Sea Beans (aka Salicornia or Saltwort)

[Fred Hempel]

Sea Beans normally grow in salt marshes, and are often foraged and used by chefs.

I am growing Sea Beans this year in my field, which is definitely not a saltmarsh -- A Japanese variety that does not need to grow in saline (salty) soil.

However, the attraction to Sea Beans is often correlated with the saltiness of the tender stems/leaves, and so I am anticipating that I will need to "salt" my sea bean beds to enhance flavor.

Does anyone here have any experience producing Sea Beans by salting the beds that they are growing in?

[bower]

I don't have the experience, but I'm very interested in this plant so please let us know how it goes.

[carolyn137]

Yes I've grown Saltwort, I guess it just looked interesting to me, and if it did anything for me that I liked I would have continued to grow it,but it didn't.

https://www.google.com/search?q=salt...&bih=788&dpr=1

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...k1.hDmC2kvUoek

Carolyn

[PhilaGardener]

I've munched on it at the seashore - where, of course, it is salty!

I wouldn't add salt to your soil as that can be toxic to sensitive plants, so it might be hard to grow other things there in the future.

[NewWestGardener]

We call it sea asparagus here.
My guess is it is better to add salt during cooking or preparation than grow them in salted soil.

[Fred Hempel]

Salting would be in a small area devoted to saltwort production.

There are also methods for soil desalination. But it is a good thing to think about ahead of time.

Originally Posted by PhilaGardener

I've munched on it at the seashore - where, of course, it is salty!

I wouldn't add salt to your soil as that can be toxic to sensitive plants, so it might be hard to grow other things there in the future.

[Fred Hempel]

The caveat is that, to chefs, the major draw of saltwort is the salty flavor. They use it as a salt substitute.

Originally Posted by NewWestGardener

We call it sea asparagus here.
My guess is it is better to add salt during cooking or preparation than grow them in salted soil.

[peebee]

I watched a program in Japanese last week about tomatoes. What intrigued me was the story behind one farm that was flooded by seawater several years ago during a natural disaster (I believe it was a devastating typhoon). The farmer thought all was lost, but decided he might as well go ahead and plant his tomato crop as planned, after the water level went down. The tomatoes were smaller than usual at harvest, so he did not have high hopes as they were planted in ruined soil anyways. The tomatoes turned out to be so sweet, he later marketed them as Fruit Tomatoes. Ever since, he has grown them in soil that has high salt content. He showed the soil on camera, and there was clearly white powdering on the surface. How he "salts" his soil was not discussed, but he did say the salt AND scant watering both contributed to his extra sweet fruits. These Fruit Tomatoes are popular among children in Japan especially.
I know that decreasing the watering towards the end of harvest is a common method here, it aids in intensifying the flavor. But high salt (like the kind in cow manure, for example) is a no-no. Now I'm wondering if perhaps we are wrong about this, or perhaps sea water is beneficial cuz it contains other nutrients which the manure does not have?
Have anyone near the shore ever heard of watering tomato plants with sea water? Not that I think it would be the same as having salted soil. Just wondering.
I've never eaten saltwort but it sounds good.

[bower]

That sure is interesting Peebee. I got a load of seaweed last year that was right in the edge of the water so really dripping with salt. We never rinse our kelp before using it but I was a bit worried about the amount of sea water I was splashing onto the soil with this stuff.... never dawned on me that it could actually make the fruit sweeter.

[gorbelly]

I've grown another species called saltwort (Salsola komarovii, aka oka-hijiki or "land seaweed" in Japanese). It's similar to agretto (Salsola soda), which I'll be trying this year.

I grew it in large containers and didn't salt it. It still had some salty flavor--not exactly salty, but minerally and savory. It was delicious with a great texture which was its big appeal.

Originally Posted by Fred Hempel

The caveat is that, to chefs, the major draw of saltwort is the salty flavor. They use it as a salt substitute.

Depends on the chefs! In Asian cuisines, these kinds of vegetables are frequently eaten, and they're enjoyed for flavor and even more for texture. You can always salt them when you use them in dishes if they haven't absorbed enough salt on their own, so it's no big deal if they're not very salty. What they bring to the table that can't be replicated and that is unique is their great textures.