Wild Edible Challenge

Hemlock is probably the biggest risk. There is a great web page on how to identify it.
Wild Carrots, Queen Anne’s Lace, And Deadly Hemlock

reply to post by riverwild


Here's a picture of muscadine vines along my driveway. The grapes will ripen in early fall, and the raccoons and deer always get them the night before the humans are ready to pick them.

Finally! Better late than never wild blackberries. 3-4 weeks behind however should catch up for June picking. That is if it ever warms up.

reply to post by MojaveBurning


Dandelion leaf. These can be eaten raw.

Oxalis can be eaten raw and have lemon taste.

Clovers can be eaten raw too, including the big fancy flower, but it tastes very grassy.

I've eaten all of the above and confirm they are safe to eat. Dump them in a salad with a fancy dress and there you go, natural salad.

Curly dock



ArkLaTex
Used to pick this with grandma, nearly 60 yrs ago.
It can be used as a wild leaf vegetable; the young leaves should be boiled in several changes of water to remove as much of the oxalic acid in the leaves as possible, or can be added directly to salads in moderate amounts. Once the plant matures it becomes too bitter to consume. Dock leaves are an excellent source of both vitamin A and protein, and are rich in iron and potassium. Curly Dock leaves are somewhat tart due to the presence of high levels of oxalic acid, and although palatable, this plant should only be consumed in moderation as it can irritate the urinary tract and increase the risk of developing kidney stones.

reply to post by spooky24


Everything is better in America. Where are the thorns? We have heaps of blackberries in Aus, they are a declared weed which means if you have them on your land you are obligated to get rid of them. Ours are full of thorns though, nice to eat but bloody to pick. This more what they look like here:

I suppose being a penal colony they only brought the prickly ones over from old England and let them get out of control. Cant make life too easy for those convicts.

Originally posted by Cinrad
reply to post by spooky24

 

Everything is better in America. Where are the thorns? We have heaps of blackberries in Aus, they are a declared weed which means if you have them on your land you are obligated to get rid of them. Ours are full of thorns though, nice to eat but bloody to pick. This more what they look like here:

I suppose being a penal colony they only brought the prickly ones over from old England and let them get out of control. Cant make life too easy for those convicts.

Obligated to get rid of them??

Ours have lots of thorns, too. If I had to get rid of them, I'd choose a bunch of goats--but then goats are a problem in Australia, too, aren't they?

Spruce trees are vitamin C powerhouses. Steep the needles or young branches and you're set for the day with one cup. The inner bark will also work as an effective laxative... should that be necessary in a survival situation.

Cpt Cook made beer with spruce needles to keep his crew from getting scurvy.

Originally posted by MuzzleBreak
Ours have lots of thorns, too. If I had to get rid of them, I'd choose a bunch of goats--but then goats are a problem in Australia, too, aren't they?

Yes goats and rabbits and hares and camels and wild boar and donkeys and water buffalos and horses and turkeys and wild dogs and feral cats and foxes and cane toads and that's not even starting with the plants and trees. There are wild deer in the mountains too but they are not a problem, quite tasty actually.

Shuttlecock Fern (Fiddleheads)



These are actually really tasty, kind of a unique taste, though texturely, not too dissimilar to cabbage stalks. Very crisp and watery. My son, though hesitant at first, once I had scraped away the papery bits, liked them too. I would be inclined to eat a whole plateful, and they should be cooked if having more than a nibble, but ferns are my favourite plant group, and so I don't want to deplete the number of fronds that will eventually unfurl. If push came to shove though, a really good food source this time of year. My first try eating these, and I am highly impressed If I get the time, I think I will go for a walk in the woods so I can collect a meals worth.

Originally posted by Cinrad

Originally posted by MuzzleBreak
Ours have lots of thorns, too. If I had to get rid of them, I'd choose a bunch of goats--but then goats are a problem in Australia, too, aren't they?

Yes goats and rabbits and hares and camels and wild boar and donkeys and water buffalos and horses and turkeys and wild dogs and feral cats and foxes and cane toads and that's not even starting with the plants and trees. There are wild deer in the mountains too but they are not a problem, quite tasty actually.

Yeah. If we can eat it, and it doesn't eat us, how big of a problem is that? More like a blessing, most times.

Another one that is commonly found in an urban environment anywhere in the world. Though only 100 of the 1200 species are commonly harvested for shoots they are all edible, some may just be a bit small or bitter.

What are Bamboo Shoots?
Bamboo is a member of the grass family. Bamboo shoots are young, new canes that are harvested for food before they are two weeks old or one-foot tall. Bamboo shoots are crisp and tender, comparable to asparagus, with a flavor similar to corn. They are used frequently in Asian cuisine. Commercially canned bamboo shoots are common, but fresh, locally grown bamboo has far better flavor and texture.

Storage
Fresh bamboo shoots can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. A bitter taste develops if kept longer than this, or if the shoots are exposed to sunlight. Store whole, unpeeled bamboo shoots in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Fresh shoots can also be cooked then frozen.

Using Bamboo Shoots
Bamboo shoots need to be peeled and cooked before using. Do not eat bamboo shoots raw as they are bitter tasting and can be hard to digest. Trim the roots, peel the outer leaves (sheath leaves), and remove any tough flesh of the shoots before cooking. Tender leaves can be left attached and eaten. The shoots should be cut across the grain into one-eighth inch slices. If very tender, the shoot can be cut into any pattern.
Cook bamboo shoots in boiling water in an uncovered pan for 20 minutes. Leaving the pan uncovered allows the compounds that cause bitterness to dissipate into the air. If there is any bitter taste to the shoots after cooking, boil them in fresh water for 5 more minutes. Bamboo shoots can also be microwaved, in an uncovered shallow pan of water for four minutes. Shoots will still be crisp and crunchy after cooking.

I forgot this thread, I started one on

Naturally Occuring Food Toxins

I highly recommend it as worth reading.