FAQ: COOKING AND EATING WATERCRESS

We have a wealth of knowledge on hand to answer any questions you may have about watercress, ranging from scientific and nutritional through to recipe suggestions. If you have a great question and want some expert advice, drop us a line - we are here to help.

Q: What is watercress?

A: Watercress is an aquatic plant related to mustard, broccoli and wasabi. It is commonly confused with garden cress (also known as mustard and cress) but is actually a different species, although the two are related. The Latin or botanical name of watercress is 'Nasturtium officinale'.

Q: What does watercress look like?

A: Watercress is characterised by soft, mid-green leaves which have an unbroken edge and an oval shape. The stems are crisp and slightly paler in colour. The length of cut watercress from end to tip should be between 7 and 12cm. During the early summer months small, white, edible flowers occur as part of the plant's natural life cycle. It is commonly sold in sealed bags found in the salad aisle of most supermarkets.

Q: What does watercress taste like?

A: Raw watercress has a peppery taste, similar to other related plants like mustard and wasabi. Once cooked the pepperiness of watercress diminishes, leaving a distinctive vegetable flavour which tastes delicious in soups, stews and stir fries. More mature watercress can sometimes taste slightly bitter.

Q : Which parts of a watercress plant are edible?

A : The entire watercress plant is edible, including the flowers, although the roots are best discarded as they do not have a pleasant flavour. Watercress that is packed into a bag and sold in supermarkets is entirely edible.

Q: Can I eat raw watercress?

A: Watercress is best eaten raw as it loses a proportion of its health benefits when cooked. However, watercress is also a useful ingredient when used in cooking, as it adds a unique flavour to soups, stews and stir fries and does retain a proportion of its health benefits.

Q: Can watercress be frozen?

A: Watercress is only suitable for home freezing if it is to be used in a soup, smoothie or other cooked/blended recipe. It can be dried in the oven on a low temperature and will keep for longer than fresh, however a proportion of the health benefits will be lost. How to freeze watercress.

Q: How to store watercress?

A: Washed, shop-bought watercress can keep in the fridge for between four and six days depending on the time of year. Unwashed watercress can keep for much longer. Remember to always check the use by date on the bag if you are unsure. How to store fresh watercress.

Q: Where to buy fresh watercress?

A: In the UK, watercress can be found in the salad aisle of all major supermarkets including Tesco, Asda, Waitrose and M&S (look for it in sealed bags next to the rocket and spinach). Online, our new plastic-free watercress bunches are available through Ocado.

Q: How do I cook with watercress?

A: Watercress is most commonly used in salads, smoothies, soups and sandwiches, however it can also be treated as a herb and used to flavour sauces and dressings. It is delicious wilted or stir fried and can be used in a similar way to spinach.

Q: Where can I find watercress recipes?

A: Visit our recipe section for plenty of fantastic watercress recipes perfect for any occasion.

Find more amazing watercress recipes here

Q: How do I prepare watercress?

A: Bags of watercress need very little preparation before being eaten, however if you are using bunches you will need to remove the lower half of the stems as they are likely to be tough and have probably been damaged from the elastic band used to tie them together. If you are using unwashed product, simply wash the watercress in cold water and then drain, either in a colander or using a salad spinner.

GROWING WATERCRESS FAQ

Q: Where does watercress grow in the UK?

A: Although historically watercress was grown all around the country, the vast majority of all UK watercress production now exists in the counties of Hampshire (known as the Watercress Capital of the World) and Dorset.

Q: Can I grow watercress at home?

A: It is possible to grow a small amount of watercress in potting compost at home. Watercress grown in ponds or stagnant water should never be consumed as it may pose a risk to health.

Q: Where can I buy watercress seeds?

A: You can buy small quantities of watercress seed for domestic use from our Shop. For wholesale enquiries, please visit The Watercress Company.

Q: When is watercress in season?

A: The UK watercress season begins in May and ends around November each year. Over the winter production moves overseas in order to ensure year-round quality supply.

Q: When does watercress flower?

A: Watercress is referred to as a long-day (or more accurately short night) flowering plant. This means it takes a reduction in the number of hours of darkness in each 24-hour period to induce flowering. In the UK as we move into the spring watercress starts to flower. Flowers, although perceived as an issue are perfectly edible and do not affect the quality or taste of the watercress. Unlike a lettuce which can become bitter when they run to flower or “bolt”, watercress flowers are delicately peppery and a flowering plant is still delicious.

Q: Why is watercress coming from Spain or Florida?

A: It is an interesting fact that you can buy watercress grow in Spain and USA and still support British farmers! Since the 1980s we have invested in farms overseas to provide great quality watercress, year round, especially useful during the depth of the winter to keep coughs and colds at bay; how about a warming bowl of watercress soup but which is also perfect for a January detox. We are British farmers with farms overseas run by British farmers. By buying our watercress in the winter you are helping us to stay independent and British. Thanks for the support.

Q: Why is my watercress going yellow?

A: Watercress needs to be kept cold. Once purchased, place your bag in the coldest part of the fridge and ideally eat on day of purchase to get maximum health and nutritional benefits. If your watercress is starting to turn yellow it's normally due to being kept somewhere too warm or being past its best.

WATERCRESS HEALTH FAQ

Q: Is it safe to eat raw watercress?

A: Yes, it is safe to eat watercress raw! Watercress is predominantly sold as a “Washed and Ready to Eat” product in thousands of retailer stores nationwide. This process ensures the watercress is not only grown to strict growing standards but is also washed and prepared for consumption. If you have any questions regarding this specifically you could contact the retailers directly. Otherwise or if you are unsure we would advise you to wash watercress as you would any other fruit or vegetable.

