Wild Edibles Around You | episode 182

Today Mike and I will be talking about the wild edibles around you. I have talked in the past about the importance of knowing the wild edibles around yourself.

Its fun to see that you can eat the prickly pear cactus but if you live in Wisconsin that is of no use to you.

Knowing the wild edibles that grow around you is useful. And I mean really knowing. Learn them, find them and use them.

Supplement your diet with the wild edibles around you.

Separate the plant into its various parts—roots, stems, leaves, buds, and flowers. Focus on only one piece of the plant at a time.
Smell it. A strong, unpleasant odor is a bad sign.
Test for contact poisoning by placing a piece of the plant on your inner elbow or wrist for a few minutes. If your skin burns, itches, feels numb or breaks out in a rash, don’t eat the plant.
If the plant passes the skin test, prepare a small portion the way you plan to eat it (boiling is always a good bet).
Before taking a bite, touch the plant to your lips to test for burning or itching. If there’s no reaction after 15 minutes, take a small bite, chew it, and hold it in your mouth for 15 minutes. If the plant tastes very bitter or soapy, spit it out.
If there’s no reaction in your mouth, swallow the bite and wait several hours. If there’s no ill effect, you can assume this part of the plant is edible. Repeat the test for other parts of the plant; some plants have both edible and inedible parts.