# Foraging in your Area



## TechAdmin

I've wanted to know what region offers what wild edibles. 

If you have a wild edible in your area you know is safe to eat, please post what it is and how it can be found.


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## Claymore5150

THIS is a subject that I HAVE to learn soon!!!! We live in the "valley" area of upper East TN, between the Cumberland Plateau & Gap and the Smokies. Our retreat location is in the mountains about 45mi from here, up near the NC state line on family land. 

We have a TON of wild edibles around here. Acorns, field onions, blackberry, wild strawberry, walnut, pecan, apple trees abound from OLD OLD OLD homesteads from the 1700's on....I'm sure there are SO many more. This region is bountiful all by itself, without help from man kind. 

I need a book for my region, I know my father in law has one and he's all of 5 mi away....but I should have one for the family as well. 

That guy on the "Doomsday Preppers" show on NatGeo out in Los Angeles had honed the "edibles craft" for his area pretty doggone well. I was impressed with that part of his plan, without a doubt.

Biggest difference between here and LA, there's a small greenhouse behind every 200th house in the county and a garden 1 in 50-75. You can't turn around without seeing a cow, goat, or horse.
I love East TN (now I just need to learn how to live off of it without the greenhouses and gardens). 

Good topic starter, Austin!
Really gets me thinking.


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## Davarm

For the past year or so, I have been putting together a reference on just the subject. I know of a long list of edible wild plants but have only added the wilds that I have found locally and have personally eaten or used. 

In the next day or so, I will try to put something together like you stated, from the material I have, and post it, I have some pictures of some of the edibles to make them a little easier to identify.


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## timmie

we have wild plums,onions,persimmons,grapes,bullises and crabapples that i knowfor certain about. also have blackberries. i'm pretty sure we have different mushrooms but so far we have been unable to find anyone that is knowledgeable about them.not going to give up,somebody somewhere knows and i am going to find him or her.


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## *Andi

A few of the things we wild craft (foraging) around here ...

PawPaws, walnuts, grapes (wild), perrsimmons, berries, sassafras, plum (wild), wild onions/ramps, cress (greens), chicory, dandelions, plantain etc...

Now for the hard part ... I grew up foraging with my dad, so that is how I know it is safe to eat and where/how to find it. The PawPaws smells like a banana to me, so if you walking in the woods and get a whiff of banana ... you have found them. (so the smell can help a lot.)

My husband would go foraging with his Grandpa, so between the two of us we do fair to well ... 

I did buy a Peterson field guide to help on the wild herbs side. 

(On a side note ... research, research and more research ... don't eat it if you are not 100 percent sure of what it is. )


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## Davarm

*Andi said:


> A few of the things we wild craft (foraging) around here ...
> 
> PawPaws, walnuts, grapes (wild), perrsimmons, berries, sassafras, plum (wild), wild onions/ramps, cress (greens), chicory, dandelions, plantain etc...


Isnt there a trick to harvesting Paw Paw's, I heard somewhere that they were only edible for a very limited time and if you missed that window, may as well throw them away?

__________________________________________________

Scratch that, I think that it was May Apples I was thinking about.

I well could be mixing this up with another edible but for my education, is there anything to this assumption?


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## timmie

we have huckleberries also.the only thing about foraging around here is that the city and county spray roadsides with chemicals to help with mosquito problem and to keep kudzu under some sort of control.which is why we have friends with large acreage that we can forage on .i know there is no chemicals.by the way you can make an awesome jelly from the kudzu.


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## *Andi

Davarm said:


> Isnt there a trick to harvesting Paw Paw's, I heard somewhere that they were only edible for a very limited time and if you missed that window, may as well throw them away?


Once they ripen the paw paws will keep only a few days. It is best to work them up quickly. (maybe that was what you thinking of) Some folks pick them green and store them for up to a week or two. (this has never worked well for me. )

The Ripe pawpaw flesh can be puréed and frozen for later use.


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## md1911

*Andi said:


> A few of the things we wild craft (foraging) around here ...
> 
> PawPaws, walnuts, grapes (wild), perrsimmons, berries, sassafras, plum (wild), wild onions/ramps, cress (greens), chicory, dandelions, plantain etc...
> 
> Now for the hard part ... I grew up foraging with my dad, so that is how I know it is safe to eat and where/how to find it. The PawPaws smells like a banana to me, so if you walking in the woods and get a whiff of banana ... you have found them. (so the smell can help a lot.)
> 
> My husband would go foraging with his Grandpa, so between the two of us we do fair to well ...
> 
> I did buy a Peterson field guide to help on the wild herbs side.
> 
> (On a side note ... research, research and more research ... don't eat it if you are not 100 percent sure of what it is. )


The cactus pad can ne deep fried their tasty


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## Davarm

*Andi said:


> Once they ripen the paw paws will keep only a few days. It is best to work them up quickly. (maybe that was what you thinking of) Some folks pick them green and store them for up to a week or two. (this has never worked well for me. )
> 
> The Ripe pawpaw flesh can be puréed and frozen for later use.


Understand, It was May Apples that I was thinking about, am not very familiar with either so got them confused.

Sorry.:surrender:


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## Davarm

I dug through my jump drives and found some of the material I was putting together for my daughters. I will post this one and if there is an interest in it I would post more.

Mesquite 

Food

Anyone living in the southwest knows what a mesquite tree is, however, most people
don't know that it can also be a valuable source of food. The indians of he southwest
would gather Mesquite Beans and pound them into meal and make a type of flat bread
cake out of it, with a sugar content of about 30% and protien content of more than 10%,
it is easy to understand why it was an important part of their diet.

Beans
There are some problems that go along with using the beans as a food source:

The high sugar content makes it difficult, but not impossible, to grind the beans
into flour. They can be ground using a grain mill with steel burs but if they are
not completely dry it will be a sticky messy process.

The bean pods are the goodie, the beans themselves are high in protien
but are difficult to digest, thorough grinding helps. If you have digestive problems
they may cause constipation.

There is a bug larve that feeds on the bean and if you look closely at the bean pods
many will have small holes in them, these are the exit points of the bugs. Since
they feed on the bean and not the pod itself and exit the pod before it dries it is not 
usually a problem. If the pods are spread in the sun to finish drying any bugs should be 
long gone by the time they are ground into flour.


Flours
The flours can be picked, boiled and eaten either freshly cooked or dried for later use, I have only
eaten them one time long ago and can't recall much about them. The fact that I don't remember is
probobly a good thing, if they were foul or unpaletable, that I would remember.



Medicinal

The mesquite also has medicinal uses, the useful parts are:

Sap
The sap that would seep out of damages to the bark can be collected, 
dissolved in water and used as a wash for irritated eyes.

An infusion of sap can be used as a treatment for diarrhea.

The sap can also be used as a topical antiseptic.



Leaves
The leaves can be mashed, mixed with water and then strained to make
a topical wash for cuts, scrapes, and irritated eyes. 



Bark
The inner bark can be boiled and used to treat upset stomachs.

An infusion of the inner bark can be used as an astringent as well
as an antiseptic.


The lowly Mesquite Tree has been seen as nusience by many in modern times but if the doctor is
ever out and the grocery store closed they can be used as food and medicine. This valuable plant
should be in your survival manual if hard times ever hit, and I suspect that they will.

________________________________________________________

A note, I have eaten mesquite cakes, I mixed the bean meal with about the same amount of flour, egg, oil and baking powder and fried them like a Johnny Cake. The bean meal gave the cakes a pleasant sweet earthy taste and smell.

Good Stuff.


