Japanese Knotweed

[xylaria]

I have found a very tasty way of eating Japanese Knotweed. Which is stew the new shoots with a little sugar add a crushed biscuit topping and serve as knotweed crumble.
The problem is as the plant gets bigger the texture become woody and inedible.

The question I have is If I cut down the bigger plants will new shoots appear?

:aargh4: I know how virulent a pest knotweed is and it takes very little of the root to contaminate another area. I am very careful with harvesting and processing.

 

[rich59]

I have found a very tasty way of eating Japanese Knotweed. Which is stew the new shoots with a little sugar add a crushed biscuit topping and serve as knotweed crumble.
The problem is as the plant gets bigger the texture become woody and inedible.

The question I have is If I cut down the bigger plants will new shoots appear?

:aargh4: I know how virulent a pest knotweed is and it takes very little of the root to contaminate another area. I am very careful with harvesting and processing.

What size shoots are good? As for cutting down the bigger plants for fresh shoots - knowing the vigour of knotweed it would be a safe bet to say "yes".

 

[JonnyP]

You can cut it down, swear at it, trample it into the ground, poison it, drive a lorry over it and then have a big bonfire on it and it will still come back......The council round here have been trying to get rid of it for a number of years now, but to no avail....
ps....I like the sound of your recipe. I have tried it before and found it bitter, so adding sugar sounds good to me....

 

[wildrover]

I think if you cut down the older folage to encourage new growth that would be classed as cultivation and as such I think it's illegal.
Check out the link below.

Enviroment Agency Code of Conduct

 

[Wayland]

I think I can vouch for Knotweed crumble.

Is that the dish you were passing round at the Delamere meet? It was very good.

 

[xylaria]

The shoots shorter than your than knee height are the tastiest. I found it takes less sugar than an equivalent amount of rhubarb.

Japenese knotweed has no natural predators, eating it while small will give other surrounding plants some chance of out competing it. IMHO our native environment needs a large predator to come with a machete chop it down. I am happy for that to be me.

:aargh4: For harvesting I am very strict. I put plastic bags over my boots, and only take exactly what I need away from the contaminated site.

So how do I get machete and I am allowed to use in public? or is that just asking for trouble :AR15firin

And yes it is what you ate at delamere. Oh yes and cooking kills the plant.

 

[Goose]

I can find you a machette and an area to use it without fear of bumping into the "public" take all you want!
The rules with a machette are exactly the same as any fixed blade, legal to carry with a good reason and hacking down knotweed is a good reason!Though obviously if you go cutting it down in a school playground at lunchtime you may get a bit too much attention
Can I suggest a billhook would be better for the job than a machette though,seen them in B&Q last week.

 

[twisted firestarter]

I have found a very tasty way of eating Japanese Knotweed. Which is stew the new shoots with a little sugar add a crushed biscuit topping and serve as knotweed crumble.
The problem is as the plant gets bigger the texture become woody and inedible.

The question I have is If I cut down the bigger plants will new shoots appear?

:aargh4: I know how virulent a pest knotweed is and it takes very little of the root to contaminate another area. I am very careful with harvesting and processing.

Surely the answer is to just take the small succulent shoots when they are in season?

 

[Matt Weir]

I think I can vouch for Knotweed crumble.

Is that the dish you were passing round at the Delamere meet? It was very good.

Echo that

 

[Nagual]

Japanese Knotweed is bleeding pain isn't it, everywhere. The roots grow several meters deep, which is why digging or weed killer is not effective.

Didn't know they were edible though..

 

[JonnyP]

Just to say, be careful, if your gonna eat the stuff, because so many people spray it with weed killer......

 

[Mirius]

Hmmm so what about Himalayan Balsam?

 

[xylaria]

I consumed the second cropping yesterday. About three weeks ago I took my new little axe out and chopped down an area about 10 square metres, now the new growth has appeared. So i harvested the shoots that were not higher than my knee. They were as edible as the first shoots I harvested in april with no woodiness. But the plant does seem to come back with thinner ground cover.

I saw a brown frog living in the stuff yesterday which was nice, there is also an animal track (fox size) through the main part of the knotweed. so I am not the only animal using it. The herbacide issue does bother me but I am really sure that no-one has attempted to treat this area and there quite alot of native flora and fauna that seems healthy.

Himalayan balsam doesn't taste like it should be eaten. Might do cordage though.

 

[twisted firestarter]

I believe you are meant to burn knotweed to ensure it does not establish elsewhere.
Sounds like a good idea eating the stuff but make sure you dispose of the leafy and other unwanted bits carefully, eg not in the compost heap.

 

[SOAR]

It can be killed with weed killer, not sure which one but you have to inject the weedkiller into the root, but I believe this may take a couple of seasons. Didn't know that it has a cooking use though. I know that if it to be removed from a site it has to be baged and taged, taken to a specialist site to be burned as it is a controled weed, as is Himalayan balsam and giant hogweed.