5 Tasty, Low-Risk Foraged Foods

Yahoo Food ^ | 7/14/14 | Alex Van Buren

[Kartographer]

Any former Girl or Boy Scout knows it’s dangerous to just pluck a berry off a bush or grab a random green and stuff it in your mouth (hello, poison ivy!) So proceed with caution and only sample something if you’re quite sure it’s safe: Brill’s app is a good starting point, but it, too features the caveat that there are some poisonous wild edibles out there!

There’s also a whole world of tasty stuff. We asked Brill for his top five low-risk foraged finds (read: wild plants that don't have poisonous doppelgängers) around America, all of which are listed on his free, photo-and-cooking-tip-packed app, and most of which are available between spring and fall.

[Kartographer]

Preppers’ PING!!

[BenLurkin]

The Lambsquarters look similar to what we called “Pig’s Ears” back east. Those are also edible as are dandelion leaves.

[Mechanicos]

http://tomeaker.com/kart/Preparedness1j.pdf

[heartwood]

Salad.

I’ve eaten all but the chickweed.

Most of them are lawn weeds which suggests the lawn hasn’t been chemically treated too much but you want to be sure.

Roadside is dubious.

Fields full of ticks.

Calorie value, low.

[heartwood]

Spring scurvy prevention value, good.

[Vaquero]

Any former Girl or Boy Scout knows it’s dangerous to just pluck a berry off a bush

[gusopol3]

I have 4 of those 5 growing in my lawn. Anybody wanting to harvest some, come on over.

[Kartographer]

Rose hip

[heartwood]

I’d rather pick the rose hips in the fall but they’re still good in spring if the birds have left any.

Rose hip tea is good.

[Tax-chick]

Stinging nettles.

[paterfamilias]

What about dandelions?

When picked before they flower they are great as a salad, and can also be steamed and then sauteed with garlic,oil, and a touch of red pepper.

Delicious!

[ViLaLuz]

Wild tiger lily buds are good.

[njslim]

Survivorman ping

Now I got to go outside and graze on the lawn......

[Diana in Wisconsin]

New shoots from Fiddlehead Fern, braised in butter. Yum!

Purslane. Every lawn has some, and it’s full of Vitamin C.

Dandelion Wine. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Ramps. (Like onion.)

Morel Mushrooms.

Black Cap Raspberries.

[djf]

Dandelions indeed.

They are part of the group called “nasty yellow composites” by Lady Bird Johnson, most of which are edible.
Not particularly tasty.
Just edible.

[blam]

I'm planning on making some Elderberry Wine and jelly this year.

Elderberry is reported to have anti-virus properties too.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

And the Elderberry blossoms, when dried, make a nice tea!

See? PLENTY to eat out there. 0bama’s not gonna starve US out, LOL!

[SVTCobra03]

We have peach, nectarine, apricot, mulberry and persimmon trees on our property.