Wild food education

G

g123

Joined
Oct 25, 2009
Messages
329
Hey Guys,

I liked the meat only thread discussing if we can last a long time on meat only. But, I think a balanced approach would be the best in a long term survival situation so we can take advantage of what ever opportunity we have to feed ourselves.

What are some things you can find in the wilderness that can keep you feed and be safe in doing so?

Are certain color berries poisonous and some colors always edible?

What type of bugs can you eat and what type do you avoid?

This thread is geared toward helping someone start a knowledge base and keep them out of trouble, but give them a head start into further study.

Thanks,

Geoff
 
OK, OK, I'm only kidding!

I think this thread is a great idea.


Pine needle tea is my "go to" when winter comes. I drink it rather than taking vitamin supplements to ward offthe common cold.

Not much into the bug thing, but I have read grasshoppers need to be cooked well due to parasires that live in their digestive tract that are not good for humans.

Carl-
 
Joezilla know this word quite well and maybe he'll post his favorite (he has a youtube video about palm weevil larva). I haven't been able to find a list of edible insects indiginous to the U.S.A., but larva stage insects aren't bad and are pretty easy to find in most of the U.S. They are high in fats and protien.

http://www.bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7731
 
Cattails were mentioned briefly in the other thread. They are widespread, but don't grow everywhere. The pollen can be eaten alone of mixed with flour or meal, the young female parts (called "cobs") can be eaten, and the roots (though they take a bit of preparation) are an excellent food source. The inner stems can be cooked like asparagus. And of course the leaves can be woven into all sorts of containers.

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As with a lot of wild plants, be sure of your identification first. Young cattails look similar to yellow iris, whose roots are poisonous.

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g123 said:
Hey Guys,
Are certain color berries poisonous and some colors always edible?
Geoff
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No, there are no short cuts to learning wild foods. You have to put the time in, preferably, by taking a course(s) with somebody like Marty Simon or Christopher Nyerges.

Doc
 
DOC-CANADA said:
No, there are no short cuts to learning wild foods. You have to put the time in, preferably, by taking a course(s) with somebody like Marty Simon or Christopher Nyerges.

Doc
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True that. Or DIY by learning one local plant at a time from someone who knows their stuff.

Some red berries are good to eat. Some will poison you. Same for black, purple and yellow berries.
 
forestnomad said:
The inner bark of eastern white pine trees is edible, you just have to toast it.

Here's a link- http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/edible-pine-bark/
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The Eastern White Pine is one, but the inner cambium bark of virtually all pine trees can be eaten. I've tried it, and it certainly is edible, although it can be a little chewy.;)

Here is something I pulled from another site awhile back (sorry, I can't remember which one):

"The cambium bark of the pines, poplar, aspen, willow, hickory, maple and the mulberry can be peeled during the months of May to the end of August. From September to the end of April you will probably have to beat the bark to loosen it before the cambium will come free of the wood.

The bark can sometimes be eaten raw depending on how tough it is. If too tough to eat raw it can be dried near the fire and then ground into powder and used as flour or as the base of soup.

The cambium can also be cut or torn into strips and boiled like spaghetti.

This is indeed lean cuisine for the lean times!"

While I haven't tried all the trees listed, I can say that the cambium bark of pine trees is edible year 'round.
 
Like Doc said, you need to put the time in. Even once you have positively identified a plant as being edible, you should only eat a small amount. Wait, just to make sure you don't have any reaction. If all good then eat.


However, with berries. I am quite sure that all segmented berries are edible, but don't take my word for it, I am far from a professional.
 
DOC-CANADA said:
No, there are no short cuts to learning wild foods. You have to put the time in, preferably, by taking a course(s) with somebody like Marty Simon or Christopher Nyerges.

Doc
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Hey, Doc, glad to see you here. Now there's someone to catch my mistakes.

I've been paying attention to wild edible plants — especially in my area — for over fifty years, and I still don't feel like I have it covered. It's been an interest, not a passion, for me: I haven't studied as assiduously as I might have. Still, I think I've learned enough to get me through most situations in my area.

I think that may be an important point: learn the basics for your area. It's amazing how few plants you really need to know in order to survive. The more you know, the better, of course, but learn the basics.
 
I don't know about the nutritional value of willow bark, but I often chew it when I have a headache. It contains the active ingredient, salicin, that is the basis for modern asprin.

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dawsonbob said:
The Eastern White Pine is one, but the inner cambium bark of virtually all pine trees can be eaten. I've tried it, and it certainly is edible, although it can be a little chewy.;)

Here is something I pulled from another site awhile back (sorry, I can't remember which one):

"The cambium bark of the pines, poplar, aspen, willow, hickory, maple and the mulberry can be peeled during the months of May to the end of August. From September to the end of April you will probably have to beat the bark to loosen it before the cambium will come free of the wood.

The bark can sometimes be eaten raw depending on how tough it is. If too tough to eat raw it can be dried near the fire and then ground into powder and used as flour or as the base of soup.

The cambium can also be cut or torn into strips and boiled like spaghetti.

This is indeed lean cuisine for the lean times!"

