaten as a substitute for potatoes, but I’m pretty sure that they don’t taste the same. So do I! I’m not sure about lemony, maybe my taste buds are weird. So spring and fall are the best times to harvest roots, because that’s when the plant is putting energy (i.e. As a cooling and healing root, it has been used to treat several kinds of inflammatory skin conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, and nettle rash. For those who need to know precisely and with absolute certainty which plant they're dealing with, use the botanical Latin name. The flavor is similar to the leaves, except more “green” tasting—something like green beans. amzn_assoc_title = "Be sure to identify plants correctly with a handy guide...";
. The seeds are encased in a leaf-like capsule that turns brown and papery with age. Corpsmember with curly dock removed from the Ag Heritage Center. Because they are so fertile (curly dock seeds are viable for 80 + years) and abundant (each plant is estimated to contain 40,000 seeds) they have long been associated with fertility, abundance, and prosperity magic. They appear in whorls, meaning that they grow all the way around a single point on the stem. When the plant sends up a stem, the basal leaves generally become too tough and bitter to eat, but those on the stem may be palatable. This relative of rhubarb is a hardy herbaceous perennial weed native to Europe that has naturalized in the US. starch) into the root instead of taking it away. of Vitamin A for a 100 gram portion. In its native range, different parts of curly dock are used as food and/or medicine. Common names are tricky for that very reason; they change from place to place. Curly dock does not seem to get this reddish color in my observation. However, both species can be eaten and they are actually quite a substantial green. Seeds appear in late summer and fall. I added a little salt and a vinaigrette dressing, but I’m sure it would be good with just vinegar and salt. It’s best not to harvest roots when the plant has a living stalk (a dead winter stalk is fine), because that means that the plant is depleting energy from the root to make flowers and reproduce. Awesome post Lisa, I found it very educational. From http://www.ediblewildfood.com/yellow-dock-crackers.aspx. This can help with bloating, urinary tract infections, and urinary stones, especially when taking into account yellow dock’s soothing effect. How to Make Money and Save Money on Your Homestead. This site uses cookies to track your purchases through Amazon. I think they combine well with something tart, like pickles, rhubarb preserves, or chutney. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping. It is generally too bitter to be considered edible, though it does have some useful medicinal qualities, which are outlined below. The lance shaped leaves grow in a basal rosette and have ruffled, or ‘curly’ edges, often with a reddish tinge. I’d like to try it someday. This sheath become brown and papery with time, and eventually disintegrates. Thank you for this article, Lisa! Bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered about 20 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by approximately ⅓ (to 2 cups). To make dock seed flour, start by collecting as much dock seed as you can. It is also useful against internal inflammation, such as arthritis and rheumatism. Since your livestock can’t eat it…you may as well make good use of it. We have quite of few dock species, many of them preferring wet soil. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. This dock has large, broad heart-shaped leaves, unlike the long, narrow leaves of curly dock. Curly dock isn’t too discerning about its habitat, growing in full sun and part shade, fields, roadsides, trailsides, and other open areas.
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