Edible weeds are all around us, and they are often medicinal too. Here are 12 easy to forage for, wild-growing, strong, and nutritious weeds!
Urban foraging is harvesting free food in urban environments. Not sure if you can eat the weeds in your backyard? Green Deane leads classes in Florida to help students identify wild edibles in thei…
Pineapple weed (Matricaria discoidea) is often one of the first plants a budding forager tries as a kid. It can grow just about anywhere but has a gift for growing in the most uninviting locations. That
Often seen as a pesky weed, edible purslane is nothing less than a superfood! Find out the health benefits of purslane, plus how to harvest and eat it.
Confessions of forager: In a general sense I have known for many years that “Stonecrops” were edible. I avoided them as they were usually associated by writers with cactus (In that they grow well where it is warm and dry and rocky. Where I live it is hot, wet and no rocks.) So I ignored […]
Did you know many common weeds are edible -- AND delicious? Not to mention incredibly nutritious. Yes, there are numerous weeds you can eat! It's that time of year when weeds are evvvvverywhere, and homeowners
Explore 70 edible wild plants in our guide! Learn to identify, forage, and prepare backyard weeds and wildflowers, and discover their delicious, nutrient-rich benefits.
Massachusetts is home to many varieties of mushrooms, including multiple wild edible mushrooms. Foraging mushrooms in Massachusetts can be fulfilling when you know what to look for. The following list is a short list of common edible mushrooms found throughout the state! Disclaimer This article does not describe the details needed to thoroughly identify these […]
Many edible weeds live right in your own yard. Dandelion, wild lettuces, chickweed, vetch and other "weeds" are actually delicious in salads or sauteed.
Commonly mistaken for a weed, purslane is one of the most nutritious vegetables on the planet. Find out how to identify it and use it in 20 delicious recipes! #purslane #verdolagas #foraging
Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium), also known as rosebay willowherb, is an edible wild plant often found in disturbed areas. Fireweed is one of those distinctive plants that's easy to identify and plentiful around the globe. The
Make the most of those nutritious and flavorful garden weeds with the easy Pickled Purslane recipe for a delicious sandwich fixing, snack, and more.
Chickweed is a nutritious edible and medicinal weed. Foraging for chickweed is easy, and it may even be growing in your backyard!
Commonly mistaken for a weed, purslane is one of the most nutritious vegetables on the planet. Find out how to identify it and use it in 20 delicious recipes! #purslane #verdolagas #foraging
Eating edible weeds is an easy way to increase your garden's productivity. While everyone loves to bring in the harvest, weeding is most people's least favorite part of gardening. What if weeding could be harvesting?
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Self-heal is a common herb, a highly nutritious edible plant, and a medicinal powerhouse that is also known as heal-all or woundwort.
Not all weeds are created equal. Many common backyard weeds offer significant benefits. Here are 17 weeds and how to use them.
Commonly mistaken for a weed, purslane is one of the most nutritious vegetables on the planet. Find out how to identify it and use it in 20 delicious recipes! #purslane #verdolagas #foraging
Nutritious and flavorful wild weed pesto can be served over fish, chicken or pasta -- and is amazing with goat cheese to top flatbreads!
Wild Food Girl jokes that whenever we ponder digging up burdock ( Arctium spp .) roots, I hand the shovel to her. This is because I find...
Dock seeds are readily available in the wild, and they can be ground into a wild foraged flour with minimal preparation. While some of the foraged "flour" you can make seems a bit of a
Welcome to the Brazen Kitchen|!!| where greens are the new black.
Goldenrod is helpful for making salves for sore muscles, tea for your kidneys, and may be useful for respiratory woes.
Self-heal is a common herb, a highly nutritious edible plant, and a medicinal powerhouse that is also known as heal-all or woundwort.
