“Let food be
thy medicine and medicine be thy food” - Hippocrates
Wild food foraging
You must
read the website disclaimer.
All wild
plants must be regarded as inedible when not accompanied by an
appropriately qualified professional.
Observe
the wild food foraging codes and legislation that applies to your
geographical area.
Learn how
to identify wild plants by working with an expert, watching several
video clips and having some good field guides. Local plants may appear
different to those from other geographical regions. Learn to apply the
ITEMIZING method from Greene Dean to the plants in your area.
Observe
the same plants at different times of the year to familiarise yourself
with their appearance throughout the annual cycle. This will help you
understand the best harvest times, particularly for wild fruits. As well
as looking, check what the plants smell like and what they feel like.
See Sergei Boutenko's excellent clip.
Whilst
many wild plants are edible, they may be edible raw only in small
quantities. Some plants contain significant levels of oxalate which is
poisonous in quantity. All plants contain toxins to prevent them from
being eaten in their own natural environment. Our ability do deal with
these depends on the type and quantity, and this ability may vary from
person to person too.
Generally
avoid plants that have white milky or latex sap as these are likely to
be very poisonous. There are one or two exceptions.
Some wild
plants may be ok when they are growing in one location, but poisonous
when growing in another. Wild celery is an example of this.
Some wild
plants may only be edible at certain growth stages or at certain times
of the year.
Parts of
some wild plants may be edible, but it doesn't mean that the whole plant
is edible.
Some wild
plants need to be prepared in a special way to make them edible.
Wild
plants may have been attacked by insects, mites, fungi and other
parasites. Avoid anything that doesn't look fresh and healthy.
As with
any food, even if it's edible, it doesn't mean to say that you will like
it. Sometimes it's a matter of getting used to the taste.
Once you
have learnt how to identify wild plants, the biggest problem is locating
plants that have not been contaminated. Avoid plants growing at the side
of roads, near industrial areas, near runways, near sprayed agricultural
land especially land cultivated with GM crops, near polluted water, or
on routes used by dog-walkers and anything else that could contaminate
them. So that probably excludes half your potential sites.
All is not
lost however, you can always replant a potentially edible specimen into
a pot in your backyard and grow it on for a year.
Having
said all that, there are a number of wild plants that are relatively ok
once you get to know them.
For most
plants that can be used in salads, it is the young fresh leaves that can
be used, the older leaves being much coarser.
You could
also have fun growing wild plants from wild plant seed obtained via a
certified route. Ensure that the soil is free of any other seeds so that
what grows is what you planted!
Wild
Food Adventures
Provides expertise in wild edible plants and foraging through workshops,
expeditions, teaching events, presentations, outdoor guiding, and
outfitting anywhere in North America.
