There are many plants that you can eat in the wild. The ones I usually speak about are medicinal, however in this post, we are strictly talking what you can eat if you find yourself in a situation without food. This was a common practice up until about 75ish years ago. Harvesting wild plants for food was just second nature. They didn’t have grocery stores. They had to grow, forage, or use their animals to provide all the food they consumed. After appreciating the beauty that nature gives us, we realize that foraging gives a sense of food security and self-reliance. There is so much food to harvest in the wild. Every season brings something new.
Although foraging is great, it is best to stay away from areas around a road, simply because chemical spraying could have happened. The plants growing near the road could be poisoned and rendered unusable for food.
There are two main plants that I want to talk about in this post. There are so many more such as mushrooms, berries, and edible leaves. But two of my favorite are plants that are normally plentiful and are thought of as invasive weeds. To me, they are tasty food packed with nutrients! The first one is dandelions. All parts of the dandelion are edible. Anything from the leaves to the flower, to the stem, to the roots. They include a wealth of nutrients that are fueled for all of your body’s functions. The leaves of dandelion tend to be more bitter in the summer but they are great sauteed with onions and garlic in bacon fat. The roots can be cleaned well, chopped into small pieces, and roasted. Then sprinkle this on a salad and you will have the perfect crunch. Another way to use the roots is with coffee. A good coffee substitute is dandelion root coffee. Roast the roots, powder them, and use them just like you would when making a cup of coffee. You may be surprised how good they are! And they aren’t only tasty, but they are medicinal!
Lets move on to the next wild edible plant. This plant is early to arrive in the spring and is called stinging nettles. They are called stinging nettles because they can sting and irritate your skin. It is important to wear gloves , long sleeves, pants, and closed-toe shoes. But don’t worry, the stinging hairs on nettles are neutralized when cooked or dried. Nettles should be harvested before they flower. Once they flower, they develop something called cystoliths which may irritate the urinary and digestive systems. Nettles provide a wealth of iron, calcium, zinc, and antioxidants. They can be dried for teas, stews, sauces, and pesto. Here is a wonderful pesto recipe!
4 cup fresh nettle leaves
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-6 garlic cloves
1/8 teaspoon minced onion
½ c nutritional yeast
Place all in a food processor. Process on high until all in incorporated and is creamy. This can be eaten fresh or you can freeze for later consumption.
Foraging for your food is such a fun and rewarding adventure in self-reliance and food security. Just remember to make sure you identify correctly and the earth will give you its bounty. Bon Appetit!
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Stay natural!
~Dr. Amanda P. Cartwright