Bushtucker Resource: Pigweed

Bushtucker Resource: Pigweed

Todays bushtucker resource is quite a common plant around the globe with many uses. Pigweed as it is usually called here in Australia.

(botanical name: Portulaca oleracea)

This plant is classed as a weed and can grow in harsh climates with poor soil also generally found in farms and home gardens, I regularly see it growing on dirt patches besides the road. But for bushtucker purposes I would not recommend using those plants due to the plant being polluted by toxins of passing cars.

^ The above photo is not mine, I dont not take credit for it.

The plant can grow upto 1 meter in length and grows like a mat, hugging the ground. When it blooms it has small yellow flowers and blooming is around june-oct. It starts off with green stems and the stems turn pink for seed harvesting as described below.

This plant has a number of uses, firstly the leaves/stems and roots can be eaten raw or boiled or the leaves and stems ground into a paste and eaten like that, field guides say it tastes similar to spinach along with a slightly pepper sour taste. Having this plant growing in my own personal garden I tried some, I found the taste more akin to cucumber with the texture of lettuce and a slight zest when first biting into it. Another use for the plant is its seeds, when the stem turns from green to a bright pink it indicates the plant is ready for extracting seeds, the photo above shows that plant is nearly ready but still a slight green in the stems, they are best harvested around morning. You uproot the plant and place it on a hard surface, aboriginals would use bark or kangaroo skins but a plate or bowl would suffice. A single plant can produce upto 10,000 seeds depending on the size of it, when the seeds are gathered they can be parched and eaten like that or ground into a flour consistency and with water added baked into a seed cake, the seeds contain fats and proteins so can be a good stable food, the leaves also contain a small amount of omega 3 fatty acids, but only around 0.01-0.02mg per gram.

All in all, it is a very useful plant. with every part being able to be eaten even raw unlike many Australian bushtucker that needs to be leeched or boiled to remove the toxins, also being able to make a small cake from it is great for adding to your food stuffs bag for on the trail.

WARNING:

Because this plant is so common, youll likely find it around your town. DO NOT EAT IT unless you can positively identify this plant. I will take no responsibility for any illness caused by someone eating the wrong plant!