All parts of the plant are edible but the emerging shoots in Springtime are preferred. You can eat them raw or you can roast them by adding olive oil, salt, and pepper. You can determine the temp and time to your liking and fork test them for “doneness”. It should be noted that the composition of the plant may cause some children to have stomach cramps. They are not good for dogs, cats, and horses, but deer absolutely love them!

Foragers will suggest that it’s best to just do partial harvesting to ensure regrowth for the future. I like to suggest landscaping with edible plants, and hosta plants are a great mainstay for emergency situations.

I have enjoyed learning about wildcrafting or foraging for food but there are seasons when these edibles are scarce. When acquiring provisions for emergencies such as power outages, inclement weather, or food chain interruptions, dry goods are preferred as they have a good shelf life and seeds can provide greater nutrition. A sprouted seed is like taking a “live” vitamin. When you can’t grow plants in a field you can sprout seeds indoors any time of year.

Sprouted seeds include broccoli, celery, chia, clover, fenugreek, radish, kale, and onion. Beans or legumes can be sprouted as well and include adzuki beans, chickpeas, green peas, lentils, mung beans, and soy beans. It is best to buy seeds specifically sold for sprouting as they are untreated and chemical free. Ordinary seeds can sometimes be used but are more risky.

There are two methods for germinating seeds, one is in water and the other is in soil. Seed and bean sprouts that we see in the store are germinated in water and “Micro greens” are germinated in soil. The sprouts take about a week and micro greens can take 1 to 3 weeks but are more developed. You can eat the seed and stem of seed sprouts whereas micro greens are harvested above the soil so you can eat the stems and leaves.

I have only raised seed sprouts and find it fascinating. One teaspoon of alfalfa seeds will fill a whole quart jar when it is ready to eat! I began by soaking the seeds in water overnight then rinsing them a couple times a day. I kept the jar in a kitchen cabinet so they were in a warm dark place. Because bacteria grows in the same environment it is important to keep the seeds rinsed throughout their germination. You can use a coarse cloth or strainer to cover a jar to retain the sprouts while emptying the water.

The sprouting process makes it easier for a body to absorb nutrients because it breaks down a seed and that means less work for your digestive system. I use mine in sandwiches or salads but they can also be cooked. In any event they are a nutritious food that can be raised in an emergency or just because you enjoy them during good times.

Chestnuts can be found around the globe but the American chestnut has had a tough history. It was once plentiful and accounted for nearly one-quarter of the hardwoods in the Appalachian Mountains and was a part of the lumber industry. In the early 1900s a blight was accidentally introduced that nearly wiped out this native plant. In recent times hybrids have been developed to produce blight-free trees. You can see the signs of Chestnut blight on the tree trunk in the photo below.

There are some look-alikes such as horse chestnuts and buckeyes whose fruit is similar in appearance but are not related to edible chestnuts. Their seeds contain a poison in their raw state, so it is important to be able to distinguish them from edible chestnuts. An edible chestnut has a husk which is spiny and needle-sharp. The horse chestnut has a husk that is much smoother, with only a few warts.

Once the spiny husk is removed you can eat the chestnuts raw, but they may cause gastrointestinal distress because of their high content of tannic acid so it’s best to boil or roast them for consumption. You can use a knife to make a few slits down the sides that makes it easier to remove.

These days there is a great demand in the commercial market for chestnuts but it is very rewarding to find these tasty nuts in the wild so hopefully you can find them in your region and enjoy the reward of their discovery and consumption!

I began a search around our location for resources with a thought toward cups but then I spotted an empty water bottle and an idea began to emerge. If I could cut the bottle three quarters of the way through where the cylindrical body meets the neck, the remaining attached plastic would act as a spring loaded hinge. The top could be tilted back in order to load the catch and the top would spring back to a closed position.

The improvised bug bait box worked wonderfully. Once we caught a sufficient amount of bait we headed over to the pond and were able to fulfill our goal of catching the brim and ultimately the bass.

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Witches butter is easily recognizable as it is bright yellow to orange in color and is semitransparent with lobes that appear greasy or shiny when damp. It turns out that there are two types of witches butter, one being yellow that grows on fallen hardwood logs with bark and a more orange version that grows on barkless conifers. It is sometimes found during warm spells in Winter and often after a period of rain. Both “jellys” are considered edible and a year round survival food.

There is some debate about edibility while raw or when cooked with proponents on each side of the argument. It is usually best to cook all mushrooms for consumption as it renders them more digestible and brings out nutritive elements. It is considered a delicacy in the cuisine of other countries and is often used in soups, much like it’s cousin “Wood Ear“.

