Often seen as a pesky weed, edible and nutrient-dense purslane is nothing less than a superfood! Find out the health benefits of purslane, plus how to harvest and eat it.
Do you have this plant growing in your yard? Do you weed it out every chance you get, cursing it for taking over your lettuce bed or your garden in general? Why does it get so darn big, you wonder? Look at this plant! It is everywhere!
Well, actually a purslane invasion is a good thing! This year I planted purslane seeds so I could enjoy an entire bed of it instead of just random patches. I love this plant! I rejoice when it pokes its head through the soil in the summer and winds its way through every pathway in the garden.
I can’t wait until it is big enough to start picking every day. Yes, I said every day. Once you get to know tasty purslane and all of its health benefits, you will find yourself in your garden searching for new purslane shoots sprouting from the ground.
When I visit people’s gardens, I always do a little jig when we find a patch of purslane and then I go on and on about it. People just like at me with a blank stare: are you for real? They are flabbergasted at my love for the plant that they have spent so much time trying to get rid of.
Health Benefits of Eating Purslane
Purslane is a weed. It grows where you didn’t plant it and if you are lucky, it shows up in your garden or yard. Like many other edible weeds, purslane is a powerhouse of nutrition and contains as many nutrients as any vegetable you have stocked up in your refrigerator.
Purslane is full of beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids. This lemony flavored green is high in Omega-3’s putting it in the category of healing foods that help to prevent inflammation, support a healthy brain and keep the cardiovascular system healthy. Think of this plant as brain food and eat it!
This invasive weed is also very high in vitamin A. You will find vitamin C, B complex as well as nutrients including iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium.
Check out the vitamin A content in the nutrient profile chart! Not very many vegetables have this much vitamin A. It is truly a weed that supports healthy eyes and your overall wellness.
Purslane Medicinal Uses
Purslane has many healing benefits for your body. It has a cooling, anti-inflammatory affect along with soothing and healing mucilaginous constituents. It can be used topically on the skin to soothe, cool and heal bug bites, inflamed skin, stings and skin sores.
Internally it helps to reduce inflammation and speed the healing of the gastrointestinal tract. Adding it to your diet helps to reduce ulcers, colitis and any inflamed area of the intestines.
Note: Avoid eating purslane if you are pregnant. Purslane contains oxalic acid. If you are a person that is prone to urinary stones, then you know to steer clear of oxalic acid containing foods.
How to Eat Purslane
Ok, you probably get by now that I am nothing short of in love with purslane and all its benefits, but how do you actually USE it?
The question really is, if you have it growing, when don’t you eat it?! Eat it raw, munch on it as a snack, put a handful in your next green smoothie, layer it into a sandwich, throw it in a soup, toss it in a salad, mince it into rice or lentils, sauté it with eggs…
Purslane has a delicious tart flavor that pairs well with egg dishes. Sauté it into your scrambled eggs, omelet and quiche. I love to sauté up a bunch of chard and kale and then add fresh purslane leaves to the mix just before serving.
I like to garnish soups and rice dishes with chopped purslane. Use it in any dish that you would put parsley into. It makes a great sautéed taco filling and we like to eat it as a garnish to just about any vegetable dish.
How to Harvest Purslane
If you have purslane in your yard, you know that it comes in all sizes. It can be a small plant or, with enough sun, water and fertile soil, it can catapult into a gigantuous green octopus shape with tendrils reaching everywhere.
I pick the leaves at all stages, big and small, on all parts of the plant. The leaves are delicious whether they are on the edge of the stem or picked from the very base of the plant near the roots.
I also use the upper 3 or 4 inches of the stem and the flowering buds. You can just pick off the top 3 inches of the plant and use the stem and leaf together. Sometimes you can use more of the stem; it just depends on the plant. I like the upper portion of the stem that is thin and flexible.
Break the stem off at the point where it starts to get stiffer and thick. I don’t use the lower parts of the stem. The entire stem is edible; it is just a little tougher.
