Wild Edibles: Dandelion

Taraxacum (Photo credit: Takashi(aes256))

The poor, misunderstood dandelion.  Demonized as a noxious weed that terrorizes lawns with a sunny splash of color, the dandelion is definitely underrated.  As a kid I loved learning about the plants and how they could be used, and the ones growing in my backyard were the first I began to research.  The dandelion is one of the first plants I learned the medicinal properties and culinary uses of, so I have a bit of a history with this flower.

Harvest and Use

In the spring as these are beginning to pop up all over the yard, gather the young leaves.   They are great additions to salads and sandwiches and have a slightly bitter flavor.  They should be collected when they are young, because when they are older the bitterness increases.  Aside from its interesting flavor, it is high in vitamins and minerals and has a host of medicinal benefits, from being a detoxifying diuretic to helping clear up acne.

Once the dandelion blooms, the leaves become more bitter.  They are still edible, just not as pleasant.  At this time, the flowers can be picked and the petals can be sprinkled on a salad to add some color.  The blossoms can also be picked and used to make wine, which is something I’ll have to try next year when the flowers arrive again!

At any stage of development, the dandelion’s root can be harvested and roasted, then ground and used as a coffee substitute.  In my opinion, nothing is as good as the real deal, but dandelion root isn’t too shabby.  It’s also a mild laxative and can be used for occasional irregularity.

Like all wild edibles, don’t collect dandelions from roadsides or from yards that have been chemically treated.  Be sure to always wash thoroughly and enjoy!

Wild Edibles: Wild Bergamot

Monarda fistulosa WILD BERGAMOT (Photo credit: gmayfield10)

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), also known as Beebalm and Oswego Tea, is an aromatic member of the mint family.  It has a burst of pink-purple flowers set on a square stem, and though it is a mint, it doesn’t have the traditional minty scent.  Once properly identified, you’ll begin seeing it everywhere, as it is very common throughout most of the United States, particularly the northern region.

 

Harvest and Preparation 

The parts of the plant to be interested in are the leaves and flowers.  Both are very aromatic, and the flowers are stronger than the leaves.

To gather, just pinch off a leaf or two off of several plants if you are able as to not damage the plant.  If there aren’t many in the area you’re in, harvest the leaves and flowers off of a plant or two and leave the rest.  Wild bergamot is a common plant, but if you have the opportunity, scatter some seeds in the place where you gathered them to ensure a future crop.

To prepare, wash in cold water and add immediately to salads or dry for teas.

Culinary Uses

As of this moment, this is all research for me, but I will soon be exploring the woods of New Hampshire, so I will hopefully find some there!

When used fresh, a few leaves and flowers can be added to salads to add an interesting flavor.  A tea can also be made from the dried leaves and was traditionally used in conjunction with honey to treat colds and flu, as well as for infections of the mouth.  The tea can be sipped for enjoyment and not just medicine, though it seems like it would be really strong so I wouldn’t use much.

I’m particularly interested for its use in tea and wish I had properly cleaned the leaves I harvested before drying.  When I collected this plant from the wild my intent was to use it as an interesting note in my incense blends, so I was pleasantly surprised to learn its other uses!

Conclusion

Unfortunately that’s all I know about bergamot for now!  If you know of any more uses, drop a comment below! Have a good one!

 

 

Wild Edibles: Pineapple Weed

Pineapple Weed(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

This fragrant little plant is often walked upon without notice, but when you keep an eye out, you’ll spot it everywhere!  This was one of my favorite plants growing out of cracks on the playground when I was a kid.  I used to crush it so I could smell the pineapple-y scent on my hands.

It favors disturbed places, such as roadsides, sidewalks, or construction sites.  However, you won’t want to collect from places like that, due to pollution, so try looking for disturbed areas in natural places.  For example, I found some growing out of rocks on a trail in the woods.  Pineapple Weed, or Matricaria matricaioides, is a common plant found in many parts of the United States, so hopefully you won’t have any trouble finding some yourself!

