# Learning about wild edibles



## garnede (Jan 19, 2011)

I would like to get a group together to teach one another how to identify wild edibles.  I know Morel mushrooms and a few others, but I would like to learn a lot more. I know there is not much out at the moment, but I'm trying to get a head start on spring.  

I am in Columbus and I am willing to drive up to an hour to meet with anyone who is willing to share their knowledge of wild edibles.  I propose to hold the metup at a WMA, State Park, or Hunting Lease.  While I have a hunting lease in Harris County it was recently clear cut so it may not be the best place to look.  

There is nothing more primitive than going out and foraging for wild edibles.  If anyone in the area is willing to share their knowledge please let me know.  Thanks


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## crackerdave (Jan 19, 2011)

I "lived off the land" for a few years.It's a fun hobby,but definitely not a fun lifestyle.

I bet if you did a search,you'd find a lot of groups like that already formed.


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## garnede (Jan 19, 2011)

I have found some groups or classes, but none closer than the atlanta area.  I am not looking to live off of the land, just supplement what I can find in a grocery store.  There are many foods that can be found in the wild but not in a store or farmer's market.  I am just trying to identify more of what is available to me.


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## Trefer (Jan 19, 2011)

Your hunting land just might be a real good place to start looking come spring.  Lots of weeds pop up in the new open sunlit places, many of them edible. 

I'd like to learn more about mushrooms myself


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## shakey gizzard (Jan 19, 2011)

The library is a good place to start! Crescent has a set called the instant guide to edible,medicinal plants and mushroom and other fungi. Easy to use in the field and well illustrated!


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## garnede (Jan 19, 2011)

Books are a good tool, but I am never fully confident in my identifications until I can have an expert confirm this.  This is especialy true when it comes to mushrooms.

Trefer, as I said I can teach you about morel mushrooms, which come out in late march thru mid april here.  They can be out much earlier or later depending on weather and location (They grow from central america to Alaska).  I took a class on identifying morels, but unfortunately that is the only mushroom I can absolutely identify.


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## shakey gizzard (Jan 19, 2011)

garnede said:


> Books are a good tool, but I am never fully confident in my identifications until I can have an expert confirm this.  This is especialy true when it comes to mushrooms.
> 
> Trefer, as I said I can teach you about morel mushrooms, which come out in late march thru mid april here.  They can be out much earlier or later depending on weather and location (They grow from central america to Alaska).  I took a class on identifying morels, but unfortunately that is the only mushroom I can absolutely identify.



Not a pro , but the #1 rule with mushrooms is never eat one with a volva! Poison


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## brunofishing (Jan 19, 2011)

I think Oxbo Meadows in south Columbus has some shows or tours or something like that, It starts in the spring.


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## NCHillbilly (Jan 19, 2011)

shakey gizzard said:


> Not a pro , but the #1 rule with mushrooms is never eat one with a vulva! Poison



Nope, #1 rule with mushrooms is to never eat one that you can't identify positively to genus and species. General rules don't work (volva or lack of, growing on wood, gills or not, etc.) Some are easy, some not. Most of the better edible mushrooms are as easy to ID as telling a blackberry from a nightshade berry with some study and practice, though. I've been picking and eating wild mushrooms most of my life, have a whole shelf full of Mycology reference books, have taken Mycology classes, and am pretty good at id-ing most common shrooms- but there are still a lot of mushroom genus that I won't mess with. And details are important-even the morels that everybody picks can be poisonous raw.
As for plants, how good are you at basic plant ID? There are a lot of good common edible plants that are easy to ID with a field guide if you already have a pretty good basic knowledge of plants and can use a key. Creasy greens (winter cress) for one  are probably already up and ready down in your neck of the woods. It's always better to go out with someone who knows their stuff to begin with, though. I was lucky to learn a lot of common-sense knowledge about wild foods from the older generations of my family when I was growing up. A lot of people here still forage a lot of wild food, and my mom has always been a fanatical wild-plant picker. Then I spent a bunch of time sitting in classrooms and many years as a horticulturist working with native plants and was able to learn a lot more of the technical side. I've taught a few classes dealing with wild plants at primitive skills gatherings, and write a monthly magazine column about edible/medicinal/ useful wild plants, so I'd love to get together with some other people and do something like that sometime, but it's just hard to find the time lately.


