Edible Wild Plants

Morel Mushrooms - 

A Northeast mushroom: not so easily found but a yummy treat and treasure when you do.

Black Morels

  

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  Common Morels

  • Morel Mushrooms - 

  *Misshapen oval-like crowns

  *Wider at the bottom than at the top, 

  *Sit on top of thick, bulbous stalks. 

  *Surface of the crown is irregularly ridged and looks vaguely like the surface of a brain. 

  *Most common morels-

      "common morel" - 

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    • yellow to brown

  
  

      "black morel - grayish black. 

  *Morels prefer to grow in moist areas,

  *Usually found in boggy woodlands or near the sides of rivers and streams.

  
  

  *Cleaning- rinse them to clean off dirt/bugs...bt don't soak too much or they get soggy.

  
  

  *Cooking - 

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      Sauté With Oil and Garlic - 

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    Saute in a fry pan with olive oil, fresh garlic, salt, pepper to taste...

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Saute oil and garlic for a couple minutes and then add morels.  Cook about 6 minutes until cripsy-ish. 

  
  

  Flip an cook other side for a couple minutes.  Good Stuff

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Frying In batter

  
  

  You could flour and fry them too by seasoning the flour with salt, garlic powder, and pepper and then rolling the Morels into the mixture.   Fry them in butter in a fry pan for about 6 minutes on each side but take off sooner if look done.  Should be browned and crisp.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  DISCLAIMER - As always,  DON'T FORGET I AM NOT AN HERBOLOGIST - JUST A MEAT HEAD WHO HAS STUDIED THE ART OF PICKING WILD PLANTS FOR MANY YEARS.  POINT IS IF YOU END UP YACKING OR WORSE DON'T COME LOOKING FOR ME - IT MEANS YOU ATE SOMETHING THAT WASN'T ON MY LIST OF APPROVED EDIBLES AND YOU ARE A KNUCKLEHEAD!  And especially Mushrooms...be careful identifying them.

Read more: Identification of Northeast Wild Mushrooms | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_8081147_identification-northeast-wild-mushrooms.html#ixzz1IrfffJub

Poor Man's Pepper:

My girls are not huge fans of mustard flavored anything but my wife and I are.  The wife likes the brown, horseradishy, deli style mustards while I tend to be a French's yellow mustard kinda guy.

That said, you can make your own mustard from the Wild using the Poor Man's Pepper Plant.  This plant is all over the Northeast and can be used to flavor lots of foods with a mustardy, spicy flavor.  It has little white flowers on it and toothed leaves. Most of the time, we see this plant on roadsides.  They like the sun so look for sunny spots.  They also like sandy soil. 

• "The mature plant has a lot of green branches and seedpods that are circular and flat. 

  This plant can be thrown into a food processor along with turmeric, vinegar, miso, garlic and salt to make wild mustard. The flowers, spicy leaves and seedpods are delicious in casseroles, soups, sauces and salads."

Read more: Edible Wild Plants in the Northeast | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_6189281_edible-wild-plants-northeast.html#ixzz1HzYUySfm

DISCLAIMER - DON'T FORGET I AM NOT AN HERBOLOGIST - JUST A MEAT HEAD WHO HAS STUDIED THE ART OF PICKING WILD PLANTS FOR MANY YEARS.  POINT IS IF YOU END UP YACKING OR WORSE DON'T COME LOOKING FOR ME - IT MEANS YOU ATE SOMETHING THAT WASN'T ON MY LIST OF APPROVED EDIBLES AND YOU ARE A KNUCKLEHEAD!

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Red Clover- 

 

Red clover blossoms are edible and contain a number of essential nutrients. They retain their shape when dried, making them useful in crafts. Red clover, or Trifolium pratense L., is naturalized throughout the continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Denmark, France and most provinces of Canada excluding Nunavut, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plants Database. Red clover is a vital agricultural product in all countries listed. 

Red Clover Honey Candy - Keep honeybee hives near your red clover fields. Bees pollinate the clover as it grows, causing higher seed yields for future plantings. Eat the honey yourself, market it as an additional farm product or use it to make halwi, one of the world's oldest candy recipes. A halwi recipe was found on a clay tablet in Egypt that dates to 1600 B.C.  Pulse 3 cups of dates with 1 to 2 tsp. water in a blender. Add 3/4 cup of toasted sesame seeds, 1 1/2 tsp.cardamom, and 3/4 cup of crushed macadamia nuts, cashews or pistachios and pulse again for two minutes. Scrape mixture onto a plate using a rubber spatula. Roll halwi into balls before dipping them in red clover honey. Roll the honeyed balls on a plate of slivered almonds mixed with 1 tbsp. cinnamon. Store halwi in tins with tight lids, layered between sheets of waxed paper.  

