Vegetables

 

winter purslane

 

Botanical name: Montia perfoliata


Portulak / Winterportulak

 

The name "Indian lettuce" fittingly describes the origin of winter purslane: It stems from North America. It has not been sold in Germany for very long. An advantage of winter purslane is that it can grow even at cool temperatures. For this reason it is grown during the winter in unheated greenhouses.


Availability


The lettuce is available all year, but especially in the period from November to April.


Appearance, taste, characteristics


The small, plate-shaped green leaves sit on approximately 10-cm long, pale stems that are arranged like a rosette. Winter purslane tastes somewhat acidic and nutty.


Ingredients


Relative to the other types of leaf lettuce, winter purslane contains large amounts of potassium, magnesium and iron. 100 g contain:

Winter purslane, fresh
Energie (kcal)
19
Wasser (g)
93
Ballaststoffe (g)
2
Vitamin C (mg)
22
Kalium (mg)
754
Natrium (mg)
2
Calcium (mg)
95
Magnesium (mg)
151
Eisen (mg)
3,5



Quality criteria, optimal storage conditions


Winter purslane will keep for a week in the refrigerator.


Form of consumption, use, processing, practical tips for preparation


To prepare winter purslane the leaf stalks should be cut off of the rosettes or at least shortened, to make them easier to eat. It can be prepared as a salad, alone or mixed with other leaf lettuces. It can also be cooked like spinach.

 

 

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