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## froggymountain

Southwest Michigan:

Cat Tail
LambsQuarters, pigweed (wild spinach or qinua)
Wild Onion
Wild Garlic
Blackberry
Dandelion
Red Clover (flower and leaf)
Echinacea purpurea
Alfalfa
Pine Needles (rich in vitamin C)
Wild Rice
Sumac (red fuzzy berry part)
Milk Weed (first shoots before leafing)
Burdock (root can be eaten after boiling. The inner root is the most edible part and imparts the most flavor. Save the leaves to use for salad)
Puff Ball Mushroom (must be picked and cooked before eaten: harvest while inside is white and not turning color)
Duck Weed
Day Lily (orange swamp lily - young plant shoots, young flower buds or flowers, young white fleshed tubers)
Goldenrod ( leaves can be eaten as a cooked vegetable. The flowers and seeds can both be eaten raw)
Spearmint (leaves and flowers for a tea like drink)
Jerusalem Artichoke (flowers and tubers)

More here: http://livingafield.com/Plants_Edible.htm (NOTE the cautions on some of these listed on this site)


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## Truly

I recommend looking into herbs. There are lots of different things you can learn from it. Not only how to care for your medical issues but also what herbs you can find in the wild that are a great source of health and healing. Like stinging nettle. It is a mega herb but you can also harvest it and fry it up like collard / mustard greens. It's delicious. There are lots of recipes for soups online. Just a thought. 
Truly


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## kappydell

All the things that froggymountain lists are also common in my area and on my lists. Also add:

acorns
chicory (greens & beverage)
hedgerow apple trees
elderberries (good flu remedy, well known in Europe)
hawthorne berries (food) & leaves (tea) good for high blood pressure
wild mustards
watercress
field docks (young, several varieties)
clovers (blossoms for tea, red for breast cancer remedy; greens edible, though a little light in calories)
plantains
thistle (peeled stems)
purslane (good source omega-3 fatty acid, rare in plants)
mallows (greens & cheeses)
assorted bramble berries
highbush cranberry (berries, bark tea good for cramps)
mulberry
wild grass seeds (small though, but edible)
slippery elm bark (wonderful emerg food, swells up when cooked, good and filling)
shepherds purse (makes a sort of a peppery seasoning)
and of course the proteins:
butternuts
hickory nuts
ground nuts
crawdads (catch by hand, easy)
plus tubers:
qarrowhead
cattail
solomons seal
chufa nuts
even quack grass roots can be eaten if properly prepared!

This list is for edibles, medicinals would make it longer yet. I started with the things growing in my lawn and worked out. it sure gave
me a new appreciation for weeds

You MUST have a good field guide that also shows poisonous look-alikes if you are not being personally shown which plants are edible though, for your own protection!


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## Jason

This is one area I sorely lack knowledge in. We have tons of black raspberries ringing our property so in the summer we go picking and DW makes some incredible jelly. I know this area has tons of stuff to forage-just not sure how to go about getting a lot of it and then preparing it once its home.


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## HoppeEL4

timmie, when you said you had "huckleberries" in Alabama, I was surprised. Then I looked into it, and found you really do, and although ours up here, Oregon Cascades and Coastal Range, truly have a version of wild blueberries. Must have been the settlers who came and saw them, thus naming them something they had seen back east or south, and we've called them this since.

Well, then I know I can eat these, they are phenomenol. Then there is the lower elevation huck, it is red and quite tart. Blackberries abound here, both native species and Himalayan (non-native, some dumb___ brought them here in the 1800's) which are quite invasive and a huge nuiscance like kudzu. However, they fruit out prolifically and the taste is really fantastic.

Lets see, I know you can eat nettles, although, I'd prefer not to handle them at all. Oxalis is good to chew on the stems only, and get some vitamins out of, but not to eat the leaves. Licorice root ferns, medicinal and taste like black licorice. Fern shoots, numerous varieties, some mushrooms, but honestly that is best left to the experts. Thimbleberries, Salmonberries, wild strawberries, Western Filberts, pine nuts (on the eastern side), salal berries, Oregon Grape berries, um...more berries than I can remember.

Some have said the moss is ok to eat, but I highly doubt it would even taste good. Of course dandelion greens, old farmsteads fruit trees, birds, squirrels, deer, elk and we just live up the gorge from a river that gets both spring and fall salmon. We have found wild rhubarb here, and wild carrots (Queen Annes Lace...best before they flower). I know there must be more, but I need to do some studying it would seem, to become more knowledgable about my own areas full array of edible wild foods.


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## badman400

Poke Salad. A wild green leafy plant that makes a good substitute for turnip greens. The smaller leaves are tastier, like most "greens", when prepared properly. *Do not eat *the dark purple berries as they are poisonous. The Poke salad plant, if that is the true name, looks different in the southeast where I live than plants in other areas. So make sure about the species, because even the edible plant is poisonous if not prepared properly before eaten.

Tony Jo White recorded a song called, "Poke Salad Annie", that is based on this edible wild green.

From Wikipedia:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about a genus of plants many of which are called pokeweeds. For American Pokeweed, see Phytolacca americana.
Not to be confused with Veratrum viride, also called Indian poke
Phytolacca

Phytolacca acinosa foliage and fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Phytolaccaceae
Genus:	Phytolacca
L.[1]
Species
About 35, see text.
Synonyms
Pircunia Bertero ex Ruschenb.[1]
Phytolacca is a genus of perennial plants native to North America, South America, East Asia and New Zealand. Some members of the genus are known as pokeweeds or similar names such as pokebush, pokeberry, pokeroot or poke sallet.[2][3][4] Other names for species of Phytolacca include inkberry and ombú. The generic name is derived from the Greek word φυτόν (phyton), meaning "plant," and the Latin word lacca, a red dye.[5] Phytolaccatoxin and phytolaccigenin are present in many species which are poisonous to mammals. However, the berries are eaten by birds, which are not affected by the toxin because the small seeds with very hard outer shells remain intact in the digestive system and are eliminated whole.[citation needed]
The genus comprises about 25 species of perennial herbs, shrubs, and trees growing from 1 to 25 m (3.3 to 82 ft) tall. They have alternate simple leaves, pointed at the end, with entire or crinkled margins; the leaves can be either deciduous or evergreen. The stems are green, pink or red. The flowers are greenish-white to pink, produced in long racemes at the ends of the stems. They develop into globose berries 4-12 mm diameter, green at first, ripening dark purple to black.[6][7][8]
Uses
Phytolacca americana (American pokeweed, pokeweed, poke) is used as a folk medicine and as food. For many decades, poke salad has been a staple of southern U.S. cuisine.[13] All parts of it are toxic unless properly prepared.[14] Toxic constituents which have been identified include the alkaloids phytolaccine and phytolaccotoxin, as well as a glycoprotein.[15] Pokeweed berries yield a red ink or dye, which was once used by aboriginal Americans to decorate their horses.[citation needed] Many letters written home during the American Civil War were written in pokeberry ink; the writing in these surviving letters appears brown.[citation needed] The red juice has also been used to symbolize blood, as in the anti-slavery protest of Benjamin Lay.[citation needed] A rich brown dye can be made by soaking fabrics in fermenting berries in a hollowed-out pumpkin.[citation needed]
Some pokeweeds are also grown as ornamental plants, mainly for their attractive berries; a number of cultivars have been selected for larger fruit panicles.[citation needed]
Pokeweeds are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Giant Leopard Moth.


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## ContinualHarvest

We have wild raspberries (Wineberries) here that bloom along the edge of wooded areas and roadways. The berries are bright red when ripe and grow in clusters on the brambles. In June to July you'll see cars parked along the roads with kids running around with red faces and hands. The berries are commonly used for jams and jellies. I've made wine with them and it was excellent. The berries can also be dried for storing up to a year and are great on cereal or for baking. This invasive bramble is spreading across the state, so eat up.

