Glasswort is an edible plant which grows on salt marshes. It is also known as marsh samphire and is traditionally eaten with fish. The plant is harvested in the same way as asparagus by snapping off the edible spears of new growth as it pushes through the earth. It is European in origin and grows across the continent from Norway down to the salt marshes of the Camargue. Harvesting takes place in summer when the green tips are tender. It can be boiled or steamed. The freshest most tender plant tips can be eaten raw in salads. It is also delicious pickled and can then be used as a salty condiment with a wide range of foodstuffs. The exposed fleshy plants bear tiny flowers in August and September then turn red in Autumn. They grow up to about 30cm in height and can survive total immersion in salt water.