Q: What are the health benefits of eating watercress?

Helps stop and slows skin ageing - Elastin and Collagen in the skin are broken down by sunlight. A compound called Isothiocyanate (ITC) and vitamin C which are found in watercress can help STOP and prevent the breakdown of collagen and elastin and lead to more production of collagen leading to younger, healthier and more elastic skin. This will therefore reduce cellulite and wrinkles.
Helps Lower Blood Pressure – Watercress contains nitrates that help create elasticity and in the blood vessels which therefore lowers blood pressure.
Helps maintain healthy iron levels – Watercress contains high levels of iron, unusual in vegetables and necessary to convert energy in our food to be active and essential for growth and development. Iron in vegetables, however, is impossible to be absorbed unless Vitamin C is also present to change the iron into the same form that’s so easy to absorb from red meat (known as haem iron). 80g of watercress contains more Vitamin C than an orange of the same weight and so means that the iron in the watercress is absorbed more easily.
Improves Eye health – Compounds Lutein and Zeaxanthin are found in watercress. These help block blue light from reaching the retina meaning a reduction in light induced oxidative damage which would lead to age related macular degeneration (AMD).

Q: Is watercress a superfood?

A: Yes, watercress is a superfood! A superfood can be defined as: ‘a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being.’ Watercress has been listed as one of the top superfoods due to all the wonderful nutrient rich compounds found within it. These compounds not only have many major health benefits such as fighting the spread of breast and colon cancer, increasing antioxidant levels in the blood, helping fight DNA damage and improving eye health (to name a few of the long list of benefits) but also help athletic performance. Therefore it is listed as a superfood as it has so many diverse benefits on health and wellbeing. Read more about the specific health benefits and compounds found within watercress.

Q: Is watercress safe to eat during pregnancy?

A: YES OF COURSE! Watercress is packed with lots of vital compounds and nutrients that are not only great for you as a pregnant mother but for your baby meaning a healthier and more comfortable growing environment for your youngster to thrive. Watercress is high in the nutrient folate, folate helps keep away neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida and also helps as an antidepressant for expecting mothers. Our watercress is also very high in Vitamin C and calcium. These nutrients help boost your immunity saving you from any unwanted illnesses at this important time and also the calcium is great for your expecting babies bone health and development.

Q: Where can I read about scientific studies featuring watercress?

A: On this site, which not only goes into detail about the health and athletic performance benefits of watercress but also gives peer reviewed journals and research papers into the scientific studies carried out by researchers on the health benefits of the product. See the top menu “Health benefits”

Q: Are there any side effects of consuming watercress?

A: No. Like anything, eating watercress as part of a balanced nutritional diet will not have any side effects on the body. Only good health benefits will come from eating this superfood. SO GET EATING!

Q: Can consuming watercress aid in weight loss?

A: In one word, YES. Watercress has so many different wonderful compound and micro nutrients in that supports our weight loss and athletic performance. One of the main benefits of watercress on performance is its ability to help prevent DNA damage and lipid peroxidation (damage to cell tissues and muscles) caused by exercise. Exercise, whether its lifting weights, running or a Pilates class puts stress on the body which causes DNA damage. This causes a higher number of toxic free radicals and the hormone cortisol to be released. Both these processes severely slow the weight loss process and can even reverse the effect of exercise as too much cortisol (stress hormone) and toxins caused by exercise can actually make our body put on fat around your mid-section especially in response to a prolonged stressful environment. By helping eliminate and minimise DNA damage watercress and aid our weight loss journey tremendously.

Q: What goes well with watercress?

A: You can eat watercress with nearly everything! If you’re stuck for ideas on how to cook with watercress, try our watercress recipe library to find new and delicious ways to enjoy it.

HISTORY OF WATERCRESS FAQ

Q: How old is watercress?

A: Research suggests watercress is one of the oldest known salad leaves; around 400 BC on the Island of Kos, Hippocrates, the father of medicine, is said to have located his first hospital beside a stream so that he could grow a plentiful supply of watercress to help treat his patients.

Q: What is the Latin name for watercress?

A: The Romans called watercress “nasturtium” which means “twisted nose”.

Q: When was watercress most popular?

A: The plant’s heyday was during the Victorian period when the development of the railway allowed tons of the plant to be transported up to Covent Garden Market.

Q: Who was The Watercress Queen?

A: One watercress seller who made good was Eliza James, who as a child of five hawked wild bunches of watercress around factories in Birmingham, but who later earned the nickname of “The Watercress Queen” because of her near monopoly on the London watercress restaurant and hotel trade.

Q: Did the watercress industry suffer during WW1 & 2?

A: The watercress industry continued to thrive during both World Wars when the country had to rely on home grown produce and watercress sandwiches at “high tea” became almost a national institution.

Q: How did people used to eat watercress?

A: Watercress was a staple ingredient in school dinners; indeed several experiments conducted by the Ministry of Health in the 1930s concluded that watercress was excellent for promoting children’s growth.

Q: What happened to all the watercress farms?

A: In the 1940s more than 1,000 acres of watercress were under cultivation, but by the end of the 20th century that figure had shrunk to 150 acres. Gradually, despite its noble history, watercress gained a reputation as being just a garnish, served up at steak houses and posh hotels.

Q: Has the watercress industry regained popularity?

A: In 2003 British watercress farmers joined forces to once again raise the profile of this great British ingredient. A promotional campaign, “Not Just a Bit on the Side”, was launched, which has resulted in the industry enjoying a renaissance, with watercress once again being recognised as the original superfood.