| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Steel Diosa |
Posted - Jul 18 2008 : 10:06:14 AM
About a month ago I was battling the weeds that had spring up in my garden. As I crawled along on my knees, I had an epiphany. I thought, why am I fighting this? I got online and identified the weeds that were coming up and found that two of them were tasty and chock full of nutrients, specifically purslane and lamb's quarters.
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2869/2
http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/surprising-lambs-quarters/
http://www.2bnthewild.com/plants/H186.htm
I've experimented with a few recipes, and have found that both of these taste a lot like spinach and can be used the same way. They have their own little patches in the garden now.
Does anyone else eat these? Or have you found other 'weeds' that you've added to your diet? I'd love to hear about others' experiences with edible weeds. |
| 4 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| eskimobirdlady |
Posted - Jul 19 2008 : 12:39:43 PM
brenda you got that right! have you ever seen the movie (or read the book) called into the wild? he would have surrvived had he not waited until he was so hungry that he got careless and didnt turn the page in his book! we pick wild cranberries (both high and low bush) wild blueberries, raspberries, and rosehips for jams and syrups. i want to try making fireweed jelly (it is such a delicate flavor) and also birch syrup. i have tasted both and they are great! peace connie in alaska |
| brightmeadow |
Posted - Jul 19 2008 : 12:23:36 PM
I agree! The lamb's quarters taste like spinach, but I think the purslane has a little bit more "lemony" taste to it. Very refreshing!
These weeds are chock full of vitamins and minerals. It's true that God will provide for us, if we let Him!
I use wild black raspberries (blackcaps, according to the guy at the farmer's market - he denigrated them compared to the cultivated black raspberries he was selling). While they are a bit seedy, they taste marvelous, and they are free to boot, not $6.00 for a measly pint like the ones he was selling. They can be used in jams and jellies if the seeds are objectionable, strain them out. We also have blackberries and wild gooseberries. There's wild grapes all over the farm too, I haven't actually used them yet but I understand they make good jelly.
I also gather morels, if I can find them, and wild asparagus. We're trying to locate all the wild asparagus plants on the farm, I tied bright pink tape on their ferny branches now, so in the spring I can find them to transplant them all into a common area.
The elderberries I pick are also wild, although cultivated ones are available.
Staghorn sumac makes a lemonade-y drink. I highly recommend Bradford Angier's book "Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants" it may be out of print but plenty of used copies are available. I've referred to it for over 20 years to determine if a plant is edible or not.
Warning, though, if you're not sure of identification, don't pick it, eat it, or taste it. See my post on poison hemlock from earlier this week!
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blog at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com ,web site store at http://www.watkinsonline.com/fish or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
| Huckelberrywine |
Posted - Jul 19 2008 : 09:07:57 AM
Yes! Grazing on "weeds" is something I enjoy on walks in the woods or clean wild areas. There are lots of wild edible books out there (including a section in MJ's Outpost book) so you know what you're eating. Do make sure you collect "clean" wilds, not close to roads/sprayed places or where they could absorb things you wouldn't eat from the environment they are located in.
We make a difference. |
| eskimobirdlady |
Posted - Jul 18 2008 : 3:11:17 PM
we do eat "weeds" quite often. dandelion greens when they are young are great. i am going to get a book on edibles in alaska where it tells what you can eat and how to prepare it. the cambien layer of the birch trees is supposed to taste like asparagus! the flower of fireweed can be used to make jams and jellies, and there is so much more wild plants and "weeds" that are edible i cant remember all of them.
peace connie in alaska |
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