Gorse - Ulex
Scientific Name
Common Names
Family
Irish Name
Ulex gallii, Ulex europaeus
Furze, Whin
Fabaceae
Aiteann gaelach
Scientific Name
Ulex gallii, Ulex europaeus
Common Names
Furze, Whin
Family
Fabaceae
Irish Name
Aiteann gallda
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Plant Description
Sea beet is one of, if not the best, wild vegetables commonly available, as it is found all year round, its location is easy to establish, and it’s a nutritionally strong plant that can keep for weeks in the fridge!
How to identify
This plant is one of, if not the first, plants I cultivated as we used it in my parents’ restaurant. As I pointed out before, sea beet is one of, if not the best, wild vegetables commonly available. The plant’s leaves are a sort of diamond to oval-shaped, with thick, glossy leaves that grow from 4 to 20 cm long. It belongs to the Goosefoot family, along with spinach and the spear-leaved Orache. The leaves are quite succulent and are much richer, sweeter and saltier than your regular spinach.
One of the most reliable identification features is the plant’s texture. The leaves have a distinctly waxy, almost fake feeling, which makes them stand out from similar species. In my experience, this is the easiest way to distinguish the plants from similar species.
Harvesting Time
February until October.
The plant leaves are best picked during Spring all the way until the end of April. When the plant flowers in April, it will start to put most of its energy into the flowers, causing the leaves to wilt. To extend the harvesting season of the leaves, it is important to harvest most of the leaves from a selection of plants early in the spring. This encourages regrowth later in the season, typically around August, allowing for a second harvest that can continue through to the beginning of winter.
The plant’s flowers can be harvested and are
The roots are edible and have a faint beetroot taste but are not considered worth the effort.
Nutritional information per 100g
Sea beet contains high levels of vitamin C – about 36 mg per 100 g. The fresh young leaves are high in vitamins K (988 mg per 100 g) and B (302 ug per 100 g), and nutrients such as calcium (67 mg per 100 g), zinc (845 ug per 100 g), and iron (almost 3 mg per 100 g). The leaves are also rich in vitamin A. It is a good source of dietary fibre.
Recipes
Safety Notice
Excessive use of beets could cause hypocalcemia, kidney damage or toxicity from the plant oxalates.