Grow More Tang: Grow Sorrel

Sorrel may look like lettuce, but it’s actually far from it, with a tangy lemon-zest flavour that will brighten up many dishes.

As we head towards autumn, it’s great to add a bit of flavour to soups and stews, and you can’t go wrong with common or garden sorrel (Rumex acestosa). Grow it with your other leafy greens like spinach and lettuce for picking in autumn and summer.

Blood sorrel (Rumex acetosa ‘Sunguinius’) has bright lime-green leaves and vivid red veins. It is an edible ornamental herb that is not only for eating but for bold colour in the garden. The leaves have a delicious tart, lemony flavour, like the normal sorrel and are good for use in salads, on sandwiches, in soups and even as a pesto.

What is interesting about sorrel is that the plants that we grow today are the same as the ones grown by the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks and used to soothe indigestion and overindulgence – there has been no hybridisation or development of this perennial herb. Other, similar green leafy herbs are now included under the sorrel or dock name, but these are from different families and genera, and they are grouped together due to their texture, colour and tangy taste and their naturally occurring oxalic acid.

What it needs

• Full sun but likes afternoon shade.
• Rich, fertile, well-composted and well-draining soil.
• Mulch with compost three times a year to conserve water, and keep the leaves clean.
• A thorough watering twice a week.
• Established plants can handle light frost but they will die down in winter. In colder climates, treat as an annual and replant every year in spring.
• If grown as a perennial, it will form clumps that can be divided every two or three years.

How To Grow Sorrel from seed

Sorrel is easy to grow from seed. Seeds can be sown directly into the soil, in pots or seed trays.

Remember that 2 – 3 plants are plenty for a family; eating too much sorrel may be harmful due to its high oxalic acid content. Cut the flower stalks to the ground and remove any older leaves and the plant should re-sprout.

Sowing in seed trays or pots

Fill tray or pots with a moist seedling mix. Sow 2 seeds per cavity or 4 in a small pot. Cover with plastic to create a moist microclimate. Once the seeds have germinated remove the plastic and water with a liquid fertiliser like Margaret Roberts Organic Supercharger at half strength every two weeks.

Plant out when the plants are big enough to handle. If grown as a short-lived salad crop, sow successive crops in April and again in spring.

Sorrel Microgreens

Sorrel is delicious as a microgreen because the leaves are so tender and tasty. In winter they can be grown on a sunny windowsill or outdoors in summer. Grow the microgreens in a planting tray with good quality potting mix. Sprinkle the seeds and cover with potting mix, lightly pressed down. Keep moist and snip off the leaves when the seedlings are about 6-8cm tall.

Harvesting and storage

Cut the outer individual leaves as needed. Young leaves are tender and flavourful whereas older leaves tend to be tough and sharper in taste.

Cut back the whole plant as a ‘cut and come again’ crop if you need a bigger harvest. Cut back the plant to just a few centimeters above the ground. This also forces the plant to push out new leaves.

Sorrel doesn’t last well after picking, so it’s best to pick just before cooking. If you buy sorrel, wrap it in damp paper towel and seal it in a plastic container to make it last longer than a few days. Whole leaves can be frozen, or they can be puréed and frozen in ice cube trays. You can also dry the leaves as you would for other herbs, but they will lose their flavour.

Using Sorrel In The Kitchen

Small leaves are wonderful in a salad or added to coleslaw, and they can be used sparingly like any other herb. Add sorrel towards the end of cooking to pasta dishes, soups and stews, and it goes particularly well with fish dishes. Chop into yoghurt for a lemony dip or try it with fruit like the recipe below.

Baked apples with sorrel pesto

Sorrel pairs very well with fruit like strawberries and apples due to its tart taste, so why not combine baked apples with sorrel pesto?

Baked apples

• 4 apples
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon allspice

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Core the apples, leaving the base intact so you have a cavity for the sugary, spicy butter. Mix the sugar, butter, walnuts and spices together and pack into the central column of the apples. Place the apples on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes until the apples are tender.

Sorrel pesto

• 2 cups sorrel leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup walnuts or almonds
• ½ cup grated Parmesan
• ¼ – ½ cup virgin olive oil

Add the sorrel leaves, garlic and walnuts to a food processor and process until the ingredients are finely chopped. Add in enough olive oil to make a sauce and quickly blend in the Parmesan. Spoon over the baked apples to serve. A touch of cream will bring it all together. Serves 4.