Content
- Pick plantain and use it
- Collect ribwort at the right time
- Keep the ribwort plantain
- The use of fresh ribwort in the kitchen
- Tips & Tricks
Pick plantain and use it
The ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata) can be used fresh, dried or otherwise conserved in many ways. It is not only edible and tasty, but also healthy for humans, horses and rabbits.
Collect ribwort at the right time
If you can not grow ribwort plantain as a seasoning herb and medicinal plant in your own garden, you can find it most easily at flowering time in near-natural meadows and on roadsides. Be sure to choose a location that is as remote as possible to collect so as not to harvest any plants contaminated by dogs. Since the plantain propagates via self-sowing and also over the roots, numerous specimens of the species can often be found in a suitable location. In principle, all plant parts can be harvested and processed during the entire vegetation period. The best results can be achieved with a harvest between May and September.
Keep the ribwort plantain
Drying is a popular technique to preserve the ribwort plantain with its cough-mitigating effect for the winter season. Collect the leaves of the ribwort plantain during dry weather so that it does not mold during drying. In addition, while you can use all parts of the plant for plantain, the proportion of lanceolate leaves should clearly outweigh the stems and flower heads. To dry, thread the leaves of ribwort on a string and hang in a well ventilated place. Alternatively, you can also plant ribwort honey or use a centrifuge to extract the juice from its leaves.
The use of fresh ribwort in the kitchen
The plantain is not only a very effective natural remedy for throat and bronchial complaints, but also a tasty ingredient for the following dishes:
The fresh leaves of the ribwort plantain can be washed and cut into small pieces, easily mixed with salads and spicy dressings. The flower buds of the plant, which have not yet blossomed, can be roasted well in some oil and produce a mushroom-like taste mixed with different foods.
Tips & Tricks
The roots of ribwort can also be harvested and used. They help chewed against inflammation in the mouth and throat.