A Lamb's quarters, otherwise known as Chenopodium album, is an edible weed that can be found in many different places across the world. It can be found growing in yards, gardens, waste land, gravel pits and fields, usually in a wild form. The plant itself is a great source of nutrition and can provide many health benefits when incorporated into one’s diet.
The name Lamb’s quarters stems from an old English word – ‘lamb-quarter’, a word that refers to a quarter of a sheep’s hindquarters. In some parts of the United States, the plant is also known as ‘goosefoot’, a reference to the shape of its leaves which vaguely resemble the feet of a goose.
The plant itself can grow to up to 2 meters in height and has a distinct silvery white-green color. The leaves are egg-shaped, pointed at both ends, stalkless and jagged on their edges. The flowers are small and clustered together in short, upright spikes with a greenish white hue. Once fully matured, it produces a small, dusty seed.
Although the Lamb’s quarters plant is found through all parts of the world, it is native to Europe, West Asia and North Africa. Lamb’s quarters can usually be found growing in soils with good drainage, typically in places lacking moisture, sunlight and other forms of competition, such as existing vegetation.
Lamb’s quarters is typically harvested during early summer before it has the chance to develop its brilliant silvery hue. The newly harvested leaves are tender and delicious and can be used for a variety of culinary purposes, although the most popular is as a salad green. The leaves can also be cooked and used during the winter months, as part of any number of traditional dishes from around the world.
When eaten raw, Lamb’s quarters contains a wide range of vitamins, including vitamins A, C, K, and B6. In addition, the plant contains various minerals like magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese, potassium and calcium. As such, Lamb’s quarters can help boost the immune system, regulate blood sugar levels and aid in digestion.
Lamb’s quarters is also credited with numerous other health-related benefits, including its use in relieving symptoms associated with inflammatory illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis and ulcers. With its high nutritional profile and availability in most of the world, Lamb’s quarters is an easy and cost-effective way to get added nutrition into one’s diet.
Although Lamb’s quarters is considered edible, there are some cautions and potential risks one should be aware of. As with any foraged food, the potential for wild plants to be contaminated with herbicides or pesticides is always present. For this reason, it is best to only consume herbs from a reliable source such as a certified organic farm, or from areas that are free from toxins. Additionally, because Lamb’s quarters are a member of the Chenopodaceae family, individuals with allergies to the artichoke, spinach or beetroot would be wise to avoid this plant.
Overall, Lamb’s quarters is an incredibly nutritious and versatile edible weed. Wild plants such as these are a great source of nutrition and can be used to make a variety of delicious dishes. When picking and consuming any wild plant, however, it is important to research its safety and ensure it has been sourced from a trusted source.
Lamb’s Quarters – How Nature and Technology Bring It from Field to Plate
Lamb’s quarters, or Chenopodium album, is a wild and edible plant that is an important source of nutrition for humans. The plant is a broadleaf annual that grows as a weed in cultivated fields in temperate climates around the world. For generations, people have foraged for and gathered the plant for food and other uses. But what is the biology and technology behind lamb’s quarters making it from the field to your dinner plate? Let’s explore the journey.
The Biology of Lamb’s Quarters
Lamb’s quarters is an annual that grows in soil across the temperate world in both cultivated and non-cultivated settings. Generally, it has a broad vertical pyramidal shape, with some plants having a slightly tiara-like form. Lamb’s quarters have dark green, triangular, succulent leaves with a thick texture and small, pointy tips. Depending on environmental conditions, the leaves can appear either smooth or slightly fuzzy.
The flowers of lamb’s quarters are white, small, and star-shaped. They congregate in clumps at the tops of the branches and form long, seed-laden spikes that ripen in late summer. The small, gray-black seeds are hard, round and oval, and contain all the parts necessary for new plants, including protective coatings and stored energy.
Lamb’s quarters grows in a variety of settings, but prefers well-drained, loamy soils. Depending on the environment and the availability of pollinators, lamb’s quarters produces a large amount of new and viable seeds each year.
Harvesting and Processing Lamb’s Quarters
Because lamb’s quarters is an annual, it can be harvested at any time during the growing season. However, it is most desirable and abundant from mid-summer to early fall. Gnarled, mature stems are best avoided, as they are bitter and can have a laxative effect.
Lamb’s quarters can either be collected in its entirety (typically for use as a cooked green) or it can be selectively harvested by hand by removing the leaves and top shoots. If harvested in this way, the plant will regenerate if allowed to stay in place.
Once collected, lamb’s quarters can be washed, dried, and stored for later use.
