Fortunately, there is a European weed called curly dock, or dock plant, that is as pervasive as it is persistent. Commonly, waterfowl and songbirds eat the seeds. Click here to learn more. Get shipping cost . Keep in mind that fabric will look lighter once it’s dried. Perennial plants emerge in mid-spring from taproots, producing a robust rosette. Then observe the plant as it ages through the fall and winter, and then start picking the dead winter stalks. If it’s tender enough, eat it raw; otherwise it’s delicious steamed or sautéed. I feel the difference in the quality of the final dyed material is noticeable enough that it’s more than worth the extra time that goes into this method. You simply place a paper bag over the dark brown to brownish red seed stalk, and shake like Beyonce in an Earth quake. In several states yellow dock is listed as a noxious weed. A broad dock plant, Rumex obtusifolius, a weed in grass pasture. It’s just extra fiber and won’t hurt you. It’s best not to harvest roots when the plant has a living stalk (a dead winter stalk is fine), because that means that the plant is depleting energy from the root to make flowers and reproduce. A relative of buckwheat (the plant not the rascal), Curly Dock (Rumex crispus) is an easy to identify wild edible that occurs across most of the United States. Curly dock is found throughout the United states. Cautions. The flowers are long green spikes which turn reddish brown on maturity. If you havenât ever cooked with dock seeds, theyâre an easy and healthy source of wild flour to forage. Curly dock seed, which can remain dormant in the soil for 80 years 3, germinates at various times throughout the year and are stimulated in response to light and temperature fluctuations. Very quickly the chaff will fall through the gaps in the screen leaving the seeds on top. Add fabric to the dye bath. You'll be able to identify curly dock by its greenish blossoms that cluster long thin flower stocks. The standard dosage is one cup 3 times a day, though this varies depending on the person and the condition. While some of the foraged âflourâ you can make seems a bit of a stretch, yellow dock is actually a distant relative of buckwheat. Curly Dock . Now add your fabric to the dye bath. It is native to Europe which is now available in United States, Australia, New Zealand and others. The creases along this dock leaf is a sign that it unfurled recently and is therefore likely tender and delicious. These are sturdy, sturdy plants. Put the chopped root in a non-reactive pot, such as stainless steel or glass. Curly dock is good forage for humans, though such is not the case for livestock. Curly dock seeds from my 2019 harvest. These are very easy to grow. No problem! Leaves grow mostly at the base of the plant and are lance-shaped with wavy or curly margins. curly dock seeds December 13, 2020 December 13, 2020 . A thin whitish sheath grows around the node (where the petiole and stalk meet.) Dyed fabric can now be worn or worked with, and really requires very little special care. BUT – after working with dock seeds quite a bit, I really feel the best dye baths are created with a long steep following a brief simmer, rather just simmering the seeds for an hour. For those who need to know precisely and with absolute certainty which plant they're dealing with, use the botanical Latin name. Cautions. Your info is never shared. … The seeds have a similar taste, can be toasted and ground into a wild foraged gluten-free flour. Discard the plant material. Seeds appear in late summer, and should be harvested when they’re brown, dry, and papery. These crackers have a wonderfully earthy flavor. Home âº Food âº Curly Dock (Rumex crispus) â Wild Edible. If you have old rags that you don’t mind being permanently colored, you can lay down a layer of rags and allow your fabric to dye flat. When it comes to curly dockâs reddish-brown seeds, once â¦ It’s not uncommon to go for a winter walk, and see fluttering brown stalks of dock seeds poking bravely up out of the snow, like flags. Emergence: Emerges from soil depths of 3-inches or less. It is thought to be originally from Europe. Dock goes to seed in late summer or early fall and produces thousands of seeds on each plant. Also known as curly dock, yellow dock (Rumex crispus) is a member of the buckwheat family. Curly dock (Rumex crispus) is a member of the Buckwheat Family, a native of Eurasia now naturalized throughout North America.Narrowleaf dock, sour dock, yellow dock, and curlyleaf dock are a few of the other colloquial names for R. crispus.. A perennial, curly dock can be found in waste lands, wet meadows, along ditch-banks and flood lands. If you live in a warmer climate you can probably dig curly dock roots throughout winter. Voila! The plant has both basal leaves and leaves on the stem, which are alternate. Directions: Mix together the flour, dock seed flower, cinnamon, and salt. Left alone, curly dock will grow four feet or taller and produce thousands of seeds, which can spread by wind and water and by catching rides on passing animals. 