{"product_id":"semences-oseille-ancestrale","title":"Heirloom Sorrel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRumex acetosa.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the most generous garden plants you can put in a Québec garden — a hardy perennial to zone 3 that returns faithfully every spring, among the very first green shoots to push through the soil as the last snow patches melt, sometimes as early as late March. For centuries before tropical lemons became affordable in the north, sorrel played for European cooking the role of natural acidifying agent — its surprisingly bright, lemony flavour, due to its richness in oxalic acid, perfumed soups, sauces and the young salads of spring just when one most needed an acid kick after winter. Hildegard of Bingen, in the 12th century, credited it with cleansing virtues, and traditional European medicine made it a \"plant of spring\" in the literal sense — the one that \"cleans the blood\" after the months without greens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA perennial plant 30-60 cm at full maturity, with a rosette habit of long lance-shaped leaves, glossy tender-green, which rises into a reddish flower stalk in early summer (cut before flowering to prolong the production of tender leaves). In the kitchen, it's a discreet star of the great French tradition — sublime in a sorrel velouté with cream and poached egg; in a green sauce melted into butter with shallot to accompany salmon or trout (sorrel's acidity naturally \"cooks\" the fish on contact, a bistro magic trick); in an omelette with spring fines herbes; and in Russo-Ukrainian green borscht (\u003cem\u003ezelyony borscht\u003c\/em\u003e) made of sorrel, egg, new potatoes and \u003cem\u003esmetana\u003c\/em\u003e. The young tender leaves are also delicious raw in salad, in small quantities for their acidifying effect. To be consumed in moderation: the oxalate content makes excessive consumption inadvisable for people prone to kidney stones.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Easy germination (7-14 days); direct-sow in spring or late summer. Choose a permanent spot — this is a long-lived perennial (8-10 years) to divide every 3-4 years to keep it vigorous. For tender, fresh leaves all summer, cut the flower stalks ruthlessly as soon as they appear; if you let sorrel go to seed, the leaves turn tough and bitter and the plant puts all its energy into reproduction. Cold rain and morning chill make the leaves more tender and more fragrant — the best harvests are those of early spring and early autumn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Hardy perennial (zone 3). Wind-pollinated; rarely crosses near other cultivated sorrels.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 30-60 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: harvest possible from 45-60 days; full production in the second year. Perennial 8-10 years.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun to part shade.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, cool, slightly acidic to neutral, well-drained soil. Tolerates a wide range of conditions. Space plants 30 cm apart.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow as soon as the soil can be worked (April in Québec), or a late August sowing to establish a bed that will produce from the following spring.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"200","offer_id":42601270673580,"sku":"GC-H-SORREL-200","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":42601270706348,"sku":"GC-H-SORREL-1K","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5000","offer_id":42601270739116,"sku":"GC-H-SORREL-5K","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"25000","offer_id":44208487792812,"sku":"GC-H-SORREL-25K","price":39.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/sorrelh.jpg?v=1664221318","url":"https:\/\/joualvert.ca\/en\/products\/heirloom-sorrel-seeds","provider":"Joual Vert","version":"1.0","type":"link"}