Eating The Not-So_Wild Flowers from Your Garden

 COVID has drawn out the urge for many of us to "get back to nature," foraging for and harvesting wild plants. In my book, Eating Wild, I listed fifty different wild plants that we can consume safely, along with numerous recipes. However, the truth is that there are dozens of plants in our own gardens that we ignore, even though they are perfectly safe and often very tasty.

Heading the list for me is the nasturtium. Flowers, seeds and leaves all are uniquely delicious. I pick the leaves to use in sandwiches (tuna is my favourite with this plant) and in salads. The leaves are broad and crunchy, imparting a peppery taste to any dish. Be sure to harvest them though, before the bugs get to them and start dotting the leaves with white acne bumps. The flowers are excellent in chilled drinks, add colour and taste to salads and appetizer trays and have a tart and sweet taste on their own. The seeds are particularly valuable. Use them fresh and green as an accent to fish dishes or pickle them in vinegar (apple cider vinegar seems to coordinate well) to pop as snacks during the winter.

Of course, the purple coneflower (echinacea) is both healthy and edible, its root substituting for seneca root as a cold and cough remedy. Of the nine North American varieties, three definitely are edible while the others are not known to be toxic or poisonous. Make a tea from the roots or flowers, and use grated dried root as a somewhat bitter topping for beef. Steeped in vinegar, it acts a little like horseradish!

Who hates the scent of marigolds? (personally, I love the scent) However, marigold flowers provide the colour of turmeric and a somewhat similar taste to saffron in meals. The tender, green part of the leaves adds a sharp taste to salads and can be mixed with boiled vegetables for a unique taste. Sprinkle flower petals on ice cream and custards, or in cold drinks such as 7-Up or Sprite. Even gin can be improved with a few sprigs of marigold flower. As an added benefit, marigold petals in a closet can freshen it up for weeks.

One of my favourite show flowers is portulaca. Purslane, a weed, is a close relative and both are edible. Portulaca buds and flowers, like most edible flowers, go great in salads. It is quite high in Vitamin A, as well.

Pansies, dahlias and roses also are edible. Dahlias are interesting in that flowers and tuber roots are the most edible portions and both taste much the same. I find they remind me of Christmas, with a chestnut flavour. I slice the root thin and use a tartar sauce with it, or a mayo (not a whipped dressing). Pansies, like their wild relatives, the viola, are edible, but, since they are so tiny, impart little taste on their own. Oddly, they have a slight minty taste but are not members of the mint family (which can be identified by its square stem). Roses in the wild or in the garden have both edible flowers and edible leaves.

Too often, we ignore that which is right under our noses as food, which is peculiar, given that one of the primary attractions of flowers is, well, the joy they give to our sense of smell!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10427634

Eat Like A Bird To Survive In The Woods

Until I observed a pileated woodpecker chiseling out a cavity in one of the nearby elm trees, I had not considered that consuming sap as a survival food could be a viable option in northern climates of North America. It appeared that the huge woodpecker was feeding off the nearly-frozen sap in a crevice of the bark. He carved away like a professional woodcutter, rather than by using the rapid strokes and bore holes of smaller woodpecker relatives. I had understood that this woodpecker only ate berries and insects, and that he would have been consuming insects mired in the solid goo. I checked closely and found that there were no insects – at least none visible to a naked eye with 20/20 vision.

In the past, I had occasionally used birch sap, pried from trees with my knife on really cold days. Much of the surface sap, found just underneath the thin inner bark of birch, poplar and willow, is tar-like during cold months. Contrary to what many people believe, at least two of the three types of sap do not “retreat” into the roots of trees in the dormant season. Rather, trees protect themselves with a natural antifreeze (sugars, etc.), with the sap remaining not quite solid at temperatures as low as -40.  While birch and other similar trees have sap that is quite bitter, they also contain many essential nutrients, minerals, sugars and amino acids. Only a handful of North American trees, such as the Sumach (leaves of 3, let them be) are poisonous, toxic or stimulate an allergic reaction in consumers, so that leaves a very large number of potential food sources if you are looking for survival food in the forest.

Still, as badly as the saps may taste, they do provide sustenance and the sugars a vital energy source if you are in danger of hypothermia. Simply chew on the stiff gums after carving bits from the tree trunk, or add water (melted snow) and boil. Along with the tree saps, needles from evergreen trees offer an acidic, vitamin c-rich beverage when boiled and drunk as a tea.

There actually is a great abundance of food in the woods in winter, yet few people who are lost know where to look. Many of the climber vines hold berries well into winter. Mountain ash berries remain on their branches until early spring. Where tree caterpillar infestations occur, their climbing nests, looking a great deal like the excrement you dog leaves behind for you to pick up, contain larva or eggs that taste palatable when fried. After all, if woodpeckers can find and eat insects in the winter, why can’t you?

Also turning to wildlife for hints on surviving a day or two in the wilderness, pine cones contain seeds and if squirrels and seed-eating birds find them suitable, there is little reason for you to avoid them.

Then there is the old swamp standby, the cattail. While it is difficult prying their rhizomes from the frozen ground, these roots are tasty and nutritious eating, either fried or boiled. In winter, the lower stalks are pretty tough and flavourless, but the brown flower heads off you three benefits: great insulation for wet feet or in gloves, a fantastic firestarter and a very unpleasant soup made from the stringy (formerly fluffy) ripe seeds and corn-cob-like head.

While movies teach us to rely on catching wild game and small rodents for our meals, or netting or shooting a few birds, we are much more likely to survive, and survive longer if, instead of killing the birds and beasts, we observed and mimicked them!

The Healthy Mile -- Edible Plants Along The Highway

This year, on the July long weekend, I took a walk along Highway 317 in Manitoba. It is a relatively barren route, on a sand hill formed by the old Lake Agassiz’s retreat. Nearby is the Libau bog, and the area is primarily a pine forest. Yet, in the first mile, I found so many edible plants on that national holiday that I could have eaten for weeks with ample nutrition.

To start with, the various wild grasses and grains are already forming their seeds, providing a starch and flour base. Awned wheatgrass grows here, and also can be eaten.

The edge of the highway is adorned with both yellow and white sweet clover flowers. The flowers, young shoots and leaves are all edible, and many people eat the roots. However, if the clover has become mouldy due to excess moisture after cutting, coumarin forms. This can be toxic in large doses, and livestock have died from eating rotted clover. Purple clover flowers make a great tea, and can be dried for winter use.

Much like the purple clover, volunteer alfalfa grows along the ditches. Although it is not truly a wild plant, it has spread from farmer’s trucks hauling seed along 317.

Of course, the pine forest can be part of the main course, too. Pine needles and seeds are edible (although the seeds arrive much later). A few diehards eat the buds that form and fall in May & June. These little rust-coloured buds look too much like the pine beetles that infest the area for my liking.

Both yellow and pink lady slippers are abundant. Like the Western Red Lily (Tiger lily), the roots and flowers are edible, but they are much too attractive to destroy!  On the other hand, many reports suggest that the bluebell is poisonous, although no fatalities have been reported.

As I walked along, I stopped often to snack on the tiny alpine strawberries that are so abundant in these wastelands.

For spices, prairie sage (looking very much like tame sage) and wild bergamot are abundant.  An odd plant, goatsbeard produces a relatively small yellow flower like the dandelion, but a massive feathery seed ball, five to ten times the size of a dandelion. This plant, too, is edible (the root).