1/4 c. ice water (plus extra if needed) 1 tsp. If you are trying this with a fabric that has man-made materials in it (like a cotton/polyester blend), I would suggest the taking the time to mordant the fabric before dyeing it. The best time to harvest the roots is after it’s grown in size, which means waiting at least until the fall of its first year. The succulent cotyledons (seed leaves) are three times longer than they are wide, have a somewhat rounded tip, and a stalk about as long or longer than the leaf blade. Itâs a lovely gift in the foraging world when a plant shouts its presence, and such is the case with one of my favorite wild edible ingredients. Gently simmer for 10 minutes. The rather large seeds are dark brown and 3-angled, tapering at their tips. Cautions. Curly dock seedlings vary in color, from entirely green to red tinged in cooler months. Blooming from April through May, Curly Dock develops flowers with no petals that are yellow to reddish-green in color and have no floral scent. Let's be honest - I made these crackers specifically because I came up with the name â¦ LIGHTLY squeeze out excess liquid from your fabric, then lay it to dry. Instructions Add curly dock seeds to the dye pot. The seeds grow in massive quantities on the stem and are quite easy to collect. Despite this large quantity, they are rather inconspicuous because they are small and greenish (though they can also be yellowish or pinkish.) Dock seeds are prolific everywhere you look right now, so this is a great time to gather them and make dock seed flour. The succulent cotyledons (seed leaves) are three times longer than they are wide, have a somewhat rounded tip, and a stalk about as long or longer than the leaf blade. Curly dock is surprisingly nutritious and can easily compete with known vegetables in terms of nutrition. ½ - â c. vegetable shortening. ½ tsp. Each plant can produce 100’s to 1000’s of seed, and the seed can easily be moved by wind or water due to the wings on the fruit. The Insect Table has a more complete list of insects that feed on Curly Dock and other dock species. The green leaves may be tinged with reddish purple. As a relative of buckwheat, dock seeds are edible as well! Call us at 1 315 4971058. Rumex Crisps: Dock Seed Crackers. Rinse the dye pot to remove any lingering seeds, then pour the finished dye bath back into the pot. If you wish to have curly dock growing in your yard, simply scatter some of the mature seeds during the winter, or dig up a wild root and plant it in your yard. We respect your privacy. It’s never a bad idea to pre-mortant your fabric. The main stem is ribbed, stout, and mostly unbranched. Now take 1/4 cup of VERY DRY dock seeds and put them in the middle of the screen frame. Whisk together the ice water and vinegar. The flavor is similar to the leaves, except more “green” tasting—something like green beans. Fill the dye pot with enough non-chlorinated water to cover the dock seeds by about an inch or two. Reproduction: Mode(s) of Reproduction: Reproduces by seed. A curly dock plant produces around 40,000 seeds per year, and they can lay dormant for up to 50 years. From http://www.ediblewildfood.com/yellow-dock-crackers.aspx. Pull one of the plants out of the ground, and you’ll find that their roots are quite yellow, which is why it’s also known by the name of “Yellow Dock” (it actually shares this name with Broad Leaved Dock, Rumex obtusifolius). Decoctions are used for tough, woody material such as roots, bark, and twigs, in order to extract the active constituents. Botanical Description . If you are unfamiliar with curly dock, I don’t recommend immediately picking a dead winter stalk for the seeds. It is native to Europe which is now available in United States, Australia, New Zealand and others. I generally hang my damp fabric to dry on my clothes line. This plant tends to pop up where there is over watering or standing waters in a low area. Propagation of Curled Dock: Seed - this plant does not require any help in its propagation. Even when dried on a clothesline, in bright sunshine, I have not found dock-seed dye to be prone to bleaching out or lightening. These seeds can then lie dormant in the soil for 50 years or more, before germinating. Curly dock (Rumex crispus L.) Life Cycle: Simple