Biology:Purple Osaka mustard

Purple Osaka Mustard Leave Plant (Brassica juncea)

An attractive vegetable plant that is very attractive, with beautiful large reddish-purple leaves with a flavorful mustard taste, that can be used for baby salad and in braising mixes.

This vegetable variety is highly productive, slow to bolt to seed, and extremely winter hardy.

Description

The large purple mustard greens leaves have broad savoyed leaves with a violet purple overlay and purple-green variegation. The leaves grow to 300 to 350mm in length and up to ±150mm in width. Purple mustard's leaves are succulent and tender; the stems are sweet with a crisp and crunchy texture. Purple mustard greens bring about a savoury, spicy and nuanced peppery flavour.

Seasons Sowing and Availability

Purple Mustard greens leaves are a cool season crop, they thrive in the winter months through spring. When you plant indoors or outdoors, you can plant small sections every three to four weeks for continuous harvests. When you sow seeds, do sow seeds frequently, during cool spring days and where fall conditions are suitable for these leaves. All purple mustard green varieties prefer cool climates for growing with full sun and rich soil with temperatures below 77 °F (25 °C) Frost is tolerable, but freezing temperatures will kill crops. It will grow under higher temperatures but will not produce large leaves.

Facts

Purple mustard greens leaves Purple Osaka Mustard is a member of the Brassica family, collectively known as cruciferous vegetables, along with turnips, broccoli and cabbage. Purple mustard greens leaves are grown for fresh eating, as a cover crop with pesticide qualities, for feedstock and as dual purpose ornamental greens in edible gardens.

Uses of the Leaves

Purple mustard greens leaves can also be cooked with potatoes, onions, tomatoes and mashed after 1 hour on slow (low heat) cooking and is also commonly used in salad green, pot herb, braising and pickling green in a diversity of cuisines from Asia to Europe to South America. Purple mustard greens leaves also pairs well with poultry, legumes, sausages, pork, grilled fish, garlic, creamy sauces and fresh cheeses, nutty oils, light vinegars, citruses such as grapefruit and lemon, mushrooms, fennel, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, cumin, basil, mint, pomegranates and stone fruits such as peaches and cherries.

History

Purple mustard greens leaves originate from Chinese, eventually becoming a naturalized common green in Japan. Taxonomists identify as many as seventeen subgroups of mustard greens that can differ sharply in heat, flavour, and appearance. Differentiation in soil types and temperatures can affect the flavour and heat level of mustard greens.