Here is an article on the berries.
http://www.mdinvasivesp.org/archived_invaders/archived_invaders_2006_09.html


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## Davarm

Lambs Quarter

Food

Lambs Quarter is a plant that grows wild pretty much anywhere the soil has been tilled, plowed, or
otherwise disturbed and can reach to a height of 4-5 feet. The leaves are a three pointed shape that
resembles a gooses foot, hence the scientific name "Chenopodium", which means Goose Foot. 

This plant is valuable as a food and has medicinal qualities, food wise, it is closely related to spinich
and has a higher nutritional value with wih significant amounts of vitamin C, vitamin A, Thiamin, 
Riboflavin, Niacin, Iron, Phosphorus, and Calcium.

Lambs Quarter is an annual so never pick a patch clean, leave some plants untouched and healthy
to provide seed for the next years crop. A wise man (or woman) would gather the mature seed and 
sow, and tend them much as a garden crop to ensure a future food source.

Food
The leaves are the edible part which can be picked and prepared like spinich, boiled, steamed
or sauteed. The leaves can also be added to soups, beans or just about any other dish to 
add to the nutritional value of the meal.

Lambs Quarter will grow and continue to be harvestable as long as the weather allows, if you
live where the winters are frost or freeze free, it can be gathered all year.

The leaves can be picked during times of plenty and canned, frozen or dehydrated for use when
the fresh is not available. If drying, it is benaficial to sift the leaves through a strainer to remove
any courser or steamy portions which may not cook up well. The resulting "Powder" can be
added to foods as you would any other herb. For storage, the dried powder can be stored in
a canning jar with a lid that provides an air tight seal. 

For canning, can the leaves as you would any other green, being sure to pressure can it 
as a low acid food. If the leaves are to be frozen, blanch them before packing them into a freezer
bag. This destroys the enzyme that would cause the leaves to continue to grow.



Medicinal
The leaves can be eaten to treat upset stomach.

A tea made from th leaves can be drank to treat diarrhea. 

The leaves can be eaten to prevent scurvy.

A poultice made from the leaves can be used to treat burns and to releive itching.

Lambs Quarte eaten regularly can help prevent iron defeciencies.



Caution

Lambs Quarter does contain oxalic acid so dont eat excessively large portions at any given time, cooking
does reduce the oxalic content but does not eleminate it. 

If you have kidney problems it may be wise not to eat Lambs Quarter on a regular basis as the oxalic acid
is filtered through the kidneys and can irritate and weaken them.


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## SwampRat

Up here in Northern Wisconsin, I forage for Wintergreen, Blackberries, Wild blue berries, wild onions, asparagus, cattail roots, young ferns (Fiddleheads), acorns, wild mushrooms (morels and chicken of the woods. Learning about more!), Wild strawberries, dandelion... Still learning about what else is out there! Found an old bunch of apple trees out in the woods. Looks like an old homestead at one time. Got some apples for applebutter. When I do find a patch of something, I mark it on the GPS so I can find it again.


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## *Andi

SwampRat said:


> Found an old bunch of apple trees out in the woods. Looks like an old homestead at one time.


Way to go. :wave: While the ones we found have a smaller apple they taste the best.


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## Emerald

*Andi said:


> Way to go. :wave: While the ones we found have a smaller apple they taste the best.


I have an antique apple in my yard and it always had small apples.. till I started pruning and culling and now the apples are much larger and very tasty.. 
As far as I can tell it is a Gravenstien apple. Ripens almost before my tomatoes.. makes great apple sauce and pie.. but the apples tend to be a bit soft and mushy in the pie. The apple guy in my area(he used to have a big orchard) told me that back in the day gravenstien was a very popular apple as it ripened early and they could make apple sauce and get it all canned before the tomatoes and other harvest rolled in.
But there were several large asparagus farms in our area and you can find wild asparagus everywhere around here.
Escapee's from gardens make some of the best wild forage in my area.
There is a huge patch of wild garlic(hardneck garlic) that we often stop and take the topsets off of and I have transplanted it to my yard.. every so often I put them in a bed and tend them for a couple years and they make full sized very pungent garlic.
There are also many wild plants around here too. but got the grand daughter this morning and she takes more of my time than you would think so I'll be back later.


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## sailaway

We have apple, peach & pear trees, lots of nut trees, wild berry plants. Alot of abandoned homes in my city have plants that yeild produce for survival. Lots of urban stuff. Also Lots of farms 10-15 miles out side the city, fields to gleen after harvest. All sorts of fruits & veggies. Lots of good fishing & hunting near by also. Field corn can be processed into hominy, dandilions, chives for salads. 

I need to learn more about identifying and preparing wild plants to eat, especially mushrooms. A couple of specialists at our scout camp offer a class on identifying and preparing all the edible plants and bushes out there. We have over 600 plus acres. I just have to find time to learn.


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## TechAdmin

Davarm said:


> For the past year or so, I have been putting together a reference on just the subject. I know of a long list of edible wild plants but have only added the wilds that I have found locally and have personally eaten or used.
> 
> In the next day or so, I will try to put something together like you stated, from the material I have, and post it, I have some pictures of some of the edibles to make them a little easier to identify.


I would very much appreciate that. Let me know once it's up and I'll print it out and add it my library.


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## Davarm

Horsemint

Horsemint is a wild mint plant that is a relative to peppermint, it can be
identified as a mint by the square shaped stem which is common to all mints.
It grows just about anywhere and ranges in color from bright green to purple.


Medicinal

Horsemint contains "thymol" which has antisepcic properties.

Horsemint has the following poperties:
Antiseptic - Inhibits the growth and development of microorganisms 
Catarrh - Inflammation of a mucous membrane, particularly of the head 
and throat, with free discharge of mucus.
Antispasmodic - Relieves mild cramping or muscle spasm.
Carminative - An agent that relieves flatulance. 
Stimulant - An agent that increases the rate of activity of the body. 
Diaphoretic - An agent that promotes sweating.


Tea made from the leaves and flowers can be used to treat the 
following:

Nausea and Vomiting
Flatulence-(Farts)
Indigestion and Digestive Disorders
Mucus and inflamation of the upper respiratory tract
Headaches
Coughs, Colds and Asthma
Treatment of Fevers by encouraging sweating



Compresses and poultices made from the leaves and flowers have antiseptic
properties and can be used to treat cuts, scrapes, and skin eruptions.

Compresses and poultices can also be used to treat swolen joints, arthritis,
gout, and other similar conditions by increasing the flow of blood to the 
area. 


Food
The leaves can be used in salads and the flowers have trationaly been
used to flavor sweets with a taste similar to peppermint.


Other Uses
Rats and mice hate the smell of horsemint and will avoid it, this makes 
it effective in rodent control.


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## Davarm

Austin said:


> I would very much appreciate that. Let me know once it's up and I'll print it out and add it my library.


I have them broken down by item, each one is a seperate post, so far I have posted Mesquite, Lambs Quarter and Horsemint. The file names are random on my jump drive so I have been picking them out one by one and posting them as I go.


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## TechAdmin

Sounds good. Thanks for the info!


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## katfish

I like the tender new growth on green brier vines. I was told it is high in vitamin C but I don't know. They make a nice snack if you can find them before the deer do.


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## Davarm

katfish said:


> I like the tender new growth on green brier vines. I was told it is high in vitamin C but I don't know. They make a nice snack if you can find them before the deer do.


With the Briars, cant forget the tubers, some can get up to almost 100 pounds and can be eaten.

http://www.foragingtexas.com/2008/08/greenbriar.html


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## katfish

Davarm said:


> With the Briars, cant forget the tubers, some can get up to almost 100 pounds and can be eaten.
> 
> http://www.foragingtexas.com/2008/08/greenbriar.html


Thanks! I learn something new everyday!


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## Davarm

Milkweed

Food

Most people have heard of Milkweed and probobly have played with the seed that will float in
breeze when tossed into the air but few people know that the seed pods and leaves are edible.
Some say to boil the weed twice and discard the water and some say no water changes are
necessary but for our purposes, changing the water will do.

