# Edible Plants



## cddogfan1 (Oct 30, 2009)

I have gotton more into primative skills as of late.  Mostly reading but starting to try a few things.  On thing though that I do not see much talk on here is about wild edibles and foraging.  I have been reading some field guides and the old foxfire books.  Would like some more tips or places to look for info.  Does anybody know of a class on this in GA?  Maybee we could have a thread where people posted pic and uses.  I have seen other fourms do this but I am more intrested in stuff easily found in the Gods Country of Georgia.


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## Nicodemus (Oct 30, 2009)

In my opinion, out of all the primitive skills, edible and medicinal plants is the hardest of all of them, to learn, and get good at. It is also the most dangerous, because some of this stuff can kill you. I know only 2 people that know what they are doin`, and that I trust their judgement on in this particular skill.


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## Bitteroot (Oct 30, 2009)

Nicodemus said:


> In my opinion, out of all the primitive skills, edible and medicinal plants is the hardest of all of them, to learn, and get good at. It is also the most dangerous, because some of this stuff can kill you. I know only 2 people that know what they are doin`, and that I trust their judgement on in this particular skill.



let me guess.. Muddyfoots ain't one of em!


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## dpoole (Oct 30, 2009)

and schleylures aint the other


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## backwoodsjoe (Oct 30, 2009)

Bitteroot said:


> let me guess.. Muddyfoots ain't one of em!





dpoole said:


> and schleylures aint the other



So fellas are you telling us not to get sick or hungry in the woods down in Schley County ??


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## Bitteroot (Oct 30, 2009)

not unless grilled possum and gravy is the only cure!


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## dpoole (Oct 30, 2009)

not unless grilled possum and gravy is the only cure!  
 never tried possum grilled but they is fat enough that they should grill up just fine!


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## Jake Allen (Oct 30, 2009)

Not even close to being as good as a novice, but I know a few edible plants.
(Back on track after this Schley Cty detour).

Greens:
Cattails
Dandelion
Poke Salit (of course)
Chickweed (This stuff is everywhere winter, early spring)
Scallions

Soft:
Muscadines
Wild Cherries
Blackberry
Mulberry
Crabapple
persimmons

Mushrooms:
Morel
Oyster
Chantrelle (sp?) These I have a hard time telling from other orange mushrooms

I have a long way to go with this, but it is on my list for learning about this winter.


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## Nicodemus (Oct 30, 2009)

Jake Allen said:


> Not even close to being as good as a novice, but I know a few edible plants.
> (Back on track after this Schley Cty detour).
> 
> Greens:
> ...



I`ll make a deal with you. You teach me what you know, and I`ll teach you what I know.


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## Randy (Oct 30, 2009)

Dandelion?  I alsmost choked to death on them little furring things cutting grass one time.  I know you can't eat those.


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## schreck_1 (Oct 30, 2009)

Cattail tubers are supposed to be kinda like Irish taters.  Sumac berries make a good tea.  Don't forget sassafras.


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## RUTTNBUCK (Oct 30, 2009)

I'm going out on a limb here isn't there something edible on a palm plant...................Like the ones you see growing in flood plains??


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## Nicodemus (Oct 30, 2009)

RUTTNBUCK said:


> I'm going out on a limb here isn't there something edible on a palm plant...................Like the ones you see growing in flood plains??



Mitch, the cabbage palm tree, down in Florida, has an edible "heart". You have to cut the tree down and chop it out, and it is delicious. Hi-falutin` folks call it hearts-of-palm. We just call it swamp cabbage.

Oh yea, don`t get caught gettin` it off state lands.


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## The Original Rooster (Oct 30, 2009)

schreck_1 said:


> Cattail tubers are supposed to be kinda like Irish taters.  Sumac berries make a good tea.  Don't forget sassafras.



I've eaten a few cat tail roots and they're pretty good. We boiled'em up and ate'em  like potatoes with butter, salt, and pepper.


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## mamatried (Oct 31, 2009)

Peterson's Edible wild plants guide, lots of info and illustrations, owned it for three years, havent got hungry enough


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## snidley (Oct 31, 2009)

Randy said:


> Dandelion?  I alsmost choked to death on them little furring things cutting grass one time.  I know you can't eat those.



Naw man don't eat "that" part of 'em. It's the greens around the base. I thought the same thing when I first saw them on the edible list. I also thought you ate the cat tail part of those, but it's the root on them.


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## bushidobam (Oct 31, 2009)

I've been pretty fond of the National Audubon Society Field Guides for learning about wild plants.  I've mostly been mushroom hunting with the guide to wild mushrooms, but I own the book for wild plants in the Southeast too.  They have really good color plates to help identify edibles, as well as poisons.

The books run for about $20.00, but they have a nice rugged cover and thick pages so one can take it into the field and not worry about messing it up too bad.


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## slushpuppy974 (Nov 1, 2009)

What about kudzu? Aren't some parts of it edible


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## Dawg Tired (Nov 1, 2009)

Kudzu is edible but you have to be careful it'll take over your kitchen!!


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## slip (Nov 1, 2009)

slushpuppy974 said:


> What about kudzu? Aren't some parts of it edible



i may be wrong but i heard the leaf, roots, and flower are all edible. but i think you have to boil the roots first.


