TikTok’s algorithm knows what I want to see (of course). I get a lot of cute animals, funny nonsense, garden tips, and of course, foraging finds. For the past few months, I’ve been seeing videos of people finding or growing Lactuca virosa, or wild lettuce. It’s touted as being nice in a salad when it’s young and tender, but even more for its medicinal properties. So I’ve been on the lookout for a while now.
You see, it’s said to also be able to help with pain and as a sleep aid! It has this milky white substance inside, called lactucarium. The problem with finding it, is that to me, its leaves look super similar to dandelion leaves. I can’t tell you how many plants I’ve picked and brought home to compare to the wild lettuce pages in my foraging books. But this weekend, Mark and I took a little getaway to central PA, in the Selinsgrove area. We hung out around Penn’s Creek and went to some nearby parks. And while we were leaving one of them, I saw a ton of it growing out of the rocks and rubble near the entrance!
It can be identified by the toothed leaves that grow in a rosette or stalk, with a row of spines on the underside of the leaves. There’s more to it – as always, consult a bunch of books and resources before confirming you have a positive ID on a plant. Don’t just take my word for it! I harvested maybe a dozen stalks, and when we got home, I cleaned them up, separated the leaves from the stalks, and chopped it all up.
Next, I put it in the crock pot and added enough water to cover it all. Now, it simmers for 48 hours! Once I strain out all the greenery after that period of time, I’ll reduce the liquid down, and have a tincture that can be used in small doses for pain relief or to help with sleep. People also dry it or make it into extracts. I’ll keep you updated with how it turns out!
And just for a little eye candy, here’s a picture of the view from our deck during the weekend getaway 🙂
Mark & Beth's Homegrown Adventure 