I’ve been here long enough that the hostas are proliferating — I’ve known for a while that they’re edible, and that people like the early shoots for a sort of leek-like flavor, but I never quite felt like I had enough hostas that I was willing to sacrifice some shoots.
But I finally decided to try it — easy to do, just made up an omelette with what I had in the fridge. I’d say the sautéed hosta shoots have a very light flavor — slightly vegetal, edging towards bitterness, but at this stage, not as bitter as, say, arugula. They’ll get more bitter as they get older, if you like that flavor.
I’m not sure I’d go out of my way for them, but on the other hand, an easy way to add some early spring greens to my diet, and basically free at this point. I’m sure they’re good for me!
I glanced at this as a jumping off point, if you want a recipe to work from: https://www.motherearthliving.com/…/edible-hosta-tart…/
If you like frying things, tempura hostas shoots seem to be quite popular. I don’t fry very often, so don’t know that I’m going to try that anytime soon. If you do, report back!