Animal Fodder - You can feed the dried flower heads to livestock as long as you provide a balance of other feed sources. Too much red clover reduces fertility and causes poor muscle tone, decreased lactation and prolapse of the uterus in sheep, according to Drugs.com. 

Jelly - Pour 2 cups of boiled apple juice or white wine over each cup of fresh-picked red clover blossoms and allow them to steep until cooled, as recommended by "Cookbook Reviews" and "Cooking with the Seasons" editor, Jennifer Wickes. Wickes uses rose petals or geranium flowers and leaves, which have a stronger scent than red clover, so double the clover blossoms if you want stronger clover flavor.  Wickes strains the flowers from the liquid before she adds 1/4 cup of lemon juice and 3 oz. of liquid pectin. Use just 2 oz. of dried pectin, recommends Mary Ostyn, frugal living expert, jelly maker and author of "Family Feasts for $75 a Week." Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil before you add the sugar, using 4 cups to 3 oz. of liquid pectin and 5 1/2 cups to 2 oz. dried pectin. Pour into sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch head space between the level of the jelly and the lid. Place lids on jars and tighten the rings.
Place still-hot jars in a boiling water bath at least 1-inch deeper than the top of the jar. Boil jars for 10 minutes and place on a towel until you hear the lids seal. Store sealed jars in a cool, dry place. Any jars that do not seal properly must be refrigerated. Jars whose lids feel loose or pop up and down are not sealed. 

Potpourri - Because dried red clover blossoms will hold their shapes, they can be used in potpourri to add bulk and texture. Gather large, full flower heads while they are in full bloom, before they begin to lose their color. Remove all leaves from each flower stem, advises Auburn University home horticulture extension associate Mary Beth Musgrove. Rinse the flowers and pat them dry. Hang them in bunches, upside down. Add to your favorite potpourri mix after three to four weeks.

-some info. from ehow edible plants of the northeast

red clover -

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 Some inf. from http://www.ehow.com/way_5493880_field-guide-northeast
Read more: Edible Wild Plants in the Northeast | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_6189281_edible-wild-plants-northeast.html#ixzz1FHW3VywO

Fiddleheads (Ostrich Fern)  (Pteretis pensylvanica)

THESE ARE SOOOOO DELICIOUS!!!! and easy enough to find in early spring.  The kids LOVE THEM too. Descirption -unfurling young sprouts of ferns. -many species of ferns are edible like these fiddleheads, but these are the most delicious of all! -Edible in early growth stage right in the beginning of Spring (see picture below). -Ostrich Ferns -the safest fern to eat since it has the least amount of carcinogens. (WARNING most other fern species are either unpalatable (YUCKY) or contain high levels or carcinogens.)

-Above is what you eat from a fiddlehead plant.  Picture above is a great rep. of what the plant looks like when edible...Do not eat them once they open up out of their curls or become open ferns.  NOT YUMMY THEN!  These plants at this stage of growth resemble the neck of a violin (aka a fiddle).

To prepare - EASY!

-Wash well, remove hair like pieces, boil the curls 'til soft, then fry a little with butter, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper...whatever taste you typically like on spinach-like veggies.

Picture below is post washing- pre-boiling, once hairs are removed

Fried up and ready to eat - yum!

DISCLAIMER - DON'T FORGET I AM NOT AN HERBOLOGIST - JUST A MEAT HEAD WHO HAS STUDIED THE ART OF PICKING WILD PLANTS FOR MANY YEARS.  POINT IS IF YOU END UP YACKING OR WORSE DON'T COME LOOKING FOR ME - IT MEANS YOU ATE SOMETHING THAT WASN'T ON MY LIST OF APPROVED EDIBLES AND YOU ARE A KNUCKLEHEAD!

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Great Article on ehow by  By HollandH, eHow Contributor 

Field Guide to Northeast Wild Berries

http://www.ehow.com/way_5493880_field-guide-northeast-wild-berries.html#ixzz1C4MCn46J

If you are camping or just taking a walk in the woods or meadows of the northeast, you are likely to come upon 

wild berries free for the taking. Most berries need full sun and grow on low bushes, especially where the 

ground has been disturbed in the past. They can be a welcome treat on the trail, but you would be wise 

to consult a guide to edible plants before you eat any or gather them for a pie. These are some of the most 

common ones.

DISCLAIMER - DON'T FORGET I AM NOT AN HERBOLOGIST - JUST A MEAT HEAD WHO HAS STUDIED THE ART OF PICKING WILD PLANTS FOR MANY YEARS.  POINT IS IF YOU END UP YACKING OR WORSE DON'T COME LOOKING FOR ME - IT MEANS YOU ATE SOMETHING THAT WASN'T ON MY LIST OF APPROVED EDIBLES AND YOU ARE A KNUCKLEHEAD!

