Harvesting and Utilizing Common Lambsquarter: Suggested Methods and Recipes
Lambsquarters, also known as Chenopodium album or Fat Hen, is a fast-growing wild weed that has naturalized worldwide. Originally native to Europe and East Asia, this versatile plant can now be found thriving in gardens, waste places, fields, lawns, roadsides, and stream beds.
With its distinctive appearance, lambsquarters stands out among other plants. Its stems are moderately branched and conspicuously grooved with red, purple, or light green stripes. The leaves are alternate, irregularly toothed, and irregularly shaped, often diamond, triangular, or lance-shaped. A downy white coating on its leaves bio-accumulates salt from the soil, making it a natural source of salt.
However, it's important to note that lambsquarters leaves are high in oxalic acid, so they should be eaten in moderation to prevent nutrient deficiencies and potential kidney stones. Aphids are common pests on lambsquarters, which can attract ants that tend to the aphids. Before harvesting, it's advisable to check for ants to avoid any unwanted encounters.
Lambsquarters has a long history of use in traditional medicine. While more research is needed to fully understand and validate its medicinal properties, it is believed to offer various benefits. For instance, it is used as a digestive aid, helping to increase digestion and assist with infections. The plant also contains compounds with anti-inflammatory effects, which can help reduce swelling and pain. It is used to relieve burns, itches, and inflammation, although detailed studies on lambsquarters specifically for skin issues are less common. Moreover, it is believed to help cleanse the body of toxins and unwanted build-up, contributing to overall health.
In terms of culinary uses, lambsquarters offer a tender, sweet, and delicious flavour, similar to spinach or expensive microgreens. They can be used in a variety of dishes, including salads, smoothies, pesto, stews, egg dishes, stir-fries, dehydrated snacks, soups, sauces, hot cereals, baked goods, and fermented beverages.
Interestingly, lambsquarters seeds are nutritionally similar to cultivated quinoa and have been eaten since neolithic times. The actual seeds of lambsquarter are shiny, black, and lenticular, enclosed in the "cauliflower-like" fleshy seed heads of the plant. They can be used as a wild foraged grain, making lambsquarters a valuable resource for those seeking alternative sources of nutrition.
In late summer and autumn, lambsquarter flowers turn into seed heads, which are often green/white but can sometimes take on a bright magenta color when fully ripe. The flowers are small, green, and inconspicuous, forming in clusters at the stem ends.
While lambsquarters may be mistaken for other plants like Orache (Atriplex patula), Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum), or Amaranth, its distinctive features and medicinal properties make it a unique and valuable addition to any garden or culinary repertoire.
The versatile nature of lambsquarters extends beyond its use as a wild weed, as it finds a place in both health-and-wellness and food-and-drink. Traditional medicine has long recognized its medicinal properties, with potential benefits including aiding digestion, reducing inflammation, and cleansing the body of toxins. In culinary circles, lambsquarters are known for their tender, sweet flavor, similar to spinach or expensive microgreens, making them a valuable addition to a variety of dishes. Moreover, the nutritionally similar seeds of lambsquarters can be used as a wild foraged grain, offering an alternative source of nutrition and adding a hint of its distinctive flavor to home-and-garden-inspired dishes like baked goods or fermented beverages.
