Tumbleweed: The Edible Wild Food

Most people don't know that the annoying a lowly tumbleweed is in fact a nutritious and delectable edible plant. When the leaves are young shoots they are a delicious and tangy delicacy!

Also known as Russian thistle, salt wort or salsola, tumbleweed makes us reminiscent of the southwest United States and the wild wild west. Known mostly as a nuisance on windy days. In fact this plant is native to Africa, Europa and Asia. It is grown and served in Italy and Japan. As young shoots this plant is tastier than spinach and makes a fine addition to the foragers dinner table.

Foraging wild plants can be done anywhere even in the southwestern United States. There are foods all around us that is life sustaining. Cacti and tumbleweeds included!

Obviously this is only going to work if you live somewhere that tumbleweed grows wild. I am not sure I'd recommend propagating this plant.

You will want to gather your tumbleweed leaves when they are new and not yet prickly. They are so good you will want to gather 1 cup per person! Or even more! Be sure to gather your tumbleweed within the first few weeks of spring in the desert. You can prepare and eat them raw (in salads), steamed and also they are great stirred into soups and stews.

Tumbleweed is about the only plant I personally think it's OK to over harvest with as it is so prolific and wide spreading. Obviously you don't want to deplete your yard or whatnot (or maybe you do and want a nutritious snack, who knows). But without a doubt wherever there is tumbleweed there lie many seeds waiting to grow new tumbleweed plants. You don't have to worry much about over harvesting this obnoxious weed.

The first time I ate tumbleweed I was surprised at how delicious it is! It is just really good I like it creamed over toast). It can basically be used in any recipe you would use spinach or other young greens in. Of course it is loaded with iron, potassium and calcium. You will want to pick and rinse the tumbleweed and eat it immediately. You can keep it in the crisper part of your refrigerator for a few days but it's best eaten the day it's picked nutritionally speaking. Be sure not to gather plants near the road as they can contain harmful chemicals from car exhaust.

Some easy ideas to prepare tumbleweed would be;

Creamed
Fried into Fritters
Lasagna
Quiche
Raw in Salads
Added to Eggs and Omelets
Interesting Addition to Soups and Stews
Stromboli

Surprisingly tumbleweed is a delicious plant. It may actually seem slightly funny at first that someone would actually enjoy eating tumbleweed, but I guarantee you will get past that with your first bite! It truly is one of those weeds that makes delicious wild food!