"~ jan" wrote in message
.. .
Was: Filter plants starting to grow - any new ones to recommend?

On Sun, 8 Apr 2007 10:14:34 CST, "Peter Corser"
wrote:

Watercress is almost ideal - grows really rapidly even in a settlement
tank
with no substrate or in a tank which still has plastic Flocor! Here in
the
UK it can go almost dormant during hard winters, but usually restarts
growth
very early - I use it in all my filter tanks. We also like to eat
watercress ourselves (much better, fresher and cheaper than supermarket
stuff) and have an almost unlimited supply most of the year -

Watercress is really high is good stuff also, but I took a bite out of
mine
and quickly spit it out, very BITTER. Is that normal? Are there different
kinds of watercress types? Mine started out as a grocery store variety.
How
on earth do you eat it, I can't imagine having even a small bit of it in
anything?

Pond plants are a no-go with my Koi - even overturned a large plastic
washing basket (about 3 ft by 2 feet and weghted down with bricks!) we
tried
to use to grow water lilies! Peter

Now that's amazing. How big are your koi? ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

Jan

Watercress should be very hot & peppery - most of what you get from the
supermarket has probably lost a lot of its taste in transport! Having said
that, the only source of watercress I have used for the pond is from the
supermarket. There may be different kinds of watercress, but I have never
seen or heard anything about the subject.

I eat loads of it raw and often straight from the pond after washing in
clean water (maybe I just have the taste), but it can be used in salads or
cooking (watercress soup is a favoured by some). We are members of a UK
Folk Dance Club (although my own activity is now zero due to medical
problems) and we always take fresh watercress to our dances or party nights
(done on what is known over here as an American Supper - everyone brings
something along to share with anyone else who fancies it) and the watercress
always runs out, no matter how much we take! Several of our neighbours are
also happy to take as much as they can.

One method which might make it more palatable to you would be to keep it for
a few days to let some of the strength subside. Wash and roughly drain a
bunch (enough to fill whatever size of plastic bag you have available), fill
the bag ensuring there is some, but only a little, water in the bag - seal
and it will keep for at least a week in the fridge and may be more to your
taste. If the bag has any kind of breathing hole it does not seem to work
as well. I usually rewash the watercress after 3 or 4 days - being lazy I
just empty any old water out of the bag, partly refill the bag, swirl around
and drain from the bag until there is no longer a continuous stream (a few
attempts and practice should make perfect!) and reseal the bag.

If all else fails watercress is a marvellous natural activator for a compost
heap/maker!

The koi are not particularly large - some around 2 ft/2 ft 6 in - but are
large enough to trash anything when they are breeding. I have also decided
that it is inadvisable to have any containers within the pond since my koi
and orfe love "jumping" for insects above the pond and containers could
cause damage.

The pond was built 29 years ago and some of the koi have been with us since
then - I have not added any fish to the pond for over 10 years (and that
pair of koi are stunted at about a foot in length). There are also about 15
huge Golden Orfe - the remnants of 60 we put into the pond as very small fry
over its first two years. These are a similar size to the koi and are the
reason the koi are not growing in size - koi do not emit pheromones when
they reach maturity, which is why koi can grow huge in a koi only pond, but
do respond to the pheromones of other fish. My koi could start growing
again once the orfe have gone, but ..........

Peter
--
Peter & Elizabeth Corser
Leighton Buzzard, UK

"Peter Corser" wrote:
"~ jan" wrote in message
Was: Filter plants starting to grow - any new ones to recommend?
wrote:

Nice description of your experience, Peter.

Another excellent pond plant is Pennywort. We just pull the whole plants
out of the ground,rinse off the dirt and drop them in the pond. They thrive
and provide good hiding places for the fry. I like the leaves in a salad,
too.

Pic posted at alt.binaries.aquaria, Subject: "Pond Pennywort (I think)"

--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families!

Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not forgotten. Thanks ! ! !
~Semper Fi~

On Mon, 9 Apr 2007 08:13:27 CST, "Peter Corser" wrote:

Peter, thanks so much for sharing your experiences. A 29 yo pond, wow.

Watercress should be very hot & peppery -

Well... hot & peppery probably is equal to bitter on my tongue. ;-)

problems) and we always take fresh watercress to our dances or party nights
and the watercress always runs out.

Maybe they are fellow pond keepers and are taking it home as a pond plant.
:-) Apparently it is a locale taste. Here the grocery stores only started
carrying it because pond people started asking for it. Then they found some
of the immigrants would buy it as FOOD. Still, stores don't always carry
it.

One method which might make it more palatable

Sounds like work.... and the willingness to acquire the taste. (I don't
drink beer either for that reason.) :-)

If all else fails watercress is a marvellous natural activator for a compost
heap/maker!

Now this I can use... if the koi don't eat it first. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

watercress is only availabel in my local stores if someone requests it, and
I also found it very bitter.. almost a strong mustardy taste. The wife also
found it distasteful, and I can;t imagien havinbg a watercress sandwich.

OTOH, the fish gobbled all of it right up, faster then it could grow.. seems
my guys will eat any plant I toss in there!


--
Gareee
(Gary Tabar Jr.)