Harvest and Preperation

When foraging for pineapple weed, keep an eye out for disturbed places, as that is where pineapple weed is most likely to be growing.  It typically grows in large clusters, and is easily pulled completely from the ground.  To keep this from happening, use scissors to clip off the flowers and leaves.  To be sure that you have pineapple weed, crush it and you will smell for yourself how it got its name.

To prepare, clean like you would any other plant: by letting it sit in cold water for about 10 minutes to kill any critters left on it, then running under cool water.  Then you can use it fresh, or you can put it in a dark place to dry.

Culinary Uses

The leaves and flowers can be used to make a wonderful cup of tea!  In fact, pineapple weed is also known as wild chamomile, because it is closely related to cultivated chamomile.  It has a pleasant fruity taste, and in my opinion, is soooo much better than true chamomile!

Beyond tea, I haven’t explored the uses of this herb, though I would like to try adding it to recipes calling for ham.  Perhaps if I cook some ham in a crock pot, I’ll add a little pineapple weed to give it some extra flavor!

Wild Chamomile Tea

2 tsp Buds and Leaves (in my opinion, the leaves have more flavor)

1 cup boiling water

honey to taste, if desired

*Boil water, then pour over pineapple weed.  Let steep for 5-10 minutes (I prefer 10!) and enjoy!

*Perfect as an evening tea, or to sip while reading a book and listening to the rain!

Wild Edibles: Daylily

Day Lily in June (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Daylilies, as of yet, are my favorite wild edible.  They are abundant, versatile, and delicious! The orange daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) comes to us from Asia, but is found growing wild almost everywhere in the United States.  Tawny daylily, ditch lily, golden needles, gum jum choi, and tiger daylily (not to be confused with tiger lily, a different species) are a few of the common names for this particular daylily.

Today I’m going to talk about the uses of the daylily buds and blossoms, because that’s all I have experience with.  However, the shoot, young stalk and white rhizomes are also all edible.

Note: Do NOT confuse daylilies with true lilies.  True lilies, such as the Easter lily, are toxic and should never be eaten.  Luckily, they are easy to tell apart by their leaves and stem.  Get a good guide book or look up some pictures online from reputable sources.  Also, there are many cultivars of daylilies, and it is unknown if they are all edible.  Some sources say they are, some say no one really knows, and I believe the latter.  Stick with the true Hemerocallis fulva, which was I believe the original daylily.

Harvest and Preparation 

Harvesting these are very simple, just snap off the buds and blossoms. The buds are edible in all their stages, from green to orange, but they do have a different taste I will describe later.  They come off easily, so you shouldn’t have any trouble.  Harvest only the new blooms, and only harvest what you are going to use.  The blossoms only last for one day, and they don’t keep in the fridge (the buds will for a few days, though).  I haven’t tried freezing them, but I imagine like all other flowers they will keep their shape.  How they taste after they’ve been frozen, I don’t know – but if you do, leave a comment below, please!

When you’re done, thoroughly wash your goodies in cool water.

Culinary Uses

The daylily blossom whole can be used to make delicious fritters (recipe in separate post) which are great for breakfast or dessert.  The flower petals, which are somewhat sweet, can be added to salads, stir fries, vegetable dishes or thrown into the crock pot with meat and veggies.

The green buds, when cooked, taste slightly sweet with a hint of green bean flavor.  I love the taste, and this is coming from someone who detests the evil little green beans.  The orange buds have a taste that hints at cooked sweet onions.  The green and orange buds can be sauteed in butter and sprinkled with some salt and pepper for a simple, yummy side dish.  I think they would both be good when cooked together with potatoes and onions.

In Asian cuisine, yellow daylily petals are used dried and called gum jum choi, or golden needles.  They are added to soups and stir fries, and can be reconstituted in a little water.  The yellow daylily is another edible species, but I haven’t tried it.  I want to try this idea with the orange lilies I’m familiar with!

