Smyrna times., 1944-04-06
PAMPHLET ON
WILD GREENS
delaware Greens" Booklet,
Issued by State Board of
Health, Illustrates Plants
MANY ARE EDIBLE

Crisp colorful greens are an
economical way to better diet
and so to better health. In many
parts of Delaware they are free for
the picking" So reads the first
paragraph in the pamphlet "Dela-
ware Green's" guide to the many
wild as we'll as cultivated greens in
the state. Gardeners who are not
familiar with the delicious edible
wild greens grown here weed out
and discard many such plants as
lambs quarter, dandelion, sorrel
and pusley from their carefully
tended rows of beans, peas, etc.
The young tender leaves of these
wild greens contain more protec-
tive food value than many of the
cultivated plants, for green leaves
rank next to milk apd eggs in the
list of protective foods, the book
let says. Greens supply good
amount of vitamin A which can be
stored in the body. This makes it
possible to eat large quantities of
greens during the growing season
and spread the vitamin A from
them over winter months. In ad-
dition, they furnish good amounts
of vitamin c and with the excep-
tion of spinach, chard and lambs
quarter whose calcium the body
cannot use, are good sources of
calcium.
Bulletin Illustrates Greens
Illustrations of wild edible green
leaves appearing in Delaware
Greens" are: wintercress and chic
ory, the new growth of which are
used in late fall and early spring
before Towering: dandelion used
from late February through May;
lambs quarter and poke weed ap-
pearing in April; sorrel, yellow or
curly dock, purslane or pusley, and
milkweed appearing at varying
dates from late April through June.
These plants are all at their best
when young and tender before
Towering. Single copies of Del
aware Greens" are available with
out charge from the State Board
of Health, Dover, Delaware.
Cook Greens Quickly
Both wild and cultivated greens
should be cooked the easiest way
possible to retain their food value
and flavor. /. Wash thoroughly;
2. cook just until tender in a small
amount of boiling salted water;
8. serve at once; 4. save cooking
water for soups, stews, etc. (Omit
soda for it destroys large part of
the vitamins). Greens may be sea-
soned with salt, pepper, lemon, bits
of diced cooked bacon or salt pork,
or a savory white sauce.
Fresh Greens IL Months a Year
For this kind of food, garden
specialists of the U. S. Department
of Agriculture are suggesting that
we grow more and can less. Della
wareans can have fresh greens for
the table IL months year by
making use of both wild and cul-
tivated varieties. Collards, chard
and wintercress are available for
use now. Kale, beets and turnip
greens withstand considerable cold
and may be had in the garden in
early spring and late fall as well.
Other greens as Swiss Chard, New
Zealand spinach will stand consid-
cradle summer heat. County agents
will supply information as to times
and varieties of green's to plant.
Since crisp delicious greens are
available fresh through the year,
the freshly cooked ones have better
flavor, and the processing time
needed for safe canning necessar-
lily overcooks them, it is not wise
to can greens. Jar space should
be saved for foods which have a
shorter growing season and can be
more satisfactorily canned.