Do you have burdock growing in your yard?
You know, that plant whose burrs get stuck on your clothes and cause you dog's hair to dread.You may have always had a bit of disdain for this plant, but let me see if I can change your mind. Burdock root is a lovely nourishing herb that can improve health when consumed over time.
In the first year of life, burdock plants have huge leaves that splay out on the ground in a basal rosette. These leaves are soooooo bitter, that if you touch them and then touch your lips, you can taste the bitter.
In their second year of life, they grow large beautiful purple-streaked ribbed stalks topped with clusters of small purple thistle-like flowers. The flowers turn into velcro like seed heads, called burrs.
The roots are harvested in the late fall from plants that are in their first year, and therefore do not have a stalk. They can also be harvested in the early spring of their second year, before the stalk begins to grow.
Even though the above ground parts of this plant can be difficult to relate to, though I find them beautiful, their roots are where the magic really lies.
Burdocks have huge tap roots that dig deep into the soil. They especially like to grow in and break up compacted rocky soil. They grow deep into the ground, where they mine minerals and bring them up to the surface and into their leaves. As the burdock leaves die, they return the minerals to the top of the ground, creating nutrient-rich aerated soil, benefitting the local ecosystem.
The roots are earthy, nutty, sweet, and bitter in taste. They contain minerals and inulin. Inulin is a white starch that our gut microbiota love to eat, making them healthy. This improves our digestion, assimilation of nutrients, and immune health. Inulin can be seen as a white substance in burdock tinctures and vinegars. It is also extracted in water, but is less visible.
Burdock root is beneficial for general health. It nourishes the liver, kidneys, and digestive function. By supporting these organs and systems, it helps the body process hormones and eliminate metabolites that are no longer needed. Burdock root has an affinity for the skin and is known to help clear chronic skin rashes, eczema, and acne.
Burdock root is a food herb. You can cook and eat it. You can roast it, sautéed it, and add it to soups. You can even make burdock pickles (find the recipe at the bottom of the page.
You can make tinctures and vinegars with it. You can dry it for infusions and decoctions.
To dry the root, after you harvest it, wash it thoroughly. Slice and dice the root. Lay it out on a brown paper bag or an open weave basket until dry. Store in a brown paper bag or glass jar.
Burdock is a lovely example of the many wonderful weeds that grow all around us, offering us many gifts for our health. The most common and often maligned plants, that like to grow in ecosystems that are disturbed by humans, are often the plants that are very beneficial to our health and the health of our ecosystems.
They are the reason herbal medicine is the medicine of the people. It is the medicine that grows abundantly around us.
If you are able to connect with Burdock this fall, I highly recommend it. It is such a wonderful plant to get to know and build a relationship with.
Burdock root pickles
Burdock Pickles
Ingredients:
1 burdock root, sliced
1 small carrot, sliced
1 leek, sliced
1/2 small onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1" piece of fresh ginger root, sliced
(optional or add less if you don't like hot spice)
pickling spice bend (coriander, mustard seed, dill leaf, etc.)
apple cider vinegar
unbleached parchment paper/waxed paper
1 pint jar with lid
Directions:
1. Harvest the burdock root.
2. Clean the burdock root, if you need to store it before making the pickles, put it in an open plastic bag in the fridge (like carrots).
3. Pasteurize the vinegar by bringing it to a boil in a non-metal pot (pyrex or ceramic coated), remove from heat, bring back to room temp, store in a glass bottle with a plastic lid until needed.
4. Slice the carrot, leek, garlic, and ginger into thin rounds.
5. Peel the burdock root skin off, slice into thin rounds. Burdock root will oxidize quickly and turn brown. To prevent this, as you slice the burdock, put the pieces directly into the jar and cover them with vinegar.
6. Cut enough burdock to put a layer of the slices in the bottom of the jar, cover with vinegar, add a layer of the other ingredients on top of the burdock. Cut more burdock to layer on top, cover with vinegar. Continue to layer the other ingredients alternating with the burdock until the jar is full and everything is covered in vinegar.
7. Cover the top opening of the jar with the parchment or wax paper. Put the lid on over the paper and tighten. This is necessary for metal lids because vinegar will corrode metal. It would not be necessary if you have a food grade plastic lid.
8. Store the pickles in the fridge. They will be tasty in a week. The longer they macerate, the more flavor will develop and the roots will soften a bit. They will last in the fridge for a very long time, as long as the produce stays covered with vinegar.
9. As the vinegar extracts the inulin from the burdock, it will be visible as a white milky or powdery substance. This is good to consume for your gut microbiome. It may look like mold or something, but have no fear. It is good stuff!
10. The infused vinegar with inulin from the pickle jar makes a lovely salad dressing. Combine it with oil and dash of mustard and honey. Blend it in a blender or with a whisk to make a creamy dressing.