foraging

Here's what it looks like: https://www.foragingtexas.com/2011/09/wireweed.html In a prolonged post-STHF scenario coffee may be scarce. I realize that there are substitutes like chicory but these don't have any bio-reactive chemicals that I'm aware of. It may be necessary to remain awake and...

There is a very strange fruit called the Boadark Apple (aka Osage Orange) that grows from the Ozarks down into East Texas. Almost no animals other than horses and possiblly possums will eat the fruit. The fruit is about the same size as a small grapefruit and has a bright green, pebbly skin...

Miner's Lettuce / Indian Lettuce / Winter Purslane Claytonia Perfoliata (See full blog post with pictures here) Miner's lettuce is a fast growing annual that gets it's name from the gold miners who came to California during the gold rush. The plant was frequently found in large patches is...

Flour From Common Grass Seeds (See full blog post with pictures here) Some of you may know, that all grass seed is edible. Some may be bitter and require leaching in water over night and there are many that barely have the calories to justify the caloric expenditure of processing. Still...

Foraging for wild edibles; Cattail / Typha (See full blog post with pictures here) Cattails are easily recognized by there brown cigar like shapes on the flower spike. They are one of the most useful plants out there as they can be used for food, building materials, insulation and tinder...

Acorns Part One; Processing (See the full blog posts with pictures here Part 1, https://talesfromthewaste.blogspot.com/2018/09/acorns-part-two-cooking-with-acorns.html) Acorns are the seeds of the oak tree and they can be found all around the world. During most of fall the ground will be...

Purple Dead Nettle Lamium Purpureum (See full blog post with pictures here.) Purple dead nettle is not actually a nettle, but rather a member of the mint family. The plant contains vitamin C, iron, fiber and other minerals and can be found growing in large colonies through much of the U.S...

Dandelion Taraxacum (Full blog post with pictures here) The dandelion is originally from Eurasia, but has been brought with and cultivated in just about every area that humans have been to as a staple food and medicine. The rather bitter, even in it's best stages of growth the plant is...

Stinging Nettles Urtica Dioica (See full blog post with pictures here) I have heard of nettles referred to as the most nutritious plant in the world. While I'm skeptical of this claim, I have no doubt that this is way up there on the list. It's loaded with protein, vitamins A and C, iron...

Opuntia/Prickly Pear (See the full post with pictures here) The prickly pear cactus or Opuntia is an abundant food source, especially in the American Southwest and Mexico. Though it's tolerance for cold means you can find it all the way up to the western parts of Canada. It also can be...

Rose Hips (See full blog post with pictures here) While most people know the petals of roses can be eaten (well minus the bitter white part towards the bottom), I've found that an incredible amount of people don't know about rose hips, which is really where the plant shines. The rose hip...

Wild Mustard (See full blog post with pictures here) Mustards have been cultivated since before written history and selectively bred into many foods you know, but may not know are actually a type of mustard including; turnips, cabbage, collard greens, kale, cauliflower, broccoli and...

Curly dock is one of my favorite wild greens. Right now the seeds are ripe, and I want to try experimenting with this part of the plant. The chaff is held tightly on dock seeds...it's not an easy winnow. Most foragers use the entire seed head, no winnowing and the flavor is reputed to be...

So this week I had a major score. I found 5 patches of wild onions all within 2 miles of my BOL. All in all I would estimate around 3/4 to one acre of onions total. Anyone have any experience with these?

In the pursuit of being a better forager: What was your first wild edible you learned to recognize/find? And how do you use it? Thanks :)

I always wanted to try something like this, so this summer I had a bush plane drop me off in late June in the Kootznoowoo Wilderness of southeast Alaska, with a scheduled pickup for early September. I brought survival gear, but NO FOOD at all, only salt and pepper. It was a challenging...

This is the first episode in the new location, The Ozarks. In it I go over Chasmanthium latifolium, sometimes called inland sea oats, flat head oats, wood oats or river oats. Though not actually an oat they're prepared the same way and can be found throughout the south and midwest.

This is the 6th episode of 'Tales From The Wasteland' in it we cover Miner's Lettuce. It's official name is Claytonia perfoliata, but it's sometimes called indian lettuce or winter purslane. It got it's name from miners during the California gold rush who ate it to prevent scurvy. This is a...

I'm graduating from high school this year, and I've been planning various trips for the summer. One of the trips that I've been bopping around in my mind is spending a few weeks in the woods living with as little in the way of tools and resources as possible. What advice do you experts have on...

After being inspired by Twiggy's EWLS system. I re-examined my requirements and realized that I have been doing dirt time for 2 and 3 days at a time, and would usually just mix and match my gear for whatever I was planning to do. What I am attempting to make is to create a base pack that would...