pepperhead212
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Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:52 pm
Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b

Mexican herb - Oaxacan Red Epazote

Epazote is a weird tasting and smelling herb (kerosene comes to mind), that you think wouldn't taste good (like cilantro and curry leaves, to name a couple more!), but once you have tried it, a dish doesn't taste the same without it! The green variety grows as a weed almost everywhere, and this is how I used to get it - just let the stuff grow behind my shed. One season, when we had a severely cold winter, and it didn't come back. I got some seeds, and had a little starting to come back, but then I found this red version, which has an incredible flavor, grows huge, and doesn't attract spider mites when grown indoors (a problem with the green).

This was new, even to me, last year. I got it from tradewindsfruit.com, and I actually got it in the off season, and grew it in hydroponics first. It grew like crazy, and I had to keep cutting it back, even though I didn't need it. I rooted some, and planted it in my mint patch last season, and it did well, but it didn't re-seed itself, like regular green epazote does - maybe the seeds are killed by cold. This year, when my early lettuce was bolting, I rooted some more, and planted it in the Junior Earthbox the lettuce had been in, and it went nuts! This was in a much more sunny position than the mint patch, so it must like that, and it grew to over 3' tall.

Here's a photo taken on 8-13, just a few weeks after planting the rooted cuttings:
ImageDSCF0297 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And here's a photo showing how huge the leaves get! Regular green gets to maybe 2 1/2", but it's usually under 2":
ImageDSCF0299 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Today I harvested the last of the epazote, mainly to use the Junior Earthbox it was in for lettuce. I also harvested a bunch of the seeds, if anyone wants to grow it next season. You can see how small the seeds are:
ImageDSCF0380 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And here's a photo of the lettuce, with the cut stems of the epazote, which were about 1/2" in diameter - definitely much larger than the green variety:
ImageDSCF0378 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I got about 6 c of loosely packed leaves, then salt-layered them, and it reduced to under 1 c, including about 1/4 c salt!
ImageDSCF0379 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Starting the salt-layering. This is a good way to preserve many herbs, to save their original flavor:
ImageDSCF0382 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The finished jar:
ImageDSCF0386 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageDSCF0384 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

imafan26
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Posts: 13962
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I have grown the green epazote. It does become a weed. It pops up everywhere. I have not seen the red one though. It does smell like gasoline but once it is put in the chili or burrito sauce, it changes. I actually cannot tell the flavor difference, but I like its' anti-flatulent properties.

pepperhead212
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Posts: 2851
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:52 pm
Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b

After cutting this off level with the ground a couple of weeks ago, it is coming back! Both stumps have several areas of new growth on them. I cut off the two larger ones, and put them in my cloner.
ImageDSCF0405 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

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Greywolf
Senior Member
Posts: 180
Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 12:30 am
Location: Western Tennessee

I think I am going to want to try that (epazote), since I have had a bee in my bonnet for fresh cilantro for years.

There are many spices that surprise us, don't they? You have no idea how good they can be until you have grown them and tried them fresh...

Basil was like that. Fresh Cilantro - used in a home made "Pico de Gaio" is amazing, I have some good growing Cilantro right now as I speak, and stripped a few bunches about an hour ago.

A friend of mine once told me that a peanut butter, jelly, and JALAPENO sandwich was a wonderful thing - and it took him months to get me to try one... You know what? He was right.

pepperhead212
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Posts: 2851
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:52 pm
Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b

I'm surprised I haven't posted on this thread for so long! I've been growing this ever since, and don't even bother salt layering the leaves any more, since I grow it year round! It's late this season, because I had to start it from seed, but it's finally taking off!

This year was the first year I found a volunteer red epazote! I always assumed that the seeds were killed by cold, unlike the regular green, which re-seeds with no problem! And no flowers on the original plant yet, so it's definitely from previous seed. I think it may be because the winter was mild - only down to 17° a couple of times, while it usually gets to the single digits at least a couple of times. And it came up through the landscape fabric!
ImageVolunteer red epazote, about 18 inches tall. 8-29 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The main plant is about 30 inches tall, so I pinched off the growth point, and immediately the axilliary buds at the base of every leaf started growing! In just 2 days, most are over 2" long, with a few leaves each.
ImageRed Epazote, about 30 inches tall, starting to branch out. 8-29 by pepperhead212, on Flickr



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