I encourage all aspiring mushroom foragers to locate an expert in your area to positively identify your finds for safety sake and to assist you in learning more about this enjoyable pursuit!

Corals come in a wide variety of colors and textures. The type shown in the photo grow on dead deciduous wood and in this case the wood was sub-surface so it appeared to be growing on the ground. I was happy to see this coral was fresh and ready for harvesting. I encourage foragers to cut mushrooms vs. uprooting them to allow for future reproduction. Along with that practice I suggest collecting mushrooms in a net or open-weave basket that will allow the spores to fall back to the ground in order to sustain the field of mushrooms for the future.

Like other mushrooms, corals have varied characteristics in taste and texture. Some types if eaten in excess can cause stomach upsets so it is best to eat in small amounts at first to see how your system reacts to it. Although you can sample a small raw portion for taste it is best to cook them for general consumption. I was pleased to fry mine in butter when I returned home.

I encourage all aspiring mushroom foragers to locate an expert in your area to positively identify your finds for safety sake and to assist you in learning more about this enjoyable pursuit!

Raspberries are known as an aggregate fruit or compound berry meaning that it is composed of many parts. These small globes of juice form the berry wall. A distinctive structure or identifier of a raspberry is that once the berry is pulled off the stem it leaves behind the inner core and when you invert the berry for inspection there is a hollow center.

A few days later I was visiting a sweet eighty-something lady who on occasion tells me about her days growing up in the mountains of Northwest North Carolina. As a child she and her siblings would go out into the woods and gather various edibles of which raspberries were included. She said that they collected three types: yellow, red, and black. They would have to wait until they were ripe before collecting them yet before the other neighbor children would beat them to the patch.

The large cluster of berries shown in the photo are not yet ripe and will increase in size and darken when ripe. You can see compound leaves of three that are jagged edged and when you inspect one it will reveal a silver-gray underside. It is also interesting to note that the leaves can be collected to make tea and has been medicinally used for a variety of treatments… most notably for feminine reproductive system health but is also considered a good tonic herb with a rich supply of vitamins and minerals.

As a side note… most compound berries are known to be edible and are generally a safe bet for consumption. These might include raspberries, black berries, mulberries, boysenberrys, dewberries, and thimbleberries to name a few. If in doubt, it’s always good to seek the advice of local experienced naturalists or herbalists who are in the know.

The stalks, leaves, and flowers are all edible but I like the flowers best as they are slightly sweet when eaten raw. The leaves can be eaten raw as well and are one of few protein sources among foraged plants. Care should be taken to limit consumption of the raw plants as a large quantity can cause stomach upset and bloating. To diminish this effect they can be boiled. Boiling will lessen the nutrition of the plants but the water will contain what has leeched out.

On the medicinal side, red clover has been used for centuries to treat a variety of ailments and is said to help prevent cancer, minimize PMS symptoms, ease respiratory problems, and treats skin conditions. It is known as a blood purifier and is full of vitamins.

The growing season starts mid-May and continues through September or longer. It has been called a two-year perennial plant. when harvesting this or any other plant be sure not to pick all of the blossoms but eave some for future propagation.

I also sent photos to my mentors who confirmed their identification, but because they didn’t actually see the Blewits in person I decided to do a spore print over night. When I do a spore print I cut off the cap and place it gill-side down on top of a sheet of paper that has a black side and white side, that way the spores will be revealed whether they are light or dark in color. Blewits leave a light pinkish/beige print vs. a toxic look-a-like mushroom that produces a dark brown print. As seen in the photo the spore print confirmed that they were Blewits.

Blewits are compared in texture to button mushrooms that you might find in grocery stores. They need to be thoroughly cooked before consumption and their color tends to fade as they are cooked. I fried some up and added them to an omelet… they were delicious! I am so pleased to add blewits to my edibles knowledge and experience. This Fall is a great time to keep a look-out for them, and be sure to pass them by a local expert for positive identification.

Bottom View

This is an edible mushroom and can vary it taste with opinions ranging from superior to mediocre however it is sold in rural markets in China, Guatemala, and Mexico. The firm flesh is best prepared by cutting the mushroom in thin slices and you will notice that the blue color disappears while cooking and the mushroom becomes grayish in color.

There are other lactarius species that are found in the deep south of the U.S. with orange, blue or green latex and most of that group are edible. However, you should be absolutely sure of your identification of species before eating ANY mushroom. I am grateful to have friends that have experience and expertise in mushroom identification. I recommend that you find someone in your area with the same credentials or locate a local mushrooming club to learn more and have a source for positive identification.