Burdock

[shb]

How do I find burdock? What does it look like?

[Bruce Paine]

shb,

Are you interested in foraging for it in the field or shopping for it at the natural food store.

Rebbecca Wood says in her book "THE NEW WHOLE FOODS ENCYCLOPEDIA: A Comprehensive Resource for Healthy Eating" : "If you've ever strolled through the autumn countryside and collected burrs on your sweater or socks, chances are they were burdock's fruits".

She goes on to describe how the burrs must have contributed to the invention of Velcro.

She says that you can identify it by it's large, elephant ear-like leaves and it's bothersom burrs and if foraging , harvest only the low-lying, first year plants before they develop tall stalks and set seed.

Burdock, 1st year
( http://www.panix.com/~donwiss/ pictures/F-2000-09-02/h0015.htm )

Burdock root that has been dug up
( http://www.panix.com/~donwiss/pictur...9-02/h0016.htm )

Burdock, 2nd year
( http://www.panix.com/~donwiss/pictur...9-02/h0017.htm )

Rebecca also says that though the plant is easy to grow, that it is real difficult to dig up, because it has such a deep taproot and it clings "so tenaciously to earth".

But if you just want to shop for it, you can find it at natural food stores and Asian markets.

It is a long, brown root that should have the heady aroma of freshly dug earth, be firm, crisp and covered with soil.

You have all the other bits of information including how to store it, prepare it and it's most positive attributes?

I sometimes add it, shaved, to my lentil stew.

Please enjoy!

Thank you, very much.

Bruce Paine

[shb]

I have never seen burdock before. Thanks for the pictures.

[Bruce Paine]

shb,

Good, have you found any burdock, yet?

Thank you, very much.

Bruce Paine

[shb]

No, I havent found burdock yet, but I have some in powder form.

[mike chen]

what do you want to do with burdock, anyway?

[shb]

I was gonna use burdock like ginger, to have a remedy. I cannot find burdock in this local area anyways.

[mike chen]

shb, what kind of remedy are you interested in? burdock is a food, don't forget - cornellia teaches a particular (three-salt) way of cooking it. does everyone have her cookbook? what is your diet at this time?

[shb]

I am in alittle transition. I have fruit, salad, oil, sesame seeds, and sometime pasta.

[mike chen]

okay, so you're basically doing a fruit & vegetable diet, not much cooking involved . . . what kind of recipe were you looking at for the burdock? what condition are you dealing with it?

[shb]

I thought I try it for fatigue that I sometimes get. I would use it as a tea like fresh ginger. I was just curious to see what it was like.

[mike chen]

oh, carrot-burdock-lotus root! this is one of the standard mb recipes!

[shb]

Thanks for the recipe! I found burdock at the hfs.

[Stephanie]

Hey,

That middle picture must have been taken at the KI. That looks like Mark in the foreground, and Phiya's daughter in the background? Ed tried digging up some burdock, it took him an hour or more... guess he tried one of the old ones.

You are such a great resourse, Bruce.


Stephanie K

Originally Posted by Bruce Paine

shb,

Are you interested in foraging for it in the field or shopping for it at the natural food store.

Rebbecca Wood says in her book "THE NEW WHOLE FOODS ENCYCLOPEDIA: A Comprehensive Resource for Healthy Eating" : "If you've ever strolled through the autumn countryside and collected burrs on your sweater or socks, chances are they were burdock's fruits".

She goes on to describe how the burrs must have contributed to the invention of Velcro.

She says that you can identify it by it's large, elephant ear-like leaves and it's bothersom burrs and if foraging , harvest only the low-lying, first year plants before they develop tall stalks and set seed.

Burdock, 1st year
( http://www.panix.com/~donwiss/ pictures/F-2000-09-02/h0015.htm )

Burdock root that has been dug up
( http://www.panix.com/~donwiss/pictur...9-02/h0016.htm )

Burdock, 2nd year
( http://www.panix.com/~donwiss/pictur...9-02/h0017.htm )

Rebecca also says that though the plant is easy to grow, that it is real difficult to dig up, because it has such a deep taproot and it clings "so tenaciously to earth".

But if you just want to shop for it, you can find it at natural food stores and Asian markets.

It is a long, brown root that should have the heady aroma of freshly dug earth, be firm, crisp and covered with soil.

You have all the other bits of information including how to store it, prepare it and it's most positive attributes?

I sometimes add it, shaved, to my lentil stew.

Please enjoy!

Thank you, very much.

Bruce Paine

[Bruce Paine]

Stephanie,

Thank you for your compliment.

Because of the tenacity in which the gobo clings to the soil, one may have to use a a deep digging hand tool like a post hole digger ( http://www.homestore.com/HomeGarden/...T27438509.html ) , long-tined fork ( http://www.rittenhouse.ca/asp/Product.asp?PG=1658 ) or narrow spade ( http://www.smithandhawken.com/jhtml/...PARENTCATID=16 ) to loosen the soil around the root ( http://www.healmarketplace.com/herbs...bs/burdock.htm ).

Just be thankful that you are not trying to dig up kudzu roots ( http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pulo1.htm ), Ed!

Thanks, again!

Bruce Paine