Wild Edible Plants with Optimal Nutrition & Medicine- BURDOCK!

In Britain there is a soft drink called dandelion and burdock. It is drunk nowhere else.

The drink actually contains dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and burdock (Arctium lappa) roots, and is naturally fizzy.

It has been drunk in the British Isles since around 1265, though its exact origins are unknown.

The best and most healthy dandelion and burdock drink you can get is probably that made by the British botanical brewers Fentimans.

The soft drink is referenced in the Arctic Monkeys' song Suck It and See.

Who wants to go on a weed walk and find some Burdock? Alrighty then, come along with me.

We are going to harvest Burdock root, remember the root in the fall is only harvested for drying (to put into soups and stews) or for medicinal tinctures and infusions. You eat the early season root, by the time fall comes it has a harder "bark" on it and is more tough then the early season root. You can still eat it in roasted root veggie dishes and stews.

Now here in New England I have already harvested my Burdock root back in October. The wacky weather has allowed me to do this today because we STILL have not had a deep frost or freeze.

Let's get going.

It took me a whole 3 minutes to find a Burdock growing on a little slope in rich soil. This is what it looks like in the fall...yup, you know what plant it is now. Those nasty burrs that stick on your clothes and the pets. ( NOT the red and white berries) the dried up dead looking plant. This is the 2nd year plant I talked about in the original post.





Crazy things even stick to your hand



These are the seeds I was talking about in the original post that I sprout in the winter.



Much to my surprise there is still a 1st year Burdock growing that I can harvest. Remember, only the first year plant has the good root as I pictured in the original post....This one is small and pathetic looking, right? It'll surprise you.




Note the red color



So let's get digging. This is the top of the root, quite large for that pathetic little plant, eh? And I was lucky, once I started digging I found another root right next to it.



Remember how I said they liked rocks? Well here they are. I always get impatient once I get to this point, knowing I am so close. Don't rush though, take your time.




We're there! See how those final roots hold onto a rock? It's always this way at the end. Pull gently...





Still another one to dig...I know, pretty silly but I am using a spoon. Darn, I broke it, that's ok though since I am using it right away. This one is really thick. I'll show you below how thick in the photos below, it would be nasty to eat in the fall (in my opinion the harder the bark the more bitter they are) but good to dry and prime time for medicine and vinegars.



Alright, come on over to my house, lets wash these. So, when you are preparing these to eat (alone or in dishes) you want to scrub them good. Nothing is worse than dirt in your meal. Today I am only going to get them clean. I'm making a vinegar infusion a little dirt doesn't much matter to me.




Remember how I told you they can be tough to eat in the Fall? Look at that "bark." It's even hard to get through with a knife. This has been growing since April. Not one I would eat if I had the choice but good to dry for soups and stews and in vinegars and tinctures. In the early growing season it will be white, soft and flexable. That's when it tastes really good.



I'm chopping it up to get ready to put in vinegar. If you are drying it then do it whole, root intact.




I am going to make mine in Apple Cider Vinegar today since I have already made my potent medicine in in Vodka back in October. This is an example of how one plant can have many different effects on the body just by preparing it in different ways. This vinegar will be good and nourishing on my salads.
Fill the jar to the top with the root and then fill to the top with vinegar. Easy, no fancy math.





Use a plastic lid if you can or place some wax paper on the top and then lid, vinegar tends to rust the top. Label jar and in 6 weeks I will decant this, take all of the root out and it will be ready to use!



I am not going to get into tinctures, infusions right now. I think this is enough to absorb!
I hope this all makes sense. It's so much easier to teach it hands on and speaking than it is with pictures and typing.
Cheers

Great followup! I am going to try this when I get home today. Keep em' coming, looking forward to seeing which other plants are on your toplist. Thanks for the info!!

reply to post by clowdstalker


Awesome! Let me know how it goes and remember to be patient digging. Have fun.

Excellent thread choice! Can't wait for the next installment. S&F for you!
By the way you have some very nice Bittersweet there as well. Question- how can you cultivate and encourage bittersweet to be more prolific? I have a small one behind my house but would like what you have.
ciao!

Originally posted by SunflowerStar
Excellent thread choice! Can't wait for the next installment. S&F for you!
By the way you have some very nice Bittersweet there as well. Question- how can you cultivate and encourage bittersweet to be more prolific? I have a small one behind my house but would like what you have.
ciao!

Thank you! As for the Bittersweet, I have actually never cultivated it. What you see is a native Bittersweet that has taken over the world! haha It's monstrous and has been here for at least 15 years. It's about having good soil, so I'd say that's what you want to work on. This is old farm soil, rich loam and very moist. If you look at the dirt where I dug the Burdock you'll notice how deep the loam is, even when finished I had not reached any clay or sand.

Check your soil, if it's sandy then I'd try transplanting it somewhere with more loam and moisture or add organic matter to what you have. Not sure if that'll help but worth a try! Here a link on Loam- www.hort.purdue.edu...

reply to post by Sicksicksick


I sure would like to get a recipe for that Dandelion/Burdock drink?

For those looking to encourage nature's edibles on your property, be sure to check out 'Permaculture'. There are some good videos on YouTube on this subject.

