[ddsack]

I have four clumps of sorrel that originated from some potted starts that my sister gave me. It really has not spread much beyond the original area, probably because it dies back a little during the severe winter here, but does not totally winter kill and eventually new leaves will sprout.

You use the leaves before they make a seed head, and by pulling off the seeds heads, (or cutting level to the ground when the whole bush gets too seedy) you can keep it from spreading.

Sorrel soup is very good. A simple soup is just your chopped onions, carrots and potatoes or what have you, sauteed in a little butter or oil, then add chicken stock or bullion cubes and water as you would for a vegetable soup. Simmer until the veggies are tender, then stir in a couple of big handfuls of chopped sorrel and boil a little longer. Salt and pepper to taste. Doesn't take long for the sorrel to collapse and go limp. Gives an acidy tangy flavor to the soup. Stir in some chopped hard boiled egg and a little sour cream as garnish in the soup bowls when you serve.

My sorrel has slimmer, longer, more pointed leaves than what Worth's picture shows. I have no idea if there are several varieties, or if there is a difference between wild and domesticated sorrel. Have never looked into it. Mensplace is likely correct.

Neoguy, you can separate the seedlings into smaller bunches if you want. It does eventually grow all clumped together tightly anyway, so I suspect the more successful seedlings will just crowd out the weaker ones if you don't separate them.