To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] lemon juice substitute - Rumex spp.
Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2008 10:21:25 -0500
"My grandmother was born in Indian territory (Oklahoma) in 1895. In her
journal, she wrote about making sorrel pie as a substitute for lemon
pie. Sorrel or dock (Rumex sp.) is a sour, lemony green that imparts a
lemon flavor to savory dishes. I've never used it in a sweet dish, but
there is a precedent for it. "
There are multiple Rumex spp. They all are relatively high in nitrates
and oxalic acid. Some unacceptably so. Rumex crispus is associated
with a documented fatal poisoning episode. Rumex acetosa has lower
levels, but it is not a food to feast upon. Maybe using it for a lemony
flavoring only requires a small amount....
Betsy Hilborn
7a NC
Re: [NAFEX] lemon juice substitute - Rumex spp.,
Hilborn . E, 12/01/2008