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## garnede (Jan 19, 2011)

NCHillbilly said:


> Nope, #1 rule with mushrooms is to never eat one that you can't identify positively to genus and species. General rules don't work (volva or lack of, growing on wood, gills or not, etc.) Some are easy, some not. Most of the better edible mushrooms are as easy to ID as telling a blackberry from a nightshade berry with some study and practice, though. I've been picking and eating wild mushrooms most of my life, have a whole shelf full of Mycology reference books, have taken Mycology classes, and am pretty good at id-ing most common shrooms- but there are still a lot of mushroom genus that I won't mess with. And details are important-even the morels that everybody picks can be poisonous raw.
> As for plants, how good are you at basic plant ID? There are a lot of good common edible plants that are easy to ID with a field guide if you already have a pretty good basic knowledge of plants and can use a key. Creasy greens (winter cress) for one  are probably already up and ready down in your neck of the woods.It's always better to go out with someone who knows their stuff to begin with, though. I was lucky to learn a lot of common-sense knowledge about wild foods from the older generations of my family when I was growing up. A lot of people here still forage a lot of wild food, and my mom has always been a fanatical wild-plant picker. Then I spent many years as a horticulturist working with native plants and was able to learn a lot more of the technical side. I've taught a few classes at primitive skills gatherings, and write a monthly magazine column about edible/medicinal/ useful wild plants, so I'd love to get together with some other people and do something like that sometime, but it's just hard to find the time lately.



I grew up in Alabama, and spent a lot of time outdoors.  But I only learned the common plants and trees.  I know polk salad and dandelions but not most berries except blue and balck berries.  In the mean time I spent several years in Alaska where I learned the local plants and forgot most of the souther plants.  

I agree don't eat any mushroom unless you are sure of genus and species.  I won't trust a rule of thumb when it comes to mushrooms.


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## jkk6028 (Jan 19, 2011)

garnede, do you find a lot of morels around here? those are so good!


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## drippin' rock (Jan 19, 2011)

Dandilion leaves and flowers in the spring, along with young poke salad leaves as well.  You can also strip the prickly leaves and skin off of thistle stalks and eat raw.  Out of all these I have only tried thistle. Not bad. Not much flavor, but not bitter.  

I have a mushroom field guide, but lack the courage to try my luck.  Seems like most the edible ones have poisonous ones that look similar.

I grew up on the Flint River in Upson County.  You can find wild huckleberry bushes all along the creeks in this area.  These days the only ones to be found are in places deer can't reach.  When my mama was a kid, there was a "low bush" variety that grew all over the hillsides, which I assume can be found all over the Pine Mountain range area.  They would collect buckets of these huckleberries to eat fresh and for pies.  The bushes are still there, but so are the deer.


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## jcinpc (Jan 19, 2011)

go to this site, paleo planet there are some awesome people and alot of good info here too

http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/


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## shakey gizzard (Jan 20, 2011)

NCHillbilly said:


> Nope, #1 rule with mushrooms is to never eat one that you can't identify positively to genus and species. General rules don't work (volva or lack of, growing on wood, gills or not, etc.) Some are easy, some not. Most of the better edible mushrooms are as easy to ID as telling a blackberry from a nightshade berry with some study and practice, though. I've been picking and eating wild mushrooms most of my life, have a whole shelf full of Mycology reference books, have taken Mycology classes, and am pretty good at id-ing most common shrooms- but there are still a lot of mushroom genus that I won't mess with. And details are important-even the morels that everybody picks can be poisonous raw.
> As for plants, how good are you at basic plant ID? There are a lot of good common edible plants that are easy to ID with a field guide if you already have a pretty good basic knowledge of plants and can use a key. Creasy greens (winter cress) for one  are probably already up and ready down in your neck of the woods. It's always better to go out with someone who knows their stuff to begin with, though. I was lucky to learn a lot of common-sense knowledge about wild foods from the older generations of my family when I was growing up. A lot of people here still forage a lot of wild food, and my mom has always been a fanatical wild-plant picker. Then I spent a bunch of time sitting in classrooms and many years as a horticulturist working with native plants and was able to learn a lot more of the technical side. I've taught a few classes dealing with wild plants at primitive skills gatherings, and write a monthly magazine column about edible/medicinal/ useful wild plants, so I'd love to get together with some other people and do something like that sometime, but it's just hard to find the time lately.



I knew ya had skills!This is definitely a topic that is under utilized and as tough as times are getting,imo should be taught. Maybe "sticky "materal!Good thread garnede


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## shakey gizzard (Jan 20, 2011)

jcinpc said:


> go to this site, paleo planet there are some awesome people and alot of good info here too
> 
> http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/



Nice link!


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## garnede (Jan 20, 2011)

jkk6028 said:


> garnede, do you find a lot of morels around here? those are so good!



I only got to hunt the end of the season last year, I moved to GA in Mid April.  I found a few but no hot spots.  I know several good spots in Alaska though.  If you know where there was a forest fire last year, that is the best place to look.  There are plenty of morels out there, you just have to find them.