Seed Pods
The seed pods should be gathered when young and tender, before they start to get
fiberous. A good test to use is to break the pod open along the back ridge and look
at the seeds that are attached to the white silkey threads, If they have started to 
turn a brown color the pod is to old to be eaten.

Crack open the pods and boil for about 10 to 15 minutes or until tender but not
mushy. Remove from the water and drain.

Chop the pods into small pieces and sautee with flavorings such as onion or garlic. The 
pods can also be eaten directly out of the boiling water.


Greens
The greens should be harvested while young and tender, or like most other greens, will
become fiberous as they mature.

Chop the greens and boil for about 10 minutes, drain and boil again and drain. Sautee with
flavorings such as onion or garlic, or they can be eaten directly out of he water. 



Medicine

The milkweed can be used to remove warts and other growths on the skin, treatment
can take quite some time but it is effective. The treatment is simple and is performed as 
follows.

Sap
When you break the skin of the milkweed, it will "bleed" a sticky white sap, this is
the medicine. Simply apply the sap to the area to be treated and allow it to remain
on the area unwashed. Repeat daily until the wart or blemish falls off.


Other Resource

Fibers
The stalk of the milkweed contains a fiber similar to sisel, the rope fiber from the yucca 
plant. If you have the experties, you can twist and braid them into cord for utility use. If
you don't have that knowledge, it may be useful to learn how to make rope from natural
fibers. 


Milkweed is another of the common plants that should be cultivated and not be destroyed as
an undesirable weed. When harvesting, never gather all the plants from an area, although the
milkweed is a perenniel excessive harvesting may stress the plant to death. Always allow some
of the plants to go to seed to ensure a harvest the next year.


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## mdprepper

My Dad and Uncles always used the milkweed flowers. They would put a light batter on them and fry them. They are very good!


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## Davarm

Thistle

The thistle is another plant seen as a weed by most of the people that encounter it, that probobly is
because they don' know its value as a food and medicine. It has also been called Miners Celery by
some because the stalk can be eaten and has a texture, crunch and taste similar to celery. The
stalk, when young and tender, has a high water content and can be eaten for the water source in 
emergencies.


Food
All parts of the Thistle can be eaten, seeds, leaves, stalks, and roots and became popular in the 16th
century. The stalks can be eaten raw, with a taste similar to celery, or cooked in the same manner
as one would prepare asparagus. The leaves can be trimmed of their spines and prepared as a green,
such as spinich or eaten raw in a salad. When eaen raw, a short soaking in fresh water will help to
remove some of the sap and make a milder tasteing green. The young flowerheads can be boiled, 
sauted, or otherwise cooked and eaten in the same manner as an artichoke - the thistle and artichoke 
are related. The roots can be dug, cleaned and eaten raw, roasted, boiled, or sauteed with flavorings
similar to the way you would a green.

When harvesting the thistle, the earlier in the year you pick it, the younger and more tender it is 
when harvested, and the better it will taste. The older and more "sappy" it gets the stronger it will taste 
and the tougher and more fiberous it will be.

I have never heard of any toxic effects nor could I find any in any reference material.


Medicine
The seeds of the thistle and specifically, the Milk Thistle have been used for several thousand years to
to treat liver desiease and to help rid the liver of toxins. It has been used to help rid the body of venom from
snake bites and toxins from mushroom poisoning. The Thistle has been labeled a "Snake Plant" because
of its use to help rid the body of snake bite venom.

In more modern times, it has been used as a liver detox and cleanser, it has been found to be high in flavonoids
which are antioxidants and help prevent cell damage and liver cancer. 

Modern studies have suggested that the seeds of the Milk Thistle may be useful in the treatment of  Hepatitis,
liver cirrhosis, and gallladder disorders.

It is reported by some to be useful in lowering cholesterol levels and reducing insulin resistance in people with
Type II Diabetes with associated liver ailements.


The Thistle is another "weed" that should be cultivated and not destroyed just because it grows in the wrong place.
It is a good source of food and medicine and history has proven its value as both.


----------



## Davarm

Oak Tree

Food

Most people have heard that acorns are edible, some may even have peeled one and poped it into
mouth and tried it out. Chances are that after the first chew, they made a grimmicing face and
 spit it out never to be tried again. This would be because of high tannin levels in most verieties of
acorns. Different types of oak trees can have drastically different levels of tanic acid but just about 
all verieties have edible acorns, if you know how to process and use them.

Pocessing generally brings to mind complicated procedures with equally complex equipment but
that is not he case with acorns, however, the process does take a little time and effort but is well
within the means of almost everyone that desires to use them as a food source and it is well worth the
time and effort.

Gather a quantity of acorns and place them in the sun to dry for a day or two, the exact time depends on
how much moisture the acorns hold but enough needs to be evaporated out so that they can be ground
into a course meal. 

The drying can be done either before or after they are shelled, but if they are dried first, the bulk of the acorns
can be safely stored for future use. They must be thoroughly dried though as acorns will mold easily and
and once they do, you may as well feed them to the animals.

Once they have been dried, shelled, and ground, place the meal ino a bucket or other large container and 
pour warm/hot water over them and let them set for about an hour or until the water has cooled, drain and squeeze
the excess water out, this can be done by placing the meal on a regular bed sheet, gathering the ends, and 
twisting the mass to squeeze out the moisture. Repeat the process until the water comes out clear and the
meal can be sampled without tasteing a large amount of the tannins. Some of the bitterness will always
remain but will usually be masked or removed during the cooking process.

Place the acorn meal in a warm dry and preferably sunny location to thoroughly dry, if you have a large food
dehydrator, it will speed the process. The meal must be completely dry if it is to be stored, as stated earlier, 
it will mold easily.


After the meal has been dried, it can be further ground into a fine flour using a grain mill, be sure to use
steel burs for grinding as the meal will be difficult to clean off stones. The resulting flour has a slightly sweet 
and nutty flavor.

NOTE: Acorns have been proven to help regulate blood sugar, which makes them valuable in diabetic diets. With
the rise in the number of diabetes cases in recent years, acorns are a "must have" for many diets in a survival
situation.


Bottom Line

1. Ensure that the acorns that are gathered are dried thoroughly or they may mold during storage. Drying
will also make them easier to grind with a food grinder.

2. Ensure that as much of the tannins as possible, are leeched out during the rinseing process, if too much
remains in the flour, it may not be edible.

3. After the leeched meal is dried, it can be ground into a fine flour using a grain mill with steel burs, stones
will be very difficult to clean.



Medicinal 

The Oak tree contains potent astringents in most of its parts, the bark, wood, acorns, and leaves. Traditionally the 
bark, leaves, and acorns have been boiled into a tea to treat a number of of ailments to include throat infections, 
acute diarrhea, and even kidney stones and other urinary tract problems. Another use for the tea is as a topical 
application, applied using a compress, to treat cuts, scrapes, and burns(to include sunburns), it can also be made
ino a tincture(alcahol extract) to treat other external infections. Strong solutions can be used as a foot wash to treat
cracked skin and prevent associated infections, helps wih athletes foot, and to generally toughen the skin on the 
feet.



Other Uses.

In the past, hunters, trappers, and homesteaders have used he Oak Tree to help tan animal skins. The high levels 
of tanic acid can be harvested by boiling the leaves, bark and acorns, then concentrating the resulting liquid down
further to a thick substance resembling pancake syrup. It then can be mixed with saw dust, ground acorns, salt, or
other absorbant material to form a paste that can be spread on he animal hide to cure and tan the surface. I have 
not used the syrup myself for tanning hydes but have made it for others to use.


