A very unusual artisanal marinade
Milkweed pods are children’s favourite. Many of us have made toy animals with the shapely pod.
The milkweed is the host plant for the monarch butterfly caterpillar which feeds exclusively on milkweed leaves. There are often beautiful monarch butterflies around us when we harvest the pods.
Though many people know the plant, few are aware of its value as a food. The plant contains a sticky white latex which is toxic for humans but dissolves well in water and the pods become edible if well washed. We have been selling and eating these pods since 1993 with no negative effect by following a rigorous cleaning method we have developed with the ministry of agriculture.
