Milkweed Recipes

About

Milkweed is a delicious edible wild plant many foragers know. If you're new to the plant, please read The Forager's Guide to Milkweed that covers sustainable harvesting practices before sending me a nasty email about the monarchs.

milkweed buds on the plant in the summer

Milkweed buds make a great vegetable.

Edible species

What kind of milkweed can you eat? I can only recommend two species for eating: Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) and Asclepias speciosa (showy milkweed). There are other edible species but they're not as good, in my opinion.

Safety

Milkweed must always be cooked before eating as it can give people can get an upset stomach raw. Most people make milkweed safe for cooking by blanching it in boiling water.

cornmeal fried milkweed pods on a plate with ranch dressing

Cornmeal fried milkweed pods need to be on your list.

Edible Parts

Milkweed is a fascinating plant that has many delicious edible parts.

Shoots

The shoots are the fist part to come up in the spring, and make a decent vegetable. An old favorite is Milkweed Shoots Milanese.

Buds

Unopened milkweed flower buds make a delicious vegetable. My favorite thing to make with them is Steamed Milkweed Buds.

Flowers

Milkweed flowers are fruity and aromatic and turn liquids bright pink. Make sure to check out my Milkweed Flower Cordial and Shrub.

Pods

Young milkweed pods (harvested 2inches long or less) are my favorite part of the plant. Don't miss out on Cornmeal Fried Milkweed Pods.

Leaves

The leaves are edible, but tough. One thing you can do with them is puree them into pasta dough, like I do with my green Milkweed Bud Fettuccine.