Yellow dock is considered by many to be an invasive weed
that they struggle to get rid of once it takes root in their garden.
How differently they might feel if they knew what a useful food and medicine plant it is!
Yellow dock, also called curly dock, can be identified by its long green leaves and wavy leaf margins.
It could be confused with horseradish as that also has wavy leaf margins
but that is much rarer to find in parks, so you are less likely to come across it,
it's also more massive-looking than yellow dock
and it's root, should you get that far to digging it up, is white
unlike yellow dock which has a vibrantly mango-coloured yellow-orange root.
Yellow dock belongs to the Buckwheat family
- its young leaves and seeds are edible
and are enjoyed as spring and winter staples in many parts of the world.
You can also identify clumps of yellow dock by the dried old flower
and seed stems that remain standing tall,
dried and rust-coloured throughout the winter and into the following year.
For medicinal purposes, we use the root
and it's best to use roots which are at least 1 year old
the presence of those old browned stems will tell you
that the plant has been there for at least the past year.
Yellow dock root is a very useful remedy for conditions that affect the skin
due to inefficient digestive and liver function,
and especially if you suffer from constipation.
And by the way, if you don't go for a poo every day - you're constipated!
Itchy skin, acne, and eczema are all conditions
which might benefit from yellow dock.
Yellow dock is also a good source of iron.
To prepare yellow dock, first find your yellow dock plant
and dig up the root.
It is usually very long and can be quite a challenge
to unearth the whole thing!
Once you have got your root and cleaned it thoroughly, chop it up finely.
Lay the chopped roots on a baking tray, one layer deep,
and place in an oven on very low heat for at least 2 hours
until the roots are completely dried (though not burned).
Store the roots in a clean glass jar and label.
To make a decoction of the roots, take a good amount of the dried root
place in a pot, add 2 cups of water, cover with a lid, and bring to the boil.
Turn it down slightly and let simmer for at least 20 minutes.
Turn off the heat, strain and drink while warm.
It will be very bitter but try to drink it without adding any sweetener, natural or otherwise
it's bitterness is it's medicine!