Organic Summer Purslane

Summer Purslane: Green
Portulaca oleracea
Approximately 2000 seeds per g

Green Purslane is an easy to grow summer salad plant. There are many forms of this delicate plant growing in the wild but this cultivated variety has a crisp and juicy leaf with a mild flavour. Purslane has been eaten worldwide for centuries. It has a strong tap root so it can cope well with poor and dry soils although the crop is better if more water is available.
It is also low growing, at around 30cm tall, with short, fat reddish stems and pairs of succulent leaves. The flowers are small, star shaped and yellow.
The flavour is slightly salty and it contains oxalic acid like sorrel and spinach. It is high in omega 3, and also contains Vitamin A and C.

How to grow:
Sow the seed by broadcasting into fine soil from March until July.
Thin plants as necessary to a distance of 10cm apart. You can transplant the thinnings into any gaps.
Harvest single leaves or the whole plant throughout the Summer and early Autumn.

Pests and diseases:
Purslane is very easy to grow and does not suffer from any particular pests or diseases.

How to cook:
Purslane can be cooked like spinach but it is best added to a mixed leaf salad where its crisp texture can be enjoyed.
In Greece and Turkey it is used to make a variation of Tzatziki.