The image, above, shows the full Common Wintercress plant(Barbarea vulgaris), in flower, top. Also shown is a
drift of common wintercress flowers (bottom left), as well as a
young plant, showing the leaves, bottom right nad a close-up of
the plant's flowers (centre right)..
| Common Name: Common Wintercress |
| Scientific Name: Barbarea vulgaris |
| Other Names: Bittercress, Herb Barbara, Rocketcress, Yellow Rocketcress, Winter Rocket, Creecy Greens, Yellow Rocket, Garden Yellowrocket and Wound Rocket |
| Family: Cruciferae |
| Range: Most of Europe, including Britain, south and east to N. Africa and Asia. |
Physical Characteristics
Barbarea vulgaris is a hardy Perennial plant, growing to 40cm (1 ft 4 in) by 20cm (8 in) in size. It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender. The plant flowers from May to August and its seeds ripen from July to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by flies, bees and beetles. The plant also self-fertilizes and is noted as a wildlife attractant.
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| Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers |
 Edibility Rating: 3 
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 Known Hazards: There is a report that ingestion of the leaves can lead to kidney malfunction. It seems that this plant, like many members of the cabbage family accumulate heavy metals in those places where there are heavy metals present in the soil. Avoid picking from spoil heaps or near sites of industrial activity.
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Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Common Wintercress along with all the Common Wintercress containing recipes presented on this site, with 0 recipes in total.
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Common Wintercress as a major wild food ingredient.
Common Wintercress, Barbarea vulgaris, (also known as Bittercress, Herb Barbara, Rocketcress, Yellow Rocketcress, Winter Rocket, Creecy Greens, Yellow Rocket, Garden Yellowrocket and Wound Rocket) is a biennial herb of the Brassicaceae (mustard) family that's native to Europe. The plant grows to about 30cm in height (but can be taller) and bears basal rosettes of shiny, dark green leaves, and pinnately divided leaves on the stem. The yellow flowers are borne in dense terminal clusters above the foliage in spring.
It tends to grow in damp places such as hedges, stream banks and waysides and comes into flower from May to August. In the past, in England at least, it was cultivated as an early salad vegetable. It makes a wonderful salad green when young and the greens are also an excellent vegetable if treated kindly. Lightly steam or gently sweat in butter until just wilted. The unopened inflorescences can also be picked and steamed like broccoli.
There have been some reports of Barbarea vulgaris causing kidney toxicity. Other reports have shown accumulation of toxic heavy metals in the plant on waste ground. It seems that this plant, like many members of the cabbage family accumulate heavy metals in those places where there are heavy metals present in the soil. Avoid picking from spoil heaps or near sites of industrial activity.
The young leaves can be eaten raw, or cooked like spinach. They have a spicy, cress-like flavour. When finely chopped the young leaves make an acceptable addition to salads and sandwiches. The older leaves can be cooked like a potherb, but their flavour is both strong and bitter and they are best cooked in at least two changes of salted water. If you want to grow the plant on as a leaf source, then the flowering stems should be removed as soon as they appear. The flowers and flowering stems are also edible. The flowers can be eaten both raw and cooked an the flowering stems should be boiled like broccoli (best if picked before the flowers open). The flower heads also make excellent tempura or fritters.
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Common Wintercress as a major wild food ingredient.
Common Wintercress, Barbarea vulgaris, (also known as Bittercress, Herb Barbara, Rocketcress, Yellow Rocketcress, Winter Rocket, Creecy Greens, Yellow Rocket, Garden Yellowrocket and Wound Rocket) is a biennial herb of the Brassicaceae (mustard) family that's native to Europe. The plant grows to about 30cm in height (but can be taller) and bears basal rosettes of shiny, dark green leaves, and pinnately divided leaves on the stem. The yellow flowers are borne in dense terminal clusters above the foliage in spring.
It tends to grow in damp places such as hedges, stream banks and waysides and comes into flower from May to August. In the past, in England at least, it was cultivated as an early salad vegetable. It makes a wonderful salad green when young and the greens are also an excellent vegetable if treated kindly. Lightly steam or gently sweat in butter until just wilted. The unopened inflorescences can also be picked and steamed like broccoli.
There have been some reports of Barbarea vulgaris causing kidney toxicity. Other reports have shown accumulation of toxic heavy metals in the plant on waste ground. It seems that this plant, like many members of the cabbage family accumulate heavy metals in those places where there are heavy metals present in the soil. Avoid picking from spoil heaps or near sites of industrial activity.
The young leaves can be eaten raw, or cooked like spinach. They have a spicy, cress-like flavour. When finely chopped the young leaves make an acceptable addition to salads and sandwiches. The older leaves can be cooked like a potherb, but their flavour is both strong and bitter and they are best cooked in at least two changes of salted water. If you want to grow the plant on as a leaf source, then the flowering stems should be removed as soon as they appear. The flowers and flowering stems are also edible. The flowers can be eaten both raw and cooked an the flowering stems should be boiled like broccoli (best if picked before the flowers open). The flower heads also make excellent tempura or fritters.
References:
[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
The alphabetical list of all Common Wintercress recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 0 recipes in total:
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Page 1 of 1