As abundant as Oak Trees are in some areas, they should not be ignored as a source of food and medicine. It is a little
bit of work to process the acorns into flour but it is well worth it if other foods are in short supply or not available. The 
acorns can be stored for long periods of time as a hedge against hard times or famine


----------



## Davarm

*Yellow Dock*

Yellow Dock

Yellow Dock is a plant that grows in sunny open areas and prefers damp soil but can be very
tolerant of hot dry weather. It can be identified by its long dark green leaves with curly edges
edges(another name is Curly Dock) growing from a central point in the ground and up a tall stem
which that forms a seed head. To most it is considered a weed, right alongside dandelions, milk 
thistle, and wild lettuce. But to those who know its benefits, it is a source of food and medicine.

Food

The young leaves can be boiled and eaten and they have a slight lemony flavor, they must
be cooked in several changes of water to remove the oxalic acid. This is filtered out of the
blood by the kidneys so don't skimp on the cooking, especially if you have kidney issues.
This green is usually harvested and eaten in the spring, it matures and goes to seed early 
in the season and once it does, the plant usually either dies back or the surviving leaves are
to tough and fibrous to eat.

I don't know the nutritional information on this plant, I have not heard of anyone else eating it
other than the old German farmer that introduced it to me 30 or more years ago.

Medicine

Yellow dock can be used to treat skin irritations such as poison Ivy, or conditions that cause 
itchiness. The leaves are boiled and mixed with flour or corn starch to form a paste then spread
on the afflicted area, repeat the treatment as necessary.

The roots are a valuable medicine, they can be boiled to make a tea and drank to improve digestion
and act as a cure for chronic constipation. If used for this purpose, start with a few tablespoons of the
root boiled in about a cup of water, drink it and if you do not get the desired results, up the dose until
you do. Different individual plants have different potenticies so always start with a small dose and work
up from there. To large a dose can cause abdominal cramps, among other things.

The early Mennonites considered the leaves of the Yellow Dock plant as a potent liver tonic which
was said to improve liver function and was used as a a treatment for Yellow Jaundice. It was also 
used to help the body rid itself of snake venom and was considered a "Snake Plant" for this reason.

Early doctors considered tea made from the leaves as an effective treatment for respiratory issues and
over all was said to be effective in the treatment of issues of the bowels, stomach, liver, skin, and
respiratory tract.

The entire Yellow Dock plant is worth getting to know, in a survival situation when doctors are scarce, it could be very 
useful in keeping yourself or your loved ones healthy.


----------



## stayingthegame

artichokes are from the thistle family.


----------



## HoppeEL4

Oooh! Artichokes dipped in melter butter, clear off the choke and cut up the heart and drop it into aforementioned melted butter and then dig out with fork and eat.....but man they are $4 apiece right now.


----------



## stayingthegame

sassafras trees roots for root beer leaves for gumbo file also suppose to have medicinal properties.
wild onions be careful there is a wild onion look a like that is poisonous.


----------



## *Andi

stayingthegame said:


> sassafras trees roots for root beer leaves for gumbo file also suppose to have medicinal properties.
> wild onions be careful there is a wild onion look a like that is poisonous.


Just remember that wild onion has a curly hollow stalk and smells like onion. So follow your nose.


----------



## Davarm

stayingthegame said:


> wild onions be careful there is a wild onion look a like that is poisonous.


Around here, they call those "look alikes" "Crow Poison", have no idea why but thats what my grandparents called the stuff.


----------



## TechAdmin

I'm interested in acorn recipes now. 

I have a ton around the house in the right season and I had heard of them being used to supplement coffee during the depression but it seems using their flour would have been equally as good.


----------



## kappydell

SwampRat said:


> Up here in Northern Wisconsin, I forage for Wintergreen, Blackberries, Wild blue berries, wild onions, asparagus, cattail roots, young ferns (Fiddleheads), acorns, wild mushrooms (morels and chicken of the woods. Learning about more!), Wild strawberries, dandelion... Still learning about what else is out there! Found an old bunch of apple trees out in the woods. Looks like an old homestead at one time. Got some apples for applebutter. When I do find a patch of something, I mark it on the GPS so I can find it again.


Thank you. Great idea about the GPS. Ill have to get one now.


----------



## SwampRat

I know, I should use a compass but there is alot of iron in the soil up here! I also know the GPS will be shut down in the event of SHTF.... I DO know my way around without the GPS as well...it just makes it easier for me to find stuff NOW! LOL!


----------



## *Andi

Austin said:


> I'm interested in acorn recipes now.
> 
> I have a ton around the house in the right season and I had heard of them being used to supplement coffee during the depression but it seems using their flour would have been equally as good.


I found a past thread about acorns ... http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f36/acorns-4053/


----------



## md1911

Acorns have to be leeached to be usable.


----------



## TechAdmin

From that thread it seems like it's a hard thing to do but I think it would be worth learning in my area where they are plentiful.


----------



## Emerald

Austin said:


> From that thread it seems like it's a hard thing to do but I think it would be worth learning in my area where they are plentiful.


We did it for Girl Scouts and while it was a bit of work the pancakes that we made were very delicious. I would think that for a few days work collecting and preparing them you would have a very nutritious flour for many meals.
They say that some types of acorn are less bitter than others and take less prep to make them edible. 
There is another forum that I am a member of that many members have learned how to make delicious things from the acorns.


----------



## *Andi

Davarm said:


> Scratch that, I think that it was May Apples I was thinking about.


I ment to add ... Mayapple (Mandrake, Devil's Apple) ia a poisonous plant that should be used under supervision of a qualified health care provider. Large doses, even externally applied, are potentially toxic.

Just so ya know ...


----------



## Davarm

*Andi said:


> I ment to add ... Mayapple (Mandrake, Devil's Apple) ia a poisonous plant that should be used under supervision of a qualified health care provider. Large doses, even externally applied, are potentially toxic.
> 
> Just so ya know ...


My brother and I would hunt for them when we were kids, were only able to find, maybe, 1 each spring and we would watch for it to ripen so we could try it.

It seems like they would always disappear before we could eat one, guess that was a "good thing" then if they were toxic.

Thanks for that little bit of info, It has been years, many years, since I have seen a may apple plant and now I can look back and be glad that we didnt look a little harder.


----------



## Emerald

Davarm said:


> My brother and I would hunt for them when we were kids, were only able to find, maybe, 1 each spring and we would watch for it to ripen so we could try it.
> 
> It seems like they would always disappear before we could eat one, guess that was a "good thing" then if they were toxic.
> 
> Thanks for that little bit of info, It has been years, many years, since I have seen a may apple plant and now I can look back and be glad that we didnt look a little harder.


The plant is toxic but the little "lemon looking" fruit that they make are edible but very seedy and insipid. But do some more research on them.. the library has tons of info if you don't mind hanging out and reading or borrowing. Even Jack in the pulpit is edible as long as it is cooked.. but not especially tasty.


----------



## Davarm

Emerald said:


> The plant is toxic but the little "lemon looking" fruit that they make are edible but very seedy and insipid. But do some more research on them.. the library has tons of info if you don't mind hanging out and reading or borrowing. Even Jack in the pulpit is edible as long as it is cooked.. but not especially tasty.


Thats anoher one that we heard was an "edible" but we never knew what to do with them so we ignored them. The may apple fruit is the one that I heard that only had a small window of time to gather and eat. If it is picked at the right time it was supposed to be pretty tastey, if you missed the window, were supposed to be pretty vile.

As kids we pretty much knew which plants were "supposed" to be edible but the ones that we never got around to eating were pretty much an enigma to us. Hence my uncertainty with the"May Apple" and Paw Paw's. We always heard the kids song that said something like "way down younder in the Paw Paw patch" but they dont grow around here.


----------



## md1911

If you live in a area that has pine trees. The pine needles that are cylindrical are very high in vietman C. I make a tea out of spermint with pine needles. Its very good


----------



## TechAdmin

md1911 said:


> If you live in a area that has pine trees. The pine needles that are cylindrical are very high in vietman C. I make a tea out of spermint with pine needles. Its very good


Are you saying don't use the flat ones?


