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Edible Plants On-the-Go
Edible Plants On-the-Go v3.0 coming soon! Will include common poisonous plants and a few more edible plants
This page contains a list of common edible plants that can be found in abundancy almost anywhere. If you don't live where these plants grow, then feel free to either add plants that do grow near you (With photos, of course) or PM a Writer (If you're not one yourself) the relevant info.
First, of course, comes the list of characteristics in plants which are equivalent to "Walk away. Just turn around, and walk away." Basically, if an unknown plant exhibits one or more of these traits, go find something else to nibble on. Preferably a plant you are familiar with.
Milky or discolored sap
Spines, fine hairs, or thorns
Beans, bulbs, or seeds inside pods
Bitter or soapy taste
Dill, carrot, parsnip, or parsley-like foliage
"Almond" scent in the woody parts and leaves
Grain heads with pink, purplish, or black spurs
Three-leaved growth pattern
Note: Some edible plants do indeed display some of these characteristics. Does that mean that the plant is poisonous? No. If you know for sure that a plant is edible, but it still has some of these signs, it's fine. The above list is just a guidline for plants you are unsure of.
Another thing: If there is an abundance of a certain plant in your area, and you are unsure of what it is but cannot Google it to see whether or not it is edible (Is that even possible?), just perform the universal edibility test, shown here: http://www.ehow.com/how_2156033_perform-universal-edibility-test.html
Another note: Never do that test in an actual survival situation. You can't waste the time and energy required to do it. And MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS EXACTLY. If you poison yourself because of misreading directions, there's a heck of a lot of paperwork I've got to do, not to mention diverting the authorities long enough to find a suitable spot to hide your body. And once I'm done with that, I'll have to move to some remote country for a few years while it all blows over with a new name and a new family. And maybe some plastic surgery.
Some quick resources:
For a PDF on healing herbs, click here.
For a wild herbs cookbook (PDF), click here.
For a comprehensive (Albeit longer) guide to edible plants, click here (Yes, I did get some of my information from it.)
Another note: Never do that test in an actual survival situation. You can't waste the time and energy required to do it. And MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS EXACTLY. If you poison yourself because of misreading directions, there's a heck of a lot of paperwork I've got to do, not to mention diverting the authorities long enough to find a suitable spot to hide your body. And once I'm done with that, I'll have to move to some remote country for a few years while it all blows over with a new name and a new family. And maybe some plastic surgery.
Some quick resources:
For a PDF on healing herbs, click here.
For a wild herbs cookbook (PDF), click here.
For a comprehensive (Albeit longer) guide to edible plants, click here (Yes, I did get some of my information from it.)
And now for a short list of edible plants:
Asparagus. No, no, listen. The wild asparagus is taller and thinner than the asparagus we're used to, and is found in Europe, North Africa, West Asia, and North America. It's a good source of Vitamins C and B6, potassium, and thiamine.Click for more on wild asparagus.
Pine needles. Don't eat them raw. That's just nasty. Heck, the tea you're supposed to make from them is, too, but pine needle tea prevents scurvy. So drink up with a shudder and a few gags, and be happy. (Here are some detailed instructions on how to make pine needle tea)
Burdock: Mostly found in the Eastern Hemisphere, but in some parts of the Western Hemisphere, too. Boil the leaves twice before eating to (Mostly) remove the bitterness. The stalk and roots are edible, too, but you're supposed to peel and boil them, so it might be more trouble than it's worth.Click for more on burdock.
Cattails (Known in England as bullrush/reedmace): You know what they are. You've seen them enough. But did you know they are edible? Found near swamps/marshes. In the early summer, when the plant is developing, you can break off the puffy top part and eat it like corn on the cob. Funnily enough, it actually has a corn-like taste . . . The other part that's edible is the white-ish part at the bottom of the stalk. You can eat it raw or boil it.
Clovers: Now a four-leaf clover has a new meaning. It's actually edible. Who would've guessed? You can eat them raw by the handful, but they taste better boiled.
Chicory: This plant is for coffee lovers. For hundreds of years, it has been used as a coffee substitute whenever coffee is not plentiful. The best part is, though, is that the "coffee" made from chicory is actually good for you, and contains no caffeine. To make the coffe, roast and grind the roots. You can also eat the flowers like popcorn, if you wish.Click for more on chicory.
Chickweed: Found mainly in temperate/arctic zones. Usually it has little white flowers growing on it. You can eat the leaves raw or boiled. The leaves are high in good vitamins and minerals.Click for more on chickweed.
Dandelions: Not only a source of entertainment (Whacking their heads off with a big stick), the Dandelion v2.0 now comes with edibility! Boil the leaves to remove the bitter taste. Also boil the roots. After boiling the roots, you can drink the water you boiled them in as a tea (Maybe if you boil dandelion roots with pine needles, it will lessen the bad pine needle taste a little bit? I'll have to experiment . . .). You can eat the flowers like you can eat chicory flowers; like popcorn. Note: Don't eat the stalk. The milky sap from it can cause dehydration, especially in children.
Fireweed: Sounds like something you'd hear in the bad part of town (Hey . . . psst . . . kid . . . wanna buy some fireweed?). It's actually a very pretty plant. As you can see. Found mostly in the Northern Hemisphere. Its leaves are best eaten young, since when they grow old they turn bitter. The flowers can be used as a seasoning, since they taste kind of peppery. Great source of vitamins A and C.Click for more on fireweed.
Purslane: Considered an obnoxious weed usually, but it's choc full of vitamins and minerals. Its leaves have a "refreshingly sour taste." If you don't like that "refreshingly sour taste," just boil them.Click here for more on purslane.
Wood Sorrel: Pretty pretty flowers. Eat the leaves to help with mouth sores. Full of vitamin C. The roots, when boiled, taste kind of like potatoes.Click here for more on wood sorrel.
Seaweed: You know where to find it. When collecting it, take the living stuff (The stuff that is attached to rocks) and not the dead stuff (The stuff that's washed on shore), since the dead stuff could be spoiled/rotting. There are a few ways to prepare it, like boiling it to get rid of the rubberyness and eating it that way (Or in a salad or something) or putting it over a fire until it's a crisp, then crushing it to a powder and putting the powder into your fresh rabbit stew. Seaweed contains vitamin C, so along with your pine needle tea it will keep scurvy at bay.Click here for more on seaweed.
x-wolfhunter |
Latest page update: made by x-wolfhunter
, Aug 21 2011, 4:30 PM EDT
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About This Update
Edible Plants On-the-Go v2.0
- x-wolfhunter
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Thread started: Aug 18 2011, 2:53 PM EDT
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How is this page? I have a few more planned out, but I want to see how this one is first.
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