I really like to pick purslane just before eating it, but sometimes it gets tucked away in the fridge for up to a week. Store it like you would any other vegetable. Pick off individual leaves for salads and to eat raw with greens. Eat the smaller leaves whole and chop up the larger leaves.
Where to Get Purslane Seeds
I hope you can find purslane growing near you and reap the benefits! If not, I have a couple of resources where you can get some seeds. You want to get this one growing!
I’d love to hear from you! Have you ever eaten purslane before? If you have, how do you prepare it? If not, are you inspired to get some purslane into your next meal? Leave a comment below.
Does purslane bloom red or fuchsia flowers. I found some at Home Depot and it’s labeled purslane. Would this be the same? It looks like or similar to Portulaca.
Portulaca is the scientific name for the genus of purslane.
The blooms are a multitude of colors. However, common purslane, Portulaca oleracea, blooms yellow.
I see this every year in my garden. I know what it looks like. However, there’s a toxic look alike called “Spurge” , and I’ve seen it growing in my driveway. The leaves and stem of this Spurge don’t look as plump or thick as purslane. I suggest that anyone do an on line search for “purslane look alike”, before trying purslane. I’ve never eaten purslane before… think I’ll add it to my culinary repertoire , and add it to my breakfast omelet. Thank you all for giving me some recipe ideas!
I grew up on this, we call it Verdulaga. We ate it with eggs, in quesadillas, in soups. So many great ways to eat it. So yummy and so good for you!
Yum!!
Just ordered seeds this year for the first time – this was a timely blog! Thanks Kami 😉
I have never tried purslane, but may have to try is since I have some growing, unplanned, in a flower pot. Thank you for the info.
I had never heard of this until now but I’m heading out in the hot Arizona sun right now to look and see if I have any growing. Thanks for the info.
Delicious, there’s so many ways to cook it or add it to salads.
I have never tried it but I plan on it soon.
I just snack on it in the garden. My neighbor has a super picky daughter, who won’t eat hardly anything—except Purslane! Needless to say, their garden is full of Purslane so she can pick it out from all the interesting corners!
I’ve eaten it raw in salads, and put it in soups, but now I have to try in tacos! I’ve also frozen it in ice cube trays for soups during the winter months. After reading some of the comments, I’ll have to try it in pesto too! Thanks for the great ideas!
I’ve made pesto with it: garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and purslane. Add a little white miso for cheesy flavor.
I just found out about Purslane 2 years ago when I saw a post on the internet about it. I went into my backyard & there it was down by the Koi Pond, & boy was there a lot of it !!! I harvested it, but was unsure of how to use it ? Now I will have to go in search of this beloved plant as we moved out of the old home went a few towns over, but I’ll be keeping my eye to the ground !!!
I do have purslane growing in my yard and now I am so sad that I can’t use it. The neighborhood HOA sprays poisons on the yards so I can’t use the rose petals that grow in front of my townhome, or anything else that is outside. I have mentioned this before and am trying to get a change made to organic lawn care, but I’m just considered a nuisance at this point. I do container gardening on my deck. I am informed when the spraying is going to happen and I move everything inside for several days before moving… Read more »
I’d give it a try
Just fine—I find it in my pots all the time. Good luck, it’s hard to be a harbinger for change, but everyone will ultimately benefit!
PS one year I had so much purslane I chopped it and froze it in ice cube trays to throw into soups during the winter . It could go into smoothies as well.
I’ve been nurturing wild edibles in my garden for twenty years. I saw purslane and lambsquarters in the markets fifty years ago in France and in India . I ve had them raw in salads and soups ever since . Here in Mexico purslane like nopales cactus is a staple in tacos and salads on every table . I garden in my rooftop garden with a whole bed of purslane and patches in other beds . We are preparing the beds and learning gardening for our farm here in Mid high desert mountain Mexico . Purslane, nopales , mullein, nettles,… Read more »
Hi, Kami, I very much enjoyed all the info on Purslane. I actually have a plant (got it weeks ago from a local nursery) and I’m glad to find out it’s edible! However, my flowers in it are pinkish-red and beautiful but I was reading another article that said the flowers are yellow. Is my plant still edible?