----------



## md1911

Austin said:


> Are you saying don't use the flat ones?


I've always been told not to use the flat needles. Only the cylindrical ones are good. There's not much nutrition in them to begin with. But they are hi in vietamin C. I don't know anything about the flat needles. My grandmother on my moms side was a licensed homeopathic doctor. She was born in 1910. All her books were lost in a fire but she knew a lot. Before she passed I made. Notes of as much as she could remember accuratley. I drink the tea every day


----------



## TechAdmin

Good to know. Thanks for the follow up.


----------



## Emerald

md1911 said:


> I've always been told not to use the flat needles. Only the cylindrical ones are good. There's not much nutrition in them to begin with. But they are hi in vitamin C. I don't know anything about the flat needles. My grandmother on my moms side was a licensed homeopathic doctor. She was born in 1910. All her books were lost in a fire but she knew a lot. Before she passed I made. Notes of as much as she could remember accurately. I drink the tea every day


Just a thought about the flat vs. the round needle.. many evergreens are toxic like Yews.. they all have flat needles.. so by telling someone to only make tea with "pine needles that are round" it keeps them away from the flattened needles of the yew.. Now not all pines or evergreens with flat needles may be toxic but it does keep folks who are not plant knowledgeable away from stuff that would make them ill.


----------



## md1911

Emerald said:


> Just a thought about the flat vs. the round needle.. many evergreens are toxic like Yews.. they all have flat needles.. so by telling someone to only make tea with "pine needles that are round" it keeps them away from the flattened needles of the yew.. Now not all pines or evergreens with flat needles may be toxic but it does keep folks who are not plant knowledgeable away from stuff that would make them ill.


That's true. Could be why she told me that. I wish my grandparents were both still here. They knew so much that I would love to know. Grandma was full of home remidies that worked. She died at 98 and she only took meds she made herself. My kids and I used to go pick things for her.


----------



## Emerald

md1911 said:


> That's true. Could be why she told me that. I wish my grandparents were both still here. They knew so much that I would love to know. Grandma was full of home remidies that worked. She died at 98 and she only took meds she made herself. My kids and I used to go pick things for her.


My great Gran had one proven home remedy that I have used and know it works. for ladies days when you are all crampy and unhappy she had this jar of elderberries that were "pickled" in vodka...  she gave me a shot glass full of the berries and the vodka and I have to say no more cramps.. sure I slept the afternoon away but I felt so much better when I woke up..


----------



## dunappy

The most common food available in my area is pinon (pine nuts), but I also have common mallow growing all over the yard. I don't destroy it since it's completely edible. In the mountains you can also find wild raspberries and grapes. All of those are pretty easy to identify.


----------



## TechAdmin

Do you have to treat the mallow?


----------



## *Andi

*Purple deadnettle & henbit deadnettle*

Some may call it red but it looks more purple to me ... anyhow ...

Other than a tea or to be used for cuts or bruises does anyone have any recipes calling for it? Mine is wanting to take over the farm so unless I find a good recipe or two, some will find its way to the compost.


----------



## Davarm

Austin

On the subject of Mallows, I have growing White Swamp Mallow for quite some time. I got my original start from a "Bayou" between Port Lavaca and Tivole Texas. 


White Swamp Mallow

Food
Leaves, roots, stem, and flowers contain a mucilage-like material which can be used to thicken 
soups and stews. Flowers can be eaten raw. Young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked with 
other greens or boiled alone. Roots are peeled, sliced then fried. Flower buds can be raw, cooked,
or pickled like okra. All parts of the plant can be made into tea, seeds are roast and ground for a 
coffee substitute.

The White Swamp Mallow, being related to the Hybiscus, has flowers that can be brewed into
a tea, I have not had it but it is supposed to be similar in taste.

Medicinal
The White Swamp Mallow is a common plant in some areas, especially, as the name implies, 
in wet swampy or marshy areas. The plant thrives in the swamp, sometimes growing in a foot
or more of water but is also very tolerant of hot dry weather. The plant usually has a pithy stalk
that can grow up to 6 feet tall with dark green leaves growing from branches off the main stalk.
The stalks are topped with large white "Hybiscus" type flowers that ripen into a walnut sized
seed pod.

The leaves can be brewed into a tea to treat Asthma, Bonchitis, Laryngitis, Dry Cough and generally
to rid the respiratory tract of excess fluid and mucus, while at the same time, helps to soothe the
the irritation caused by them. The roots can be brewed into a tea for a higher potency medicine than
is found in the leaves.

The leaves are also effective in treating skin irritations, such as rashes and abrasions and to a lessr
degree, insect bites. . A poultice can be made from the raw leaves and applied to the effected area, 
and if desired, can be held in place by a bandage for a longer treatment.

The seeds from the White Swamp Mallow can harvested from plants found in marshes and swamps, planted,
and cultivated in dryer areas successfully. They prefer partial shade and can get by with a little quality compost
and regular watering. It is a bennificial plant to have around and makes a nice addition to a flower garden.


----------



## boomer

When we first moved to the farm, I called the agricultural extension department at the local University. I was told the "ONLY" toxic native plant here is wild tomato. A lot of things taste bad (I try them) but other than the tomato nothing is poisonous. The same is not true of mushroom, so I will stick to purchased or cultivated.


----------



## Davarm

boomer said:


> When we first moved to the farm, I called the agricultural extension department at the local University. I was told the "ONLY" toxic native plant here is wild tomato. A lot of things taste bad (I try them) but other than the tomato nothing is poisonous. The same is not true of mushroom, so I will stick to purchased or cultivated.


Where do you live? That is definately not the case everwhere, I can walk you down the road that I live on and point out half a dozen that will at least make you so sick they you would wish you were dead.


----------



## TechAdmin

Davarm said:


> Austin
> 
> On the subject of Mallows, I have growing White Swamp Mallow for quite some time. I got my original start from a "Bayou" between Port Lavaca and Tivole Texas.
> 
> White Swamp Mallow
> 
> Food
> Leaves, roots, stem, and flowers contain a mucilage-like material which can be used to thicken
> soups and stews. Flowers can be eaten raw. Young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked with
> other greens or boiled alone. Roots are peeled, sliced then fried. Flower buds can be raw, cooked,
> or pickled like okra. All parts of the plant can be made into tea, seeds are roast and ground for a
> coffee substitute.
> 
> The White Swamp Mallow, being related to the Hybiscus, has flowers that can be brewed into
> a tea, I have not had it but it is supposed to be similar in taste.
> 
> Medicinal
> The White Swamp Mallow is a common plant in some areas, especially, as the name implies,
> in wet swampy or marshy areas. The plant thrives in the swamp, sometimes growing in a foot
> or more of water but is also very tolerant of hot dry weather. The plant usually has a pithy stalk
> that can grow up to 6 feet tall with dark green leaves growing from branches off the main stalk.
> The stalks are topped with large white "Hybiscus" type flowers that ripen into a walnut sized
> seed pod.
> 
> The leaves can be brewed into a tea to treat Asthma, Bonchitis, Laryngitis, Dry Cough and generally
> to rid the respiratory tract of excess fluid and mucus, while at the same time, helps to soothe the
> the irritation caused by them. The roots can be brewed into a tea for a higher potency medicine than
> is found in the leaves.
> 
> The leaves are also effective in treating skin irritations, such as rashes and abrasions and to a lessr
> degree, insect bites. . A poultice can be made from the raw leaves and applied to the effected area,
> and if desired, can be held in place by a bandage for a longer treatment.
> 
> The seeds from the White Swamp Mallow can harvested from plants found in marshes and swamps, planted,
> and cultivated in dryer areas successfully. They prefer partial shade and can get by with a little quality compost
> and regular watering. It is a bennificial plant to have around and makes a nice addition to a flower garden.


