I was a bit spoiled as a kid, we had many different types of wild edible plants nearby and I learned to recognize many of them. It’s a skill that I have long forgotten, but still have an interest in, I just wish I had more time to devote to it. Whether hard times come and you need to depend on foraging or you just want to nibble while you hike, I think having some understanding of wild edibles and edible weeds is a good idea.
I picked these three because they’re pretty easy to find, I am sure you have all seen them but may never have looked at them as being food. You can add them to your diet now, or just make a mental note of where they are near your home. If hard times come, you can add these to make your stores stretch further.
Dandelion
The entire dandelion is edible; just make sure you’re picking dandelions that have not been sprayed with herbicides. The young leaves will taste better as they get bitter with age. You can still eat older leaves; just boil them first to remove the bitterness, this could take more than one session. The roots could be sautéed or roasted. The flowers can be used to make dandelion wine, used in a salad or added to a fritter.
Acorns
Acorns, like other nuts, are nutritious; having calories, fat and carbohydrates as well. Once harvested and boiled to remove the tannin to get the bitter taste out, they can be ground and turned into four. Acorns will fall to the ground when they are ripe, in early fall. Pick them up and discard any with holes as there is a good chance they have had worms. You can either crack them or let them sit out to dry or let them sit out to dry and then crack them. To crack them you can use a nutcracker, hammer, or even cut them in half with a knife. Boil to remove the tannin, taste test them and if they are still bitter, boil them again. If they are not bitter, separate the acorn meal from the water. You can use the acorn meal as flour.
Cattail
Cattails seem to grow where ever there is any standing water. Did you know that they are often called “nature’s supermarket”? Almost every part of the cattail can be eaten at different parts of the year.
In the spring the shoots can be eaten raw or added in stir-fry. Cattail hearts mature in mid spring and can be used similarly to the shoots. Cattail pollen can be used instead of cornstarch as a thickener or can be added to breads for taste. The Rhizome or root can be harvested between late fall and early spring. Cattails store starch in the roots in the colder months and can be turned into flour, similar to acorns.
As I mentioned I just don’t have the time to devote to knowing wild edibles as much as I would like. But have gathered a decent list of resources on the subject, for when I do have more time. Here are the resources I have that you can use if you would like to learn more on the subject.
I’ll review some of the books I have on this subject on Thursday. Here are some of the other resources that I have collected:
Websites:
Eat The Weeds
Hunt Gather, Grow, Eat; forage section
Northern Bushcraft: Wild Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest
ForagingPictures.com
Outdoor Edibles
Wildman Steve Brill
Wild Crafting: Forage for Free Food
If you have any other websites please add them in the comments, save the books for Thursday please.
