Purslane is considered a typically Dutch seasonal vegetable. Supply is quite scarce, but not insignificant. During the high season (from mid-May), purslane can also be found on shelves of larger supermarket chains. Two growers, who are big in supplying this small product, are Pim Sr and Pim Jr van Wingerden. Father and son work as a team within two companies. Pim Sr runs Growing Healthy Vegetables, and Pim Jr is combining his studies Financial Management with Wing Trading. Both men are very enthusiastic about growing purslane, but it’s not a very well-known product among consumers.
Consciously on the lookout
“People buying it, are consciously on the lookout for it. Purslane could use a bit of marketing,” says Pim Jr. “The funny thing is that purslane is seen as a true Dutch vegetable, but that isn’t the case at all. It can grow anywhere, but in most countries it’s considered a weed, because it grows rank. It’s eaten a lot in Mexico as well.” Purslane shares much common ground with current trends on the market, according to Pim Jr. “Nowadays it’s all about quality, flavour, organic and local. Purslane could hitch a ride from these four trends. Furthermore, purslane is very healthy, it contains a lot of omega-3, even more than fish oil.” “Family doctors used to recommend it for diarrhoea, it’s good for intestinal bacteria,” Pim Sr adds.
Adjusting
Because purslane is a small, specialist cultivation, both men have a good view of the market. Average market prices are around €1.50 per kilogram. As major suppliers, they can adjust the market when crops threaten to become unprofitable by working with a rotary cultivator. The free market price is often a beacon, but says nothing about cost price. They would prefer to supply at cost price+. Pim Sr is therefore satisfied with agreements he was able to enter into with Bakker Barendrecht and Albert Heijn. Wing Trading supplies to distributive trade, mostly through company Duifhuizen. Combined, they grow three to four hectares every year. They are one of the last growers in Barendrecht.
Quality
For such a small product as purslane, it’s important to offer constantly high quality. Pim Jr: “We’ve noticed that the higher the quality, the more is sold.” Quality is what it’s all about for growers. After harvesting, much can go wrong because purslane is sensitive to temperature fluctuations, and growers can’t influence that. All the more reason to devote yourself to quality. The purslane is given a mark during cutting. If it’s not high enough, the purslane isn’t used. Yet even the best quality only has a shelf life of three to four days, on the condition that it’s cooled. Purslane isn’t suitable for export. They once tried selling in neighbouring country Belgium. “They want purslane with thicker and larger leaves. But the Dutch don’t like that,” says Pim Sr.
When he was 17 years old, Pim Sr harvested his first purslane, and he’s had a special bond with it since then. “Purslane is my baby, it’s something special, something I’m truly good at.” By now, he has 45 years of experience. “But if you ask me how to grow purslane, I wouldn’t be able to explain it. It’s a very difficult crop.”
Semi-organic
“It either goes great, or it goes completely wrong, and you won’t know what happened.” Seeds aren’t improved, and there are therefore no crop advisors or pesticides (attributed to purslane). The cultivation of purslane is therefore semi-organic, because fertiliser is used. Over the years, there have been few changes. The wooden crates from the past have been replaced with plastic ones, but a more important change is the origin of the seeds. Pim Sr: “The variety has been the same for 2000 years. In the past, the seeds came from the Beqaa Valley (Lebanon), now it’s from China. Growing is calmer because of that, the seeds are stabler, and that’s quite an improvement.” Pim Sr has the seeds calibrated in advance, which is to do with quality. Only seeds of a certain size are planted.
Warm
Purslane requires much heat, and is usually planted in greenhouses. Soil temperatures have to be about 20 ˚C, and day temperatures have to be at least 20 ˚C, and at night they have to be at least 15 ˚C. The warmer the temperatures, the better the purslane grows. In summer, temperatures can reach 45-50 ˚C in greenhouses. The first purslane is sowed early April, and the season lasts until late October. A few days after sowing, a green tapestry starts appearing, which can be harvested after three weeks. The young, short shoots are the most tender and delicious. A purslane plant consists of a slightly meaty stalk, which is coloured pink or red at the bottom. The end of each stalk has a few small, bright green to yellowish green leaves. The entire plant can be eaten, except for the roots.
Fresh
Purslane tastes fresh, slightly spicy and a bit sour. Texture is quite firm and crunchy. Purslane bruises easily, which has a negative effect on flavour and texture. It should therefore always be handled carefully. It can be processed in various ways: cooking, stir-frying, made into a stew or soup, or raw in salads.
More information:
Growing Healthy Vegetables
Pim van Wingerden