Eat Creeping Charlie

Creeping charlie is an ivy-like plant that grows in shaded areas. Throughout history, people have used creeping charlie's minty flavor in foods and teas. If you want to eat creeping charlie, wash the plants first to make sure you don't expose yourself to bacteria. Add them to dishes like salads and pastas or brew them in your tea. Make sure to keep safety in mind. Some people may have an allergic reaction to creeping charlie. If you notice an allergic reaction, seek medical help as soon as possible.

Steps

Washing Creeping Charlie

1. Submerge creeping charlie in a bowl of water. After bringing creeping charlie into your home, fill a bowl with cold water. Submerge your creeping charlie in the bowl, making sure the leaves are covered completely.
2. Let the creeping charlie soak. Creeping charlie needs to soak until a layer of dirt has formed at the bottom of the bowl. Times will vary. A small amount of creeping charlie may be ready in a few minutes, while a larger amount may take longer.
3. Remove your creeping charlie from the bowl. Use a net-like device to remove your creeping charlie from the water. Then, place your creeping charlie on a paper towel.
   • Remove creeping charlie from the water slowly and gently.
4. Blot the leaves dry. Take a paper towel. Gently blot the leaves dry on both sides. Be gentle to avoid tearing the leaves. When you're done, your creeping charlie will be ready to eat.

Consuming Creeping Charlie

1. Eat creeping charlie like leafy greens. Creeping charlie can be eaten as a leafy green in a salad. Sprinkle creeping charlie on a salad to add a bit more flavor and nutrition. Creeping charlie contains vitamin C, so it's a great plant to add more vitamin C to your diet.
   • For example, if you made a salad for lunch, toss a handful of creeping charlie on top and mix it into the other leaves.
2. Add creeping charlie to vegetable soups. If you're cooking a vegetable soup, throw in some creeping charlie while you're in the process of seasoning it. This will add some extra vitamins as well as added flavor. Creeping charlie has a minty flavor, so this can be a great addition if you want something with a mint taste.
3. Use creeping charlie in omelets. Add a dash of creeping charlie to your omelet in the morning. Toss in the creeping charlie the way you would toss in other herbs, like basil. This will give your omelet a mild minty flavor.
4. Make a salad dressing with creeping charlie. Toss creeping charlie in a blender with a dash of lemon juice. Blend until you have a liquid roughly the consistency of salad dressing, adding additional lemon juice as necessary. This makes for a nutritious minty dressing.
5. Steep creeping charlie for tea. You can place creeping charlie in a tea infuser ball and let it steep in a cup of boiling water for about 10 minutes. This will leave you with a minty, refreshing cup of tea.

Taking Safety Precautions

1. Ensure proper identification. Not all plants you find outside are safe to eat. Before picking and using creeping charlie, make sure it's the right plant.
   • Creeping charlie always grows close to the ground, forming a mat-like cover on the grass or dirt.
   • Creeping charlie has longer stems with nodes on the end that will form into roots.
   • Creeping charlie has bright green kidney-shaped leaves with scalloped edges.
   • When in bloom, creeping charlie has blueish or purple flowers with five petals each.
2. Watch out for an allergic reaction. Some people have an allergic reaction to creeping charlie. If you notice a swelling throat or labored breathing, go see a doctor immediately. Do not consume creeping charlie again.
3. Keep creeping charlie away from horses. Some people grow creeping charlie to eat or harvest. If you do so, keep your plants away from horses. Horses may graze on creeping charlie and the plant is toxic to them.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make Vanilla Sugar
• Make Oregano Olive Oil
• Make Italian Seasoned Chicken
• Chop Basil Leaves
• Eat Wood Sorrel
• Eat Chicory
• Use Ginseng Root
• Eat Purslane
• Eat Kudzu
• Eat Heartsease

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