Goldenrod is just coming into bloom. This plant has many uses, as does dandelion. A noxious weed, tansy is invading the province but, in moderation, can be eaten.

Horsetail, with its high silica content, is a great medicinal plant, but far too gritty to enjoy as an edible. On the other hand, take a lesson from cattle and horses, and don’t even think about eating foxtail. Its feathery fronds tear at stomach linings and can cause severe bleeding.

Other flowers, like the hairy puccoon and large leaf aster, also are used in culinary preparations, but one of the most versatile is the cattail. Its root is a potato, a thickener, a vegetable. Its young shoots are asparagus or boiled greens while its fluffy seed pod has been used as a base on which to sleep.

Many of the plants have both medicinal and culinary uses. Few are harmful. I guess these native plants are just like Manitoba residents: sometimes bland, almost always good for you and very rarely noxious!

Birch And Poplar Syrup Great Everyday Substitute for Maple

The sap is running.  In the Gaspe peninsula of Quebec, the finest maple syrup comes from the sap of their maple trees. It takes gallons of sap to make a quart of syrup, and the time involved to render the thin, not-so-sweet sap into the thick, incredibly delicious and unique taste experience that is Gaspe maple syrup is monumental.  It is largely the reason why the price of true eastern maple syrup is so high.  But the sap is running in every tree, across the entire continent, and many of these trees can produces syrup, as well.

The natives of North America have a long history of gathering birch syrup. It is more bitter, but equally of culinary value. Birch is a member of the willow family, of which poplar also is a member.  Don’t think there is enough sap in those trees?  Just park under a cottonwood or flowering poplar in the spring, and see how much sticky residue falls onto your car! The syrup is there for the taking.

Birch sap has about 1-2% sugar content.  Ideally, birch syrup for pancakes, etc. should be about 65%.  You can imagine the amount of raw sap that needs to be evaporated: about 100-150 litres for every litre of syrup. And birch or poplar sap runs later, in a shorter window than maple, since the trees generally are found further north. 

The sap begins running about two weeks before the leaves emerge.  In Canada, for instance, that window of opportunity occurs in mid- to late April, with a normal spring. Maple trees have higher internal pressure than most members of the willow family.  Like blood pressure in humans, higher sap pressure means the sap will run more freely when the pressure is higher.  Commercial birch sapping employs a vacuum suction technique, but birch and poplar sap still can be harvested using traditional pipe and stem taps.

Unlike maple syrup, birch sap is not limited to use as a syrup. A decent wine can be made from the partially-condensed syrup. Thicker syrup mixes often are blended with Seneca root, spruce buds or Echinacea, for use as cold remedies. Most willows contain salicylate, the primary component of ASA (Aspirin), which is an excellent pain reliever. It is also astringent, anti-bacterial and diuretic, making birch sap-based home remedies a multi-purpose health solution.

While you are collecting sap, scrape a small amount of the inner bark of the poplar or birch, saving it to be chewed when on long hikes. It is also a great anti-inflammatory, and provides a welcome nourishment, instead of gum. They may be the common, low-brow cousins of the famous maple, but birch and poplar are more than fair-weather friends!

Canada Plum Beats American Plum

Canadians are not known to brag, but when it comes to our Canada plum versus the American plum, it’s time to puff up our chests. Of course, we want to forget that the Canada plum often is referred to as the Horse plum, and that is far too close to horse chestnuts or horse apples for comfort!

The Canada plum grows particularly well near the edges and headlands of clearings, partly because of the sunlight/shade mix and partly because of the tendency for bears and racoons to raid a plum tree just as the fruit is ripening, and then spreading the seeds as they defecate along pathways.  But the Canada plum also is especially good for pollinating other plums, and often is used to pollinate hybrids and domestic plums.

It is a juicy, sweet tart fruit – more tart than most plums, requiring less acidity in jams and preserves.  In the spring, masses of whitish pink flowers adorn the trees, yet the fruit does not ripen until late in the summer. And, in contrast to the beautiful flowers and tasty fruit, the tree itself is a gnarly neighbour, with its spiny like twigs thwarting many predators.

The wood, though, is hard and brittle, and, with its beautiful graining, makes excellent small woodwork stock.  That, I admit, seems wasteful, given the value of the live tree versus a dead one.

The nutritional worth of the fruit is obvious.  Eaten fresh, plums, although on the smaller side, are juicy and flavourful.  Plum jam forms well and thick, and will be consumed well before commercial alternatives. Plum sauce – a staple with Chinese egg rolls – is an enticing supplement to wild game and pork. Plum preserves, made with the stone removed, are quality dessert or aperitif items. Dried, the fruit is an excellent source of energy on hikes, although if not sufficiently dried, they can begin to ferment in heat! That leads to another excellent use for plums: wine making.  Plum wine beats any commercial wine for vibrancy and taste, as well as providing a good source of antioxidants.

However, a word of caution here: plum seeds (stones) should never be consumed, as plum seeds contain significant amounts of cyanide to cause harm.

There are enough medicinal uses and health benefits to the Canada plum to make it an excellent addition to the diet, and to the winter larder.  As mentioned, they are high in antioxidants.  Like their domestic cousins, wild plums work well as a laxative. They are high in fibre. They are astringent and antispasmodic. Plums relieve indigestion, and act as a mild sedative.  Tinctures made from root bark scrapings can be applied to wounds to assist in cleansing. Infusions made from root scrapings and ground up tender shoots is a good quality mouthwash and to cure mouth cankers.  The North American natives used these tea infusions as a digestive system cleanser in spring, while contemporary herbalists use the same infusions to treat urinary tract infections and kidney stones.

Like most wild-harvested plants, plum is a good source of natural health maintenance, and the fruit should be sought out as August winds down, and the less tough root shoots trimmed in early spring.

Medicinal & Nutritional Benefit of Thistles

The list of types of thistle that are indigenous or have been introduced to North America, and that proliferate across the continent is extensive: floodman, field, wavy leaf, swamp, milk, Canada, bull, musk, plumeless and scotch are just a few of the 200 varieties that thrive.   As well, the sow thistle and Russian thistle, while not true thistles, make the prairies and western Canada their home, as well as in many of the states of America. While it is commonly associated with Scotland, the thistle is almost as common as dandelion in the New World.

But thistles, like dandelion, offer a source of sustenance for those of us who are willing to vary our diet to include native weeds.

Unlike dandelion, thistle roots are not edible throughout the growing season.  Once the leaves have matured in late spring, the roots become very tough and bark-like.  At all times, they have a bitter taste much like the milk in the stems of dandelion flowers.  However, they are edible in the spring, and, with a little lemon in the water, they can be peeled and boiled as a nutritious vegetable.

The stalks, too, can be eaten for much of the season, but become tough as the hot weather arrives.  By peeling the outer layer of skin, you will be able to eat the stems of most thistles, raw, in the spring and early summer.

The leaves present an obvious problem.  Thistles all have spiny leaves that irritate the stomach.  Again, though, with a little effort, younger leaves can be trimmed and boiled, then eaten with butter as a lively side dish,

Thistle increases the production of bile, and therefore has value for the liver and gall bladder, and aids digestion while reducing cholesterol. Thistle is recommended for reducing blood glucose and treating diabetes. As a leafy green it contains moderate to good levels of vitamins and minerals.

