Purslane Growth Diary

Day 01: A single purslane seed is about the size of a "." and upon sprouting, a little plantlet pushes itself up through the soil or medium in which it resides.

Day 02: The baby plant sprouts cotyledons or embryonic leaves which capture the sunlight it needs to grow. The cotyledons have a purplish-colored tint.  

Day 20: True leaves emerge from the plant which are positioned in a 90° orientation from the cotyledons.

Day 30: New branches sprout from the body of the purslane plant and grow in a radiating pattern away from the center of the original stalk.

Day 40: Yellow flowers appear on the ends of the stalks next to the leaves. As bees and other pollinators visit, the flowers eventually become seedpods that are colored green and then turn brown beneath the summer sun.

Day 50: Given the proper growing conditions, the plant is mature and has a large number of seedpods that have formed throughout the plant. At this stage, we begin collecting seedpods for PurslaneKit.com. 

Day 80: The purslane plant continues to produce seeds and will continue to grow until the temperatures begin dipping into the 40°F region. The plant dies at the first sign of frost.

Questions and Answers

1) My purslane seeds haven't sprouted yet. Help!
   Purslane will normally sprout within 1 week when conditions are right. The proper conditions include warm temperatures, lots of sunlight, and water. Remember, purslane seeds have been known to germinate decades after being stored so exercise a little patience and you'll be rewarded with baby sprouts.

2) I have a big harvest of purslane. How do I store it?
   Purslane perishes in room temperature shortly after being picked although it can be stored for a few days in the refrigerator. If you have a large amount of purslane, you can place the stems and leaves in a food processor and chop them up to make a chunky "pesto-like" mixture which can be stored in the freezer. Frozen chopped up purslane can be used to thicken soups, stews, and you can even add it to your wheatgrass for a lemony tart twist.  

3) Why can't I just throw bags of whole purslane into the freezer?
   Because you won't like how purslane looks after its been frozen. Purslane stems and leaves are mucilaginous and defrosting them for use in a salad, sandwich, or a cooked dish wouldn't look too appetizing. If you don't mind the appearance of wilted frozen purslane however, you can freeze whole bags of purslane and use them when needed.  

4) How about pickling purslane?
   Pickling is an excellent alternative to freezing purslane. To get started, rinse the purslane thoroughly and chop them into 2" segments. You can pat the segments dry or you can allow them to air-dry. Next, place them in a glass jar and fill the jar with apple cider vinegar or pickle juice along with 5-10 whole peppercorns and thinly sliced garlic. Allow the purslane to pickle for 2-3 weeks before using. 

 Buy Purslane seedpod on Ebay - Price $1.95 with free first class shipping within the United States.

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