I'll keep my eye open for it. How hard it is to keep?


----------



## Davarm

Austin said:


> I'll keep my eye open for it. How hard it is to keep?


They are kinda like a Timex, as long as they are in partial shade and the ground is not allowed to completely go dry and bake, they will "Take A Lickin And Keep On Tickin".

Thats why I have kept them in my yard, they are pretty to look at and they always seem to "come back" after even the worst summer weather.


----------



## TechAdmin

Things are starting to bloom. 

Anyone find anything in their area?


----------



## brightstar

Claymore5150 said:


> THIS is a subject that I HAVE to learn soon!!!! We live in the "valley" area of upper East TN, between the Cumberland Plateau & Gap and the Smokies. Our retreat location is in the mountains about 45mi from here, up near the NC state line on family land.
> 
> We have a TON of wild edibles around here. Acorns, field onions, blackberry, wild strawberry, walnut, pecan, apple trees abound from OLD OLD OLD homesteads from the 1700's on....I'm sure there are SO many more. This region is bountiful all by itself, without help from man kind.
> 
> I need a book for my region, I know my father in law has one and he's all of 5 mi away....but I should have one for the family as well.
> 
> That guy on the "Doomsday Preppers" show on NatGeo out in Los Angeles had honed the "edibles craft" for his area pretty doggone well. I was impressed with that part of his plan, without a doubt.
> 
> Biggest difference between here and LA, there's a small greenhouse behind every 200th house in the county and a garden 1 in 50-75. You can't turn around without seeing a cow, goat, or horse.
> I love East TN (now I just need to learn how to live off of it without the greenhouses and gardens).
> 
> Good topic starter, Austin!
> Really gets me thinking.


Claymore, we live in the same area. Ramps are another great edible. Think giant green onions  I have found them usually in clusters in shady parts of the woods.


----------



## brightstar

Oh, and day lilies! I used to just chomp on them straight of the stem. Make sure it is non-spotted petals and totally "hairless". There are some varieties that ate toxic, make sure to do your research on the ones in your area


----------



## LilRedHen

Davarm said:


> My brother and I would hunt for them when we were kids, were only able to find, maybe, 1 each spring and we would watch for it to ripen so we could try it.
> 
> It seems like they would always disappear before we could eat one, guess that was a "good thing" then if they were toxic.
> 
> Thanks for that little bit of info, It has been years, many years, since I have seen a may apple plant and now I can look back and be glad that we didnt look a little harder.


The Rooster dug up two mayapples before he was on crutches. One is still living in my garlic bed. It is very small and I don't think it has bloomed yet. He thinks they are pretty. I didn't know they were toxic:scratch

I think it is getting too much sun.


----------



## Davarm

Davarm said:


> They are kinda like a Timex, as long as they are in partial shade and the ground is not allowed to completely go dry and bake, they will "Take A Lickin And Keep On Tickin".
> 
> Thats why I have kept them in my yard, they are pretty to look at and they always seem to "come back" after even the worst summer weather.


Well, for the first time in about 10+ years they didn't "come back" I guess that last year was just a little too much for them. I guess I will have to go back to the coast and get another start.


----------



## ContinualHarvest

You can eat kudzu. Dandelions are useful too for tea, wine, salads, roast the root for a coffee substitute. Fiddleheads can be eaten found. Wineberry/wild raspberry is out around june here in MD. Spring onion is abundant. 
I have a nice guid book for edible wild plants (eastern US). Been finding all sorts of goodies.


----------



## HoppeEL4

I am sure there are some springtime edibles here, but none known to me. We are still trying to get spring, so only some things have just produced flower buds. We won't see anything much till about later June. However, spring Chinook are moving, and the rivers right below us, so....


----------



## timmie

i tried the kudzu jelly. i didn't like it but am going to keep the recipe in case TSHTF it will fill an empty gut. it leaves an aftertaste.


----------



## ContinualHarvest

Day Lily - Hemerocallis fulva, can be eaten. Can be eaten as a salad, used like asparagus, or cooked like a vegetable.


----------



## timmie

does anyone forage for mushrooms?:dunno:. i have been trying for about 6 months to find someone in my area,to positvely identify them.


----------



## Davarm

timmie said:


> does anyone forage for mushrooms?:dunno:. i have been trying for about 6 months to find someone in my area,to positvely identify them.


When we lived in Eastern Kansas, we hunted Morels, they were/are very good. They are very easy to identify, I never knew enough to even consider looking for anything else.

I had a friend that would eat just about any "Puff Ball" he could find and said they were good. I always expected to see him drop dead in front of me after eating them.


----------



## Davarm

With all the rain we've had here in Texas(at least in my area) we should have a good cop of Acorns and Mesquite Beans this year.

We have a lot of Post or Burr Oak Trees around here and they have acorns almost as big as ping pong balls, makes gathering them fairly easy. In good years the Mesquite Beans are about a foot long so gathering them will be easy also.


----------



## TechAdmin

Davarm said:


> With all the rain we've had here in Texas(at least in my area) we should have a good cop of Acorns and Mesquite Beans this year.
> 
> We have a lot of Post or Burr Oak Trees around here and they have acorns almost as big as ping pong balls, makes gathering them fairly easy. In good years the Mesquite Beans are about a foot long so gathering them will be easy also.


We're getting a lot of rain here too.

The mushrooms are coming up like crazy but I need to find a way of identifying them.


----------



## Davarm

Austin said:


> We're getting a lot of rain here too.
> 
> The mushrooms are coming up like crazy but I need to find a way of identifying them.


I know a guy that lived near your neck of the woods years ago and took a liking to Magic Mushrooms, said that they grew all over in cow pastures.

You didn't have to talk to him very long to figure out that he likely ate just a few too many of them.


----------



## dunnthat1

Cattail, every part of this plant can be consumed. event the "flower", (that hot dog looking part of the plant", can be ground into flour. a very versatile plant.


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## thepantryshelf

In Atlantic Canada and more than likely in the State of Maine, you can find blueberries,raspberries, strawberries, hazelnuts, Wild Garlic, Mint, Fiddleheads, as well as a variety of natural medicines including Planetane, Golden Rod, and Black Spruce for Vitamin C and Muellin for Asthma. We have others I cannot think of right off the top of my head. You can find info on the web about how to administer the natural meds if you search for it.


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## chris88idaho

Austin said:


> We're getting a lot of rain here too.
> 
> The mushrooms are coming up like crazy but I need to find a way of identifying them.


I have been told in a survival situation mushrooms have vertically no nutritional value. Taking into consideration how many poisonous varieties there are, pry best to leave them be if you are not 100% sure what it is. Friend who was into mushrooms tried to explain what was safe to eat, he lost me after about 30 seconds.


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## TechAdmin

chris88idaho said:


> I have been told in a survival situation mushrooms have vertically no nutritional value. Taking into consideration how many poisonous varieties there are, pry best to leave them be if you are not 100% sure what it is. Friend who was into mushrooms tried to explain what was safe to eat, he lost me after about 30 seconds.


That would be a huge loss as if I get hungry enough I'm digging in.


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## LongRider

We are on the peninsula in Western Washington. There is a reason that the Indigenous People around here are considered some of the richest on the North American Continent, behind the Yakima Nation in Eastern Washington. There is abundant natural resources available. We have harvested and used most of what is on the list but not all. No doubt there are medicinal plants not on the list my wife harvests to dry, make tinctures, remedies, salves, and what not with that I am totally clueless about. Also some of these are from east of the mountains and will most likely not be available to us once SHTF or like the pine nuts in Eastern Wa are far superior to those we find around here.