Most herbal remedies use the milk thistle seed.  However, separating the seed from its parachute carrier can be tedious.  A simpler way is to use the flower petals in salads, or dry and crush the flowers for use in an infusion.

While thistle is far from a gourmet item in the wild harvesting diet, it is a great option, particularly since it likes to grow where many other plants would wither and die.  Since it is one of the earliest weeds to sprout in the spring, it also offers one of the virgin spring feasts from nature, and should not be overlooked.

Medicinal & Nutritional Benefits of Poplar Bark, Sap & Catkins

Growing up in rural western Canada, our family relied heavily on natural, wild remedies and food sources. My father’s close ties to the First Nations of the Fairford reservation meant that we were privy to dozens of secrets to wild harvesting of plants for medicinal and culinary use. Yet, we overlooked one of the most prevalent and beneficial sources: the poplar.

Although the local native people did use poplar bark, poplar catkins and poplar sap, we relied on the white willow, a close relative of the poplar.  For us, its primary use was as a pain reliever.  The inner bark of the willow contains salicin, a natural reliever of headaches, muscle pain, fever and blood disorders.  Similarly, poplar bark contains salicin, one of the components of aspirin. Natives used the bark, as well, for cuts, fevers, and coughs.  The bark has antiseptic and expectorant properties.

Poplar sap, readily available in the spring, often is harvested and boiled down like maple syrup.  However, it does not store well, and must be used in season.  Like the sap, the slippery inner bark does not render well, and has limited use as a winter remedy.

Many wild plants, cattails and common plantain among them, are mucilaginous and act as a thickener for stews.  The inner bark, when dried and ground, can be used in a similar manner.  Like the former two plants, it also acts as an excellent digestive system cleanser.

Poplar bark powder, used in a poultice, is an excellent dressing for wounds, acne, sore joints and even rheumatic complaints.  Some people have used the finer root tendrils similarly, or have chewed them foe toothache relief.  The bark can be made into a tea-like infusion by steeping the ground bark in boiled water for ten minutes.  It is not unpleasant-tasting.

Poplar sap tea is a commonly used spring tonic, or a seasonal pick-me-upper for the elderly, to treat urinary infections, relieve nausea, alleviating hay fever and to relieve allergy symptoms by clearing the nasal passages.

Catkins, available in early spring before the leaves grow, are much more bitter tasting than either the bark or the sap. They, though, can be dried for use throughout the spring, summer and fall, with effects similar to that of the bark or sap.

Poplar offers an array of health and nutrition options, but, unfortunately, has a limited season. Nonetheless, this tree should be on your list of chosen plants for wild harvesting.

Enjoying, Instead of Eradicating Ragweed

One of the advantages of growing up poor in the country is that you get to experience nature, raw. Throughout our harsh Manitoba winters, any vegetables were at a premium, and fruit (except for that which we picked wild, such as Saskatoon berries) non-existent in our diet.  That meant that, with the first rush of greenery in the spring, almost everything that sprouted was a potential meal.

Dandelion, pigweed, common plantain, spruce buds, mustard greens, and many others found their way into our meals.  Even the hated and much maligned ragweed  was a treat, once the snow had melted.

Today, ragweed is blamed for the majority of pollen allergies in North America.  Sixty years ago, it may very well have created similar adverse reactions, but I recall none of them.  Young greens were a source of bland vegetables on a plate that had been bereft of greens for months.  It was a treat. I have picked and eaten it raw, boiled it, or created an infusion by pouring boiling water over the leaves and then using that infusion to make breads, soups and so on.  I have yet to develop the skin rash that a few people report from handling the plant.

Several centuries ago, natives harvested the plants routinely.  Although there is scant written documentation as to how the plants were stored or prepared, my First Nations friends tell me of how their parents would pound the fine seeds and use them in stews or even in dried meat preparations.  Some tell me that the seeds, along with others collected in the autumn, were carried on hunts, and were well regarded as a source of energy.  This makes sense, since the seeds have close to fifty percent oil content (about the same as soybeans).  Others still harvest the root and boil it.

I have tried similar tactics with this plant, but the roots pose two problems.  While some varieties have a sort of tap root, most spread horizontally, with a main root and lots of rhizomes.  These are difficult to clean, and the main root tends to be tough.  Since ragweed thrives in poor soil, the root has to be tough, being subjected to harsh and varied weather conditions.

Flowers, too, can be consumed, but with their high pollen content, the best one can hope for is a weak tea.  They cook poorly, even when the green flowers are immature.

My favourite use of ragweed is simple: boiled greens from young leaves harvested when the plant is less than a foot high, in spring.  A little butter, a little thyme (or Italian spice mix) and a teaspoon of vinegar make it a pleasant vegetable option.

Many of our wild-harvested plants provide a medicinal benefit as well as a culinary experience, and ragweed is no exception.  It is recognized as one of the best extractors of lead from soils, and, by logical extension, a good cleanser in your own body.  Yet, this attribute can also be a hazard, so care should be taken that you do not harvest plants from environmentally polluted areas.  Few scientific studies have been conducted on this plant to determine either medicinal or nutritional benefit and hazard.  Instead, emphasis has been on how to control and eradicate the weed.  That means that you should exercise caution around ragweed, until you know how you will react to it.

Other medicinal properties and uses have been reported to be effective.  The extracts are anti-bacterial and anti-viral.  Some varieties have been used to cure diarrhea or constipation, alleviate symptoms of colds and flu, resolve upset stomach, or to stimulate appetite.  However, many of these remedies are simply common sense solutions, since raw or natural foods with high vitamin content generally are used to cure minor upsets.

As with most plants, fresh is better than dried or preserved, so eat your fill while the plant is still available.  Winter comes too soon, and we will miss our weedy nemesis and friend in January!

Dandelion Wine & Dandelion Syrup, Quick And Easy

Dandelion easily is one of the most versatile nutritional and medicinal plants that can be harvested in the wild in North America.  Root, leaves and flowers of the dandelion all can be consumed, for both health and culinary benefit. 

My last blog provided a few recipes for the flowers (including calyx) and leaves.  This blog continues with the various ways that the flowers can be used, focusing on making wine and syrups.  Both are quite simple, but both also have myriad optional recipes.

Wine, for instance, can be made in as short a time as four weeks (the recipe in this article) or as long as twelve months.  Syrups can be fairly thin, or processed with pectin into jelly or marmalade.

This month, I made a syrup that is thick enough to use in the place of honey, or, when warmed slightly, is a perfect topping for pancakes and waffles.

Begin by picking two quarts of packed flowers.  I include the calyx, as I like the slightly bitter taste of the green parts. Boil two and one half quarts of water, pour over the flowers in a large vat.  Let the infusion stand for fifteen minutes or so, drain the water, reheat and pour over the flowers once again.  Let this stand until the water has cooled to room temperature, then drain off the water, being sure to squeeze out the liquid before discarding the flowers. (I compost these flowers, as they will not produce seeds)

Pour the liquid into a large pot, add eight cups of sugar (I use two cups of brown sugar to replace two of refined sugar, for a more syrupy final product, and for a slightly healthier syrup), as well as one half cup of lemon juice and two tablespoons of crushed mint.  Boil at medium low heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture is rendered down to roughly three cups.  Pour into containers and store in the refrigerator for up to six months.

