I can seldom lead an identification hike in which someone doesn’t say, “Can I eat it?” I guess it stands to reason when you hear the names Indian Turnip, May Apple, Indian Cucumber Root, Squirrel Corn, or Witch’s Butter (a fungus). With summer upon us and a plethora of plants flowering, fruiting, and flourishing, I thought I’d outline some delectables that are out there free for the taking (if the landowner agrees) to satisfy your munchie cravings. Some are fun trail nibbles, others zesty salad additives, some make delicious drinks and many are more trouble to prepare than they are worth, but all are fun and worthwhile to try at least once.
Let me put forth a few words of warning that any article or book addressing wild edibles cannot in good conscience avoid:
*Be absolutely sure of your identification. Be aware of non-edible (or even poisonous) look-alikes. Consult good resources.
*Prepare it properly. This could mean the difference between “Yum” and “Yuck” or even “Ouch”.
*Be aware of sharing even perfectly good edibles with others. Who knows what people are allergic to these days.
*Don’t over harvest. Be conservation minded.
*Harvest from safe areas. Has the lawn or field been treated with pesticides or herbicides? Is the water source polluted?
With this word or warning, let’s start off with everyone’s favorite nemesis:
Dandelions – nearly all of this lawn and garden eyesore is edible, and what’s more, even nutritious. I like the blossoms, dipped into a tempura batter then fried. Young leaves (or greens, as they are called) raw in a salad add Vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium and potassium to your diet. Older leaves can be eaten too, but they have a bitterness some like to cook out with a change or two of water. The root can be scraped, sliced and boiled in salted water for a nice crunchy sweetness. The root has long been used as a coffee substitute when roasted and ground.
Black birch – As I write this, I have a pot of black birch twigs sitting in a pot on my stove. When you scratch and sniff a birch twig, the wonderful minty aroma always forces a smile. This essential oil is exactly the same as that found in the wintergreen plant. Oil from the inner bark can be enticed out of the twigs and into water by making a tea. Be sure to just steep and not boil, as the oils will dissipate out of the tea and into the room – unless that is your intention. I understand that the inner bark can just be eaten raw to ward off starvation – and I’m sure would provide plenty of your fiber needs.
Jewelweed – This wonderful plant of wet places not only is effective in fending off poison ivy rash, but it has edible parts too. Late summer and fall, when the seed pods are turgid and waiting to spring, touch some pods with your hand wrapped around it so you can catch the seeds that catapult out. Scrape off the outer green covering and you will see a robin’s egg blue seed. Munch it down right then and there. It tastes like a sunflower seed. Here’s the kicker – they are very tiny and it would take a LOT to make a mouthful, but boy are they fun to collect and nibble.
Cattail – the roots and lower portion of the stem of the cattail are edible both raw and cooked. I have pulled up cattail shoots in the spring and early summer, peeled away the leaves to harvest the crisp, white inner core. Although it can be eaten raw, I slice them up and cook them for a nice hearty vegetable. In the summer the flower heads can also be collected when they are still immature. Peel off the papery husk and boil or steam them and eat it like corn on the cob.
Wood sorrel – the clover-like leaves of wood sorrel make for an exhilarating trailside nibble. The leaves add kick to a salad, but should be eaten sparingly. The “zing” they give is due to oxalic acid, which is toxic in large quantities. I nibble a few on a hike or toss a few in a salad at home.
Staghorn sumac – To make a lemonade, I steep the fuzzy berry clusters in water (or use the sun); strain; chill; and sugar to taste.
Rose hips – petals, leaves and fruits (hips) of wild roses are edible and exceedingly high in vitamin C. I steep the hips, but leaves and petals can be used for a fragrant tea too.
Coltsfoot – I boil the leaves in water; add a little sugar and drink. This concoction not only has a pleasant flavor, but this recipe has been used for many years as a cough syrup.
Violets – blue flowers are edible raw, and some people can even make them into candy, but I’ve not quite figured out how to make them not so sticky. I have however tossed the young leaves into a salad to reap their reward of vitamins C and A.
So in your wanderings this summer, keep in mind the wonderful variety of edible plants you might see. And by the way, the answer to the examples I mentioned in the first paragraph are:
Indian Turnip (otherwise known as Jack in the Pulpit)- the root is edible, but only after a thorough drying (often many months), cooking, and other preparation to get rid of the calcium oxalate. It was used traditionally as a medicinal plant.
May apple –only the ripe fruit is edible. The rest of the plant the rest of the year is extremely poisonous and actually has cancer fighting properties.
Indian cucumber root – the root is edible and smells like cucumber.
Squirrel corn – I’m not aware the corms are edible by people. Ask a squirrel.
Witches butter – Most sources don’t even mention edibility, others say “non-poisonous” but some say this gelatinous, rubbery mushroom is edible but flavorless. This is one I’m not trying.