A partial list would include
*Medicial Edible Plants*
agoseris, arrowhead, arrow leaved balsamroot, beargrass, bistort, bracken, bulrush, burdock, camas, cattail, chicory, bedstraw, clover, coltsfoot, cow lily, dandelion, devil's club, dock, false solomon's seal, fireweed, goldenrod, ground cone, knotweed, lambs quarter, mariposa lily, miner's lettuce, marsh marigold, mountain sorrel, mustard, pearly everlasting, peppergrass, pickleweed, pineapple weed, plantain, queen's cup, roseroot, salsify, sheep sorrel, shepherd's purse, silverweed, sow thistle, stinging nettle, stonecrop, strawberry blite, sunflower, swamp hedge nettle, sweet clover, sweet gale, sweetflag, thistle, tiger lily, violet, watercress, wild bergamot, wild ginger, wild licorice, wild mint, wild rose, wood lily, yellow glacier lily, yellowcress.

*Berries*
bearberry, blackberry, black currant, black huckleberry, red huckleberry, blueberry, bunchberry, chokecherry, cloudberry, cranberry, crowberry, elderberry, fairy bell, golden currant, gooseberry, hairy manzanita, hawthorn, mulberry, oregon grape, pacific crabapple, raspberry, red currant, red huckleberry, salal, salmonberry, saskatoon berry, strawberry, sumach, thimbleberry.

*Nuts*
hazelnuts, Pine nuts,

*Mushrooms*
cauliflower mushroom, chicken of the woods, common puffball, golden chanterelle, hedgehog mushroom, horn of plenty, king bolete, larch bolete, lobster mushroom, morel mushroom, oyster mushroom, pine mushroom,

*Seaweed*
red cracked bolete, bull kelp, giant kelp, alaria, eel grass, purple laver, sea lettuce.

While I did not see any others post listing game or fish I thought I would include some of what we have available here as the OP asked for wild edibles and did not ask for only plants foods.

*Fish*
chinook salmon, chum salmon, coho salmon, pink salmon, sockeye salmon
cutthroat trout, steelhead, rock bass, lake white fish, blue catfish, channel catfish, green sunfish, warmouth, bluegill, fresh water ling, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, yellow perch, white crappie, black crappie, mountain white fish, rainbow, steelhead, salmon, brown trout, eastern brook trout, lake trout, Walleye, arctic graylingmoose, sturgeon

*Shell Fish*
Clams, oysters, geoducks, shrimp, crab, mussels, shrimp

*Game*
elk, deer, bear, rabbit, quail, pheasants, turkey, ducks, geese, chucker, seal. There is other edible wildlife like cougar, bobcat, otter, fox, skunk, possum, squirrels, rats, mice shrews, coyotes but on a whole not desirable. Even though I have heard cougar is some of the best tasting meat I would not hunt it for food unless I really had no other options and one decided to jump into the soup pot. I have eaten possum, it is nasty and foul smelling to clean and is grotesquely greasy to eat.

As I said we have not harvested, used, stored, eaten or otherwise ingested everything in the above list. We also do not harvest everything every year. For a variety of reasons we harvest some plants and game once every two or three years.

I would like to add. We harvest and use what we can now to keep our stock piles up. But also to learn when and how to properly harvest what plants and how to prepare, preserve them. Learning those skills after SHTF is going to be very difficult.

Incorporating wild foods into our diet so that they are a part of the normal menu, will help us avoid food depression. Food depression can be a source of some serious problems. Especially for those who are planning to live off of freeze dried food, beans and rice that are not normally a part of their day to day diet. While they may have enough caloric intake to sustain life. They may discover they are constantly hungry, unsatisfied. Eating the same bland food only emphasis how bleak the future is. Highlighting a sense of doom and forbidding as you watch your food stores diminish. Whereas eating food you are familiar with provide comfort an uplifting a source of inspiration and hope. Food that you produce harvest or gather provides a sense of security, stability and confidence because it shows you can provide for your needs


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## LongRider

chris88idaho said:


> I have been told in a survival situation mushrooms have vertically no nutritional value.


This touches on what I just posted. You are correct mushrooms provide very little nutritional value, except for some trace minerals. They will help fill an empty belly and a full belly stands better chance of living than an empty one. Some like puffballs have medicinal uses.
*BUT*
As I was saying there is more to food than just caloric and nutritional intake. A tasty meal and mushrooms are tasty can bring a smile to an otherwise gloomy day. I for one plan on continuing to enjoy my life if SHTF and that includes tasty gourmet meals.



chris88idaho said:


> Taking into consideration how many poisonous varieties there are, pry best to leave them be if you are not 100% sure what it is. Friend who was into mushrooms tried to explain what was safe to eat, he lost me after about 30 seconds.


That is why now is the time to get out in the bush with a knowledgeable skilled friend who knows mushrooms and pick some. It only takes one or two trips gathering than feasting on mushrooms for you to be able to identify that mushroom. I still remember the first time we came home with a bag of morels that we sauteed up and served on buttered toast. Granted they are one of the easiest species to identify but the point remains after gathering and eating them I have never forgotten when, where and what they look like. Same as any other mushroom I have ever gathered. After it hits the fan and you are hungry or just want some flavor in your food it will be too late to learn what when where to gather these tasty additions to your diet.

edited to add there really are very few truly deadly mushrooms in north America, some that will make you sick others will make you high (from poisoning) but only a very few are really deadly. I don't eat those


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## Murph

*A website everyone should check out on this subject*

www.eattheweeds.com

I am not affiliated, although I have taken his class and would recomend it to anyone who is in Florida. There are videos as well to help identify plants.


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## twiggie

In my neck of the woods I know of a few wild edibles. 
Acorn, Arrowhead, Apples, Blackberry, Clover, Dandelion, Day Lily, Choke Cherry, Plantain, Yellow Dock, May Apple, Yellow Wood Sorrel, Wild Ginger, Thistle, Wild Violets, Nettle, Hickory Nuts, Goldenrod, Wild Onion, and I'm sure there's other plants I can think of right now. 
As far as game we have Rabbit, Squirrel, Marmot, Bear, Deer, Bass, Bream, Trout, Turtle, Crappie, Walleye, Shad, Catfish


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## *Andi

Birch leaves for now, bark a little later on ... (Betula pendula, B. pubescens, B. lenta) & I hope next year the sap. 

I'm posting the first link that came up for Birch herbal medicine.

http://www.plantsmedicinal.com/herbs-birch.php?lang=eng


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## *Andi

Mullein Flowers! :flower:

I've been waiting on them ... :woohoo:


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## Meerkat

We got rid of all our maypops aka,passion flowers I think,bad move.
We have lots of wild thigns in these woods,need to see what can be eaten.


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## TechAdmin

The pecans here are starting to drop. Shouldn't be to long till they are edible. 

Can't wait!


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## *Andi

Lots of good info...

BUMP!


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## Davarm

TechAdmin said:


> The pecans here are starting to drop. Shouldn't be to long till they are edible.
> 
> Can't wait!


We pretty much got skunked on pecans up here this year.

We have an orchard about half a mile away that has about 500 trees that the owner(known him all my life) is letting go to lumber, gonna check with him to see if we can go in scrounge some up.

I think he let it go because of all the newer verities have dropped the price for the ones he's growing.


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## *Andi

Black Walnuts ...... 

:woohoo:


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## Davarm

*Andi said:


> Black Walnuts ......
> 
> :woohoo:


I just got an email from my dad, he said he had a 5 gallon bucket from one of his trees that he's saving for me. The only condition he put on them is that I plant some on my property.

Going to pick them up tomorrow.


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## Cotton

I have large patches of Henbit growing right now (Lamium amplexicaule). I like to snip a handful and have them over scrabbled eggs. Lots of recipes on the net. These are growing at the edge of my yard.


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## TechAdmin

Well it's slim pickings this year! How's it going with your foraging guys?


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