My wine recipe starts off the same as the syrup, by infusing two quarts of flowers.  However, use four quarts of water instead of two. Bring the liquid to 32C (90F).

Add eight cups of sugar, one half orange and one half lemon (sliced thinly),  and a handful of mint leaves (crushed). Stir in ½ ounce (two packets) of yeast. Pour the mix into a fermentation container (I use a plastic water jug, with good results), place in a cooler, dark area, and let the mix ferment for two weeks, or until the bubbles stop. Strain the liquid into four sterilized quart jars with lids, and store for a minimum of another ten days to two weeks. 

This wine tastes best when chilled, and has an alcohol content of approximately 10-12%.

Using Dandelion Flowers

You face a choice: eradicate them or enjoy them.  My personal choice is to enjoy them. It’s dandelion that I am talking about.  Every spring, the first flower to bloom in the northern hemisphere seems to be dandelion, across every lawn north of the 49^th parallel, and even well down into the central USA. Europe, too, has dandelion in abundance.

But dandelions are only noxious weeds because of our perception of them.  In fact, they are one of the best sources of nourishment of any plant, from flower to root.  In the spring, the young dandelion greens (the tender leaves) are delicious in salads or boiled and buttered, with thyme.  Once the plant starts to produce flowers, the leaves tend to get a little bitter, but are still edible until the hot summer sun toughens them up.

Dandelion flowers, though, offer some of the best bounty available in the spring.  Whether you want to make homemade dandelion wine, dandelion syrup or want just to enjoy the flowers fresh in a salad or steamed or sautéed, they are delicious.

There are a variety of ways to prepare dandelion flowers.  Begin by picking either fully flowers or buds that have not yet bloomed, but that are full. When cooking the flowers, they will close up, in any event, and will shrink by about 80%.  Four cups of loosely packed flowers will render down to about 2/3 of a cup if sautéed, and ¾ to 7/8 cup if steamed.  If you choose to boil the flowers, be sure to save the juice.  It makes excellent soup base or water when making homemade bread (use sage and parsley to kill some of the bitterness).

To reduce the slightly bitter taste of dandelions, avoid picking stems (containing a white milk) with the flowers.  Also, if you have lots of time, remove the calyx (the green cup-like shell holding the petals) from the petals.  You will need at least five time the amount of flower petals if you choose to do this, but it is the stalk and green calyx that hold most of the bitter flavour.  Unfortunately, much of the nutrients also are found in the calyx.

All methods of preparing the flowers for consumption require that you rinse the flowers under cold water, to remove debris.  (If you are squeamish, you will also be removing any aphids, ants and other insects).  Be sure that you pick flowers in any area that has not been treated with herbicide or insecticide. Also, any areas where animals may have urinated (corners, near trees and shrubs, against walls, etc.) should be avoided.

The first method of preparing the flowers is to sautee them.  Dandelion flowers, like the more mature leaves, can have a slightly bitter taste (reminiscent of tonic water).  Heat two or three  tablespoons of grapeseed or olive oil in a skillet. Add two cups of flowers, recue heat to low, spice with 2 teaspoons of brown sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of thyme.  Cover the skillet and cook until the flowers are tender.  Serve with peas as a companion.

The next method involves steaming.  Steam the flowers for about 7-10 minutes.  Save the liquid, as much of the nutrients will have leeched back into the water.  Remove the flowers and, in a bowl, toss the flowers with melted butter and a little corn meal.  Add a little hemp or flax oil for a smooth taste, or use ginger, melted butter and brown sugar for a lighter, sweet taste. If you wish, you may boil the flowers instead of steaming them.

Dandelion flowers can be eaten raw, as well.  The buds, when washed and chilled in vinegar, make excellent snacks, while the flower petals (or entire flower & calyx) are great additions to a tossed salad.  Sprinkle sunflower seeds or crushed walnuts on the salad for a great complimentary taste.

The next blog will deal with making dandelion wine.

Morel Cousins

While morels are considered to be one of the most distinguishable fungi in North America, and are thought to be almost universally non-toxic, each year there are reported incidents of allergic, toxic and fatal incidents involving these mushroom-like delicacies. However, in most cases, reactions are not from morels, but from the morel’s evil cousins.

Many members of the mushroom family have relations that look like safe, edible mushrooms, but are deadly or disagreeable.  Morel look-alikes are almost non-existent.  However, there are a few fungi with which you should exercise caution. Unfortunately, these second cousins, known as “false morels,”  tend to grow near, and in the same conditions as morels.

Perhaps the most frequently encountered morel imitator is the “brain mushroom.” The brain mushroom has a wrinkled, rather than pitted or honeycombed surface.  Its dark brown stout body  and bulbous, brain shape make it relatively easy to distinguish from true morels.  It tends to “slime” quicker than morels due to its interior spore makeup, and does not have the same nutty taste as the morel. But if it is toxic, how will you know what it tastes like? In past centuries, many brain mushrooms were sold in marketplaces, cooked and consumed with little ill effect.  However, for many people, there is no toxic or allergic reaction.  Unfortunately, what was edible yesterday has been known to kill people the next day. For many, the symptoms are no worse than mild diarrhoea or upset stomach.

Harder to distinguish are look-alikes for the half-cap morel, whose tapered cap is held to the stem only by a band at the top of the stem, half-way up the cap.  Again, though, this false morel has a wrinkled surface, rather than honeycombed.

The “Big Red” false morel is generally found in south eastern USA, and is distinguished by its bright colors.  Most morels tend to be colored similarly to the leafy carpets in which they are found, which will help to distinguish “Big Red” from true morels.

Generally, even the imitators do not produce a severe reaction in most consumers of morels.  Unlike many mushrooms with their extreme and deadly toxicity, false morels are more likely to cause upset, rather than intense reaction.  Many people are spooked by the possibility of poisoning, and will shy away from any wild fungi.  Some avoid any variation in size or coloration.  But morels in poor conditions, or varying soil types, or even climatic conditions, will produce varying results.  Some yellow morels, found growing in gravelly trailside soils in Manitoba, are of a gray color, while some growing in the willowy drainage ditch sites in Minnesota are tall and spindly, with an elfin morel (false morel) look.  Classic black morels growing in the rich red soils of the Dakotas have taken on a reddish tinge like the “Big Red.”  Yet, all are true, edible morels.

The key is to exercise both caution in picking, and moderation in consumption.  Aside from a very few imitators, there is no need to fear morels.

Where Morels Grow

Fortunately for morel lovers, morels grow in almost every state of the USA and province of Canada, and in part of Mexico.  They officially are found in all but the Arizona, Nevada & New Mexico, Florida & Georgia, Alaska and Hawaii and the provinces of Saskatchewan and Newfoundland-Labrador.  Yet, at least three varieties are common in Manitoba, two in Saskatchewan, one found in northern Georgia, and one in the eastern regions of Alaska.

Morels are identified as at least 16 separate family members, from the common yellow morel and  black morel to the half-free and western blond morel.  While each is specific to a region, many of the taxons identified are almost indistinguishable from the common yellow or black morel.

Generally, morels are found where winter temperatures reach near or below freezing on a sustainable basis, where deciduous forests allow filtered light during the late spring season, where daytime temperatures are not above 80F during the fruiting season, and where the spider-like rooting networks are able to penetrate and spread in the soil substrate. 

