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FOOD
making carbs count
Nutrition
Per 100g pre-packaged
samphire:
9 calories
virtually zero fat
0.8g carbohydrates
(less than 0.5% sugars)
2.7g protein (2% of RDA)
2.49g salt (17% of RDA)
found in fishmongers, supermarkets,
and delicatessens but gathering it
yourself can also be a rewarding
afternoon activity if you don't mind
a bit of mud. The growing season
is May to August, depending on
where you live and the thing to look
out for is cactus-like green shoots
poking through the mud at low tide.
Samphire hot spots are common
up and down the UK including Holy
Island (Lindisfarne) in the north
east of England, the Solway coast
in Scotland, Norfolk, North Wales,
and the Thames estuary. If you fancy
some fresh shoots, arm yourself
with a pair of scissors, a bag and
some wellies.
Once you're found your source
of samphire, you should use scissors
to snip off the top shoots as this
allows the plant to regrow and avoids
collecting too many woody bits (more
about those later). Most people don't
mind the saltiness, but it can get
a bit gritty so it's good to wash off
as much of the mud and silt as you
can in seawater before you take it
home. This also helps prolong the
life of the plants. Your reward for an
afternoon in the mud will be a superfresh
accompaniment to fish or meat
dishes that's easy to cook and looks
great on a plate.
Since it's been in the sea all its life,
it's important to stress that samphire
doesn't need any salt adding.
None at all. It's easy to prepare
and only requires the lightest of
cooking although you will need to
pick through the stalks to remove
the white woody parts which will
otherwise get stuck in your teeth.
These tend to be more common in
shop-bought samphire and can be
avoided if you are foraging by only
taking the parts at the top of the
plant. The woody stalks develop as
the plants get older, so the earlier
you can harvest your samphire the
better. Wash it well before cooking to
get rid of the sand and dampen down
the saltiness.
Steamy times
Best eaten fresh or kept for a
couple of days wrapped up in the
fridge, samphire can be steamed
for a minute or two, blanched in
boiling water then left to dry before
drizzling with olive oil, balsamic
vinegar, or garlic and lemon juice. It
also works well tossed directly into a
frying pan with butter or olive oil and
a smashed bulb of garlic and fried for
a couple of minutes. As well as being
a side dish for fish or meat, samphire
can be served with eggs, pasta, or
in salads. Lemon and garlic are both
good companions to samphire and
help to temper the saltiness.
Health benefits of eating regular
amounts of samphire are said
to include:
increasing antioxidants which can
help fight free radical damage and
oxidative stress
lowering cholesterol as it's thought
to contain substances that have
anti-inflammatory qualities
protecting the body against certain
illnesses such as colds as samphire
contains vitamin C
aiding digestive and gut health and
helping prevent constipation
promoting metabolic and
cardiovascular health by regulating
*King Lear Act IV, Scene VI,
Lines 14-15
blood pressure as it contains
minerals such as magnesium and
potassium
helping support thyroid function
as a source of iodine
With such high levels of salt (2.4g per
100g or 17% of your recommended
daily amount (RDA), you may be
wondering if it is suitable for people
trying to cut back on the white stuff,
but as long as you wash it and don't
add any extra salt it shouldn't break
any rules and recommendations.
There aren't many foodstuffs left that
you can pick for free and can be such
good fun to forage for.