Doubtless, burdock is one of the easiest plants to find in
the late fall and winter. In truth, you
don’t find burdock: it finds you, with its Velcro-inspired burs and tall,
bush-like habit. Like the ugly duckling
of fables, burdock possesses a real beauty beneath its unattractive skin,
however.
Whether you live in Europe, Russia or North America, burdock
can be found almost in your back yard.
Long a vital component of the arsenal of healing herbs for Europeans and
North American natives, this abundant plant also is an excellent culinary weed,
possessing great nutritional value.
One of the real benefits of burdock is its accessibility in
the middle of winter. Like cattails,
burdock roots are a great survival food, but require significant effort to
harvest from the icy grasp of frozen soil.
Yet, because it may grow to four feet or more in height, it towers above
even the deepest snow.
Recently (early March), I harvested a few roots in Manitoba,
where frost extends to three feet in depth throughout winter. By chopping around the base of the plant with
my hatchet, I was able to recover about six to ten inches of the tap
roots.
The roots of younger plants offer the best, most tender
harvest, but, in winter, even young roots are shrivelled and tough. In summer, these roots can be used in stir
fries, boiled, peeled and baked or made into any variety of boiled or sautéed
dishes. In spring, the leaves and stems
(peeled) are tender, like asparagus or a mix of sorrel and spinach. I have often simply peeled the younger stems
and eaten them raw, as a crunchy snack.
For an unusual snack, peel and lightly blanche the stems, then
refrigerate them in vinegar bath for a couple of weeks, to produce a unique
pickle.
Burdock has been used to treat colds and measles, relieve
constipation, purify the blood, act as a liver and general cleanser and even
treat skin eruptions. It is antiseptic and antifungal, and has been used
effectively as a skin tonic, and to treat diabetes. With the wide range of
claims of medicinal benefit, though, it is wise to use burdock as a supplement,
rather than relying on it to treat every ailment.
In culinary dishes, the Japanese use burdock often,
referring to it as gobo. One Asian
recipe calls for a mix of brown rice, shitake mushroom, burdock root, garlic
and ginger. A great sauce requires
mixing one cup burdock root, ½ cup parsley, ½ cup cider vinegar, ½ cup sherry
and one cup of thick yogurt (Greek, preferably). Boil the cider, burdock and sherry over
medium heat for six to eight minutes, then blend all ingredients until
smooth. This sauce is fantastic with
vegetables (particularly green veggies) pork or chicken.
The myriad ways of using burdock is virtually limitless, as
are its medicinal and nutritional qualities.
So, rather than banning these burs, why not invite them into your
garden? They are easily cultivated, and
easy to grow!