For these reasons, hot, arid regions do not host morels.  Similarly, deep, dark evergreen forests are inhospitable hosts.  However, some varieties of mushrooms do grow beneath evergreens.  At the same time, sandy, dry soils generally are not welcoming hosts.  But morels will grow in these soils where they adjoin more beneficial soil substrates.  Thus, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, and other low-population states produce morels.

As stated earlier, morels need a looser substrate in which to spread their root-like filaments. Theoretically, then, mountainous regions would not be suitable terrain.  Yet, morels are common in the Pacific Northwest, where leafy mulch provides the needed soil conditions, and spring light, moisture and warmth is abundant. 

Half-free morels seem to deviate from their morel cousins’ preferred sites, growing well in the mossy shoulders of small creeks and drainage ditches.  These morels  are found from the  Dakotas to the maritime states and provinces, from Tennessee to Manitoba, and along the Pacific states.

The classic black morel grows abundantly in the Midwest, along the Pacific Northwest, Colorado & New Mexico, and even in Mississippi.

The classic yellow is even more wide-ranging, from the west, throughout Manitoba and central Canada, central and south central USA, and even the eastern seaboard states, while its sister, the Western Blond, is commonly found in Wyoming, Oregon and Washington.

Even in the Yukon and eastern Alaska, a unique morel, the fuzzy footed morel, can be found in abundance, venturing into British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Colorado.

All varieties  are distinctively cone-shaped, and equally delicious.  All are welcome spring snacks across all of North America, and can be found with a little determination, and lots of luck.

Do You Have The Stomach For Moss and Lichens?

Well, winter is rushing toward us.  In northern latitudes, that generally means one to three feet of snow covering the ground, and almost every edible plant in the wild.  Desperate grazing wildlife like deer or bison, or even smaller rodents and birds are compelled to learn to dig through the frozen white for food.  It is a hard season for most animals.  That, unfortunately, includes humans that like to “eat wild.”

I have written about several sources of food in the wild during the winter, but there is one that I have not touched on, for any season: moss.

Most of us believe  that moss and lichens are not edible.  However, lichens make up a substantial part of the diet in the Arctic, and almost every moss and lichen is edible.  That does not imply that they are palatable, or nutritious, but most can, indeed, be eaten.  In fact, many ascribe medicinal properties to mosses, with the most prevalent claim being that they are antiseptic and some are analgesic.  Few studies have either confirmed or denied these claims.  In my experience, though, I have yet to find a “tasty” moss.  They are bitter, acidic tasting or, at best, bland.  But, as plants, they do have some vitamins, often contain minerals leeched from the soils or decay on which they grow, and  are a source of small amounts of chlorophyll. Taste be damned.  When desperate, eat!

There a couple of cautions, however.  Moss, due to its tight “leafy” nature, trap lots of insects, dirt and other undesirable debris.  If you like a bit of adventure with your meal, forego vigourous washing., and chew away!  Moss, as well, often grows, layer upon layer, on years or centuries of decaying moss and other plant material.  Along with unhealthy doses of rot, you are inviting bacteria and other pathogens into your palate.

In short, moss can be eaten, in an emergency, and can be found on tree trunks, rocks, and other exposed areas in the worst days of winter, so, as a survival food, they are welcome.  In any other circumstance, pass moss and lichens by.

Helping Mother Nature With Wild Herbs

So it was a dry summer, and the berry picking was poor.  Many of the wild herbs had blight and insect damage.  Since fruiting was poor, seed production was equally dismal.  Does that mean that you had to endure this poor year of harvest?  Certainly not!

Almost all of us rely on Mother Nature to provide the harvest of plenty, and we are disappointed when the season is dismal.  No wonder we call her “Mother.”  We expect her to do everything for us!

I first began to view my interaction with nature’s bounty and wild harvesting differently when I attempted to transplant a few of my favourite wild herbs into a domestic garden setting, with disastrous results.  Seneca root, for example, simply refused to propagate or even sprout in a variety of soils, even though it grows with vigour in the most marginal, gravel-based soils in the wild. Some of the wild herbs simply overtook my garden, predictably.  They were, after all, weeds.  Others produced great leaves when I wanted fruit or berries (alpine strawberries and wild raspberries), while others chose to wilt in the lush soil.  They preferred the less nutrient-rich bases.

But, leaving my plants in their natural habitat, and tending them regularly, produced phenomenal results.  Each week during one summer, I watered select Saskatoon, high-bush cranberries, raspberry and hawthorne bushes.  Similarly, burdock was watered abundantly, while I culled the thistles and dandelions, harvesting crops of leaves and roots throughout the summer. 

Even though the plants that we harvest freely in their natural habitat are considered “wild,” they benefit from the same care that we provide for garden plants: adequate light (cull and clean), adequate moisture (provide drainage and water), regular pruning (producing more lush, young leaves) and frequent thinning to ensure good development.  Many of the wild plants found in North America today are descendants form domestic European plants.  Dandelions, hawthorne, wild horseradish, wild plum, tansy and dozens of others are typically found growing freely in abandoned homesteads, along roadsides and in wasteland across the country.

Be careful with your harvest, as well.  Remember that, if you remove too many of the plants that you love to pick, next year’s crop may be diminished.  By harvesting selectively, as well, you are assured of getting the “cream of the crop,” so to speak.

Consider that, instead of maintaining a backyard garden, you are growing a multi-acre plot, wherever Mother Nature allows you to do so.  By providing for your chosen wild crop, it will provide an abundance of harvestable greens, seeds, roots and fruits for you.

Wild Mustard Hot Stuff In The Kitchen And The Car

The farmers’ scourge for centuries, wild mustard is hardly at the top of anyone’s list of favourite plants.  A harbour for insects and pests harmful to gardens and crops alike, it has been the target of herbicides and natural defences used by organic and non-organic farmers for the last sixty years, yet remains one of the most common noxious weeds in the fields.  Yet, it is far from the demon that we have been led to believe.

When farmers send their grain or oilseeds to be cleaned prior to shipping, cleaners can count on an abundance of wild mustard seed in the screening mix.  Inevitably, it is discarded, and sometimes burned to prevent regeneration or sprouting.  That drastic technique often fails, because mustard seed has a good resistance to fire, with its hard shell.  However, it does burn, since it has a very high oil content.  Ironically, this oil offers great potential for revenues.

Mustard has one of the highest oil content of all oilseeds, including soybean, flax and canola, often exceeding 40%.  Yet, it has not been used to its full potential in the production of biodiesel.  I attribute this to the mental attitude of oilseed producers, who opt to produce biodiesel from food-grade oilseeds, although offgrade, sprouted and screened oilseeds produce as good, if not better biofuel than food grade.  When I was working on establishing biodiesel facilities in Manitoba, many farmers scoffed at the idea of using reject material to produce their fuel.  They wanted “nothing but the best,” which, of course, meant paying a premium price and eliminating profit margins.  Similarly, on our biogas pilot projects, few farmers wanted to be involved in producing biogas from manure, as if the concept meant that the end product would be inferior. 

Mustard seed produces excellent fuel.  Even wild mustard oil is quite edible by humans, although large quantities of the seed and the plant can be injurious to cattle.

