WILD FOODIES' HOME PAGE
PLANT PROFILE LIST

 

          

NAME: Wintercress

SPECIES / FAMILY:  Barbarea Vulgaris / Brassicaceae or Cruciferae

OTHER COMMON NAME(S):  Yellow Rocket

CONDITIONS: sun
 

PARTS:	EDIBLE	TASTE	RAW/COOK	SEASON
All
Shoots
Leaves		hot/mustard	RAW/COOK	Spring/Summer
Buds		hot/mustard	RAW/COOK	Spring/Summer
Fruits
Roots
Seeds
Nuts
Pods
Stalk/Stem
Bark

 

PORTION: small-medium

 

COMMENT:  Looks like a smaller version of wild mustard. “Young leaves (before flowering) - raw or cooked like spinach. A hot cress-like flavour. Young leaves are chopped up finely and added to salads, older leaves can be used as a potherb but they are rather strong and are best cooked in one or two changes of water (see another opinion in yellow). To increase the productivity of the plants, remove the flowering stems as they appear (they can be eaten like the leaves) and pick the outer leaves as the plant re-grows. Young flowering stems - harvested before the flowers open and cooked like broccoli.”(1)

 

To dispel bitterness: "I find all I have to do is drop the wintercress into boiling water in an open pot for one or two minutes, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, and then it’s ready for whatever preparation I want. And it’s very good!" (2)

 

CAUTION: As with any hot and spicy food, eat in moderation.

 

NUTRITION/MEDICINAL: Antiscorbutic;  Appetizer;  Diuretic;  Vulnerary. The leaves are vulnerary and have been used as a poultice for treating wounds. A tea made from the leaves is appetizer, antiscorbutic and diuretic.(1)

 

LOOK-A-LIKE & RELATED: wild mustard

 

POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES:  Senecio glabellus when young, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packera_glabella

 

OTHER USES:

 

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

1. https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Barbarea+vulgaris
2. https://wildfoodgirl.com/2015/a-summer-for-ickycress (GOOD ARTICLE!)
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbarea_vulgaris
4. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Barbarea_vulgaris (good photos)
5. http://www.ediblewildfood.com/yellow-rocket.aspx  (good photos)
6. https://plighttofreedom.com/common-winter-cress
7. https://commonsensehome.com/winter-cress (medicinal)
8. https://www.colorfulcanary.com/2015/06/9-wonderful-wintercress-recipes.html (recipes)
9. https://inhabitat.com/inhabitots/how-to-make-a-bright-and-cheery-flower-power-salad-for-summer (recipes)
10. http://foragingfoodie.weebly.com/sauteed-wintercress.html (recipes)
11. http://foragingfoodie.weebly.com/stir-fried-wintercress.html (recipes)
12. https://foragerchef.com/wild-spring-raabs (recipes)
13. https://foragerchef.com/bison-tenderloin-with-wintercress-buds-and-anchovy-ramp-sauce (recipes)