I've eaten nettles, and since you eat them after cooking (usually boiling), the needles are mush and it's fine to eat. That said, given the plentiful availiabity of lettuce, and the even more plentifulness of dandelion, I don't get why anyone would eat it, except I guess to prove you can.
It's one of the few plants growing in the deer enclosure, along with goldenrod and thistle. They eat all the poke, all the poison ivy, all the roses...
Did you ever notice that most of the wild food recipes include the words, "saute in butter"? I'm guessing pretty much anything sauted in butter (essentially frying) would make it taste at least moderately edible.
But yeah, mushy, slimy greens are not a big hit for me.
So true! I remember thinking "Butter doesn't really count as a wild food..."
I had the same experience with marsh marigold, especially since you have to boil it in two or three changes of water to get rid of toxins. Anything boiled that long turns into babyfood. (Maybe it's meant to be eaten by Britons or Southerners, who seem to like things boiled to a gummable consistency?) ;)
Ah well, at least I know I could find a few things to sustain myself should the need arise...
euell gibbons is infamous for sauteeing everything in butter, and a lot of wild foods enthusiasts seem to take their cues from him. susun weed's recipes are a lot healthier.
I found out that nettles (dried and made into a tea) are really good for alleviating some of the symptoms of bronchitis (which I suffered from for about a billion months this past summer, fall, and winter). I had my mom collect a grocery bag full of the stuff from her yard, and later went back to collect more myself. Gloves are definitely in order. And scissors, so you don't have to pull too hard.
Comments 16
Reply
Even if you eat it cooked, you have to pick it first!
Reply
Reply
Reply
Sadly, when cooked fresh it basically turns into slimy mush, so it's not something I've chosen to eat more than once.
Reply
But yeah, mushy, slimy greens are not a big hit for me.
Reply
I had the same experience with marsh marigold, especially since you have to boil it in two or three changes of water to get rid of toxins. Anything boiled that long turns into babyfood. (Maybe it's meant to be eaten by Britons or Southerners, who seem to like things boiled to a gummable consistency?) ;)
Ah well, at least I know I could find a few things to sustain myself should the need arise...
Reply
Reply
Reply
Yum.
Reply
Leave a comment