While I haven't tried all the trees listed, I can say that the cambium bark of pine trees is edible year 'round.
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I wonder what kind of calories you can really get from it? I'm sure it can't compare with berries?
 
remmmm said:
I wonder what kind of calories you can really get from it? I'm sure it can't compare with berries?
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I don't really know how many calories it contains; I'll have to see if I can find out. While berries probably contain more calories, I can guarantee that berries taste better.:D
 
I'm not as well versed on the bug world as Joe, but I remember a rule of thumb when it comes to bugs:

If it stings, bites, has 8 legs or more, is brightly colored, is fuzzy, or foul smelling: leave it alone.

Those are generally the big warning signs. Or atleast, they haven't ever steered me wrong.

I've never heard of a rule of thumb with plants except: If you can't identify it with 100% certainty, don't eat it. Some brightly colored berries are edible (Red Sumac, for example), some are poisonous (White Sumac, for example). Some poisonous plants look like edible plants: kudzu and poison ivy.
The only way to be sure is to study and do a lot of field research, using several different sources for cross reference (you'll get a lot of disagreements on Pokeweed).

There are few plants that everybody knows, that grow just about everywhere: Dandelions, Cattails and Common Plantain. Simple to identify, no special prep, can be eaten raw.
 
Botany and ethnobotany is my thing. I always suggest, instead of knowing a variety of plant food or material sources, to instead pick two or three general use plants and get to know them well. Many 'wild plants' have high concentrations of vitamins and herbal medicinal potency because they have not been hybridized like the species we grow in our gardens.




Cattail (Typhus spp.) is an excellent starch (polysaccharides or complex sugars last longer) food source with multiple uses. It is an all-around important plant to know and use.... It is found all over N. America.

Manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.) have edible fruits, the redder the better. I eat the nutty pith. We also grind the berries in meat grinders and make Manzanita cider, an excellent wild beverage utilized by California natives. Also found throughout N.America.

Madrone (Arbutus) has edible berries. Also called 'Wild Strawberry'. Again the redder the better. Super tasty marmalade this one makes.

Rose(Rosa spp.). The rose hips, again the redder the better, even the ones in your garden are used all over the world to make marmalades and are complety. Just don't eat the hairy seeds inside, they aren't poisonous just prickly.

Sheep's Sorrel(rumex acetosella) is prevalent all over N.America. Will be found on pastures, meadows, wooded areas. It is in the sorrel family and has a lemony taste to it, and is another salad green that is both tasty and a scurvy preventative.

Miner's lettuce (Claytonia perforata) is prevalent all over N.America. Completely edible and super tasty salad green.

Stinging Nettle(Urtica dioica) is an excellent food source and medicine. Nettle tea with local honey is what I drink for seasonal allergies. The leaves, steamed or put in soups, is an excellent stomach filler! Will take you far on a hike.

Thistles Pretty much any variety of thistle houses large amounts of moisture in the stem. Think of it as celery. Strip the prickly outer skin and chew on the stem and suck in the moisture. Will also get you far on hikes and prevent dehydration while giving a small jolt of sugar.



There are so many!:D

Here are some tips:
-go for younger growth, not old leaves, the younger, the more nutrient content and the tastier.
-in the case of berries, the more ripe, the better. Unripe can be sour or cause stomach issues.
-Never over graze the wild foods in your area. Especially your camp. The food in your direct vicinity is useful for attracting animals and used to feed you in case of emergency, say, if you twist your ankle.
-Always leave a third of the harvest
-Getting species prior to bloom or prior to shooting flower stems insures sweeter taste and nutrients.


The flowers of many species also make excellent salad greens. Mustards, and my favorite, dandelion flowers when cooked with a little oil or butter make super tasty fritters. Drying berries and fruits also extends the 'shelf-life'....


A side note: It is both important and fascinating to realize the necessity of tri-chromatic vision. The development of our eyesight was in direct relevance to the fruits, berries and nuts we picked. The riper, the better! But also, colors are indicative of other things: take poison oak and sumac: the red spots almost tell you what they will do to you...



As for insects: I was big on insects for a while. In Belize, I found a hefty mix! Wow! These are some things I can offer as help:

-Cooking, even a little bit, ensures better nutrient intake than eating raw if the insect has an exoskeleton. As with mushrooms, the exoskeleton of insects is made up of tough chitin. As with mushrooms, the nutrients bound in the tough structure of chitin is opened and released with a bit of heat. I always chuckle when I see a excited raw foodist want to plop everything in their mouth raw. In addition, our stomachs evolved with fire and cooking..... A little heat can go a long way....

-Beware of the colors of insects. Colors are indicators. Bright reds and blues, for example. The larval stage (grubs, etc.) has been the tasty treat for eons. Insects have evolved with this fact. Thus, larvae will have protective aspects. Irritating prickly hairs, or for instance, the Blue Morpho butterfly, has blue colors on it as a warning. This is indicative of the excretion of cyanide. Think 'cyan-ide'.
 
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Oh yes, blackberries galore! Not to mention raspberries and wild plum! Yum!

You'll also find heavy animal activity when the berries are out. I tracked a black bear up by our well-house near the Wild Plum stand last fall. A youngin' just munchin' away!
 
The best place to start is with a REPUTABLE book on edible plants. Take it with hiking and playing outdoors and see what you can find. Everything is seasonal and regional so if you start with your area and expand, you'll be an expert quickly.

If you're interested in survival, tubers and roots are going to be a great source of carbs (starches) Wild Carrot (Queen Anne's Lace) and Indian Cucumber jump to mind quickly. Also wild alliums (Onion, leek, garlic) are very easy to distinguish.

J-
 
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