Common/Purple Salsify and Bees

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SWFC

New Bee
Joined
May 14, 2010
Messages
24
Reaction score
0
Location
Essex,UK
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
2
I have noticed an explosion in the number of common salsify plants all over the farm this year in the grassland/fence lines and wondered if anyone has any ideas as to their usefulness to the bees? I believe they are edible and keen to try them out myself so if their are any tips or pointers to cooking/harvesting etc would be much appreciated. Thanks Spencer
 
To eat they are an awful lot of trouble. They are very thin and tapering and need to be scrubbed/scraped and kept in acidulated water (water with lemon juice in) to stop it going brown. You can roast or bake it, or cut into lengths and simmer for 20-25 minutes and then saute in butter. Supposed to taste like artichoke/asparagus and weirdly oyster.
 
Thanks Queen59, may be a weed after all then rather than a new source of income! nevermind.
 
Salisfy is commonly known as vegetable oyster. It produces nice blue flowers and oodles of seeds.
 
That is the concern, as it has gone from seeing a few at the end of one field to popping up all over the farm and looking at the seed heads it could become rather invassive. If it had some benefit to the bees then it would not be quite such a concern although they have to get to it early by all accounts as the flower seems to close by lunchtime!
 

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