Really enjoy eating purslane, mainly raw on it’s own or in salads. It is really an amazing plant. Collecting seeds this year to scatter in the garden to make sure I get some next year as well.
Beware of a similar looking plant that is poisonous. It is smaller and the leaves grow closer together, please look it up! Once you see a picture you’ll probably recognize it immediately!
As for the purslane, ENJOY!
We have it all over the yard, my dad likes it boiled to soften it until it resembles cooked spinach and then my mom drains it and adds cream and then adds asadero cheese. Very creamy veggies. My dad I’d 87 and he said he grew up on this as they didn’t have much money. I cooked it similar, but I sautéed it with butter and some other vegetables ( broccoli carrots cauliflower) then added the cream and then the same cheese. Sooo good!!
I live in the Saint Lawrence River Valley in Jefferson County New York,Thousand Islands Region.I maintain a summer vegetable garden.It was 30’x 30′ a couple years but was extended this year to 30’x 50′.This is the first time I’ve seen purselane.My initial reaction to it was that it was a weed,until I decided to find out what it is.Just recently I’ve begun to munch on it as I learned that it’s not only edible but highly nutritious.I share my garden bounty with a number of neighbors and they will be getting their share of purselane when I next deliver some… Read more »
I have been using it like I put fresh leaves in hot water in a hug and cover it for ten minutes then I drink the water
Sou do Brasil, já comi beldroega, e uso medicinalmente para pingar nos olhos inflamados ou irritados, mas aqui no Pará as pessoas acham que é apenas mato( erva daninha) Obg pelas informações.
Is purslane & portulaca the same plant?
The botanical name for purslane is Portulaca oleracea
There’s a version of Portulaca for flower beds that is a different plant. It grows a lot of large, colorful flowers, and is used mostly in flower beds in more arid climates, as it’s drought resistant. Their long tendril stems do look somewhat similar, though, as their in the same family.
Yes, I want to know how to simply nourish, and support. Thank you.
Hi! I went looking for it in my yard and think a have some in « baby » form. I tasted it and it is really bitter ! Is this normal?
It is very important to have 100% accurate identification of the plants you eat. Please make sure you have the correct plant.
This grows all around my garden. I just snack on it while working in the garden. Also in salads
I pickled it, use as relish on sandwiches or eat out of the jar,, some grew inside a makeshift green house I had,,,, it was humongous,,will try and do that again on purpose..
do you have a recipe ? would love to try that 🙂
Your just the best, karmi, you make my day!!!
The summer of 2020 we had plenty of rain. There was hardly any purslane in my garden. I thought I had killed it. In 2021, we did not have much rain till August. The purslane grew everywhere. I started to pull it out of the garden rows until I discovered the ground was damp under the purslane so I left it. We have cool evenings and nights compared of the warmth of the day. I believe the plants had lots of dew which slid off the plants into the ground below them. Purslane is low to the ground so it… Read more »
Add Purslane to a zucchini bread recipe
I buy purslane from a garden shop every year as a decorative annual bedding plant. The cutest plant ever!!!! I’m assuming it is not the same as you find growing wild. I live in the south and don’t know if it grows like that in Tennessee.
Hi Sheila, you’ll want to check the botanical name: Portulaca oleracea
This grows like crazy mad all over my yard and even more so in my garden beds. I nibble on it, feed my chicky girls and compost. Going to try to sneak it in various foods. Hubby could use the vitamin/mineral boost. Lol
Last summer was my 1st time enjoying purslane. I have really missed out for years. I have made a salad of just purslane (I do stay away from the large stems, they are much tougher) and have also fermented it. Both are great. Then towards the end of summer, I let it go to seed and have tons of seeds to start when I move this winter in case my garden does not produce it
Love Purslane, once I found out that it is edible. I sauté it with eggs or put it in a salad, in a taco or burrito. I have even made pesto with it. Its yummy!
thanks for sharing that it makes good pesto. think ill try that this year!
