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As a kid our family ate early spring dandelions all the time. We used them as a substitute for lettuce, and by sprinkling fresh bacon bits and green onions on them are delicious. I had an aunt that actually used dandelion flowers in scrambled eggs. My dad and I collected a lot of wild mustard as well, cooking them down into “mustard greens”.
Yes. This past year, I didn't have a lot of time to put into it. But I have about every ID book I could find on the subject. It is a little tricky for some plants and one does have to be careful, but it's very rewarding as well. The year before last, I made a bunch of preserves from various wild berries and had lots of different types of greens over the summer season. There are plenty of acorns around the area as well that are great once processed. The only thing I've never dared get into is mushrooms. I can identify and stay clear of something like water hemlock or buckthorn berries, but after reading up on mushrooms, I'm just not that observant, I guess. I would never trust myself on that matter. So I'll leave that one alone.
This is a fascinating topic. My ex was a survivalist and expert on the subject. When we were long-term horse camping, we made many salads of wild greens: mustard, dandelion and I really can't remember them all---sorrel is another. We picked so many we dried them for later. I also collected acorns, and went through the whole curing process, but they were great. But for greens, they are only palatable in spring when very young.
Another good one is young shoots of cattails. We had those sautéed often. We did collect SOME mushrooms, but only the very identifiable ones like morels, puffballs and chanterelles.
Then he'd go out and poach a weak, young deer that we cooked and smoked; that would last a few days without refrigeration.
Yes, those were the days! (I hadn't read "Into the Wild" yet, back then. LOL)
I've foraged for wild plums in the summer months before. The wild plums native to North Texas are about the size of a cherry (and fortunately are easy to identify). I've found many of these plums to actually taste sweeter than the plums you would buy in the grocery store, although some are quite tart or slightly bitter.
I'd die very quickly if foraging plants to survive, just not enough nutrition unless you have staked out nut trees and berries in season, etc. Dandelion? Good for side dish, not main course.
I have several mulberry bushes growing and they need very little care unlike hybrid fruit trees which need pesticide and fungicide spraying and fertilizing. I wish I could grow pecans (the only native North American nut) but live too far south.
Sorrel is delicious and have grown it from seed, great soup, but again wouldn't survive long on it. Dandelions are fine in moderation but would prefer to make a wine from it rather than eat it, mostly fiber. Cactus is a good food source too.
The number of calories and time expended to find enough plants to eat would outweigh the calories gained in my opinion unless small game was also caught, or fish.
I've foraged for wild plums in the summer months before. The wild plums native to North Texas are about the size of a cherry (and fortunately are easy to identify). I've found many of these plums to actually taste sweeter than the plums you would buy in the grocery store, although some are quite tart or slightly bitter.
Yup, we have those around here as well in the foothills. Very yummy...
How do you get the fiber out of the nettle stalks? I have a spinning wheel and I could easily twist up a bunch of cordage. You soak the stalks in water and when they start to come apart you beat the stringy parts out of them, then dry them, right?
I always dried the stalks, then soaked them to separate the fibers. Strong stuff. Nettle cordage is strong enough to make bowstrings.
Spartacus used rope made from nettles to get his army off of a mountain so he could get behind the Roman army and attack from the rear.
He won the battle by the way.
For the leaves, I cook the very young leaves before the plant blossoms, and cook them like spinach.
I agree though that trying to live on wild plants without protein and fats is just slow starvation.
One plant that actually doesn't taste bad and is really easy to harvest is what we always called pigweed. Hogs love it. I found out recently that other folks call it lambs quarter. Who knew??
Cattail isn't bad, the shoots remind me a lot of celery or bamboo shoots, but it works well in a stir fry. The roots are starchy and roast well to kind of a bland, sweet potato flavor. Cattail pollen works well as a flour to make camp bread, and the small stalk with the pollen can be roasted
One of my favorites is pine nuts in the spring/early summer when the cones are formed. Tasty when green, but keep pretty well when roasted. Takes a lot to make a meal though.
Biscuit root stores well dried, and makes a decent self rising flour, but you have to dig a lot of roots. Camas was a staple for the Indians that lived here, but be careful of the death camas that looks almost identical.
Lots of plants can be eaten, but usually there is another plant that grows near that looks almost exactly like what you want, but will sicken or kill you. Not something to just go out and experiment with unless you have someone with you that knows what they're doing.
First thing you learn s about wild plants is that "edible" means it probably won't kill you, not that it tastes good because if it tasted good, somebody would grow and sell it. .
I agree that home-grown meat is the best! Those of us who raise it know!
Millennia have been spent by humans, breeding and perfecting both plants and meat animals for best and safest eating quality. To not take advantage of that, is folly. This 'wild foraging' stuff is for people who can't be bothered to either raise or procure recognized human food. At best it tastes awful; at worst, it can poison you. In neither case will it provide sufficient calories or nutrients. It won't keep you alive or healthy. Why bother with it? Just plant a garden.
I agree that home-grown meat is the best! Those of us who raise it know!
Millennia have been spent by humans, breeding and perfecting both plants and meat animals for best and safest eating quality. To not take advantage of that, is folly. This 'wild foraging' stuff is for people who can't be bothered to either raise or procure recognized human food. At best it tastes awful; at worst, it can poison you. In neither case will it provide sufficient calories or nutrients. It won't keep you alive or healthy. Why bother with it? Just plant a garden.
I don't know if I'd qualify as a forager, but each year I pick pecans at a local park where I live. This year I picked 104 pounds and netting about 40 lbs of halves and pieces. I pay for them to be shelled. Nice big pecan halves! I always get a kick out of folks stopping and asking what we (me & hubs) are doing...I tell them picking pecans. In Texas you can take the just-opened pods off the tree, don't have to wait until they fall. These twinks are absolutely astounded, they have no idea where pecans come from. Some say ewww or the like. Whatever. Makes me laugh. They will pay $12 a pound in the store. I do a few hours work and pay for shelling, and it is about $1 a pound. Oh well.
When I lived in Washington state, we would pick blackberries on an island where we owned property. Huge berries, three inches long, organic and wild. I would make and can pie filling, freeze them, make blackberry juice and can it. We got literally hundreds of pounds. Lots of folks were also picking, so we had our secret spots, got right in the sticker bushes (wore long sleeve denim, etc.) and did sooo well.
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Those of us who raise it know!
