Epazote uses

[heidih]

I was gifted with an epazote plant from a neighbor today and was told it will self seed so there will always be plenty.

Off the top of my head I think black beans, but is it good with other beans as well? When to add to the pot? How much?

I have seen mention of it in quesadillas simply with cheese but am wondering about details.

In general, how would Mexican home cooks use this prolific herb? I must say the odor is really different.

My "baby" is below:

[Dakki]

You can add it to all beans. Supposedly it cuts down on the gas thing.

I personally don't like it, maybe someone who does can comment further.

[Chris Hennes]

Funny you should choose this moment to ask, Heidi: I just had a batch of beans with dinner, and for the first time cooked them with Epazote. WAY TOO MUCH epazote! Wow. That stuff is powerful, I suggest going very easy on it until you get used to using it.

[heidih]

Chris- how much was too much in terms of amount of beans/epazote and when did you add it? When on line sources say it smells like gasoline they are pretty close.

[mariap]

Epazote is "the" ingredient used to flavor Tortilla Soup. I lived in Mexico City for 7 years and Epazote was key to giving this soup it's unique taste. Hope this is helpful...

[Chris Hennes]

Heidi, I probably used something like five full-sized leaves to one cup of dried beans. Um, next time I will be using one leaf. And the gasoline comparison is apt (bear in mind that I like the smell of gasoline, and of epazote): it's an odd sweet scent.

[djyee100]

I like epazote. It's strong, but also a little minty to me. I've seen it & tasted it in a variety of Mexican dishes, like a green mole, quesadillas & empanadas. Not too much, only a sprig or two, chopped up. You can substitute it for cilantro, and add it to the pot at the same time as you would cook with cilantro. It's cooked in dishes, rather than sprinkled on raw, to tame its strong flavor.

I've tasted quesadillas with epazote, but with a heartier filling than cheese--a summer squash filling. The epazote cooks with the squash (along with garlic, onion, tomato & chiles).

I like this recipe for a fava bean snack. So do other people, for an appetizer. A variation on a recipe from Diana Kennedy's My Mexico.

Spicy Fava Beans with Onions

3 1/2 cups fava beans, removed from pods, with inner skin left on

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups thinly sliced white or red onion

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 jalapeno chiles, seeds and veins removed, cut into thin strips

1/4 cup water

2 sprigs of epazote or 2 tablespoons cilantro, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

With a paring knife or peeler, shave off a thin portion of the skin where the fava beans were attached to the pod (the dark spot on the skin). This allows the flavors to penetrate into the beans.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and chiles, and cook until onion is translucent but not browned. Add the beans, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and water. Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat for about 7 to 10 minutes until beans are tender. Check the mixture occasionally and shake the pan so the mixture doesn't stick. Let the vegetables steam-cook in their juices. Add a little more water if necessary. Then add the epazote or cilantro, and let everything cook for another minute or so. Taste for salt, and add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt or more as needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: I've also cooked this recipe with edamame, removed from their pods, with cilantro, & that tasted good too.

[rancho_gordo]

I love it. Great with beans, to a degree. It's super in quesadillas and gives them a nice edge as opposed to gooey baby food. Also great with sauteed mushrooms and on my last trip I had it with grilled octopus. Incredibly good!

[Paul Tepper]

In Veracruz, epazote is used with black beans. When the beans are about 1/2 hour away from finished, toss in a healthy sprig of epazote. Paul

[heidih]

I am an octopus lover Rancho G. Do you think the epazote was tossed with the hot octopus or somehow cooked along with it?

When you say "great with beans to a degree", are there some beans that it marries better with, and would you have a suggestion for time to add to the pot and amount per beans?

[rancho_gordo]

The octopus seemed to be tossed with the epazote right before serving. It was whole leaf and still pretty green tasting. I got the feeling the octopus wasn't grilled long anyway.

re the beans, I think it's nice at times but I wouldn't want it with every bowl. To start add a whole sprig about 10 minutes before eating and see how that goes, increasing if you like it.

[LRunkle]

Every year I grow a big pot of epazote. It is terrific in cheese sauces, inside chicken enchiladas, with some tomato salsas.

Not all epazote is equally strong. It seems to get stronger in the hot sun. My advice is to taste the leaves before you decide how much to use and titrate the addition to your taste. It does self seed in my pot and around it in the gravel walkway. When it self seeds and comes up crowded the plants will not grow as big as the one in your picture. Mine goes to seed too early for me, one of the earliest things to go to seed of my herbs, so use it fast.

[heidih]

Yes I think I need to put it in the ground because it will not self sow in the hard clay around it (or the gardener will weed wack it). The person who gave it to me did mention that his gardener (the user of the herb) only used the early tender leaves. The larger plant (bout 3x the size of mine) my friend said was way past cooking use and that his guy would be waiting for the tender young ones.

[rancho_gordo]

I've heard many people say it's invasive but I never had any luck, also with clay soil. I grow it in two pots that seem to survive or reseed each year.

One year I kept my eyes open and noticed it growing everywhere, from parking lots to railroad tracks!

[thayes1c]

Epazote in eggs is good, added to huevos rancheros and the like. After making black beans with epazote, beans without tasted flat to me.

On another note, in "large doses" (whatever that means) epazote is poisonous. Some sites caution against pregnant or nursing women eating the herb, although I think maybe Americans are a little dramatic about such things.

[Chris Amirault]

I've heard many people say it's invasive but I never had any luck....

Our plant came back after harsh RI winters for several years, with no care or bother at all. I love the stuff, but, then again, I'm a fan of the funky flavors. YMMV.