Growing Rocket - A New Kid On The Block
Growing rocket is now just beginning to catch hold here in the United States. Rocket, better known to many as Italian cress, Roka, or Salad rocket, is much better known in England and on the European continent, where it has been cultivated for centuries. Rocket is a member of the Cruciferae family, and is a Brassica, placing it somewhere within the group of cabbage plants, though unlike most other members of the family, rocket is spicy, and in some instances quite hot to the taste.
Useful In Many Dishes - Rocket has become a favorite in salads and sandwiches when raw, and also is widely used as a cooked green. Young, tender leaves are somewhat spicy, and to some taste a bit like mustard greens. The more mature leaves can easily be considered hot and spicy, somewhat similar to horseradish. If the leaves are allowed to grow until the weather turns quite hot, and the plant begins to bolt, they can become quite fiery and hot tasting to the palate.
Rocket is becoming increasing popular as an addition to various stir fry dishes. Although the leaves are perishable, they will keep well for several when refrigerated, so don't have to be consumed the ray they are harvested.
Rocket will add a distinctive flavor to many dishes and is eaten often when steamed, or added to soups or stews. Rocket freezes quite well, so if one gets a bumper crop. it doesn't have to be consumed all at once, and nothing needs to go to waste.
Growing Rocket - Rocket is definitely a cool weather, some say a cold weather, crop. Growing rocket can get underway in cold frames as early as February in most areas, and March in the colder regions of the United States and Canada. A seed packet of rocket will usually be good for a row of around 20 feet, which may be much more than you can handle at one time. Successive plantings are better, though once the weather warms up or becomes hot, rocket bolts quite easily.
Once the sprouts appear above ground, and get an inch or so high, they can be thinned out to about 3" apart. If young seedlings are cut back to about an inch to harvest the new leaves, the plants will usually re sprout. Though normally grown from seed, rocket will also grow from cuttings, which usually take root quite rapidly. It takes about 6 weeks until leaves are ready to harvest, another reason to plant rocket as early in the spring as possible. As leaves are harvested, the plant will continue to produce new leaves and may even become rather bushy. Once the plant has bolted, started to flower, and go to seed, the leaves become bitter, and no longer pleasant tasting.
Harvested rocket leaves are very perishable. This is usually not a problem for the home gardener, but when rocket is grown commercially, the harvested leaves need to be brought to market fairly quickly.
Rocket is considered a low growing plant, and tends to remain that way if its leaves are continuously harvested. Sometimes it may grow to 2 or 3 feet high however, and as the stalks are not terribly strong, may require staking.
Try Some Rocket, And Introduce Others - If you tell people you've added some rocket to their sandwich, salad, or stir fry, they may not know at first what you're talking about. The plant does add a distinctive taste to most any dish though, and people who sample it are likely to want more. Besides its somewhat unique flavor, rocket is also rich in vitamins and minerals, as one would expect from a dark leafy green vegetable.