wild edible plants thread
- Thread starter gogofast
- Start date
soundmotor
super modified
Most wild mushrooms scare the hell out of me as an edible. Morels & shelf types not so much but the story I read on an experienced forager needing a liver transplant 24 hours after misidentification gives me cold sweats. So I'll likely starve after the alien invasion apocalypse when my canned beans run out & supply chains are gone...
gogofast
Addicted Member
No doubt - it's scary to think about making such mistakes. A lot of times, it's the "experienced" that get in trouble. If you stay with only a few kinds of mushrooms that you're comfortable with and carefully follow the identifying guidelines, there isn't really much risk. When I grew up in the overseas, kids living near the mountains went mushroom picking all the time. Same thing I saw in Europe - as young as 5-6 year old kids picking mushrooms with their siblings and parents. Its risk is similar to handling guns. Gun can do horrible damages to people if not treated with respect and care, but when trained well, you have so much fun with it.
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
I grew up eating polk salad but in the south we pronounce it "poke sallet". You only eat the leaves but they're considered poisonous unless well cooked. Served with sliced boiled eggs they taste similar to spinach but better. I recall my mother sending me out into the woods to pick a "mess" ( southern for a bunch of greens ).
When I hear the Elvis song, "Polk Salad Annie" it reminds me of picking poke sallet as a kid.
When I hear the Elvis song, "Polk Salad Annie" it reminds me of picking poke sallet as a kid.
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Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
I recall the childhood excitement of school letting out for the summer and knowing that wild blackberries would be ripe a few weeks later. We lived on a farm at the foot of a small mountain where rows of wild blackberries bushes grew. My mother majored in home economics at UGa and was a fine cook. She always told us boys that if we picked a boiler full of blackberries she'd make a cobbler. If you had tasted one of her deep dish cobblers with dumplings you'd know that was a great incentive. Picking blackberries was not easy as you had to deal with the briars and ticks but worst of all were the chiggers ( redbugs ) that burrowed under the skin and itched like crazy. Mother instructed us to always pick a few unripe red blackberries as they added some nice tartness. Small wild blackberries are far better than the commercially grown versions found in grocery stores many of which lack those wonderful seeds. I'd give a hundred dollar bill right now for one of mom's blackberry cobblers. My brothers and I have tried to duplicate her recipe but haven't come close. If your mom is still living now is the time to learn how she makes your favorite dish otherwise one day you'll wish you had.
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toxcrusadr
Omelette au Fromage
Pokeweed. A native here told me it was good when I first came here, and I had one sprout up in one of my flower beds. Huge thing. Started picking leaves till I had a whole bagful. Had a visit from a plant biologist friend and showed them to her. She freaked out and said the leaves of the adult plant would give you horrible intestinal upset, and you should only cut the sprouts as they come out of the ground, like asparagus. I never did eat any pokeweed.
Those blackberries look tasty!
Those blackberries look tasty!
onepixel
.
Limu (Hawaiian), ogo (Japanese) seaweed. Not my photo. A life time favorite. It tastes like the sea and it's crunchy. Often this or another version is found in the classic Hawaiian Poke dish. It can be sun dried and later reconstituted in water. Good stuff!
What's really weird is, there is a version found in Washington state that is nearly identical.
What's really weird is, there is a version found in Washington state that is nearly identical.
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toxcrusadr
Omelette au Fromage
We have a plant around here called beauty berry. There were a lot of them on my property and I had every intention of picking them. Unfortunately, due to back issues, I missed the very short season. Oh well, next year.
I know where there are a couple of these in a landscaped area. Didn't know what they were or that they were edible. I will have to verify they are the same thing but those little purple berries are distinctive. What do they taste like? Do you just eat them, make jelly, ?
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
A yearly event in Harlan County, Ky is the "Poke Sallet Festival".
GuyK
Addicted Member
We have a plant around here called beauty berry. There were a lot of them on my property and I had every intention of picking them. Unfortunately, due to back issues, I missed the very short season. Oh well, next year.
These look like black elderberries.
toxcrusadr
Omelette au Fromage
Elderberries (at least the ones I know) are much darker - literally almost black although I've never heard them called 'black' - each berry is larger than these, and they grow on an umbrella-shaped crown called an umble.
The also get ripe around Aug. 1 here in the Midwest, whereas the lighter purple ones are in the fall.
The also get ripe around Aug. 1 here in the Midwest, whereas the lighter purple ones are in the fall.
toxcrusadr
Omelette au Fromage
Black Elderberry juice itself is quite bland but when mixed with sugar in a jelly, the taste is much more complex and delicious.
I've also made red wine with them by blending with red grapes. I used to have a Concord vine and a blend of the two, made dry (can't stand the sweet stuff) was really good. I also used a rather expensive Missouri grape called Norton once. Norton grapes make an excellent dry red that ages very well. Alas, the Norton Elderberry batch went bad (some kind of bacteria) but it still had alcohol so I turned it into brandy.
I've also made red wine with them by blending with red grapes. I used to have a Concord vine and a blend of the two, made dry (can't stand the sweet stuff) was really good. I also used a rather expensive Missouri grape called Norton once. Norton grapes make an excellent dry red that ages very well. Alas, the Norton Elderberry batch went bad (some kind of bacteria) but it still had alcohol so I turned it into brandy.
gogofast
Addicted Member
I've done Elderberry tincture of some sort by adding Elderberries in vodka and sugar mixture.Black Elderberry juice itself is quite bland but when mixed with sugar in a jelly, the taste is much more complex and delicious.
I've also made red wine with them by blending with red grapes. I used to have a Concord vine and a blend of the two, made dry (can't stand the sweet stuff) was really good. I also used a rather expensive Missouri grape called Norton once. Norton grapes make an excellent dry red that ages very well. Alas, the Norton Elderberry batch went bad (some kind of bacteria) but it still had alcohol so I turned it into brandy.
Today, for the first time in a few years, I saw some good mushrooms popping up. One on the left is the biggest Chanterelle I've ever seen. about 8 inches across the top. Some Matsutakes. I had to hike 4 hours each way though. 36 degrees at the top of the mountain, and I saw some snow from last night.
Also a picture of early Birch Bolete I found a few weeks ago. Finally a root harvest from a roughly 20 years old false solomon's seal.
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
This time of year reminds me of the locust beer we used to make. Locust trees produce these long pods which taste pretty good on their own after they ripen and turn black. But when crushed with sugar and water added and left to ferment can produce some good tasting cider. We had a large crock that was once a butter churn and dad would cover it and let the concoction stand for a few weeks and the results was a nice sparking beverage. Some folks make it with honey and I've even heard of cornbread being added to the mixture. 
gogofast
Addicted Member
Never heard that before. That's fascinating. I remember eating the flowers of either black locust or Acacia trees when I was young. Also my parents made vodka infused with the flowers.This time of year reminds me of the locust beer we used to make. Locust trees produce these long pods which taste pretty good on their own after they ripen and turn black. But when crushed with sugar and water added and left to ferment can produce some good tasting cider. We had a large crock that was once a butter churn and dad would cover it and let the concoction stand for a few weeks and the results was a nice sparking beverage. Some folks make it with honey and I've even heard of cornbread being added to the mixture.