Sorrel Time Always watch out for the young leaves

Sorrel: always choose young leaves
Those who are attentive in nature these days can discover the sorrel. The weed has a slightly bitter to sourish taste and is a refined alternative to lemon or vinegar. The leaves taste in a mixed salad, in curd cheese, in soups and sauces.

Sorrel: Ideal for soups. Picture:: Annett Seidler - fotolila

But you can also steamed similar to spinach and served as a side dish to fish. The sorrel should be heated only briefly so that it does not collapse and assumes a brownish color.

The meadow sorrel (Rumex acetosa) is a perennial of the family Knoeverichgewächse and reaches a height of up to one meter. The arrow-shaped leaves spring in rosettes directly above the earth. They sit on a long stem and are visually reminiscent of spinach. In summer, the long upright panicles with tiny, reddish flowers attract attention.

The sorrel grows on wet meadows, on banks and ditches. The young leaves in spring are less herbaceous and freshly picked especially aromatic. Occasionally, sorrel from the region is also available at the weekly market. It can also be easily grown in your own garden if it is regularly supplied with water and fertilizer. Before the preparation you should rinse the herb well, shake dry and remove the hard stems.

Then chop the leaves as desired or cut into fine strips.
Sorrel is not only delicious, but also healthy. Already in the Middle Ages he was known as a good vitamin C supplier. The herb served the sailors to prevent scurvy, a vitamin C deficiency disease. Other valuable ingredients are vitamin A, iron, magnesium and potassium. Bitter and tannins stimulate the appetite and promote digestion. Sorrel should, however, be eaten in moderation as it contains oxalic acid like spinach and rhubarb. It can form insoluble salts with calcium from food, which may cause stones to form. Heike Kreutz, bzfe