perennial. It holds up very well to being washed in the regular household laundry, using a hot/cold cycle. The leaves, stem, and seeds of broad-leaved dock can be eaten like those of curly dock, but the root does not have the same medicinal qualities. To preserve colors as long as possible, wash only when necessary, in cold or cool water, with a gentle detergent. I know. Since dock plants are perennial, the same plant will sprout under last years stalk in â¦ This post walks you through dyeing with dock seeds, step by step. You’ll have a large amount in no time! I didn’t like all the previous dock leaves I had eaten because they were stressed out and stunted from growing in poor, gravelly soils. Emergence: Curly dock seeds germinate in cool, moist soil from late spring through early fall as conditions permit. This blog post was chosen in a poll by Patreon members. They are distributed to some extent by wind or water while adhering to the membranous wings of the Your email address will not be published. Discard the plant material. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. 1 cup flour of your choice (I use all-purpose wheat flour). The seeds also stick to animal fur and human clothing. I believe that this is best way to learn to identify plants in winter. After 12-24 hours, when the dye bath is looking good and strong, drain off the dye bath to remove all plant material. If they don’t find immediate purchase—and they can thrive almost anywhere—the seeds can remain viable for 50 years or more waiting for good conditions. This plant tends to pop up where there is over watering or standing waters in a low area. It’s a simple way for you to help Four Season Foraging keep producing the informative content that you enjoy. The easiest time of year to notice it is in summer, fall, and often in the winter, when you can easily observe the multitudinous seeds. Dock will be found in other waste places, both in the sun and shade. Native to Europe, it has been introduced to all fifty states in the US and all Canadian provinces except Nunavut. I generally hang my damp fabric to dry on my clothes line. Curly dock is a cross-pollinated species that exhibits great variation in morphology and physiological characteristics. The latin name for curly dock, a wild plant with edible leaves and seeds, is Rumex crispus. Established plants emerge from the taproot in midspring, producing a robust rosette. Besides curly dock, broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius) is the main species that’s eaten. The seeds of CURLY DOCK provide a warm rose-brown color when used as a natural dye. These are very easy to grow. And with its wide distribution, it’s easy to start eating! Curly dock was one of the seeds in Professor Beal's famous study of seed survival at Michigan State University. Wildcrafting Wednesday herbal blog hop. Add 3 cups cold water. Seeds are released from dormancy at various times of the year, and germinate in response to light and fluctuating temperature. Leave a Comment. Curly dock (Rumex Crispus, also called Yellow Dock) plants are quite easy to spot at any time of the year, because of their long leaves with a ruffled or curly look to the edge. Start by gathering enough dock seeds so that the volume is about equal to that of the fabric you wish to dye. Leave your email to receive new posts and cute farm pictures in your inbox. I think they combine well with something tart, like pickles, rhubarb preserves, or chutney. Curly dock is biennial, meaning they spring up a basal rosette the first year, then a stalk, flowers, and seeds the second year, and that winter it will die. Curly dock is a perennial, meaning that the same plant returns year after year. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Cautions. Cut into desired shapes. Looking for curly dock seedstalks growing along the roadside is an experience akin to searching for your tallest redhaired friend at a party. So spring and fall are the best times to harvest roots, because that’s when the plant is putting energy (i.e. Then strip the seeds from the stem over a paper bag or large bowl. Copyright © 2020 Salt in my Coffee on the Seasoned Pro Theme. â¦ We have few studies of seed longevity, because long-lived seeds outlast the careers of scientists. While your seeds are steeping, give them a stir every now and again, being sure to keep plant material well submerged. These seeds are the best way to identify curly dock in winter, as they often remain on the dead stalk until spring. Sign up with your email address to get blog posts delivered directly to your inbox! Dock Seeds. Curly Dock Crackers Recipe. The first few leaves are egg shaped to football shaped with a rounded tip and a tapered base. 1 cup flour of your choice (I use all-purpose wheat flour) 1 tsp. Using a fork, whisk â¦ As soon as you catch a whiff of spring, youâll start to see dock. Over medium heat, warm the dye pot until it’s lightly simmering. I’ve found this to be quite a long-lasting dye. On a well-floured surface roll dough thinly. Gently simmer for 10 minutes. 