The flakes of mustard meal left over after squeezing oil from the seeds can be deadly hot – easily as hot as a good wasabe. I have used the flaked meal round garden plants, and found it works to deter cutworms and other crawling pests.  A caution, however: do not place the meal too close to the plants, as they can suffer badly from contact with the concentrated residue.

Mustard plants, like turnips and beets, also provide very tasty, and somewhat peppery greens.  Not as spicy as the leaves of nasturtium, mustard greens have more life and taste than many of the more bland green wild crops of late spring and early summer.  In a pinch, the stalks can be chewed as a survival food.  I have found them woody and difficult to digest, and would prefer to eat other available wild greens.  Cooking does not enhance the flavour of mustard greens.  Raw, mixed in a salad is my preferred choice, or even used as a lettuce-like supplement in sandwiches.   One colleague uses the almost-opened flower heads in the same manner as broccoli, steaming them and adding a bit of cheese to liven them up. 

Hardly the floral ogre that it is painted to be by farmers, wild mustard offers a lively option for innovative gatherers of wild foods, and should not be discounted or rejected merely because farmers hate the plant and cattle seem revolted by it.  Spice, salad ingredient, boiled green, pest controller and even fuel for your vehicle or kerosene heater, mustard can be a lifesaver!

Web Information Not Always Reliable

My mother used to tell me, “Only believe half of what you see, and nothing of what you hear.”  It was a good adage in the era preceding the Internet.  Today, a caveat should be added – “And very little of what you read.” This is particularly true when it  comes to claims of health and nutrition benefits for wild plants.

Ironically, many of North America’s edible wild plants actually were domestically harvested in Europe: dandelion, horseradish, hawthorne and so on.  However, many of the claims of edibility or health benefit for other wild harvests should be treated sceptically, if not suspiciously.

Several years ago, I purchased a book on edible wild plants of Canada, and set out to sample as many of these culinary delights as possible.  I had been raised eating wild foods, such as pigweed and dandelion, and relying on medicinal benefits of Seneca root, common plantain, white willow and spruce needles.  Yet, I wanted to expand my arsenal of edibles.  The author of this book claimed to be an authority on harvesting plants in the wild.

I should have been alerted to the potential for error with the first trial.  He claimed that cattail roots were delightfully tasty, and had a root like a small potato.  I don’t know where he grew potatoes, but it must have been meagre soil, indeed!  The vast majority of cattail roots are miniscule bulbs, about half the size of an egg.  These are first- and second-year roots.  Yes, a few are the size of new potatoes, but you need to sift through the sands for ages to find these diamonds.

The next misstep by this author came with his claim of the ease with which we can harvest thistle roots.  “Simply wash, peel and boil these roots for fifteen to twenty minutes,” he stated.  I washed, I peeled, I scraped, I boiled, and I boiled, and I boiled.  For over two hours, these easy-to-cook roots simmered and bubbled.  When I placed them in front of my son and myself, the only benefit they provided was that they made us eager to devour the rest of the meal.  At no time in the cooking process did they become tender.  I have chewed on softer birch bark than these roots offered. 

Of course, a simple statement that one needs to select first-year roots would have been adequate.  Since that experience, I have eaten thistle root often.  I have moved from boiled root ( a somewhat bitter, yet bland  experience) to a sautéed root, peeled and spice with thyme or wild sage. 

While the misinformation in this book may be somewhat amusing, relying on the misinformation on the Web can be dangerous at worst, confusing at best.  In my own realm, for instance, I have personally tested each of the plants about which I have written, and researched toxicity.  Yet, my reaction to consumption is subjective.  I eat copious amounts of morels in the spring, without unpleasant reaction, Yet, others may become ill with one small morel.  My own experience is not sufficient to stand in the place of scientific authority, though.

After publishing my various articles, I have searched the Net, only to find my pieces re-published by others, under their own name, claiming personal experience and knowledge.  How often are the stories we read based on mere plagiarism, and without substance or validity? 

The best safeguard is to research at least three competing articles on each plant, and follow up by checking more reliable authorities on toxicity, such as university websites and reputable clinics around the world.  This method offers good comfort as to poisonous or toxic elements in any wild plant.  The reliability of the culinary value, though, will provide you with more than sufficient adventure, as you discover some of the bizarre menu suggestions on the Web.  Good eating! 

Preparing, Drying & Storing Herbs and Wild Plants

The proper preparation and storage of herbs and medicinal plants is critical to obtaining the most benefit from the desired remedy.  While some of the methods of preparation and storage may seem complex, once you have undertaken and completed your first round of preparation, you will find that the process is quite simple and logical.

Three tools that you will find invaluable as you become more dedicated to “eating wild” are a juicer, dehydrator and drying screen for your harvested plants..

There are five primary methods of preparing herbs for medicinal use, plus an arsenal of alternative preparation & delivery methods.  The five primary methods are infusion, decoction, tincture, extraction & distillation.  Each method offers specific advantages. 

By far, the easiest way to store many of your harvested plants simply is to dry them. However, freezing, refrigerating, canning and preparations of jams and jellies often also are viable alternatives.

Herbs are dried in a variety of ways, depending on the part of the plant used. 

For leaves (particularly delicate leaves) and flowers, use a fiberglass screen on which the leaves are loosely arranged to allow for air movement.  Place the screen in an area where sunlight is minimal, yet where there is moderate air movement.  Turn the leaves at least two to three times over several days, until they are completely dry. For roots and seeds, herbs can be dried in direct sunlight. Where the entire plant (or stems, leaves and flowers) can be stored, hang the plant in a warm, dry shaded area for several days.  For thicker, sugar-rich crops like most berries, use of a dehydrator is recommended to prevent the growth of mould.

Many wild herbs can be frozen, either in ice cubes, or by adding a small amount of water to the herbs and placing in freezer bags.   Most herbs can be safely stored in the crisper of the refrigerator for up to a week.

Root crops and other low acid, high-density plants can be canned, by blanching for three minutes and sealing in sterilized jars (in the same way as vegetables are canned).

Jams and jellies all follow a couple of basic recipe patterns, with the only variation being the type of jam being made.  Moisture-rich jellies require slightly less liquid to be added, while pectin and gelatine provide the thickening agent.  Apple juice, stevia (an herb) or sugar provide much of the sweetener.

Wild plants (and domestic ones) that are intended for use as medicinal remedies should be prepared with the intended use in mind.

Infusions are the simplest methods of garnering the oils from an herb.   Infusions are prepared by combining a small amount (1-2 teaspoons or 10 grams) of dried herb per cup of boiling water.  If using fresh herbs, double the amount of herb used.  Do not boil the herb in the water.  Instead, pour the water over the herb and allow it to stand.  Infuse, or “steep” the mix for 10 minutes and strain.  If steeped too long, the infusion will taste bitter.  Be sure not to use metal pots or containers for storage, or even for infusing, for safety and taste.

Infusions are best used immediately, with herbs stored as a dry product until required. Because of their short and simple preparation time, there is no need for advanced preparation in a carrier. 

Decoctions are prepared in much the same way as an infusion.  However, since decoctions are used for harder herbs, plant stems, roots, seeds and bark, the plant must be exposed to boiling water for a prolonged period (typically 20-45 minutes) to extract the vital ingredients, the herb is placed in the water and boiled, rather than steeped.  This tends to result in a more bitter taste. The ratio of water to herb in decoctions generally averages about 20 to 1.

