Spring time wild edibles ?

pitdog

pitdog

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Apr 13, 2007
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It occured to me yesterday that I have been neglecting my interest in wild edibles, maybe this is because there are not too many around this time of year in my area or maybe just because I've been lazy !

Anyway I did notice plenty of Nettles on my last hike so at least there is a cup of tea or some vitamin rich greens to be had. I also see plenty of Licorice root which can also be added to the tea.
There is also an abundance of Skunk Cabbage whose roots can be used to treat toothache and I have heard can be eaten during desperate times !

So what have you found recently in your neck of the woods, I'm needing a little edible inspiration !!!!!:D
 
wood sorrel and briar shoots! yummy. the plantain is also going nuts right now and the prickly pear cactus is always tasty... you can eat the leaf, you know, not just the fruit. agarita is in bloom, so we should have berries this year!
 
Spring Beauty (don't know if it grows in Canada or not) which is called "Tangle Gut" here and a few other places. It's really good "kilt" with some green onions & salt to taste.

Wild onions are shooting up.
 
Broccoli with cheese sauce from the frozen food section.:D

Sigh. I really need to get out more. Actually, we have an advantage around here, since there are edibles pretty much year round. Maybe this week I can get out and scrounge some. I've always liked nettles, and I know where there's a pretty good patch.
 
Very timely thread indeed. This past winter I've really gotten a good education listening to a very knowledgable lady named "Linda Runyon". I've been listening to her on George Whitehurst Berry's show on www.gcnlive.com this past winter season. She is a walking/talking encyclopedia of information on wild edibles. Her website is www.ofthefield.com

There is also a very sharp guy in "Wilderness Way" magazine named Chistopher Nyerges. He also does articles for other magazines as well. Him and Linda both answer your e-mails quickly. They are both excellent sources of correct and timely information on the subject of wild edibles.

I will give one bit of advice of extreme caution>> unless you can 100% identify it stay the hell away from mushrooms. For no more nutrition that you can get from them it ain't worth the horrible risk.

Also check sources from the state you live in. I live here in Missouri and discovered that the state has a lot of information on wild edibles for free from the Conservation Department. I've heard other states also have information sources available. Great thread
 
None of my asparagus is up yet.

I did get a few shiitake mushrooms off my logs last weekend.

I covered the woods last weekend at my house and no morels to be found.

My ramps I transplanted from the mountains are up but I'm not going to pick any because I want them to spread.

Still very early here for anything out. No nettles.
 
Still have a few weeks on the morels around my parts, asparagus too, checked both my patch and several wild one sand no sign yet.
 
Wild20Turkey.jpg


if only I was at home. :( Chris
 
Head to the swamp.Cattails provide quite a few choices for eating in season and look for arrowroot while there,nice spuds.Then the good old curled dock weed another nice green edible.Dandelions are nice also if you get them early and not from a chemically treated yard.Watercress grows in quite a few clean running streams.
We do get Spring beauties here and at the same time the corm off Avalanche lilies
Just some that come to mind
Dan'l
 
dboles said:
Head to the swamp.Cattails provide quite a few choices for eating in season and look for arrowroot while there,nice spuds.Then the good old curled dock weed another nice green edible.Dandelions are nice also if you get them early and not from a chemically treated yard.Watercress grows in quite a few clean running streams.
We do get Spring beauties here and at the same time the corm off Avalanche lilies
Just some that come to mind
Dan'l
Click to expand...

I've never much cared for Dandelions, I guess when it comes to survival food ya can't be too selective though eh !
 
Pokeweed - this is a plant that people eat but only certain parts, only at certain time of the year and only prepared properly.
Mushrooms - there was a recent death in the UK of a woman from Thailand who ate wild mushrooms that looked like a safe one in Thailand.There have been similar deaths in this country .
 
pitdog said:
It occured to me yesterday that I have been neglecting my interest in wild edibles, maybe this is because there are not too many around this time of year in my area or maybe just because I've been lazy !

Anyway I did notice plenty of Nettles on my last hike so at least there is a cup of tea or some vitamin rich greens to be had. I also see plenty of Licorice root which can also be added to the tea.
There is also an abundance of Skunk Cabbage whose roots can be used to treat toothache and I have heard can be eaten during desperate times !

So what have you found recently in your neck of the woods, I'm needing a little edible inspiration !!!!!:D
Click to expand...
Be careful about eating skunk cabbage leaves, "Wild Man" Steve Brill tells about a bad episode with them in his "Wild Edibles" book. We'll soon have ramps,morels,chives/garlic,fiddleheads,nettles,violets,plantains . I picked a small mess of garlic mustard greens yesterday.Were very tasty steamed w/vinegar.--KV
 
Not where you're going with this, but venison has been a staple in my diet over the past year. Mostly, it has been chicken, fish and lean ground beef. However, friends and family have given us venison. Steaks, round, ground meat etc. If prepared the right way, venison can taste better than beef.

I have been looking at wild edible supplements to the dinner table, as well as something to chow down on when out camping or hiking.
 
Found some Spring Gold today !

P3310017-1.jpg


First Nations: Spring gold was commonly used by the Southern Okanogan, Flathead, Kalispel, Nez Perce, Kootenay and other peoples of the northwestern U.S. The roots were dug up with bitter-root in April and May, during or just after flowering, and eaten raw, boiled or steam-cooked in pits. They could be dried on mats in the sun and then stored for up to three years.
 
Thanks for reminding me Pit. There's a botanist in my area who takes people out and shows them what they can eat. I made it to one of his neighborhood walks and it was great. He's pobably already started up. If anyone in the NW Oregon area wants to check him out just google 'wild food adventures.'
 
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