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3  Cardamine hirsuta 3.jpg   Kleine veldkers 04-04-2006 12.16.50.JPG   

 

NAME: Bittercress

SPECIES / FAMILY:  Cardamine Hirsuta / Brassicaceae

OTHER COMMON NAME(S):  Hairy Bitter Cress

CONDITIONS: sun (recipes)
 

PARTS:

EDIBLE cid:image001.jpg@01D3EC3E.A305A520

TASTE

RAW/COOK

SEASON

All

 

 

 

 

Shoots

 

 

 

 

Leaves

cid:image001.jpg@01D3EC3E.A305A520

pepper/mustard

RAW/COOK

Winter-Spring

Buds/Flowers

cid:image001.jpg@01D3EC3E.A305A520

pepper/mustard

RAW/COOK

Winter-Spring

Fruits

 

 

 

 

Roots

       

Seeds

 

 

   

Nuts

 

 

 

 

Pods

 

 

 

 

Stalk/Stem

 

 

 

 

Bark

 

 

 

 

 

PORTION: small

 

COMMENT:  This great little winter-time Cress (in the Mustard Family) is easy to harvest with a twist and pinch of its stem. Voila! You have a tiny little Cress Bouquet! But you must cook or process it pronto, as it quickly turns yellow and wilts. You can eat it raw, boil it in salted water, or swish it in a salted oily bowl (I use Walnut Oil), then bake. It is often found in gardens and other disturbed soil.  // The plant germinates most freely in the autumn and so leaves are usually available all winter. Leaves and flowers used as garnish or in salads or soups. (1) While C. pensylvanica is the most common locally the only native one is C. concatenata, or Cutleaf Bittercress. The Iroquois used it as food, raw, with salt or cooked. The roots can be mashed and used as a horseradish substitute. (2)

 

CAUTION: As with any hot and spicy food, eat in moderation.// "It was also considered slightly hallucinogenic."(2)

 

NUTRITION/MEDICINAL:  "It was also used as a medicine (by the Iroquios). They mashed the roots and used them to treat headaches, colds, to encourage the appetite, for heart problems and injuries. It was also considered slightly hallucinogenic."(2) It contains glucosinolates which are known to help remove carcinogens from the body.  It also contains, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and possibly lutein which is known to help reduce vision problems including cataracts.(5) 

 

LOOK-A-LIKES:  Like other cresses such as Shepard’s Purse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsella_bursa-pastoris

 

POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES: 

 

OTHER USES:  The tiny flowers are attractive to a few early butterflies, including (in the United States) spring azure (Celastrina ladon) and falcate orange-tip (Anthocharis midea).(1)

 

SOURCE LINKS (may include nutritional and medicinal info, plus other uses):

  1. https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Cardamine+hirsuta 
  2. https://www.eattheweeds.com/bittercress-and-kissing-crucifer-cousins
  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardamine_hirsuta
  4. http://www.foragingtexas.com/2006/12/bittercress.html  (good photos)
  5. http://www.eattheplanet.org/bittercress-a-nationwide-herb
  6. https://www.juliasedibleweeds.com/general/bittercress-a-warming-winter-weed   (recipes)
  7. https://huntergathercook.typepad.com/huntergathering_wild_fres/2013/01/hairy-bittercress-pesto.html (recipes)