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## Steve Thompson (Nov 1, 2009)

Hog Berrys - A rust colored berry, small oval shape. Deer love'em
Also those yellow lemon looking things that grow on bad Edited to Remove Profanity ----Edited to Remove Profanity ----Edited to Remove Profanity ----Edited to Remove Profanity ----Edited to Remove Profanity ---- thorns.
Those things have a good flavor however a lot of seeds.
Clover is good & keeps the scervy away.
Willow Tree bark - good for head achs


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## Jake Allen (Nov 2, 2009)

Nicodemus said:


> I`ll make a deal with you. You teach me what you know, and I`ll teach you what I know.



Deal.
I reckon I best get to studin'.


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## cddogfan1 (Nov 3, 2009)

Go to Youtube and there is a guy that has a channel called Eat The Weeds.  Has about 100 plus videos on edible plants.  He is in Florida so I would assume most of what he shows are around the GA area also.  His videos are fairly detailed.  Any body got any pics or recipes to post.


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## stickslinger76 (Nov 23, 2009)

I know this is an older post but I thought I would add that for medicinal plants there is a very good book called Mountain Medicine that shows color pics of the plants and tells what they are used for and how to use them. The book is a little hard to find in stores. I bought mine at the foxfire museum in Rabun County but at the time it was the last copy and they didn't know when they could get more. But it is the most informative book on the subject that I have seen.


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## blademan (Nov 26, 2009)

There is a great place up in Dahlonega called Medicine Bow. Mark Warren is the instructor,i've been to several different classes and was always very informative.The edible plant class is the one I haven't made it to yet.
           Gathered,cooked and ate some edible plants during the wilderness survival class,not as in depth as the weekend class on just plants.Great place


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## dukedog1 (Nov 26, 2009)

we got lots of mushrooms in the pasture. Best ones grow out of the cow patties. washem, dryem, eatem, and let the party begin.


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## Fletch_W (Nov 27, 2009)

Pecans, Acorns from the white oak (but not red oak), both a good source of protein when you can't get meat. 

Chickweed and dandelion both have a bitter flavor, but if you've got some kind of animal fat to cook them in, like you'd cook collard greens, then you are in business. Just cook the leaves, pick out stems. The stems are edible, but have more fiber than nutrients so you actually do your body a disservice by eating them (it takes more calories to digest than you get from the food, like eating grass). And as also already mentioned, chickweed is everywhere, dandelion too. The dandelion roots are especially healthy. 

Violets are also edible. Eat the whole plant. If you get into a patch of them, just pick off the flowers and mash them up with wild onion root and dukedog1's mushrooms and stuff the cavity of a copperhead and roast it on the fire like a hot dog, and you'll think you are at Ruth's Chris's younger brother's friend's cousin's ex-wife's cell-mate's grandaddy's steakhouse.


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## cddogfan1 (Nov 27, 2009)

Found my first "Chicken of the Woods" mushroom yesterday.  It weighed 4lbs.  Going to cook it tomarrow.  If I can figure the picture thing out I will post pic.


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## 7 point (Nov 28, 2009)

any one know how to prepair acorns ive heard something about soaking in water or boiling them you ever heard any of that?


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## danmc (Nov 29, 2009)

schreck_1 said:


> Cattail tubers are supposed to be kinda like Irish taters.  Sumac berries make a good tea.  Don't forget sassafras.



I find cattail roots to be neither good nor bad.  Just sort of tasteless.

Sumac berries soaked for a few hours in cold water == yummy!  Strain through some cheesecloth to get the little hairs out.  

I like sassafras too but don't drink that much of it.


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## danmc (Nov 29, 2009)

7 point said:


> any one know how to prepair acorns ive heard something about soaking in water or boiling them you ever heard any of that?



what I have done is to first shell them and then with a knife shave them really thin.  Put them in a pot and pour almost boiling water over them.  Let 'em sit for a bit and the water turns brown.  Pour off the water and add fresh water.  Repeat until you get clear water.  This process gets out the tannins which are more than our human stomachs can take straight up.  Acorns from white oaks take fewer changes of water, acorns from red oaks take more.  Live oaks are very mild.

Since this was just an experiment for me I didn't go the next step of drying them and making flour or anything.  I roasted some with some spices like you might with store bought nuts and I've also dried some on fruit leather (someone else's idea).  

Makes you appreciate how much work it was for those who relied on acorns as an important food.


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## danmc (Nov 29, 2009)

blademan said:


> There is a great place up in Dahlonega called Medicine Bow. Mark Warren is the instructor,i've been to several different classes and was always very informative.The edible plant class is the one I haven't made it to yet.
> Gathered,cooked and ate some edible plants during the wilderness survival class,not as in depth as the weekend class on just plants.Great place



I've been to a number of Marks classes.  He's a great guy and a wealth of knowledge.  Most of what I know about plants I learned as a result of his classes.


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## danmc (Nov 29, 2009)

I haven't seen it mentioned here but the inner bark of pine trees is edible.  Doesn't taste so great but it has lots of good stuff in it and it is very hard to mistake say poison hemlock for a pine tree.


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