Readers ask: What Can Lovage Be Used For?

Lovage is a plant. The root and underground stem (rhizome) are used to make medicine. Lovage is used as “irrigation therapy” for pain and swelling (inflammation) of the lower urinary tract, for prevention of kidney stones, and to increase the flow of urine when urinary tract infections or fluid retention is present.

What can you do with lovage?

Also known as sea parsley, the leaves and stem of the lovage plant add an intense celery-like flavour to soups, stews and stocks or pork and poultry dishes. It can also be used to enhance the flavour of potato dishes.

What part of lovage can you eat?

Lovage is delicious with eggs, too – stir leaves into omelettes, scrambled egg or frittata. Tender young stems (from the centre of the plant) can be steamed and served as a side vegetable – lovely with a summer roast chicken.

Are all parts of lovage edible?

Growing lovage usually means an ample harvest, and all parts of the plant are tasty and edible. The leaves are treated as an herb and used to flavor soups, salads, sauces, and veggies. The stems and roots can be boiled or sautéed as a vegetable, while the fragrant seeds are used as a spice.

Can I eat lovage?

The leaves of the lovage plant can be used in salads or infused as a tea (using dried leaves). In fact, the leaves are considered one of the oldest known salad greens; they can be used in soups, salads, stews, casseroles, stocks, and more. The stems of lovage are often candied and eaten as a sweet treat.

How do you harvest and use lovage?

Strip large, mature leaves from the stalks before cooking – the stalks can be chopped and cooked separately. Young leaves and stalks can be kept whole. To harvest lovage seeds, pick the seed heads as they start to turn brown, place in a paper bag and hang upside down in a dry airy place.

Is lovage toxic to dogs?

It smells and tastes like celery so it may be appetizing to your pet, which is unfortunate since the lactones in the plant act as a diuretic and may cause dehydration and loss of vitamins from increased urination. Lovage poisoning in dogs is usually a mild disorder caused by eating any part of a lovage plant.

Can I freeze lovage?

Lovage can be used fresh or stored frozen in sealed bags or dried.

Is lovage toxic to cats?

Humans have cultivated lovage for thousands of years for use as both a food and a medicine. However, if ingested by cats, the plant can have some potentially dangerous side effects due to the chemicals present in its roots and leaves.

Is lovage related to celery?

Lovage tastes like celery but a little stronger and is a lot easier to grow than celery. Lovage is in the Umbelliferae family with its cousins dill, fennel, caraway, coriander and chervil. Its botanical name is Levisticum officinale. I have been growing this perennial herb for over 25 years.

Can lovage be transplanted?

It needs minimal care and it will reseed itself readily, so you won’t have to replant it over and over. The plants can grow up to six feet tall, with a 32-inch spread, so they make stately specimens in the garden. Lovage is suitable for gardeners in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-9, and it prefers a cool climate to a hot one.

Does lovage come back every year?

Two perennial herbs that I wouldn’t be without are lovage and sorrel. They come up every year, survive on little attention, and are among the first plants to provide fresh green leaves in spring. Lovage is tangy and pungent, like celery but richer and stronger.

Is lovage a good companion plant?

Lovage has a reputation as a good companion plant for potatoes and other tubers and root crops. Food crops should be arranged in the vegetable garden to form the best alliances and make their growth better and healthier.

What is lovage drink?

A secret recipe hailing from Bristol’s oldest wine merchant, Phillips of Bristol. Originally distilled from Devon’s finest herbs and spices. Lovage is an old favourite that has been passed down through the generations and traditionally partnered with brandy as a soothing winter warmer.