Originally posted by moondancer811

We are going to harvest Burdock root, remember the root in the fall is only harvested for drying (to put into soups and stews) or for medicinal tinctures and infusions.

edit on 16-11-2011 by moondancer811 because: (no reason given)

You mentioned Vodka medicine and Apple Cider Vinegar tincture. What are the applications for these two preparations?

reply to post by prsmith


Great suggestion! Nature does it for you if you let her. Interplant (by not weeding out) selected weeds, try purslane, lamb's quarters, or amaranth with your corn, chickweed with peas/beans, and yellow dock, sheep sorrel, or dandelion with tomatoes. I prep the garden soil in the spring with the weed seeds and salad seeds and then thin once they sprout... then I thin back the lettuce, chickweed, mallows, lamb's quarters, amaranth, and garlic mustard and pull out the other plants I don't want in my salad bed.

Originally posted by prsmith

Originally posted by moondancer811

We are going to harvest Burdock root, remember the root in the fall is only harvested for drying (to put into soups and stews) or for medicinal tinctures and infusions.

edit on 16-11-2011 by moondancer811 because: (no reason given)

You mentioned Vodka medicine and Apple Cider Vinegar tincture. What are the applications for these two preparations?

Tincturing is very easy

Identify and pick the plant parts you desire to tincture.
Look through the plant material and discard any damaged parts.
Do not wash any part of the plant except roots, and those only when necessary.
Chop the plant material coarsely, except flowers and delicate plants.
Fill a jar to the top with the chopped plant material.
Then fill the jar to the top with 100 proof vodka or vinegar
Cap the jar tightly.
Label the jar with the name of the plant, the part of the plant used, the type of the spirit used, and the date.
Allow plant and alcohol/vinegar to mingle together for six weeks or more.
Decant the tincture and it is ready to use.

Vodka is reserved for your strong medicine and it only taken a couple of drops at a time.
Vinegar is nourishing medicine.
Infusions are a tea of dried plant material, seeped in boiling water in a cover canning jar for 4-8 hours, depending upon the plants.

Every herbalist and their Mother will have their own way of making infusions and tinctures, this is how I was taught by a country herbalist and is the basic formula many are using these days.
Hope that helps!

I highly encourage anyone who is interested in herbalism to start off with Juliette de Bairacli' Levys books, "Common Herbs for Natural Health." is a great start but she has written many books since the 50's.
She was a gypsy who healed humans and animals with all the wild plants of the world. She is the Queen of wild crafting and wild edibles is one of the most respected herbalist and healers in the world, much loved and very missed. She died in 2009 at 96 years old.
julietteoftheherbs.com...

reply to post by TinkerHaus


Actually, the fuzzy leaves of mullien are "nature's charmin", and it grows everywhere, too.

-zz

Originally posted by prsmith
reply to post by Sicksicksick

 

I sure would like to get a recipe for that Dandelion/Burdock drink?

For those looking to encourage nature's edibles on your property, be sure to check out 'Permaculture'. There are some good videos on YouTube on this subject.

Here's a recipe you can try: uktv.co.uk...

Originally posted by stillwind
reply to post by TinkerHaus

 

Actually, the fuzzy leaves of mullien are "nature's charmin", and it grows everywhere, too.

-zz

Be careful with that as some people are rather sensitive to the rotenone contained within the leaves. That's one place you don't want to encourage a rash!
Besides, the leaves are far more valuable as medicine, tinder (when dry), tobacco additive or insecticide. Tea made from the leaves is excellent for coughs, colds and congestion. Dried leaves can be smoked for asthma or spread around a shelter to deter insects. The long dried stem is good for making hand drill or bow drill fires and also for tinder and kindling. The seeds at the top are a favorite food of finches and can be used to stupefy fish in a pond to bring them to the surface.
Or you can just wipe your tush with it.

There are a few names around here its been called milk thistle i can't remember the others right now.
If i remember correctly when the stalk is broken there is a milky liquid that comes out and many rumors of people being poisoned by eating this at certain times of the year.What i find crazy is how animals usually leave this one until it is matured.I may be way off here but i think it's been called polk salad and was widely eaten before we had grocery stores.

reply to post by deadeyedick


en.wikipedia.org...
Sorry i was wrong it's not polk salad or milk thistle.If i were out picking supper in the wild i could have a very long sleep tonite with the skills i just showed.
en.wikipedia.org...
articles.timeso... findia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-16/health/30405117_1_lung-cancer-cancer-cells-molecular-carcinogenesis

reply to post by deadeyedick

Poke is somewhat toxic, My family has picked it early spring along with other greens. Unless you have no other choice, I would "pick" something else. You must boil the leaves twice, to make it safe so if there is something else, go for it.
Another root one must be careful with is Sassafras, it can damage the liver. We must take care when we are out in the bush..

At last! The most useful and informative thread I have seen so far on ATS! Well done to you, S+F all the way!

I really fancy some dandelion & burdock pop now.
Beautiful plant has literally saved my ass on a few occasions for a few reasons.
Easy to find in Britain anyway, always grows near to stinging nettles in the wild.

reply to post by moondancer811


Excellent post!

I love survival information!

(and playing with post-apocalyptic scenarios)


At the moment Im reading Jules Verne "The mysterious island". A book about 5 people and a dog alone on a pacific island, and how they rebuild from scratch with only the things they had on them at the moment of crashing their baloon.

I learn a lot "survival" ideas from that book actually. Highly recommended.

Peace out
-@Flein

Great article and FANTASTIC pictures. I actually wrote an article (elsewhere) several years ago titled "Pick 5 To Stay Alive". Same premise as yours. Keep up the good work!