Watercress - Ingredients - Eat Your Books

Forum

Search the Forum
Welcome Guest! You can not login or register.

Notification

Icon
Error
Watercress   Go to last post Go to last unread
Options
Previous Topic Next Topic
Rinshin
avatar
#1 Posted : Thursday, May 4, 2023 7:54:15 AM(UTC)

I notice the use of watercress in some recipes, but I find it hard to easily source here in our area of California.  Is ithis more common in eastern states?  Arugula is abundant though.  I do like the peppery taste of water cress.  Water cress is found in Japan too.  

breakthroughc
avatar
#2 Posted : Thursday, May 4, 2023 9:01:26 AM(UTC)

I'm in the Seattle area and grocery stores here don't carry it.  However the Asisan grocery stores carry it.  I have an Asian Family Market near me and they have beautiful produce and many times it is cheaper than the grocery stores.

chawkins
avatar
#3 Posted : Thursday, May 4, 2023 10:06:30 AM(UTC)
Here on the east coast (Pa & NJ). Watercress is usually not readily available in regular supermarkets, but almost always present in Asian supermarkets.
ellabee
avatar
#4 Posted : Thursday, May 4, 2023 9:27:01 PM(UTC)
It grows near our spring; my mother used it occasionally. It's gotten too overgrown for me to get at it now.

I've never seen it in a supermarket here, but occasionally one of the farmers market vendors will have some. A local caterer has an arrangement with a few people who just supply her from their creek or spring. You might ask caterers in your area their source/s; some might be available to you.
mjes
avatar
#5 Posted : Thursday, May 4, 2023 9:43:23 PM(UTC)

I found a solution when the company for my hydroponic dining room garden began offering watercress pods. I'm still seeing how my ground cherries will do but garlic chives and borage are solid winners. Plus I have to work to keep up eating the variety of lettuces I have growing. No, I haven't planted shiso yet but I may need a second hydroponic unit.

hillsboroks
avatar
#6 Posted : Friday, May 5, 2023 3:05:27 PM(UTC)
MJES I don’t know if you could do shiso in a small hydroponic garden in your dining room. I have always grown it outside in full sun and my plants get 4 feet tall or taller and quite bushy. I live just west of Portland so our climates are similar so if you have a big pot or a bit of outdoor garden area I think you could have fun growing shiso outside. I always buy a plant about this time of year at the farmers’ market from the lady who sells herb plants and vegetable starts.
Rinshin
avatar
#7 Posted : Friday, May 5, 2023 4:30:27 PM(UTC)

Originally Posted by: hillsboroks Go to Quoted Post
MJES I don’t know if you could do shiso in a small hydroponic garden in your dining room. I have always grown it outside in full sun and my plants get 4 feet tall or taller and quite bushy. I live just west of Portland so our climates are similar so if you have a big pot or a bit of outdoor garden area I think you could have fun growing shiso outside. I always buy a plant about this time of year at the farmers’ market from the lady who sells herb plants and vegetable starts.


So great you can buy shiso plants in your area.  I have to grow mine from seeds in my outdoor pots. I don't think they will do well in indoor hydroponic plantar.  


I planted mitsuba from seeds  (Cryptotaenia canadensis subsp) 3 years ago in several outdoor pots,  and they grow continuously now.  Mitsuba is good in soups and stir fries. Expensive at Japanese markets and very small quantity. 

Rinshin
avatar
#8 Posted : Saturday, May 6, 2023 12:04:26 PM(UTC)

For watercress will check Asian market nearby.  Japanese market nearby carries it at times but very expensive.  

oboistaalli
avatar
#9 Posted : Monday, May 8, 2023 5:22:59 PM(UTC)
Watercress is very easy to grow. If you can’t find watercress in local grocery stores, look for plants at your local nurseries. You could also grow from seeds: https://www.reneesgarden...ducts/watercress-english

I’m in Texas and watercress thrives in the winter through spring here. The plants die back in the heat of summer, so I use the wild variety of arugula as a substitute.
ThePatheticBaker
avatar
#11 Posted : Monday, May 8, 2023 5:32:09 PM(UTC)
Here in the UK both my local supermarket (Waitrose) and the village greengrocer both sell watercress. It makes great soup.

We used to have a local watercress farm until the sewage company started discharging raw sewage inot the river upstream of it! The company continues these discharges because our government cannot be bothered to legislate to prevent such discharges. The farm went broke because they could not sell their now contaminated produce! How long other watercress farms here can survive when all the sewage companies here are also discharging raw sewage into rivers we do not know.
Rinshin
avatar
#10 Posted : Tuesday, May 9, 2023 12:37:05 PM(UTC)

Originally Posted by: oboistaalli Go to Quoted Post
Watercress is very easy to grow. If you can’t find watercress in local grocery stores, look for plants at your local nurseries. You could also grow from seeds: https://www.reneesgarden...ducts/watercress-english I’m in Texas and watercress thrives in the winter through spring here. The plants die back in the heat of summer, so I use the wild variety of arugula as a substitute.


thanks for the info.  I ordered.  Did not realize you can grow watercress without some kind of running water.  

oboistaalli
avatar
#12 Posted : Tuesday, May 9, 2023 1:24:41 PM(UTC)
@Rinshin Glad you are going to try growing watercress from seed! Watercress does need to be watered regularly—daily if possible. I still have my two plants (one in a pot and one in the ground) despite the increasing heat here, but the plants are still thriving. They'll die back eventually and I'll replant in the fall.
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.