Purslane: what it contains, how to eat it and how it is traditionally used

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Purslane is the fleshy, lemon-tangy weed that most gardeners pull up and throw away. Its succulent leaves and reddish stems are edible raw or cooked, and it has been eaten around the Mediterranean for thousands of years. Here is what is in it, how to prepare it tonight, what tradition credits it with, and who should leave it alone.

Purslane at a glance

A very old vegetable

• Probably native to India, purslane was already known to the Egyptians some 4,000 years ago.
• Hippocrates described it as a cooling, refreshing plant; Galen wrote of it in the same terms for inflamed tissues and mouth complaints.
• Medieval Arab writers called it the “blessed vegetable”, saying it had soothed Mohammed’s injured foot.
• It is a classic of the Cretan diet, and its name traces back to the Latin pullipedem, “chicken foot”, after the shape of the plant.
• Two forms are commonly grown: green purslane and golden purslane. “Winter purslane” sold under that name is a different plant — miner’s lettuce.

What it is credited with

• Cooling and refreshing: since classical Greek medicine, purslane has had a reputation as a cooling summer green, eaten fresh in hot weather.
• Soothing the mouth: herbalists traditionally suggest chewing a couple of fresh leaves for a scratchy throat or tender, irritated gums.
• Calming the evening: naturopathy credits an infusion of the leaves with a mildly relaxing quality, used by some when restlessness makes sleep slow to come.
• Digestive comfort: in traditional herbalism, leaf infusions were drunk for cramping and general stomach discomfort, and poultices of mashed leaves laid on the lower belly for trapped wind.
• Water balance: purslane has a long-standing folk reputation as a gentle diuretic; in quantity it is also described as loosening the bowels.
• Skin and knocks: the mucilage-rich juice of the leaves has a traditional reputation for calming irritated skin, and mashed leaves with olive oil were applied to bruises, aching muscles and cramped limbs.
• Folk cosmetics: crushed fresh leaves rubbed on the skin are an old country remedy for blemishes and oily patches.
• Seeds: decoctions of the seeds appear in old herbals as a remedy against intestinal worms — a traditional use only, not one to attempt unsupervised.

How to use it

Raw, the simplest way

• Pick young shoots and leaves, rinse well in cold water, spin or pat dry.
• Use a large handful per person in a salad; the stems stay crunchy, so keep them.
• Stir chopped leaves into yoghurt with garlic, cucumber and olive oil, tzatziki-style.
• It pairs particularly well with celery, tomato, feta and lemon.

Cooked

• Treat it exactly like spinach: two to three minutes in a hot pan wilts it completely.
• Fry it with potatoes, onion and olive oil for a solid side dish.
• Scatter it over a pizza or fold it into an omelette or a savoury tart.
• Blend cooked leaves with stock and chill for a cold summer soup.

Infusion

• Use roughly a small handful of fresh leaves, or a heaped teaspoon dried, per cup.
• Pour water just off the boil over them, cover, and leave 8 to 10 minutes.
• Strain. One cup in the evening is the usual traditional habit; keep to a short run of a few days rather than drinking it daily for weeks.

Poultice

• Mash a good handful of fresh leaves with a spoonful of olive oil into a rough paste.
• Spread on a clean cloth, apply to unbroken skin for 15 to 20 minutes, then rinse.
• Do a small patch test first if your skin reacts easily.

Growing your own

• Sow from late spring to midsummer, once the soil has warmed.
• Choose full sun: purslane takes heat and drought in its stride.
• Drainage matters more than richness — grit or pozzolana mixed into the bed suits it.
• Plants stay low, 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm), and spread flat along the ground.
• Harvest about two months after sowing, cutting shoots as you need them.
• It self-seeds enthusiastically and can become invasive: deadhead if you want to keep it in bounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

The one thing to remember: pick young purslane shoots from clean soil and eat them the same day, raw in a salad with lemon and olive oil.

Can you eat purslane raw?

Yes — raw is the classic way. Rinse the shoots well, keep the crunchy stems, and dress them simply with lemon, olive oil and salt. It pairs well with celery, tomato and feta, and also goes into yoghurt dips tzatziki-style.

What does purslane taste like?

Juicy and crisp, faintly salty, with a distinct lemony tang. Cooked, it softens like spinach and loses most of the sharpness. Two to three minutes in a hot pan is enough.

How do I tell purslane from a poisonous look-alike?

Purslane has thick, succulent, hairless leaves and smooth reddish stems with clear sap. Spurges, which grow in the same places, have thin stems, non-fleshy leaves and a milky white sap. If it bleeds white, do not pick it.

Is there anyone who should avoid purslane?

It is high in oxalates, so people prone to kidney stones or on a low-oxalate diet should avoid it or eat only small cooked portions. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should skip medicinal preparations, and anyone on regular medication should check with a pharmacist first.

How long does harvested purslane keep?

Not long at all. Wrapped in a damp cloth in the fridge it holds a couple of days at best, then goes limp. Harvest it the day you plan to eat it.

This information is provided for general interest and reflects the traditional use of plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If you are on medication, pregnant, or in any doubt, ask a healthcare professional.