# Wild Edibles in Mid/South Georgia



## Mars (May 14, 2013)

I've see a few threads about wild edibles such as ramps and ginseng but it seems that most of these are only in the north Ga region. Does anyone know of anything worth eating that grows wild in the middle to southern parts of the state?


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## waddler (May 14, 2013)

I am going to try SANDSPURS the next chance I get down that way. Supposedly you cut the stem aways back, and hold the spurs over a naked flame, burning all the spurs off. Then the nuts are roasted til crunchy and eaten like peanuts. I saw the guy do it on a video, but coming from sandspur country, I am going to make sure them spurs are gone 'fore I chow down. 

I got a pot of Redbud Seedpods on the stove right now. You have plenty of those down there.


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## geordie (May 14, 2013)

*edibles*

Wild mustard greens, dandelions, wild grapes, hickory nuts, nut grass (chufa), pine needle tea, mayhaws,chinquepins,poke weed,wild onion, sassafrass,choke cherry, blackberry, strawberry, huckleberry,cattails , hope this helps.


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## GLS (May 16, 2013)

Last weekend, our daughter served us pesto made from stinging nettles and it was fabulous.  Add morels to the list, but they are above the fall line.  This time of the year, the tender tips of sumac are quite good and are easily found sticking up high in the air above bush tops.  (Smilax, not sumac.  I know it when I see it but can't keep the names straight.)


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## dotties cutter (May 16, 2013)

if you have never had the little, tender hearts from the Palmetto bush you are missing something good. We also have wild huckleberries, blueberries and black berries not to mention wild persimmons, hog plums which will all be getting ripe soon. As boys in days gone by we ate from the time we left home to hit the woods till we got back home just in time for supper. in the fall we also liked pine nuts [mast]. You fellows in Bickly [Millwood] area are bound to know about all these great outdoor vittles'.As a boy Bickly was my favourite place for playin in the woods and them woods is loaded with good eating as .


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## waddler (May 16, 2013)

I am going to get me some tips off some Greenbriar (Smilax) vines and cook them up like I did the Redbud pods. Only problem is beating the deer to them. I'll report back if I survive.


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## waddler (May 17, 2013)

Got 'em, ate 'em. Steamed, served with butter and a bit lemon juice. They were really good. Try 'em, you'll like 'em.


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## Mars (May 17, 2013)

I didn't realize there was so much around these parts. Thanks for the info


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## waddler (May 18, 2013)

Mars said:


> I didn't realize there was so much around these parts. Thanks for the info



Check out these sites.

http://www.eattheweeds.com/

http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/ancient/wild-food-guide.php


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## dpoole (May 21, 2013)

no shortage of KUDZU , prickley pear,  either


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## waddler (May 27, 2013)

Another milestone. Today I sauteed some Daylily buds in olive oil. A touch of salt. They were truly delicious. Regular on my diet from now on.

I was erroneously informed they were a nono, but Chehawknapper set me straight. Maybe some of those tubers next.


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## danmc (May 28, 2013)

on the pokeweed, it is the very young shoots you want.  The older plants and the roots are rather toxic.


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## chehawknapper (May 28, 2013)

I have cooked and eaten pokeweed that was 4' tall. BUT, you better know how to read the plant! the poison is concentrated in the roots. As the plant grows and mature the poison rises trough the outside of the main stem and then spread into the limbs, leaf petioles and eventually even the veins of the leaves. You can see the poison by any pinkish - then red - then maroon/purple coloration. Do not try to cook anything with color. If the plant is growing where it has plenty of water, it can get quite tall before the poison spreads far. Even when it is easily seen in the lower part of the plant, usually the upper leaves are still free of the poison. I have tried to cut the plant back thinking that I would be able to extend my cutting season but have found that the poison spreads very rapidly in the new growth - not worth the effort. Never collect any part of the root regardless how young the plant is. Always boil in two changes of water. A grocery paper bag stuffed full will give you a double handful of cooked greens. Remember that pokeweed is listed in every book on poisonous plants and should never be tried unless under the guidance of someone you trust to know what they are doing. Be safe!


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## Munkywrench (Jun 8, 2013)

Acorns are edible and have numerous uses from soups to even bread. Pecans, walnuts, asparagus can be found, wood sorrel (I love the sour seed pods), fern fiddles, pine tree sprouts give a nice lemony flavor, pine skin ( the layer between the bark and the wood) look into books like edible plants of North America and such. I have several that I found on amazon but they are currently on loan to my mother so I can't give you exact book names


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## Munkywrench (Jun 8, 2013)

By the way I highly suggest researching anything before you eat it. Even though many things are perfectly safe to eat they are unhealthy if not deadly to survive on, for example fern fiddles can cause a severe vitamin b deficiency. Also make sure the books have good photos, a few I have only have drawn black and white photos, I find this unreliable and prefer color photos


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## waddler (Jun 10, 2013)

OK. Next on the list KUDZU!!

Has anybody eaten Kudzu?


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## waddler (Aug 16, 2013)

The Kudzu passed the test on young leaves, and now it is time to try some Kudzu Blossom Wine. Does anyone know if the unopened flowers work for wine?


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## GLS (Aug 16, 2013)

My 23 year-old daughter showed me the ropes on finding Chanterelle mushrooms in the Athens area in early July and I translated it to the low country.  I found the below mushrooms a couple of weeks ago in the coastal plain. I looked for “hills” ( elevations above the ti ti bays and swamp runs) with mixed hardwoods and pines.  Wherever I found oaks and wild grape vines, I found either the tiny “reds” or larger “yellows” .   I  also found them in wiregrass and along one-path dirt roads in oak leaf detritus.  While we don’t have the morels here, I am happy to find the delicious and beautiful Chanterelles.  Between showers tomorrow, I hope to find more.  This has also given me an opportunity to provide food for chiggers, ticks and mosquitoes.  Fortunately, only the ‘skeeters and chiggers have been lucky.


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