Man began to grow sorrel in the Middle Ages. The first mention of it is found in the French chronicle of the XII century. By the way, the French still believe that they have two national vegetables - carrots and sorrel. In Russia, until the XVI century, it was considered a weed. He was not grown in the gardens. I will try to tell you everything I know about the cultivation of sorrel in the garden, its beneficial properties, as well as share some recipes for sorrel dishes. There is a horse sorrel, there is an ordinary one - wild-growing, there is one that you and I grow on our plots. Let's grow this crop, at the same time learn about its features. Special advertising is not needed for it.
Sorrel, which is known to many people, is a perennial plant of the buckwheat family. In the old books there is another name for it - wild beet or meadow apple. It is believed that the birthplace of sorrel is Europe and Asia. But now it is distributed on almost all continents. It contains about two hundred species. The Indians of North America treated them for all the diseases that they only had, even venereal, although there is no evidence whether they were cured or not.
I met information that our compatriots, living, for example, in England, who were used to green borscht from childhood, cannot buy sorrel in any store. They even secretly bring seeds from their native places. They grow themselves this unpretentious culture in the poor English lands.
Now known as positive, so negative properties of sorrel.
Since time immemorial, this plant is used as a medicinal. Diabetic sorrel will help strengthen the effect of insulin and keep blood sugar levels at a normal level. Suffering from cardiovascular diseases, he will strengthen the blood vessels. Sorrel was used earlier as a hemostatic agent( it contains vitamin K that promotes blood clotting), as a disinfectant( wounds were processed with juice) and, naturally, as a source of vitamins and nutrients.
Sorrel for anemia is very useful, as it contains a lot of iron.
Our ancestors knew for sure that if they ate something wrong, you need to chew 2-3 leaves of sorrel - it feels better, because it contains a lot of fiber, which removes toxins.
Its leaves and stems are capable of accumulating nitrates, so if you collect wild sorrel in the meadows, try to do it away from highways or railways.
But gardeners prefer to use only their sorrel grown on their land, especially since this culture is completely unpretentious.
↑ to content ↑Cultivation of sorrel
Sorrel grows well in partial shade, tolerates frost well. You can sow it three times in one season. In the spring, as soon as the soil allows you to go to the beds, in June and late autumn, just before the frost.
We dig up the soil well before sowing sorrel, as it is a perennial crop - it will have to grow in this place for 3-4 years. Under digging we make half a bucket of humus, 1 tablespoon of nitrophoska and 1 teaspoon of urea per square meter.
When sowing, sorrel seeds do not need to be buried, otherwise you can not wait for the harvest. Therefore, we make small grooves, about 1 cm deep. The seeds are lightly sprinkled with earth and slightly compacted from above, you can “stamped” with a chopper or shovel.
Separate bush sorrel If we are sowing before winter, the garden can be covered with foil, then the seedlings will appear much earlier. After the emergence of shoots, it is desirable to make thinning, because usually the sorrel we sow with continuous sowing and when sowing thickened, the leaves will be small, they will reach up. When thinning, leave one plant from another at a distance of 5-7 cm.
Care for sorrel is simple. All that is needed for its growth is a fertile soil, timely watering and removal of weeds between the rows so that they do not get to us on the table along with green leaves.
содерж to content ↑Whose sorrel is harmful
There are some negative points for our health in the properties of sorrel - this is the presence of oxalates - salts that can contribute to the formation of sand and kidney stones. By the way, if you have any health problems, experts advise to use it only fresh. As during heat treatment, sorrel secretes salts of oxalic acid, which is deposited in the body. Therefore, as mentioned above, those with diseased kidneys or sore joints, it is better not to use green sorrel soup. Care should be the one who has a violation of the gastrointestinal tract, for example, increased acidity of the stomach, gastric ulcer, gastritis.
Use fresh sorrel for food at all times of the year. You can even plant a 2-3-year-old bush in a flower pot for the winter and put it on the windowsill - let it grow in the house until spring - what chew. ..
↑ to content ↑What can be made from sorrel
to content ↑Soup-short of sorrel
Holodnik of sorrel The proportions of sorrel, water - by eye. It all depends on the number of eaters. About two-three medium bundles of sorrel for 1.5-2 liters of water.1 hard-boiled egg per serving( per 1 bowl of soup).That is, if you cook soup for three, then there should be three eggs.
Dip sorrel in boiling water. Sorrel leaves should be carefully sorted, removed damaged or accidentally dropped leaves of weeds, rinsed under cold water to wash off the ground or sand.
You can chop the leaves, and you can put the whole boiling water, if they are small. Boil a couple of minutes before changing the color of sorrel. Then cool the broth. It can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.
Now, when the decoction of sorrel is cooled to room temperature, we will refill it. I usually cook this soup just before serving. Sometimes I put gas stations not in a common pan, but in a dish for everyone.
Finely chop the green onion and dill. 
Add the greens in a decoction of sorrel. 
Crush hard-boiled eggs, add to the same. 
Season the soup with sour cream, salt to taste and mix well. 
Potato in uniform instead of bread Our family serves such sorrel soup with cold boiled potatoes in their uniform. Soup whipped with potatoes instead of bread. Very tasty light dish!
Bon appetit!
↑ to the content ↑Sorrel for the winter
To obtain 4-liter jars of blanks you will need 0.5 kg of leaves and 1.5-2 liters of water.
Sorrel leaves are carefully sorted, removed damaged or accidentally dropped leaves of weeds, rinse with cold water to wash off the ground or sand.
Leaves can be cut into pieces of 2-3 cm, or you can, if they are small, leave whole. Dip the sorrel leaves in boiling water, mix, let the water boil and immediately remove from heat.
Now we have to pour the resulting boiling mixture into pre-prepared sterile jars. Banks should be well warm, so that just boiling sorrel will not cause them to crack. I am burning them in the oven at 180 ° C for 5-10 minutes. Then turn off the oven. They cool there to a temperature of 80-90 ° C.I check the temperature with a wet finger, like an iron. If not hiss, then you can pour. 
I usually pour in half-liter jars. It is more comfortable. One can is enough to cook 2 liters of soup. Cover the filled cans with sterile metal lids and roll them up.
I put the jars upside down in a blanket, wrap them on all sides and hold the jars there until they cool down - usually until the morning.
Such blanks are beautifully stored at home on the mezzanine.
And some more information about the beneficial properties of sorrel. Its leaves contain several types of acids - malic, citric, oxalic, provitamin A, vitamin B9( folic acid), C, potassium, iron and other trace elements. This composition quenches the spring hunger not only in vitamins, but also. .. in love, because it invigorates and tones the entire body.
