FF, glad that it helped.
Strictly for identification, National Audobon Society field guide book series have good books but little info on edibility.
Peterson's guide gives suggestions on when to collect which part and how to use it. Main usage categories are: steamed/slightly cooked (like asparagus), candy/sugary, cereal, coffee substitute, cold drink beverage, cooked green (like spinach), boiled/baked/fried, flour substitute, fritters, fruits for raw, jams/jellies, nuts, pickled, potato-like starchy, raw salad, seasoning/spices, sugary syrup, tea, and skull and bones (for poisonous). Back of book has general recipies for each of these uses.
With easy to use identification based on visible characteristics.
Grouped according to natural habitats, according to use.
Glossary of identification and some botanical terminologies. Plus index.
Great book, overall.
Christopher Nyergess book is more specific to the West Coast but has some really interesting additional information on use.
A word of caution! Some of the plants and fungi are VERY poisonous. Make sure of POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION of the edible ones (or more simply the positive identification of the few poisonous ones) before start munching!
In emergency situ, apply UNIVERSAL EDIBILITY TEST and/or stick to simple and sure ones (cattail, acorns, pine seeds, stinging nettle, burdock, thistle, sunflower, dandelion, chicory, POSITIVELY identified berries, wild onion). As a general rule of thumb, be careful with fungi, bulbs, lily-likes, berries, umbrella-like flowers, parsley-like leaves, carrot-like roots, bad smelling plants (that is easy
). This is for temperate climate and wild plants. For example, garden plants as well as geographical areas like Florida and Hawaii might have further surprises.
HM
Editted for typos. Grrrr, I hate these slippery keys
[This message has been edited by HM (edited 06-02-2001).]
Strictly for identification, National Audobon Society field guide book series have good books but little info on edibility.
Peterson's guide gives suggestions on when to collect which part and how to use it. Main usage categories are: steamed/slightly cooked (like asparagus), candy/sugary, cereal, coffee substitute, cold drink beverage, cooked green (like spinach), boiled/baked/fried, flour substitute, fritters, fruits for raw, jams/jellies, nuts, pickled, potato-like starchy, raw salad, seasoning/spices, sugary syrup, tea, and skull and bones (for poisonous). Back of book has general recipies for each of these uses.
With easy to use identification based on visible characteristics.
Grouped according to natural habitats, according to use.
Glossary of identification and some botanical terminologies. Plus index.
Great book, overall.
Christopher Nyergess book is more specific to the West Coast but has some really interesting additional information on use.
A word of caution! Some of the plants and fungi are VERY poisonous. Make sure of POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION of the edible ones (or more simply the positive identification of the few poisonous ones) before start munching!
In emergency situ, apply UNIVERSAL EDIBILITY TEST and/or stick to simple and sure ones (cattail, acorns, pine seeds, stinging nettle, burdock, thistle, sunflower, dandelion, chicory, POSITIVELY identified berries, wild onion). As a general rule of thumb, be careful with fungi, bulbs, lily-likes, berries, umbrella-like flowers, parsley-like leaves, carrot-like roots, bad smelling plants (that is easy
HM
Editted for typos. Grrrr, I hate these slippery keys
[This message has been edited by HM (edited 06-02-2001).]