Hi.
I have served purslane to my family sauteed in butter.
I love that you just munched on that purslane, that was great! I’ve read that it is really healthy. I’m looking forward to trying some. Thank you.
Hi i just eat it when i find it. Nothing fancy just plain.
Kami, thank you so much for that video! Imagine my surprise when I saw the purslane. I knew it was the weed that I’ve been eating since I was a child. I just never knew the English word for it. My grandma used to cook it in water and then fry it with onions, tomatoes and asadero cheese and that’s the way I do it too. It’s so delicious!
Does purslane Bloom?
Hi Jan, yes, purslane has a small yellow flower. Enjoy!
Kami, Thank you, for all the information you share with us
Hey Kami, unfortunately I didn’t know that this plant is an edible. So, like probably 99% of my fellow compatriots from Romania which are growing something in their gardens, this plant was removed and given to animals. After I saw your video, I researched it and find out that our ancestors were using it as a medicinal plant so…
At least the animals were properly fed.
Thank you for this information and I promise not to through it anymore.
Thank you for spreading the word about one of my favorite gift from God. For years I tried and tried to eradicate it from my garden and finally researched it. As a person on a vegan diet, I need omega 3 fatty acids in any way I can and now have an entire section of my garden designated to purslane. I make pesto with it and freeze it for winter consumption. I also add it to my smoothies and everything I eat. Sadly I haven’t found that it dehydrates very well, or I would also dehydrate it. I need to… Read more »
I planted perslane last spring and it didn’t come up at all. I used to see lots of it around when I didn’t realize the value of it. Any ideas of what I may have done wrong. I planted it where I have my herbs.
Sorry your purslane didn’t take! I have no idea what could have happened, every climactic zone has its own nuance. I really only know my area. Do you have a Master Gardeners association in your area. I find they are the best when it comes to really understanding a region and how to garden there.
Yes,we love purslane too. We have both wild and cultivated purslane in our garden here in Israel, the purslane we grow from seed has thicker and larger stems and leaves.we have introduced many people to the yumminess of purslane. Our favourite is to consume it raw-in sandwiches, salads, or dropped into a bowl of soup just before serving it.alas, it disappears at the beginning of the cold weather but always comes back.
Yes
I have an abundance of purslane in my garden in the summer
Have frozen some for winter to put in soups and smoothies
Love it
Thanks for the info Kami
How would you freeze it? Blanch or pick rinse and freeze?
Kami, When I learned about this many moons ago from a video, I saw some in my potted plants, and ate one large leave, and the flavor blew me away. It wasn’t so much a taste I can describe, but the residual taste on my tongue, was WOW. I really liked it. So, now I can’t wait for more to grow, since they’re small leaves now.
Chewing on purslane makes my teeth feel really sensitive – and I’m not one to have sensitive teeth. Any ideas why that might be? My kids enjoy pulling it out of the garden and eating it. 🙂
Thank you so much! I’ve wanted to order seeds but needed a reputable source. Just ordered green and golden. 😊
You will love the golden purslane! 😀
Thanks so much! A friend gave me a couple of plants but I wanted to buy some seed too. So glad to have a reputable source. I notice both sources have golden purslane. Is that just a nutritious as the green?
Yep, both are good!
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Oh Kami, I certainly do a happy dance in my mind when I see purslane. I had it growing here on my property but the chickens ate it all. I was concerned it would not regrow, but this year we have an abundance due to the rain we had this winter past. I have purslane popping up everywhere. It rarely makes it inside as I have a munch on it outside when I see it.