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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Annemieke on March 26, 2015, 21:12:09

Title: Hostas are edible!
Post by: Annemieke on March 26, 2015, 21:12:09

Or so I heard, from a friend in Sweden of all places. But not having hostas in my garden (I never much went for ornamentals!) I haven't tried them yet. I suppose they are best young, like so many. I've asked some neighbours but haven't heard yet. When do they come up? Have any of you heard this/ever tried them?
Love, thanks! A.

Title: Re: Hostas are edible!
Post by: Obelixx on March 26, 2015, 21:42:22

I grow lots of hostas in pots and in the ground and love them for their structural, ornamental qualities.  It would never have occurred to me to eat them but I found this;-

http://rawedibleplants.blogspot.be/2014/06/hosta-species.html

Title: Re: Hostas are edible!
Post by: ACE on March 26, 2015, 22:13:40

Well that is a surprise. I like mine too much as garden plants to think about eating them. But as hemerocallis is rampant in one part of the garden we always decorate a salad with the flowers which can be eaten. I often end up chewing a bit of root when we are splitting them up, a bit carroty in taste.

I will try a small bit though, as the variegation in the leaves will make an interesting salad, I am wary of slugs in lettuce, god knows what I shall be like with hosta.

Title: Re: Hostas are edible!
Post by: alkanet on March 26, 2015, 22:45:38

called urui in Japanese

serving suggestion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLSyEZv6ZMw

Title: Re: Hostas are edible!
Post by: plotstoeat on March 27, 2015, 18:34:02

couldn't eat a whole one! :happy7:

Title: Re: Hostas are edible!
Post by: ancellsfarmer on March 27, 2015, 18:50:12

Slugs have been showing us that for years!

Title: Re: Hostas are edible!
Post by: plotstoeat on March 27, 2015, 19:05:23

That's true. They know about the best greens to eat!

Title: Re: Hostas are edible!
Post by: Vinlander on March 28, 2015, 20:11:08

I believe the first young hosta shoots are used  to make a kind of spinach pie in Greece - it is supposed to be a seasonal delicacy - so I assume it tastes different in some way. If I'm ever there in Spring I'd try and find some but I'm assuming the chance of finding them in tourist areas is nil (?).

If I tried to harvest some here I'd have to be darned quick to beat the slugs in my garden - they are probably forming queues as I write...

Cheers.

Title: Re: Hostas are edible!
Post by: Annemieke on March 29, 2015, 16:00:27

I haven't got hostas (yet) so can't try, but I always use slugpubs  by my vegs (as I keep being given horrible cheap beer). Won't they help?

Title: Re: Hostas are edible!
Post by: alkanet on March 29, 2015, 20:33:50

you know, i'm going to have a go

when the hostons come up :)

https://scottishforestgarden.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/hostas/ (https://scottishforestgarden.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/hostas/)

http://emmacooper.org/files/hostas.pdf (http://emmacooper.org/files/hostas.pdf) pdf file downloads so care needed