Hops Shoots
From Forager Chef
Fresh hop shoots. They’ll need a trim before they hit the pan to make sure you only get the most tender part. These are from the summer, so the yield is lower.
Meet the most expensive vegetable in the world, according tothis site: The first 2 pounds are sold by auction and could get as much as 500 Euro per pound! For a vegetable.
The shoots are small, but have a great flavor, as well as an interesting look. They’re also easy to harvest, and when picked, actually help the hop plant grow more vigorously, just like cutting back the young growth of herbs
- The easiest trick is looking for vines from the previous year, this can be the best way to see them from afar. I see them often on the sides of bike trails, and on the edges of woods containing hardwoods–but not deep in the woods since they like sun. Stick to the peripheries of your wild places.
- In the winter and fall, you can see the previous years growth, but there’s a lot of different vines that look similar. A good way to tell hops apart from them is their leaves, the flowers, and dried flowers and vines from the past year. See images for examples below.
- Grow hops in your garden, or on the side of a house! Hop vines make a great addition to a garden, and are a great example of how you can grow food vertically, as well as horizontally. Add some extra edible biomass to your land. Obviously, you’ll need a lot to get large harvests, but they’re a great plant to keep around, and they’re not that pesky.
- Contact a brewery or a place that grows their own hops and ask if you can pay or help with the pruning process. This is a great way to get hands-on experience and meet the plant, without having to go out in the wilds. If you ask nicely (and buy some of their beer) you might be able to convince the grower to let you take some cuttings or transplants back.
HARVESTING AND PREPARING
Cleaning and preparing them isn’t hard at all, but it is important to know that past the tip of the shoot itself, the vine does get tough and fibrous. The first 3 inches (or more on young shoots) or so of the shoot are gold though, and worth picking if you find some. Cleaning wise, all they need is a quick swish in some water and they’re good to go, some may be clean enough to just throw right in the pan. That being said, they’re delicate little things, and should be cooked quickly, with a light hand on the seasonings, bury them with a heavy sauce and you won’t taste them at all. Fresh hop shoots, stored in a zip loc with a damp towel can keep for up to a week or more. Once you have some, hop shoot frittata is a great place to start!