[professional am]

I've seen dozens of recipes with sorrel so have grown some. When I taste it "raw" I don't like it, almost acidic as opposed to the nice citrus I was expecting.

Does this change dramatically on cooking or do I need to just use the smaller leaves, moderate the amount or only eat at certain times of the summer ? /

[ChrisLehrer]

Originally Posted by professional am

I've seen dozens of recipes with sorrel so have grown some. When I taste it "raw" I don't like it, almost acidic as opposed to the nice citrus I was expecting.

Does this change dramatically on cooking or do I need to just use the smaller leaves, moderate the amount or only eat at certain times of the summer ? /

I find that sorrel gets harsher when it gets older. Maybe you're picking it too late?

But at the same time it does get more citrusy when you cook it -- I generally pick everything, down to the nub, at the end of the summer and make a big batch of sorrel cream soup, and it all tastes fabulous. Just the ordinary stuff, which grows like a weed in much of New England in any sunny spot and poor soil. When it gets out of hand we mow its edges with the grass or it would take over the universe.

[Dillbert]

I'm with Chris on this one - sorrel is one of those 'flavors' / 'tastes' that can be overdone in a instant.

and, as stated, 'mature' is not its best flavor profile. I have done it in pots - starting a new pot (or more, depends on your volume requirements) every four weeks. when the new stuff is ready, compost the old plants.....

[KYHeirloomer]

Absolutely correct. You want to harvest sorrel while it is young. As it matures it gets both tough and bitter, with none of that clean citrusy flavor it's known for.

While more heat tolerant than many other greens, sorrel still isn't at it's prime during really hot weather. Once that sets in I stop growing it until restarting as part of the fall garden.

FWIW, sorrel is a bienial. If you leave it to winter over it will die back to ground level, then regrow the following spring. But even the young second year growth lacks the flavor we're looking for, because all the plant wants to do is set seed.

If you've got the room, incidentally, there's no reason not to let it do so. Once the seed has dropped, pull the mature plants. The following spring you'll get a jump start with the volunteers.