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Blueberries

1. 
   Blueberries can be eaten right off the tree.
   Blackberries
   Blueberries grow on woody-stemmed, rounded bushes from 6 to 20 feet high. The round, powdery blue fruits appear in summer and hang from the bush in sprays. Each berry has a small calyx at the blossom end. Look for them near oak trees and in bogs and barrens with acid soil.
2. 
   Blackberries turn from red to black in midsummer.
   Blackberries grow on long, thorny stalks that over time create an impenetrable thicket of brambles. The black, aggregate berry (made of a cluster of drupelets) can be juicy and sweet and slip easily off its stem, but they are often are hard and sour, depending on rainfall. Low-growing blackberries are called dewberries.

Elderberries

3. 
   These elderberries will ripen to almost black.
   Elderberries grow in rich soil at the edges of woodlands. Their flowers appear as disks of tiny white blossoms and can be dipped in batter and fried. Each blossom turns into a tiny dark purple berry hanging in a spray. They're bitter eaten raw but make good pies, jellies and wine.

Wild Cherries

4. Black cherries and red chokecherries grow on small trees with reddish, shiny bark. The fruits can be quite sour but make good wine or jelly. Cherries are related to plums and have the same small-toothed leaf. Do not to eat the seeds of wild cherries, which are poisonous.

Cranberries

5. Cranberries are one of the only fruits native to North America, the others being the blueberry and the Concord grape. The round, red berries grow on low shrubs and ripen in the fall. They are too tart and hard to eat raw, but cook up into a tasty sauce.

Read more: Field Guide to Northeast Wild Berries | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/way_5493880_field-guide-northeast-wild-berries.html#ixzz1C4MCn46J

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ACORNS

Yes, it is true...Acorns are edible, just like an almond or walnut or any other nut for that matter.

Some say acorns taste good, and are suppose to be good for you.  Plus around my house, they are in abundance once a year, to the point where the little suckers wake me up during the night while falling on my roof or when whizzing against a window pane on a windy eve.

They come from oak trees and Native Americans use to eat them all the time, like candy.

They are suppose to be really good in stews, soups and ground up in breads.  They are suppose to have a sweet aftertaste but they actually are low in sugar and fat and good for controlling blood sugar levels. Plus they are high in fiber, complex carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins.

Ask my daughter Ailey and she will tell you that our local acorns are "wicked" bitter.  This is because some of the ones around here are full of tannin which is a 

bitter substance in oaks.  White oaks are suppose to taste the least bitter and need less processing action to make them sweet (

swamp oak, Oregon white oak, and burr oak are also like this) but supposedly all acorn nuts can be put through a process that makes them yummy.  They say that 

Emory oaks can be eaten right off the tree but they, along with most other acorns, taste even better once they have been roasted in the oven at 175 (stir often).

To process a bitter type...

Take off the cap, use pliers and squeeze the shell a little until you can crack it, now peel and move on to acorn #2. 

 Once you have a good amount in a bowl...now

• You can roast them at 175 until brown and then eat up 
• You can ma
  ke acorn meal by grinding the nuts up in a blender at course blend, then put in a pot/bowl and add boiling water to it and then cover for about 1 hour. Drain and throw away the brownish, unappetizing water. Repeat bowling water process, dump H20 after 1 hour and then taste the acorn meal. It should taste bitter at 1st then sweet as you chew. Continue this leaching process until you get the taste of meal that you like.  leaching out the tannin as long as necessary.  When it taste good, let the meal dry out on a 
  cookie sheet IN THE OVEN EITHER WHICH JUST THE LIGHT ON FOR WARMTH OR ON WAY LOW TEMP. 
   Once it is totally dry, grind in blender again so it is really fine.  St
  ore in the freezer or refrigerator in an airtight bag or jar. The dry, ground meal will last a week or so, stored in an airtight jar on the shelf. But, because of the oil, the meal will begin to go rancid after that.

From askville at amazon... 

Apache acorn cakes recipe:

As acorn meal is very dense, you will have to take care to get your bread to rise when adding it. One way to ensure this is to use hot liquid and beat in your flour, making a batter. Then cool so you can add the yeast and the rest of the ingredients. This helps release wheat gluten to let the bread rise, despite heavy ingredients. Indian bread was always very dense and heavy, as there was seldom, if ever, wheat or yeast added to the recipe. It takes wheat gluten, as well as yeast, to make bread rise properly. Indian breads were often small, thin cakes baked before the fire on large, reflecting rocks. They were not puffy, large loaves as we are accustomed to today.