Although the water must be a boiling temperature (212F or 100C), it need not be a rolling boil.  Instead, simmer the mix for the required period of time.  Once the herb has decocted, strain the liquid, discarding the solids.  Drink by mixing with a small amount of sweetener.  Decoctions may be stored in a refrigerator for up to a week, but are best used immediately.

While prepared in much the same way as decoctions and infusions, tinctures use alcohol to extract the essential ingredients from the plants being processed. 

A second, and critical, difference between tinctures and infusions is that the solvent alcohol is not heated.  Alcohol has an extremely low flash point, and serious injury can occur if the alcohol is heated beyond its flash point.

It is imperative to note that tinctures use ethyl alcohol, not wood or methyl alcohol.  Any product taken internally must not use methyl alcohol, as this type of alcohol can cause blindness or even death.  Although some tinctures are applied topically or externally, it is best to always use ethyl alcohol for tinctures.

Pure, non- denatured ethyl alcohol is not readily available.  However, and alternative is to use vodka or other high-alcohol-percentage unflavored beverage mixed 3:2 with water, for tinctures.

Mix seven to nine cups of fresh herbs (or 4 cups of dried herb) and with blend 4-41/2 cups of water/alcohol mix.  If using fresh herbs, lightly crush the plant to assist in breaking the essential oils free from the plant.  Place the herbs in a ceramic or glass container and cover with the liquid. Place a lid on the container and store in a dark, cooler place for up to a month.  Shake or stir the mix daily. At the end of the month, strain the liquid into a dark glass or ceramic container with a lid.  These tinctures may be stored for between six months to 2 years.

Oils and essential ingredients in herbs may be removed through simple extraction (the other primary methods also are extractions, using carriers or solvents).  Simple extraction involves crushing the herb using a mortar and pestle, a small commercial cold press, a centrifuge system or hammer mill.  Generally, simple extraction involves quantities and equipment beyond the access of most home herbalists.

Distillation involves evaporation of water/herb mixes in much the same way as a brewer makes home brew.  The process involves mixing the herbs and water (or herbs and alcohol), and, using a closed or open loop system, boiling off the liquid at a controlled temperature until a concentrate of the herb remains.  For alcohol distillation, the temperature is 70C (158F).  At this temperature, only the alcohol will evaporate, leaving a syrupy mix of herbs and liquid.  For water distillation, the water is evaporated until a minimal amount of concentrate remains, which is then filtered or strained and stored.

Distillation requires equipment that is not readily available to the home herbalist, and, in some jurisdictions, is not legal to own or use.

Oil infusions generally are for external use only. However, if a more moderate essential oil or an herb that is less volatile or potentially dangerous is combined with edible oils such as olive, almond, sunflower, or canola oil, the infusion may be used internally in moderate doses.

Oil infusions can be prepared using the same method as water infusions, with the exception that the time to steep or simmer the infusion should be at least 5-6 times that of simple water infusions.  Oil infusions can be prepared by letting the mixes stand, in a warm area (in a dark glass container), for several months.  Once readied, move to a cooler, darkened area.  Note that food-grade oils deteriorate, or sour, relatively quickly, if stored in direct light or warm areas.

Liniments are made using alcohol or oil and a warming herb, such as cayenne, cloves, eucalyptus, ginger, peppermint or spearmint, marjoram (tarragon) or wintergreen.  The advantage of using alcohol is its tendency to cool the skin as it evaporates, providing the hot/cold effect employed in various commercial muscle relief treatments.  Oils used must be vegetable oils, to facilitate absorption into the skin.

Herbal wines and vinegars are easy to prepare, and make great decorative pieces.  Simply mix the required herbs (about 1:4 herb to liquid) with white, balsamic, rice or red wine vinegar and store in a bottle.  If making wine, add a preferred amount of herbs to a red wine.  For mints and delicate herbs, use a white wine.  Leave at least two weeks before using.

More bitter or harsh tasting medicinal herbs are often prepared as a syrup, or distilled & boiled to make candies.  Sugar acts as a great preservative, and, as espoused in Mary Poppins, a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down.

Add 2 cups of brown sugar or honey to 2 cups of the herb infusion or decoction, heat on low until almost the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens, then pour into a clean, thick glass container and store in the refrigerator.

To prepare creams, use oil, beeswax and water. Add one cup of olive or almond oil to 50 grams of beeswax in a double boiler.  Add 50 grams of fresh herb and a few tablespoons of water.  Mix and simmer for 20 minutes.  Strain through a fine sieve and store in sterilized jars with lids.

If making an ointment, use petroleum jelly or baby oil instead of vegetable oil, and simmer until the herbs break down.

For a lotion, blend  3 ounces (84 g) of carrier vegetable oil (olive, grape seed, almond), 2 ounces (56 g) melted cocoa butter and two ounces of the prepared herb infusion and store in ceramic or dark-colored glass containers.  Vegetable oils will “sour” if left in light or heat for prolonged periods, so be sure to prepare only enough to be used in two weeks. Epsom salt blends provide the therapeutic element of muscle relaxation, while oil blends provide skin softening & protective layering.  Oatmeal bath is often used to treat burn patients when damaged skin is being removed, or to soothe pain.  On the other hand, oil baths, particularly made using oil infusion or essential oil concentrate, eliminate the particulate found in dry herb. To make oil blends, simply add the required amount of essential oil to an absorbable oil carrier, such as almond, grape extract or olive oils.  To make Epsom salt blends, grind the mix of dried herbs and Epsom salts together in a food grinder or blender until fine. 

Compresses involve using a cloth soaked in hot herb infusions, tinctures or decoctions, applied directly to a wound or affected area.

Poultices involve chopped, crushed or powdered herbs boiled in water to make a pulp.  The pulp is then wrapped in a thin, porous cloth and applied to the injured area.  Apply a light layer of cream or oil to the wound to prevent sticking of the poultice, if necessary.  Common poultices from pioneer days included mustard poultices applied to the chest for colds, or common plantain or garlic poultices applied to injuries and sprains.

Fiddlehead Ferns Offer Music For Your Tastebuds With

It’s spring in the moist woodlands of North America when fiddlehead ferns begin to unleash their soft green tongues like a frog set to strike at an insect.  These greens are one of the most tender and juicy wild harvest foods, available worldwide. 

Fiddleheads in North America commonly are associated with the wet east coast or west coast rainforests, yet varieties can be found in abundance across the continent.  Simply put, the fiddlehead fern is not really a type of fern of its own, but a general description of the new growth shoots for all of the fern family. 

Like morels and other short-season spring delicacies, fiddleheads are available for brief days each year. They appear through the soft leaf beds of wet woodlands and shady waterway edges as soon as the ground begins to warm, quickly unfurl their fronds and rush toward full growth in a week or so.  Unlike morels, they do not hide from sight, but form the lush carpets and undergrowths of many forests and thickets.

Two varieties of ferns – Bracken and American Royal – grow across North America, with the Ostrich fern found mostly on the east coast. Harvest them by clipping the uncurled sprouts.  These wild plants are havens for small insects, dust and pollutants, and should be washed thoroughly before eating.  While many instances of mild illness have been reported (mostly due to improper washing or cooking), there are very few reports of allergic or toxic reactions.

