French Sorrel is a great plant to have around and one I wouldn’t be without. Being a perennial it’s easy to grow and, once you have it, really all you need to do is to cut them back to rejuvenate them and divide occasionally to create new plants. Its a very adaptable plant coping well with both cold and warm climates.
It can be used raw or cooked. In salads the leaves give a tart, tangy flavour and we use them all year round. The smaller leaves are milder and the taste stronger in larger leaves. Living in the Hokianga we can grow all kinds of salad plants, including lettuce, throughout the year and we like to add interesting leaves to add different flavours. Sorrel is a favourite and makes a great addition, adding a tart, tangy flavour. It can also be used cooked and was traditionally used to make French Sorrel Soup. Is also good with fish and with eggs. It’s flavour is quite distinctive so when adding it to recipes a little goes a long way.
Want to find out more about our adventures in cooking with French Sorrel? Recipes here …