Dandelions are great if you boil the leaves, throw out the water, and repeat.  Then saute in a pan with a little onion, garlic and salt pork.  Young leaves can be eaten raw, but are a little too bitter for me.  Don't eat dandelions from your yard if you use pesticides, fungicides, or other chemicals.


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## BradMyers (Jan 20, 2011)

*mushrooms*

Here is a link that helped me with shrooms, esp morels. The guy that runs the site is in GA and had much success. This is a good time of the year to be hunting oysters.

http://www.morelmushroomhunting.com/


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## holton27596 (Jan 20, 2011)

dont forget the cat tail, the top, stalk, root, and even the pollen are all edible.


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## chehawknapper (Jan 20, 2011)

I have been using edible and medicinal plants since I was an early teenager. Learned alot from my mother and grandmother. The more I learned the more I realized that there was a whole lot I didn't know. I gather very few mushrooms because the difficulty of positive i.d. There are some mushrooms where the only positve way to i.d. them is looking at the spores under a microscope - ain't worth it. I have close to 70 books in my personal library in regard to the identification and use of trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, fungi, grasses. I am fairly confident in my area of SW Ga. but feel like almost a beginner if I go to South Fla., the mountains, the desert or just generally elsewhere. I am not trying to discourage you - just understand you have alot of work to do. For instance, you want to identify one of the salad greens like one of the wild mustards. You want the plant while it is still young and tender. You locate the leaf and you think it is correct but your really not positive until it flowers. But once it flowers it is tough and bitter (just like all your salad greens you grow in the garden). So now you have to wait until next year to come back to same place and gather. Some of the books I have in my collection give incorrect information. Some of the more popular books you find in bookstores list plants that might be edible (read - won't kill you) but I have prepared and cooked them a thousand ways to Sunday and can't find them palatable. Take classes from known teachers in different locales. Take pictures of plants at different stages of growth noting locales and dates. There are a lot of common plants that are widespread and easy to learn. Get to work.


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## cddogfan1 (Jan 20, 2011)

*Books to Look at*

Samual Thayer has 2 good books " The Foragers Harvest" and "The Natures Garden"

John Kallas has one called"Edible Wild Plants -From Dirt to Plate"

These 3 have good photos (not drawings) plus they are written by guys who actually forage.  I have these three plus several others.  But these are my top pic.  Both contain plants advailable here in GA (few that are not but just a few).  The biggest reason I like them are the good picturse (shown in diffrent seasons) and the personel experiences as told in the book.  All three also have recipes.  

One other to consider is "Pettersons Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants -Eastern and Central America"  it is pretty decent.  Not as many pictures.  Mostly sketches and no recipes.


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## NCHillbilly (Jan 20, 2011)

chehawknapper said:


> I have been using edible and medicinal plants since I was an early teenager. Learned alot from my mother and grandmother. The more I learned the more I realized that there was a whole lot I didn't know. I gather very few mushrooms because the difficulty of positive i.d. There are some mushrooms where the only positve way to i.d. them is looking at the spores under a microscope - ain't worth it. I have close to 70 books in my personal library in regard to the identification and use of trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, fungi, grasses. I am fairly confident in my area of SW Ga. but feel like almost a beginner if I go to South Fla., the mountains, the desert or just generally elsewhere. I am not trying to discourage you - just understand you have alot of work to do. For instance, you want to identify one of the salad greens like one of the wild mustards. You want the plant while it is still young and tender. You locate the leaf and you think it is correct but your really not positive until it flowers. But once it flowers it is tough and bitter (just like all your salad greens you grow in the garden). So now you have to wait until next year to come back to same place and gather. Some of the books I have in my collection give incorrect information. Some of the more popular books you find in bookstores list plants that might be edible (read - won't kill you) but I have prepared and cooked them a thousand ways to Sunday and can't find them palatable. Take classes from known teachers in different locales. Take pictures of plants at different stages of growth noting locales and dates. There are a lot of common plants that are widespread and easy to learn. Get to work.



Yep, that's another catch. I can tell you what just about anything growing in the Southern Appalachians is, but there would be a lot of stuff in southern GA that I wouldn't have a clue about.


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## garnede (Jan 21, 2011)

NCHillbilly, that is why we need several people to each teach what they know.  While we all have some knowledge of wild edibles, no one person knows it all. 

Anyone have any pictures of wild edibles that are available in January?


