Marsh Samphire

[MysticTree]

I picked the first of the season today and it is starting to look very promising for the rest of the season. I only picked a little and this will last well in the fridge for as much as a week.

http://www.foragingandgathering.co.uk/samphire.jpg

I also picked Sea Purslane, Sea Beet Orache & Sea Blite but I don't have pictures of those!

[CathyA.]

looks pretty and yummy.

[BeingK8]

Oh wow! I don't know what that is but I'm so intrigued. Must google!


Okay...just did and I'm guessing you're in a MUCH different climate than I am. And it looks like it's a hardy, very useful plant with a desirable nutrient profile and usage. How cool! You go with your very avant garde raw self! ;-)
What it taste like and how do you eat it?

[MysticTree]

It's a member of the glasswort family and grows out on the hard mud flats (think very wet clay) round the coast of Britain - and other places too but I am in Britain.

It gets submerged by the tides at high water and so it has a salty taste. The medium it grows in gives it a good nutritional value I believe but I eat it cos I like the taste. :eat

[MysticTree]

If I am just out picking it then it gets grazed on as I go. At home it gets tossed in salads in place of seaweed ... unlike most seaweeds it has a slight crunch ... think beansprout. It is also nice to just nibble on. If it is too salty then you can soak it over night - sellers do this because then it weighs more ;)

you can pickle it but I like it as is and of course it has it's very own cooked traditions.

[BeingK8]

If I am just out picking it then it gets grazed on as I go. At home it gets tossed in salads in place of seaweed ... unlike most seaweeds it has a slight crunch ... think beansprout. It is also nice to just nibble on. If it is too salty then you can soak it over night - sellers do this because then it weighs more ;)

you can pickle it but I like it as is and of course it has it's very own cooked traditions.

Oh man! The way you describe it, I want to be able to grow it and eat it. I have no natural conditions for such stuff, so I guess I'll have to keep this on my list of things that I wish the Universe to bring to me at some point in my life!

So, it has benefits similar to seaweed, then? Even though it's NOT grown IN the sea, correct?

[MysticTree]

Where beaches around our coast have mud rather than sand - damn wish I had taken a picture when i was out - the mud forms hard flats which is where the marsh samphire grows. This area is below the high tide line so the samphire is under sea water for maybe 6 hours a day (that is a total guess really). You can pick it in the summer months, at the end of which it turns yellows and dies back.

It then comes back the following year which is why from a sustainability point of view it should be cut not pulled.

It is available in France for sure and probably parts of Ireland but other than that I am not sure. If you are ever this way late June - early August drop me a message and I will be sure you get some! I would send you some by post if I thought it would get there quickly enough but I feel sure it would spoil :( Which part of the world are you in?

[MysticTree]

I've only glanced at this link to see what I could find out about the vits and mins you may be able to order through here.

http://www.specialtyproduce.com/index.php?item=735&name=Sea_Beans

I see this site calls it Sea Beans another name for it here is Sea Asparagus.

Whilst it freezes well, I wouldn't recommend you get a frozen supply because it would lose it's crunch - cooked food people don't mind that!

[BeingK8]

Where beaches around our coast have mud rather than sand - damn wish I had taken a picture when i was out - the mud forms hard flats which is where the marsh samphire grows. This area is below the high tide line so the samphire is under sea water for maybe 6 hours a day (that is a total guess really). You can pick it in the summer months, at the end of which it turns yellows and dies back.

It then comes back the following year which is why from a sustainability point of view it should be cut not pulled.

It is available in France for sure and probably parts of Ireland but other than that I am not sure. If you are ever this way late June - early August drop me a message and I will be sure you get some! I would send you some by post if I thought it would get there quickly enough but I feel sure it would spoil :( Which part of the world are you in?
Thanks, MysticTree! I love learning new things and boy isn't it fun to think about taking a trip that way and meeting a new friend who could introduce me to a whole new raw food? :-)

[sport]

I have purchased it at the Farmer's Market in the past but have not seen it recently. Maybe it will be back later in the year.

[MysticTree]

I have purchased it at the Farmer's Market in the past but have not seen it recently. Maybe it will be back later in the year.

It should be about now. It's in season.

[MyRedPanda]

Wow, that is so cool, and it looks really pretty too :) So you just gather this from the coast? Are you not worried about pollution in the water? I grew up near the coast, but would not eat anything from the ocean harvested locally due to the oil spill.

[MysticTree]

I am ok with the sea round here. Sea lettuce also goes well and I understand it needs clean sea water to grow in. I'm in the UK btw.

[MyRedPanda]

Yeah, I saw that from your previous post. I wish we had this here :drool:They look so very yummy!