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| Marsh Marigold Photo by Plismo |
In the early
spring this plant is common in marshy areas or growing alongside
streams. The marsh
marigold is noted for its beautiful yellow flower. Marsh marigolds (Caltha palustris) emerge just after the snow melts and is
one of the earliest wildflowers to bloom in early spring. They are difficult to dig from their marshy habitat but make a welcome
addition to a garden pool. What is not
readily known however is that these same marsh marigolds make an early season
treat among those who are willing to brave the cold waters of their natural
habitat to gather them.
These plants carry a toxin that must be removed before
eating. From personal experience the
author has found the best way to cook marsh marigolds. You can remove the toxin by cooking them three
times. The first time cook them in
lightly salted water; discarding this water after they have cooked for 10
minutes and are thoroughly drained.
Recook in lightly salted water twice until the marsh marigolds are
completely cooked in a total cooking time of 30 minutes. Remove from the cooking water and again
thoroughly drain. Serve with butter,
salt and pepper. Marsh marigolds are
even better if they are allowed to cool for a day then heated up to serve. The author also cooks them into an omelet,
and has them for breakfast.
The marsh marigold is better known by its more common name,
“Cowslip.” As the cowslip it has been a
food eaten by Native Americans for thousands of years. It has also been enjoyed by White Men since
the earliest days of settlement.
“English farmers have made cowslip blossom wine since Saxon
times, as well as a pulpy jam for scones.
The flowers were also crystallized; used fresh in salads, or ground into
a moist meal to be mixed with honey for a dessert filling. Unopened cowslip buds can be pickled, and the
leaves are used fresh as salad greens.” Others
do not recommend eating the leaves raw but rather they should be cooked and the
water poured off to destroy a toxic alkaloid.
Livestock have been poisoned by eating too many of the plants when other
forage wasn’t available. Other writers
also give various medicinal uses. One of
the old time remedies was its use to treat headache as a tea.”
An old time Saxon wine was made from cowslips as follows:
4 pounds of seedless raisins
2 pounds of sugar
Juice of 4 lemons; peels of two
4 gallons of water
2 pounds of cowslip blossoms
place the raisins, sugar, lemon juice and peel along with 4
gallons of water into a large pot. Add
the cowslips if they are in season. Let
this boil for one-half an hour. Remove
from the heat and let stand with a cover on the pot for three or four days,
stirring twice a day. Strain into
sterilized bottles and cork tightly.
Leave space in the bottle for expansion so the force of fermenting
doesn’t shatter the bottle. Store in a
cool dry, and dark place for at least two weeks before drinking the wine.
References:
Flora of North America, http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200007551
Raisins of the Sun Wine: http://books.google.com/books?id=H0GvNv6wUr8C&pg=PA52&lpg=PA52&dq=cooking+cow+slips&source=bl&ots=xIUhiBb897&sig=nYETr2l4tUWoF3kNZc7bPCaaAjQ&hl=en&ei=7uCpSbykE4rCM6L1jLAC&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result
Caltha palustris, Wikipedia the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsh_Marigold
These plants carry a toxin that must be removed before
eating. From personal experience the
author has found the best way to cook marsh marigolds. You can remove the toxin by cooking them three
times. The first time cook them in
lightly salted water; discarding this water after they have cooked for 10
minutes and are thoroughly drained.
Recook in lightly salted water twice until the marsh marigolds are
completely cooked in a total cooking time of 30 minutes. Remove from the cooking water and again
thoroughly drain. Serve with butter,
salt and pepper. Marsh marigolds are
even better if they are allowed to cool for a day then heated up to serve. The author also cooks them into an omelet,
and has them for breakfast.
The marsh marigold is better known by its more common name,
“Cowslip.” As the cowslip it has been a
food eaten by Native Americans for thousands of years. It has also been enjoyed by White Men since
the earliest days of settlement.
“English farmers have made cowslip blossom wine since Saxon
times, as well as a pulpy jam for scones.
The flowers were also crystallized; used fresh in salads, or ground into
a moist meal to be mixed with honey for a dessert filling. Unopened cowslip buds can be pickled, and the
leaves are used fresh as salad greens.” Others
do not recommend eating the leaves raw but rather they should be cooked and the
water poured off to destroy a toxic alkaloid.
Livestock have been poisoned by eating too many of the plants when other
forage wasn’t available. Other writers
also give various medicinal uses. One of
the old time remedies was its use to treat headache as a tea.”
An old time Saxon wine was made from cowslips as follows:
4 pounds of seedless raisins
2 pounds of sugar
Juice of 4 lemons; peels of two
4 gallons of water
2 pounds of cowslip blossoms
place the raisins, sugar, lemon juice and peel along with 4
gallons of water into a large pot. Add
the cowslips if they are in season. Let
this boil for one-half an hour. Remove
from the heat and let stand with a cover on the pot for three or four days,
stirring twice a day. Strain into
sterilized bottles and cork tightly.
Leave space in the bottle for expansion so the force of fermenting
doesn’t shatter the bottle. Store in a
cool dry, and dark place for at least two weeks before drinking the wine.
References:
Flora of North America, http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200007551
Raisins of the Sun Wine: http://books.google.com/books?id=H0GvNv6wUr8C&pg=PA52&lpg=PA52&dq=cooking+cow+slips&source=bl&ots=xIUhiBb897&sig=nYETr2l4tUWoF3kNZc7bPCaaAjQ&hl=en&ei=7uCpSbykE4rCM6L1jLAC&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result
Caltha palustris, Wikipedia the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsh_Marigold
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