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## crackerdave (Jan 21, 2011)

You can make a tea from red sumac[NOT white sumac-it's poison!] berries that is high in vitamin C ,and with a little honey in it,tastes like lemonade.Green pine needle tea is also tasty,and high in vitamin C.Other than that,it's purty slim pickin's in January.The early crackers survived the winter on collard greens,cornmeal,coons, and any other critter their cur-dogs could tree or bay.The Seminoles helped them learn the native plants,too.


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## holton27596 (Jan 21, 2011)

Sun chokes, jerusleam(sp?) artichokes. If you marked where they were, the roots are great eating.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_artichoke


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## westcobbdog (Jan 22, 2011)

holton27596 said:


> Sun chokes, jerusleam(sp?) artichokes. If you marked where they were, the roots are great eating.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_artichoke



interesting read Holton.the fine print warns some may get extreme flatulance from the potatoe like root. don't give to the wife!


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## garnede (Jan 29, 2011)

January wild edibles I have found so far:

Dandelion, leaves are fairly bitter this time of year, but can be boiled twice and then sautéed.  You can find a few that are flowering this time of year.  The flowers can be eaten raw, sautéed, and fried.

Rose Hips:
The rose hip is the part that is left behind after the bloom has faded.  These are high in vitamin C and are best just after the petals fall off.  Make sure that they are mot rotten or covered in fungus.  This time of year they are best cooked in a simple syrup to candy them or brewed into a tea. After the roses bloom later in the year some hips can be eaten raw, it depends on the species.  Those that are bitter can be candied or brewed into tea.

Clover:
The leaves, flowers, seeds, and roots of clovers are all edible.

The young leaves, taken before the plant flowers, can be eaten raw in salads. As the plant matures, cooking the leaves is recommended. The dried leaves are said to add a slightly vanilla-like flavor to baked goods. The leaves can be bitter this time of year so use moderation.

The roots should be eaten cooked.

The flowers and seeds are the parts of the clover that are of greatest interest to most foragers. The flowers are used raw in salads as well as sauteed, stir-fried, or fried as fritters. They are also popular for making teas and wines.

The flowers and seeds can be dried and ground into a flour.



Remember that you should use caution while harvesting from a yard or public place that may be treated with pesticides and other chemicals.


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## stev (Jan 29, 2011)

Somebody say mushrooms ??


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## garnede (Jan 30, 2011)

stev said:


> Somebody say mushrooms ??


 
If you know how to identify anything other than morels, we would be glad to have you.  And if you can identify morels we would still be glad to have you.


I checked into it and if more than 10 of us get together on a WMA then we will need to get a permit.


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## Whiteeagle (Jan 30, 2011)

Don't forget to find a copy of a Boy Scout Manual. They have some good guides to wild edible plants also!


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## crackerdave (Jan 30, 2011)

garnede,it looks to me like there's plenty of interest in this - you lead!


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## Buck111 (Jan 30, 2011)

Good stuff here.

http://www.folkstreams.net/film,83


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## garnede (Jan 30, 2011)

Ok, dave what dates work for everyone to meet up?  and what is your preferred location?  I can get free most afternoons and I can do most mornings except Saturday.


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## crackerdave (Feb 1, 2011)

That's usually the snag - it's gonna be turkey season,ball games,etc...

I've done some youth hunts [squirrel doggin' ] and it can be a little frustrating. One suggestion: There is a gathering coming up soon -W.A.R. IV - perhaps anyone coming to the campout then would be interested in learning to forage. Maybe even enter a dish in the cooking competition made from native ingredients?


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## garnede (Feb 8, 2011)

What wild edibles are out there in GA during February?  WAR might be a good idea, but when is it?  My saturdays are planned for the next 2 months.


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## crackerdave (Feb 8, 2011)

garnede said:


> What wild edibles are out there in GA during February?  WAR might be a good idea, but when is it?  My saturdays are planned for the next 2 months.



Look in the "Woody's Gatherings,etc" forum,and you'll see a "sticky" thread about it.Not going to be the usual big crowd this year,I don't think - too dang _cold_
in February!
It's purty slim pickin's for edible plants this time of year. When "green-up" starts [usually mid-March] there will be more.Pokeweed is best in spring,when the young leaves are on.


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## shakey gizzard (Feb 9, 2011)

I had wild ginger in the back yard but cant find it. It either went dormant or the tree rats found it.


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## garnede (Mar 7, 2011)

Things are greening up here, so what wild edibles have you found in your area.


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## cddogfan1 (Mar 7, 2011)

Well just in my yard so far I have identified.  Wood Sorrel, Sheep Sorrell, Dandelion,and Chickweed


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## garnede (Mar 8, 2011)

Sweet, do you mind posting pictures? Thanks
I'll try to do the sane around my place.


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