Because fiddleheads are neither a soft leafy vegetable or crisp root-like consistency, they are suitable for a variety of cooking styles and recipes.  Simply sautee the greens in butter and a dusting of garlic, pepper, basil for a delightful side dish.  Alternatively, boil the greens and serve with a little thyme. Top angel hair pasta with steamed fiddleheads spiced with paprika, thyme, cayenne and onion powder.  Dash olive oil over dish and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Fiddleheads can be a feature ingredient for a number of salads, used as a soup ingredient, served with a lightly-cooked root crop mix, breaded in oat bran, flax flour and corn meal prior to deep frying, or even pickled in brine after blanching.

One of the most exhilarating wild harvest meals that I have enjoyed in early spring began with a salad of fiddlehead, dandelion and strawberry leaf, doused with raspberry vinaigrette.  The main course included boiled and buttered cattail root (potato-like consistency), fried dandelion roots, boiled fiddlehead greens, morels served with hamburgers blended with ground common plantain seed (harvested the prior year and dried) and freshly harvested horseradish root, grated and mixed with vinegar.

Spring is a season of opportunity for the lover of wild foods, and the opening act of that season is fiddlehead greens!

Burdock Benefits

Doubtless, burdock is one of the easiest plants to find in the late fall and winter.  In truth, you don’t find burdock: it finds you, with its Velcro-inspired burs and tall, bush-like habit.  Like the ugly duckling of fables, burdock possesses a real beauty beneath its unattractive skin, however. 

Whether you live in Europe, Russia or North America, burdock can be found almost in your back yard.  Long a vital component of the arsenal of healing herbs for Europeans and North American natives, this abundant plant also is an excellent culinary weed, possessing great nutritional value.

One of the real benefits of burdock is its accessibility in the middle of winter.  Like cattails, burdock roots are a great survival food, but require significant effort to harvest from the icy grasp of frozen soil.  Yet, because it may grow to four feet or more in height, it towers above even the deepest snow.

Recently (early March), I harvested a few roots in Manitoba, where frost extends to three feet in depth throughout winter.  By chopping around the base of the plant with my hatchet, I was able to recover about six to ten inches of the tap roots. 

The roots of younger plants offer the best, most tender harvest, but, in winter, even young roots are shrivelled and tough.  In summer, these roots can be used in stir fries, boiled, peeled and baked or made into any variety of boiled or sautéed dishes.  In spring, the leaves and stems (peeled) are tender, like asparagus or a mix of sorrel and spinach.  I have often simply peeled the younger stems and eaten them raw, as a crunchy snack.  For an unusual snack, peel and lightly blanche the stems, then refrigerate them in vinegar bath for a couple of weeks, to produce a unique pickle.

Burdock has been used to treat colds and measles, relieve constipation, purify the blood, act as a liver and general cleanser and even treat skin eruptions. It is antiseptic and antifungal, and has been used effectively as a skin tonic, and to treat diabetes. With the wide range of claims of medicinal benefit, though, it is wise to use burdock as a supplement, rather than relying on it to treat every ailment.

In culinary dishes, the Japanese use burdock often, referring to it as gobo.  One Asian recipe calls for a mix of brown rice, shitake mushroom, burdock root, garlic and ginger.  A great sauce requires mixing one cup burdock root, ½ cup parsley, ½ cup cider vinegar, ½ cup sherry and one cup of thick yogurt (Greek, preferably).  Boil the cider, burdock and sherry over medium heat for six to eight minutes, then blend all ingredients until smooth.  This sauce is fantastic with vegetables (particularly green veggies) pork or chicken. 

The myriad ways of using burdock is virtually limitless, as are its medicinal and nutritional qualities.  So, rather than banning these burs, why not invite them into your garden?  They are easily cultivated, and easy to grow!

Herbal Remedies For Insomnia

Winter – a season when darkness usurps daylight, and, theoretically at least, people are able to enjoy more hours of sleep uninterrupted by light.  Yet, numerous experts point to the early winter season as the time of year when the most cases of insomnia occur.  The question, then is what can we do to reduce the frequency of sleepless nights.  In particular, what herbs and natural remedies are effective at treating this energy-sapping sleep problem?

While researching solutions for insomnia, I made the mistake of typing “when do most people experience insomnia” into my Google search bar.  I had the misfortune (and the brief pleasure) of reading one forum contributor’s response: when we can’t sleep.  However, there is a wealth of legitimate, valuable input to offset this tongue-in-cheek comment.

Of particular interest are the discussions on physiological causes of insomnia, from melatonin deficiencies (often  associated with aging) to hormonal imbalance (tied frequently to menopause)  These lead into data on herbal remedies – solutions that are available to us free of charge, if we have the energy to venture into the gardens and wilds to harvest specific plants.

Of course, one of the most commonly cited treatments for insomnia is German chamomile tea.  This beverage has been used for centuries, and is part of the Ukrainian heritage, brought to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  This herb is cultivated domestically and grows very well in the wild.  There a re a few varieties of chamomile, but the most effective appears to be the German chamomile.

While most commonly used as a cough and cold treatment, linden also encourages sleep.  Dried flowers and leaves, made into a tincture or infusion are the usual form of use, while the inner layers of bark can be harvested even in winter and made into a tincture or infusion, as well.

Onion is one of the universally recognized super plants, offering myriad health benefits.  However, boiled onion (drink the liquid, as well, you wimp!) serves as a sleep aid.  I have found that onions, eaten in larger quantities before bedtime seem to induce a lot of dreams.  Good for those with pleasant ones, lousy for those with nightmares!

Lemon balm is cited as a good sleep aide.  However, its most frequent use is as an insect repellent.  Lemon balm, like lemon sorrel and mints, decreases thirst.

Although offering only a mild sedative benefit, raspberry tea is an excellent pre-bedtime drink, and, when combined with wild strawberry leaves, is a very pleasant sipping tea.

Sage is another great plant.  This herb is a great culinary spice with nutritional benefits, but offers a variety of health benefits, from cancer treatment to digestive assistance, from treatment for depression & anxiety to cold treatment and inflammations.  Best known for its use with poultry, it can be taken, if you can endure the sharp taste, as a tea.

For centuries, lavender has been a part of romantic lore, and has a reputation for inducing pleasant dreams.  This, of course, goes hand in hand with better sleep.  Lavender air sprays, lavender sachets under one’s pillow, lavender soaps and skin creams or lavender plants growing in the bedroom window all offer assistance for the sleep-deprived.

My wife uses rosehips to treat a kidney condition.  Along with this wonderful benefit, the rose seed pods also are excellent for the heart, provide a source of vitamin C, show results in cancer treatment tests and, again, provide sleep-inducing qualities.  Rosehips can be used in soups and stews, with wild game, in bannock, or consumed as a tea with a bit of ginger.

Passionflower, native to the southeast of North America, is recognized for its relief of insomnia.

Lastly, elecampane has been found to be effective at treating both irritability and insomnia.  While not a known native of the Americas, elecampane, like dandelion, hawthorn and a host of other plants, herbs and bushes, has taken hold in most parts of North America, likely introduced here by European settlers.

The list of herbs and other plants that have been employed to treat lack of sleep attests to both the prevalence of insomnia and the effectiveness of herbal remedies, as opposed to chemical preparations.  The added benefits of herbs are that they generally have fewer side effects, and, when harvested in the wild, cost nothing!