Mmm, Glasswort: A Salty Seaside Succulent

We had first noticed the glasswort last week on day one of clamming. Actually, Gregg  found the plant when an unusual-looking specimen caught his eye, its jointed sections ranging from bright green to yellow to red, and we affectionately dubbed it "rainbow plant." Looking it up in the Peterson guide afterwards I found that it was unmistakably one of the glassworts, described by Peterson as "leafless plants with succulent, jointed stems that are light emerald-green in summer and often red in fall."

Peterson describes the glasswort's tender stems as "salty" and "excellent," both of which I found to be true. They can be pickled, pureed, or added to salads. Although I did not collect enough this time around to make a salad, I now have visions of one--similar to the Japanese seaweed salad I always order at sushi restaurants--now dancing in my head. And so, weather permitting, I am hoping more than ever that my parents and I will be able to fit in one more day of clamming (and therefore glasswort collecting) before the licenses are up.

In the meantime I'm going to give a solid recommendation that wild edible plants aficionados pick up a copy of the Peterson's guide to Edible Wild Plants. Although the geographical range is eastern and central North America, I have definitely seen some of these plants in the Rocky Mountains. The illustrations and attention to detail are excellent for plant identification, in keeping with the Peterson identification guide series. A full review of the book will follow at a later date, but I've referenced it in the blog a few times already so I figured it was time to provide a link.