Packaging and Transport of Lamb’s Quarters
Once the lamb’s quarters are harvested, they must be transported to where they will be processed and sold.
Modern transportation methods greatly simplify the process of getting the product to market. Typically, the product will be loaded into closed refrigerated trucks and transported to a processing facility that can package the product in accordance with food safety regulations.
Because lamb’s quarters can spoil quickly, it is important that the destination facility has the proper storage capabilities in place. This is particularly true if the product is shipped over a long distance.
At the end of the transportation process, the product must be ready for consumption, or for further processing or packaging.
Processing and Packaging Lamb’s Quarters
Lamb’s quarters can be processed in numerous ways, from fresh and frozen to bloomed or canned.
Fresh lamb’s quarters can be packaged and shipped as-is, or it can be cooked, blanched, or frozen and then packaged and shipped. If fresh lamb’s quarters is cooked or frozen, it must be cooled quickly and stored in an appropriate temperature-controlled environment.
Canned lamb’s quarters is processed either by vacuum sealing or canning. Both processes are designed to stop the growth of bacteria and prevent oxidation of the product. Canned lamb’s quarters can be stored for up to two years, so it is often preferred by grocers and other retailers who are looking for a longer shelf-life.
Delivery and Sale of Lamb’s Quarters
Once the product is packaged, it will be shipped to retail outlets and sold to consumers. Modern distribution methods make it easy to get the product to market quickly and efficiently.
In some cases, the product may be distributed directly from the processor to the consumer. However, this is not always possible, and the product may need to pass through a distributor or retailer before it reaches the consumer.
Once the product arrives at its destination, it will be sold to the consumer. Lamb’s quarters can be sold in bulk, in cans, or in ready-to-eat salads and dishes.
From Field to Plate
As you can see, it takes a combination of nature and technology for lamb’s quarters to make it from the field to your dinner plate. The biology of the plant, the harvesting and processing methods, the transportation methods, and the sale and delivery of the product must all come together for this journey to be successful. By understanding these elements, we can more thoroughly appreciate the amazing journey that lamb’s quarters makes from field to plate.
Vitamin A | 0.58 mg | |
Vitamin C | 0.08 grams | |
Vitamin B1 | 0.16 mg | |
Vitamin B2 | 0.44 mg | |
Vitamin B3 | 0.0012 grams | |
Vitamin B5 | 0.09 mg | |
Vitamin B6 | 0.27 mg | |
Vitamin B9 | 0.03 mg |
Calcium | 0.309 grams |
Daily Value 1.3 g
|
Iron | 0.0012 grams |
Daily Value 0.018 g
|
Magnesium | 0.034 grams |
Daily Value 0.4 g
|
Phosphorus | 0.072 grams |
Daily Value 1.25 g
|
Potassium | 0.452 grams |
Daily Value 4.7 g
|
Sodium | 0.043 grams |
Daily Value 2.3 g
|
Zinc | 0.44 mg |
Daily Value 0.011 g
|
Copper | 0.29 mg |
Daily Value 0.9 mg
|
Manganese | 0.78 mg |
Daily Value 0.0023 g
|
Selenium | 0.9 ug |
Daily Value 0.055 mg
|
Tryptophan | 0.038 grams | |
Threonine | 0.163 grams | |
Isoleucine | 0.253 grams | |
Leucine | 0.35 grams | |
Lysine | 0.354 grams | |
Methionine | 0.049 grams | |
Cystine | 0.089 grams | |
Phenylalanine | 0.166 grams | |
Tyrosine | 0.175 grams | |
Valine | 0.226 grams | |
Arginine | 0.253 grams | |
Histidine | 0.116 grams | |
Alanine | 0.322 grams | |
Aspartic Acid | 0.431 grams | |
Glutamic Acid | 0.521 grams | |
Glycine | 0.249 grams | |
Proline | 0.223 grams | |
Serine | 0.2 grams |
Total Sugars | 0.131141 grams |
per 100g
|
Palmitic acid (16:0) | 0.05 grams |
|
Stearic acid (18:0) | 0.01 grams |
|
Total Saturated fatty acids: | 0.06 g | |
Erucic acid (22:1) | 0.02 grams |
|
Oleic acid (18:1) | 0.12 grams |
|
Gadoleic acid (20:1) | 0.01 grams |
|
Total Monounsaturated fatty acids: | 0.15 g | |
Linolenic acid (18:3) | 0.04 grams |
|
Linoleic acid (18:2) | 0.31 grams |
|
Total Polyunsaturated fatty acids: | 0.35 g |