We have been growing and enjoying Mache for the last three years. It was only recently that I figured out an easier way to harvest this early green. Kneeling and bending over for extended periods of time are not pleasant for an old codger such as myself. I recently had an “Ah Ha” moment as I was about to harvest some Mache. Instead of getting down on one knee and harvesting one stem at a time I opted to use my
straight bladed shovel and skimmed up a full shovel full of Mache in one swoop. I placed the shovel full of Mache in my potting tray and proceeded to pull the stems off while standing erect. By skimming just below the surface I was able to shear the roots half way, making it easier to pull the stems away from the dirt. I then pinched off the remaining root and any bottom leaves that didn’t look appetizing.
OF MACHE
MY POTTING TRAY
When I finished pinching off all of the roots I brought the Mache into the house and gave it a bath in the sink. The dirt sinks to the bottom and I run the mache through the salad spinner to get rid of excess moisture.
If you have an even better way of harvesting Mache please send it along so
I can share it.
All the best,
Greg Garnache
