Different Types Of Sorrel - Learn About Common Sorrel Varieties

Sorrel Plant Types The two most popular varieties of sorrel for veggie gardeners are English (garden) sorrel (Rumex acetosa) and French sorrel (Rumex scutatus). Both have a citrusy taste that makes them excellent for cooking.

How do you identify common sorrel?

The leaves can be long and arrow shaped or when young, shorter and more rounded but at the base of the leaf it always has pointed 'tails' which is a key identifying feature of this plant. The leaves have a shiny appearance and are usually green but can develop red features.

Can you eat common sorrel?

Common sorrel has been used as a salad plant and in sauce making. However, the high level of oxalates in combination with anthracene derivatives can make the leaves potentially toxic to man and animals if eaten in excess.

What is the difference between sorrel and dock?

Sorrels are really just small species of dock and there is no clear, botanical difference between them. Sorrels do tend to have their flowers less clustered or whorled and often carried singly along the branches of the flower spikes.

What does wild sorrel look like?

Identification: Sorrel has distinctive arrow-shaped leaves and small red and green flower stalks that appear from May to August. It is an upright plant that grows up to 60 cm in height and later in the season its leaves are sometimes tinged with red. Red flowers and latterly seeds are carried on tall slender spikes.

How do you eat common sorrel?

A traditional way to enjoy sorrel is cooked into a sauce and served with fish, lending a lemony flavor without the use of lemon. It's also great cooked into soups or stews. Baby sorrel greens can be tossed into mixed salads. And if you don't have lemons to make a salad dressing, use sorrel to add tang.

Is Sorrel the same as spinach?

Sorrel, also known as spinach dock, is quite similar to spinach in appearance, and similarly chock-full of nutrients.

What are the benefits of sorrel?

Sorrel is used for reducing sudden and ongoing pain and swelling (inflammation) of the nasal passages and respiratory tract, for treating bacterial infections along with conventional medicines, and for increasing urine flow (as a diuretic). Sorrel is also an ingredient in the herbal cancer treatment Essiac.

Is Sorrel poisonous?

No, sorrel is not a toxic plant when its leaves are consumed as food in suitable amounts. However, the plant has certain contraindications due to its active principles and components.

Is Garden sorrel invasive?

Before sowing sorrel, keep in mind that this plant is very invasive because it propagates very fast. Sorrel is sown right at the end of winter with a cover, or in spring directly in the ground.

What does sorrel smell like?

Sorrel is fruity like rhubarb. It is tart like lemon. It is herbal like basil.

Where is Sorrel found?

Sorrel grows in grassland habitats all over Europe and in parts of Central Asia, though its history goes back as far as 1700 with mentions of the sour herb in Jamaican literature. The plant grows in three varieties: French, red-veined, and broad leaf, all of which have relatively different appearances.

What is the scientific name for sorrel?

Common sorrel or garden sorrel (Rumex acetosa), often simply called sorrel, is a perennial herb in the family Polygonaceae. Other names for sorrel include spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock. It is a common plant in grassland habitats and is cultivated as a garden herb or salad vegetable (pot herb).

Can you eat pink sorrel?

The leaves, stem and flowers are edible. It contains oxalic acid which can inhibit calcium absorption so it should be avoided in large quantities.

How do you use wood sorrel?

Wood sorrel should be used fresh. Pick off the leaves, flowers, and immature seed pods to put in salads, avoiding older, tough stems. Eat it raw or cooked. Wood sorrel has a tart, lemon-like flavor and goes well with meat and fish.

What family is sorrel?

Overview of sorrel. Sorrel, any of several hardy perennial herbs of the Polygonaceae, or buckwheat, family that are widely distributed in temperate regions.

What does red sorrel look like?

It has bright lime-green leaves with dark maroon stems and veins that run the entirety of the leaf. Red sorrel leaves are shaped like an arrow with slightly curled edges. ... Red sorrel has a distinct lemony flavor and acidic bite. The taste is often described as “sour.”

What are the side effects of sorrel?

Wood sorrel is UNSAFE, especially when used when used in higher doses. Wood sorrel can cause diarrhea, nausea, increased urination, skin reactions, stomach and intestine irritation, eye damage, and kidney damage. Swelling of the mouth, tongue, and throat can make speaking and breathing difficult.

Why is my sorrel bitter?

An important note about sorrel: its bitter flavor comes from oxalic acid, so only cook sorrel in unlined aluminum or cast iron, or else it will turn an unappetizing shade of brown. Regardless, it will still lose some of its vibrant green color once you cook it down.

What can I replace sorrel with?

What's A Good Sorrel Substitute?

Your best bet: Arugula. One of the factors that separates sorrel from other greens is its flavor punch. ...
A decent second choice: Rhubarb. For many people, the first thing that springs to mind at the mention of rhubarb is rhubarb pie. ...
In a pinch: Mustard greens. ...
Other alternatives.

Is Sorrel good for kidneys?

Kidney disease: Large amounts of sorrel might increase the risk of kidney stones. Don't use sorrel without a healthcare professional's advice if you have ever had or are at risk of getting kidney stones. Surgery: Sorrel can slow blood clotting.

How long is sorrel good for?

Sorrel drink taste best after 3 days. Bottle and kept refrigerated for up to a year.

Is Sorrel good for hair?

Sorrel leaves are an excellent tonic for your mane. They can make your hair healthy, strong, and lustrous. Sorrel is rich in vitamins A, B, and C. All these vitamins are amazing for dry and damaged hair.