A low clump of broad leaves with a sharp acidic taste that sets sorrel (Rumex acetosa) apart from any other leaf herb, and it happens to be rich in vitamin C too. Give it cool, rather rich soil where the sun is not too strong, cut out the flower stalks as they appear, and a single clump will keep you picking.
| Name | Rumex acetosa |
|---|---|
| Family | Polygonaceae (buckwheat) |
| Type | Condiment |
| Height | 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm) |
| Exposure | Full sun, part sun, shade |
| Soil | Cool, rich |
| Harvest | Early summer to early spring (nearly year-round) |
Easy to grow, it has the capacity to self-reproduce. You’ll also find it appealing for its many medicinal properties.
Sorrel must be sown in a cool spot where the sun isn’t too strong, it is a plant that will feel at ease in a partially shaded place.
Sorrel can also very well be sown in a pot for a terrace or balcony.
Before sowing sorrel, keep in mind that this plant is very invasive because it propagates very fast.
If purchased in a container or nursery pot, the sorrel will need to be planted in spring or fall. Exposure is not a major consideration, because it will do fine both in the sun and in the shade.
Best select cool and rather rich soil and if possible avoid excessively chalky soil.
Dividing the sorrel clump is the simplest and most practiced manner for propagating your sorrel.
Propagate your sorrel equally well in spring or in fall.
Plan to thus split the clumps of sorrel plants that have been in place for 3-4 years, this will regenerate the plant base which tends to weaken with time.
Another option is to let some of the plants go to seed. Then, sow the seeds in spring as detailed above.
Easy to grow and care for, sorrel can be helped with a few good practices to increase the harvest and extend the lifespan of each clump as long as possible.
The first rule is to always keep the sorrel from bolting, or bearing seed.
In pots, sorrel will be even more vulnerable to lack of water, and will need to be watered on a regular schedule, as soon as the surface soil is dry.
Repotting every year is suggested to ensure the plant’s nutrient needs are replenished.
Pretty hardy and disease-resistant, sorrel isn’t a fragile plant, but it may occasionally be invaded by aphids or devoured by slugs.
Since the leaves are often eaten raw, rely on handpicking, traps and barriers rather than sprays.
Ash only deters slugs while it stays dry, so renew it after every shower.
If a clump becomes badly holed or covered in aphids, shear all the foliage off at the base; sorrel pushes out clean new leaves within weeks.
Harvest the sorrel leaves as you need them, first picking the most developed leaves.
Avoid picking leaves that have not yet reached 4 inches (10 centimeters) in size.
The 1st year, wait for at least 3 months after sowing to collect the first leaves.
Sorrel will keep for up to 3 days after picking if you store it in the vegetable compartment of your refrigerator.
Sorrel is also perfect for freezing, and can thus be savored all winter long.
Snap or cut each leaf at the base of its stalk, leaving the central heart untouched.
Keep the smallest, youngest leaves for eating raw, as older ones turn sharper and tougher and are better cooked.
Rather than freezing raw leaves, cook them down to a purée first and freeze it in small portions.
‘Large de Belleville’ – large leaves
‘Blonde de Lyon’ – slow to bolt
‘Sanguine’ – bright red leaves.
Garden patience, Rumex patienta is less acidic.
Sheep’s sorrel, Rumex acetosella, can be found in dry and sandy areas across Europe. Other related species grow in mountain areas, such as French sorrel, Rumex scutatus and maiden sorrel, Rumex alpestris. They can all be used in the same manner as field sorrel.
Red-veined sorrel’s crimson veining dulls noticeably once the leaves are cooked, so young leaves are generally best picked small and used raw in salads, where the colour shows to advantage.
‘Blonde de Lyon’ is a vigorous, large-leaved sorrel widely described as slow to bolt, though for a plot that bakes in summer the near-sterile ‘Profusion’ is the cultivar reliably sold as non-flowering.
Garden patience throws up a far taller flowering stem than common sorrel, so give it a spot at the back of the bed where it will not shade shorter crops.
French sorrel copes with dry, stony ground better than common sorrel and does well in a well-drained pot or raised bed.
Beyond common sorrel and its named cultivars, several related Rumex species are eaten in exactly the same way. Here is what sets each of them apart.
| Sorrel | Botanical name | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|
| ‘Large de Belleville’ | Rumex acetosa | Large leaves, the classic kitchen-garden sorrel |
| ‘Blonde de Lyon’ | Rumex acetosa | Slow to bolt, so leaves keep coming for longer |
| ‘Sanguine’ | Rumex acetosa | Bright red leaves |
| Garden patience (monk’s rhubarb) | Rumex patienta | Less acidic; leaves like spinach in shape and size |
| Sheep’s sorrel | Rumex acetosella | Wild species of dry, sandy ground across Europe |
| French sorrel | Rumex scutatus | Very green, forms a neat round bush; a mountain species |
| Maiden sorrel | Rumex alpestris | Mountain species, used just like field sorrel |
| Wood sorrel | Not given in the article | Green leaves carried on purple-red stems |
All of them can be picked and cooked in the same manner as field sorrel.
Since sorrel contains elevated amounts of oxalic acid salts (same as rhubarb), certain patients must refrain from eating this plant. Persons suffering from gout, arthritis, rheumatism and persons often subject to stones must remove it from their diet.
Acidic sorrel is off limits to patients who suffer from ulcers or stomach hyperacidity. However, know that young leaves are much less acidic, and can thus be eaten in moderate amounts from time to time.
Cook sorrel in a stainless steel or enamelled pan, since its acid reacts with cast iron, aluminium and bare copper and leaves a metallic taste.
Pairing sorrel with cream, milk or butter softens the sourness and binds part of the oxalic acid.
Cooking does not destroy the oxalic acid, so portion size still matters.
Leaves taken from a clump running to flower are harsher than those from a clump kept cut back, another reason to remove the stalks early.
Native to Europe and Asia, sorrel is both rich in vitamin C and particularly flavorful. Sorrel can be cultivated easily in most temperate climates.
Medicinal properties related to treating rheumatism, to enhance digestion have been attributed to it.
There are 4 major sorrel families:
Read also: all our articles and pages dedicated to sorrel.
Cutting the stalks that go to seed is recommended to avoid having the plant spread too far.
