CROP OF THE WEEK: SORREL

• Sorrel was a popular herb among the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. It is not well known in America and therefore is not often found in American cookbooks. The French are known for making the most use of the sorrel herb in their cooking.

• Common sorrel is cultivated as a garden herb or leaf vegetable. It is a slender plant that is deep rooted and grows to almost two feet high. It has juicy stems and edible oblong leaves.

• Like most herb crops grown in the Yuma area, acreage devoted to sorrel is small yet vital to those who depend on the green leafy herb.

  • Sorrel greatly resembles spinach. Fresh sorrel can range in taste from the kiwi fruit in young leaves to a more acidic-tasting older leaf due to the presence of oxalic acid.

• Young sorrel may be used in salads, soups or stews. If using sorrel in salads, it’s a good idea to stick with small tender leaves that have the fruitier and less-acidic taste. Young sorrel leaves are also excellent when lightly cooked, similar to the taste of cooked chard or spinach. For soups and stews, older sorrel can be used because it adds tang and flavor to the dish.

• Native to Europe and western Asian, sorrel's name is derived from old French "surele" through the Germanic "sur" meaning, very appropriate for this herb, sour. The presence of acid oxalate, tartaric and tannic acids in sorrel plants are responsible for the sour taste.

• Sorrel may be a little challenging to find in your local grocery store. The best place to look for sorrel is in specialty food stores where it may be available fresh or in pureed or canned varieties.

• Sorrel has high levels of vitamins A and C. It also has moderate levels of potassium, calcium and magnesium. Because of the oxalic acid in sorrel, it may aggravate the conditions of people with rheumatism or kidney or bladder stones.

• Preferred by French cuisine, sorrel is used to make their famous sorrel soup and tarts. In England, a popular sweet-sour sauce made with sorrel was so common that sorrel itself came to be called "greensauce" in English communities.• In the Middle East, sorrel is favored in bean and lentil purees. Some in the Caribbean use sorrel for jams, chutneys and make a popular drink that is served at Christmas time.

• The leaves of a sorrel plant are sometimes used to treat fevers, itchy skin and ringworm. The leaves can clear the system by serving as a diuretic or laxative. The juice from the leaf can be applied directly to the skin to calm rashes. Liquid from the root can be used to treat jaundice, gravel and kidney stones.