Apache acorn cakes:

1 cup acorn meal, ground fine 

1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup honey
pinch of salt

Mix the ingredients with enough warm water to make a moist, not sticky dough. Divide into 12 balls. Let rest, covered, for 10 minutes or so. With slightly moist hands, pat the balls down into thick tortilla-shaped breads. Bake on an ungreased cast iron griddle over campfire coals or on clean large rocks, propped up slightly before the coals. If using the stones, have them hot when you place the cakes on them. You’ll have to lightly peel an edge to peek and see if they are done. They will be slightly brown. Turn them over and bake on the other side, if necessary.

These cakes were carried on journeys dry and eaten alone or with shredded meat. 

DISCLAIMER - DON'T FORGET I AM NOT AN HERBOLOGIST - JUST A MEAT HEAD WHO HAS STUDIED THE ART OF PICKING WILD PLANTS FOR MANY YEARS.  POINT IS IF YOU END UP YACKING OR WORSE DON'T COME LOOKING FOR ME - IT MEANS YOU ATE SOMETHING THAT WASN'T ON MY LIST OF APPROVED EDIBLES AND YOU ARE A KNUCKLEHEAD!

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*Cattail    

Cattails are an edible plant.  In fact, all of this plant can be eaten.  Some of it's parts are known for being really delicious.  The shoots on this plant have a taste often compared to that of a cucumber or zucchini, although this flavor exists only before the plant flowers.  Most people recognize cattails by their brownish heads that have a cigarish look to them.  Like milkweed, Cattails release a cottony fiber from their heads when that part of the plant opens up.  You can often see those fibers dancing around in the wind while you take a walk in an open field or in swampy areas.  Cattails are all over the Northeast and you can find them mostly near watery areas. 

disclaimer - Don't forget I am not an herbologist - just a meat head who has studied the art of picking wild plants for many years.  Point is if you end up yacking or worse don't come looking for me - it means you ate something that wasn't on my list of approved edibles and you are a knucklehead!

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Blueberry

I like to get the canoe out in early to mid July and throw it in my favorite blueberry pond (no I am not telling you where - I am not actually nice when it comes to giving out my secret spots!).  There are tons of ponds that are surrounded by blueberry bushes though.  Throw a couple of your kids in the boat with you with some plastic containers and you are off to a great day!  Wild blueberries are extremely nutritious and have one of the highest antioxidant level of any fruit!  Since I had kids we don't go home with that many because they tend to deposit more in their bellies than their pails, but it sure is a great way to spend some quality time with your kids!  If they tick you off you can always throw them in the water!  Life jackets are mandatory though!


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CHICKEN OF THE WOODS
http://mushroom-collecting.com/9-04-06_20.jpg


The mushroom image in this link is of a mushroom called Chicken of the Woods (aka Laetiporus sulphureus, Laetiporus cincinnatus to the scientist types).   These are totally edible and found here in the Northeast.  Plus their taste lives up to their name.  After soaking them for while in water and making sure they are grit/dirt free, you can cut them up and saute them in some olive oil (or butter), garlic, and salt, (Yes, the smell makes your mouth water!) and they taste just like garlic flavored chicken.  Even the texture is similar to chicken.
The whole family loves these.  Even the wife, who tends to be paranoid about the whole edible plant consumption thing, sends me and the girls out to the woods to look for these delicious treats.


disclaimer - Don't forget I am not an herbologist - just a meat head who has studied the art of picking wild plants for many years.  Point is if you end up yacking or worse don't come looking for me - it means you ate something that wasn't on my list of approved edibles and you are a knucklehead!








Yes folks there are tons of plants out in the woods that are edible.  My daughter Ailey has become quite the connoisseur of acorns (the white oak being the best), which I must say are horrible.  Actually Ailey being the stubborn little bugger that she is actually did find some in the neighborhood this year that were actually pretty good.  I swear that kid is part chipmunk!  I will devote this page to showing some photos of some of our favorite wild edibles - many which you can find right in your back yard or the nearby vacant lot.

Common Greenbriar

This is one of my family's favorite.  It is very easy to distinguish.  It is commonly known as a pricker bush and it hurts like hell when you are chasing your dog and a pheasant through the woods at a dead sprint (another story).  Back to the plant.  The tender young shoots in spring and through mid summer are great eaten raw, in a salad, or blanched quickly with a bit of lemon juice.  You will commonly see these young shoots missing on the plants since the deer love them.  I am pretty sure it is not people going around picking them since they all seem to think I am off my rocker when I am munching on them on the side of the road or along some walking trail!  Funny how many strange looks I get on a regular basis...Honestly give this a try - you will be pleasantly surprised and you can count on it being 100% ORGANIC!  Don't forget I am not an herbologist - just a meat head who has studied the art of picking wild plants for many years.  Point is if you end up yacking or worse don't come looking for me - it means you ate something that wasn't on my list of approved edibles and you are a knucklehead!