"Gareee©" wrote in message
...
watercress is only availabel in my local stores if someone requests it,
and I also found it very bitter.. almost a strong mustardy taste. The wife
also found it distasteful, and I can;t imagien havinbg a watercress
sandwich.

OTOH, the fish gobbled all of it right up, faster then it could grow..
seems my guys will eat any plant I toss in there!


--
Gareee
(Gary Tabar Jr.)

Not to be off-topic, but the best watercress is flowering nasturtum, which I
grew in my regular garden for many year. The seeds come in packets like any
other flower. My sister-in-law was taken aback that anyone would serve her
FLOWERS! But the blossoms are as delicious as the leaves, maybe even more
so.
I'm a sucker for the stems, too. Peppery and light, they add something to a
salad. The flowers make a lovely accent on top, and instead of parsley to
beautify a plate.
I live in a cooler climate, though.

--
kat ^.^
Welcome to Malaria Gardens
Mosquito rides Now Open for the Season
Please hold tightly to small children and pets
Rhinelander, WI

kat ^.^ wrote:

Not to be off-topic, but the best watercress is flowering nasturtum, which
I grew in my regular garden for many year. The seeds come in packets like
any
other flower. My sister-in-law was taken aback that anyone would serve
her FLOWERS! But the blossoms are as delicious as the leaves, maybe even
more so.

And the seeds themselves are "capers".
--
derek
- Unless otherwise noted, I speak for myself, not rec.ponds.moderated
moderators.

~ jan wrote, On 10/04/2007 06:40:
Watercress should be very hot & peppery -

Well... hot & peppery probably is equal to bitter on my tongue. ;-)
One method which might make it more palatable

Sounds like work.... and the willingness to acquire the taste. (I don't
drink beer either for that reason.) :-)

You sound like a supertaster (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supertaster).
I'm the opposite, water cress tastes great and I eat lemons like
oranges. It's good to be a genetic anomaly.
All this talk of biofilters has reminded me that the pile of decking
offcuts needs to be turned into a filter frame.

--
DavidM
www.djmorgan.org.uk

And the seeds themselves are "capers".
Capers are watercress seeds? - We had them on the cruise ship in '86 on
different foods - thought it was a Greek thing - excellent
Gale :~)

G Pearce wrote:



And the seeds themselves are "capers".
Capers are watercress seeds? - We had them on the cruise ship in '86 on
different foods - thought it was a Greek thing - excellent

Er, no, capers are nasturtium seeds.

Now I'm confused, too :-)

Plants with the common name "Nasturtium" are genus Tropaeolum ("Flowering
Nasturtium" is /Tropaelum Majus/) and not at all related to watercress -
which is genus Nasturtium! Watercress is a type of mustard.

Here's a good page: http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Lepi_sat.html

Now I have to follow up what he said about capers - maybe they _aren't_
actually the same thing...
--
derek
- Unless otherwise noted, I speak for myself, not rec.ponds.moderated
moderators.

And the seeds themselves are "capers".
Capers are watercress seeds? - We had them on the cruise ship in '86 on
different foods - thought it was a Greek thing - excellent

Er, no, capers are nasturtium seeds.

Now I'm confused, too :-)

Plants with the common name "Nasturtium" are genus Tropaeolum ("Flowering
Nasturtium" is /Tropaelum Majus/) and not at all related to watercress -
which is genus Nasturtium! Watercress is a type of mustard.

Here's a good page: http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Lepi_sat.html

Now I have to follow up what he said about capers - maybe they _aren't_
actually the same thing...

OK, Derek - you got the ball, run with it :~
Gale :~)

Derek Broughton wrote:

Now I have to follow up what he said about capers - maybe they _aren't_
actually the same thing...

I love nasturtiums. It's fun eating flowers!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caper

Scroll down to the "Culinary Uses" section and it says that unripe
nasturtium seeds can be substituted for caper berries.

As for watercress, you just explained why my flowering watercress looks
so much like the wild mustard weed that grows around here. Thanks!

--
My other fish and pond forum is:
http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium
Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com

G Pearce wrote:


And the seeds themselves are "capers".
Capers are watercress seeds? - We had them on the cruise ship in '86 on
different foods - thought it was a Greek thing - excellent

Er, no, capers are nasturtium seeds.

Now I'm confused, too :-)

Plants with the common name "Nasturtium" are genus Tropaeolum ("Flowering
Nasturtium" is /Tropaelum Majus/) and not at all related to watercress -
which is genus Nasturtium! Watercress is a type of mustard.

Here's a good page: http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Lepi_sat.html

Now I have to follow up what he said about capers - maybe they _aren't_
actually the same thing...

OK, Derek - you got the ball, run with it :~

Right, he's across the 50 yard line and heading for the end zone:

capers are "Caprissa Spinosa", not very closely related to Tropaelum,
but ...

He's at the 30 yard line and leaving the opponents behind him:

Capers _are_ fairly closely related to Watercress! (both being members of
the Mustard family).

Touchdown!

I love following up these questions because I invariably learn something I
didn't know before. I've just complained to DW that she lied to me about
the Capers - she insists that she didn't lie, she just believed somebody
else who told her the same thing.
--
derek
- Unless otherwise noted, I speak for myself, not rec.ponds.moderated
moderators.