 

Wild Edible: Elder Flower

Sambucus (Photo credit: __o[IT]__)

To be honest, I think I’m writing now to distract myself from everything I have to do.  I hate packing so much!  But whatever the reason, I’d like to present to you the wonderful Elder flower!

Overview

The Elderberry shrub (Sambucus nigra) is also known as European Elder, Black Elder, Elderberry, Sambucus and Elder Flower – as well as other names, I’m sure.  When in bloom, tiny fragrant flowers form large, flat clusters that are cream to white in color.  They smell soft and sweet, and is a pleasant scent that doesn’t overwhelm the nose.

The Elder has a range of uses, from the flowers that can be used as tea and medicine, to the berries that can be used to make wine, jam, syrups, etc.  Note that the berries must be cooked before consuming or it will result in a stomach ache.  The rest of the plant is completely toxic, from the leaves and roots to the wood itself.

As of yet, I haven’t had the pleasure of preparing my own elderberry concoctions, though my grandmother used to make elderberry jam, which was excellent.

Harvesting

Apparently, some people have confused Elderberry with Water Hemlock, a toxic plant that must never be comsumed, though in my opinion they look nothing alike.  Before going out to harvest your own, be sure that you know how to properly identify it.  Here is a good link that gives detailed steps on proper identification:  http://www.ehow.com/how_7020929_identify-elderberry-bush.html.

After you have properly identified the Elderberry, you can begin collecting the huge clusters of flowers.  Take no more than what you will use, and if you can, harvest from multiple shrubs.  You’ll want to save some flowers so they can develop into berries which are a source of food for not only people, but wildlife as well.

Since you’re going to be eating the flowers, you’ll want to thoroughly clean them.  First I shake away any of the bugs that I can, and then I put them in a bowl of cold water for at least 10 minutes to kill all the critters that might have hung on.  Sad, but we all need to survive.

Then I run them under cold water to wash away the remains and shake off the excess water. If I’m using them for tea, I spread them out in a dark, dry place to dry.  In a few days I comb the flowers free with my fingers and store them in a brown paper bag (but a ziploc bag works fine, too).

If you’re planning to add them fresh, you can comb out the flowers and place them in the fridge while you prepare to cook them.

Culinary Uses

Elderflowers are good in pancakes, adding a delicate sweetness to the mix.  They are also good to add to a batter used for frying up some daylily fritters (which is a post I will get to another day).

After they’ve been dried, they reconstitute nicely in a little bit of water, so they can be enjoyed in pancakes all year long.

Tea

The best way for me to describe the flavor of this tea is that it tastes the way it smells, soft, delicate and sweet.  On my first trial I added a tsp of flowers to a cup of water and steeped for 15 minutes, and it was pleasant but I feel like I should have added more.  It was bright yellow in color, looking like mellow yellow that sat out too long and lost all its fizz.

Elder flower tea is used to cool fevers and to aid in ridding the body of a cold and the flu.  Make a tea with equal parts elder flower and peppermint and drink as needed.  Peppermint is a great addition because it helps relieve nausea, soothe the throat and it also works in the same way elder does to cool fevers.

Conclusion

and legal mumbo jumbo

Elder is a great wild edible and natural medicine.  Be sure to properly identify what you are using, check your sources, and talk to your doctor before adding any herb to your diet.  Use common sense when working with the natural world, and if you aren’t sure if what you have is an Elder, don’t use it!  I am not a professional and I don’t claim to be, so do your homework.

While natural medicines are wonderful, we live in an age where virus are developing rapidly.  Sometimes Western medicine is necessary in order to fight off infections, viruses, and other nasties.  Be responsible and if you or someone you love is really sick, take them to the doctor.

On a more pleasant note, check out the Elderberry shrub and all it has to offer, because it truly is a wonderful plant.  It adds something unique to recipes, and I’m really excited to try out the berries when they’re ripe!  Have a great afternoon (or night, or morning, wherever you are)!