1 cup ground curly dock seed. The leaves were large, light green, and supple; and they tasted just like spinach! It doesn’t have a showy flower and the leaves can look kind of generic. Broad-leaved dock and curly dock has been used in food and medicine for centuries. Reproduction: Mode(s) of Reproduction: Reproduces by seed. 1/4 tsp. Gently simmer for 10 minutes. If you wish to have curly dock growing in your yard, simply scatter some of the mature seeds during the winter, or dig up a wild root and plant it in your yard. Cinnamon . These seeds are the best way to identify curly dock in winter, as they often remain on the dead stalk until spring. For comparison, this is a much longer lasting dye than goldenrod, but not quite as colorfast as devil’s beggartick. Since the stems don’t provide a strong color like the seeds though, you’ll want to use a little extra if you’re leaving stems on – aim for having the seeds equal nearly the volume of your fabric, and any stems just get plopped in as extra. They are three-sided, oval to egg-shaped, with a sharp point on one end. They mature in the fall, but you can still forage them in winter since the seeds will hang onto the tough stalks for months, and theyâre still around to harvest in the early spring. The outer layer may be stringy, but this can be peeled before eating. However, you can just grind the seed and chaff all together as one. Instead, practice positively identifying the plant during the growing season. Let's be honest - I made these crackers specifically because I came up with the name Rumex crisps. Cut into desired shapes. Seeds are usually sown 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) deep, with as little as 8 inches (20 cm) of distance between each plant. On a well-floured surface roll dough thinly. Curly dock (Rumex crispus) is a perennial weed with a thick taproot. Serves 4 to 6. Prefer to listen to this article? Start by re-heating the dye pot just to a light simmer, then turn off the heat. Rumex spp., commonly known as broadleaf dock, cushy-cows, butter dock, kettle dock, curly dock and smair dock, is a species of flowering plant in a buckwheat family Polygonaceae. When the plants grow unchecked, small greenish flowers are … Curly Dock and Sheep Sorrel (Rumex acetosella) are the two known host plants of the butterfly, American Copper. Curly dock establishes from seeds only at open, disturbed sites; it does not tolerate competition or tillage. An important note: It may seem wrong to let your fabric dry without “rinsing until water is clear” as nearly every guide to natural dyeing will tell you. Curly dock is good forage for humans, though such is not the case for livestock. Over medium heat, warm the dye pot until it's lightly simmering. Gather up the edges of the tea towel to contain all the wet plant material, and use the towel to squeeze any remaining liquid from the plants into the dye bath. While one often reads warnings about oxalic acid in wild food literature, one rarely hears warnings about eating those domesticated foods. You’ll be able to gather several cupfuls in a matter of minutes. Emails are sent about 1-2 times monthly. If you are looking for a simple snack recipe then curly dock crackers are easy to make, nutritious and full of flavour. Seeds appear in late summer and fall. ), If you’re working with cotton or linen fabric, I’ve found the best results when letting the fabric sit in the dye bath for a full 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Toasted edible wild plant seeds re-imagined. The seeds of CURLY DOCK provide a warm rose-brown color when used as dye. But please contact me if you have problems with your order. Ask away in the comments below! Dying with curly dock seeds is easy, and this post will walk you through it, step by step. I very slightly prefer the stronger rose tones that shine through and seem to peak with a soak of about 24 hours.). Then keep the spot in mind for some yummy greens the following spring, and dig in! As far as I know, there are no poisonous species of dock, though some are considered inedible due to unpalatability. The seeds are clustered in threes and are attached to papery wings. Choice ( I use all-purpose wheat flour ) ( I use all-purpose wheat flour ) liquid a... 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