Scientific name: Amaranthus spp. Abundance: common What: young leaves, seeds How: Young leaves raw or cooked, seeds eaten raw, roasted or ground into flour Where: sunny fields, disturbed areas When: summer Nutritional Value: Grains supply protein, calories, and minerals. Leaves vitamins A & C along with minerals calcium, iron, and phosphorous, and also fiber. Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are alternately arranged along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaves are generally broad, lanceolate, or ovate, with lengths ranging from 2 to 6 inches and widths of 1 to 3 inches. Leaf Venation: Pinnate venation exhibits well-defined veins extending from the midrib to the leaf margins. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is entire, displaying a smooth and continuous edge. Leaf Color: The upper surface of the leaves is a vibrant green, while the underside may have a slightly lighter shade. Flower Structure: Flowers are arranged in dense, elongated clusters called inflorescences, with each flower having a diameter of approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Each flower has three to five petals and is located at the tips of the stems. Flower Color: Flowers may be green, red, or purple, depending on the species, matching the foliage color. Fruit: The fruit is a small, dry capsule containing numerous seeds, measuring around 1/8 inch in diameter. Seed: Tiny, spherical seeds vary in color from light tan to dark brown and measure around 1/16 inch in diameter. Stem: Sturdy and erect stem with a height ranging from 2 to 4 feet. Some species may have thorns, such as Amaranthus spinosus. Hairs: Some amaranth species may have fine hairs on the leaves, stem, or both. Check for pubescence or trichomes, especially on the undersides of leaves. Height: The amaranth plant typically reaches a height between 2 and 4 feet, forming a distinctive upright growth habit in the wild. Amaranth (Amaranthus powellii) Another type of amaranth. Another variation of amaranth. Red amaranth (often used as decorative plant). Another amaranth. Still more amaranths. And yet more amaranths. Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping. North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. A variety of amaranth species can be found across Texas and the South. Shapes range from prostrate, creeping vine-like weeds to striking, tall, cultivated forms. The most distinctive feature of all amaranths is their spikes of tiny, clustered flowers which are the same color as the rest of the plant. Amaranths are most commonly found in sunny, disturbed areas and wastelands such as abandoned lots and roadsides. Bright red versions are often included in landscaping. Amaranth leaves can be eaten raw or used as a spinach substitute in any dish. The leaves are high in vitamin A & C, assorted necessary minerals and also fiber. The youngest leaves have the best flavor and texture, but even the large, old leaves can be chopped up and included in any food needing a vegetable. Amaranth seeds are very rich in carbohydrates and up to 16% protein by weight. Better still, the seeds contain the amino acid lysine which is very rare for plants but vital for human health. A single plant can produce as many as 100,000 of these wonderful, slightly nutty-tasting seeds. They can be eaten raw but toasting and then grinding into flour releases the most nutrition. The ornamental varieties are just as productive as the wild one but are more attractive. Amaranth seeds have even been used to make a gluten-free beer. Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.
Commonly mistaken for a weed, purslane is one of the most nutritious vegetables on the planet. Find out how to identify it and use it in 20 delicious recipes! #purslane #verdolagas #foraging
If you have ever ogled someone’s jade plant, and imagined yanking off one of those succulently fleshy leaves and popping it in your mouth—have I got a weed wild edible for you! It’s purslane, and it may well be growing in your garden, yard, or sidewalk cracks. If you think it might be, just do a Google image search to check—it’s pretty distinctive looking. I have a lovely patch that recurs by our back steps, and the children call purslane “Chapter 1” in the Crazy Shit Our Mother Ate memoir they’re plotting. I must add here that the person who taught me to eat purslane in the first place was my own mother. So maybe Volume II can be Crazy Shit Our Grandma Ate. Pretty much every morning in the months of July and August, I dart out the back door to pick a handful for my breakfast quesadilla, and I love it. It’s crunchy and lemony and slippery, like a cross between okra and sorrel and the way you think it would be to bite into one of those juicy-looking seaweed pods you see washed up on the shore. (“Chapter 2” of the kids’ book is Seaweed, which I am always surreptitiously nibbling at the beach—especially those chartreuse ruffles that look like how you would draw lettuce if you were tripping.) Birdy with lettuce seaweed, circa 2007. Picture courtesy of Uncle Barbara, aka Michael's lovely step-mother. I just asked Birdy to describe purslane, and the adjectives she picked were slimy and leafy. Hm. Wikipedia describes it as mucilaginous. Sure. That—and more! Because you should know this: purslane is a superfood. One day, everyone’s going to be eating it for its insane concentrations of Omega 3, vitamins, and minerals—and you’re going to say you knew it when. There might be a moment when you notice that your quesadilla is covered in little black specks, and you'll think Fuck, it's caterpillar shit. But it's not. It's purslane seeds, and they're really good for you. This quesadilla is my very favorite way to eat it, although I would like to try putting purslane in potato salad, which I think would be fantastic, and cooking it with pintos, which I’ve heard is good. I have tried pickling it, which was oddly disappointing, and when it’s very large and the stems get thick, I stir-fry it, which is good. It is surprisingly bad in smoothies. A friend in California once made me a fattoush salad of purslane, torn pita bread, and tomatoes, and it was once of the best things I ever tasted. Birdy eats lots of it plain, while she stands contemplatively by the back steps. And we just ordered a lovely salad from the Sunbird fish taco truck in Wellfleet, and I got a high-five for identifying the purslane leaves. Rock on, wild things. Purslane Quesadilla Makes 1 I know you don’t need me to tell you how to make a quesadilla. And yet it’s funny that I never have, given that we eat them morning, noon, and night. When purslane is not in season, I use kale, spinach, dandelion greens, or slivered cabbage. Butter 2 corn tortillas Sliced or grated cheese (Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, or cheddar) 1 handful purslane stems and leaves, rinsed if necessary Hot sauce, etc. for topping Heat a little butter in a small pan over medium heat. When it is hot, lay a tortilla in a pan, then top it with cheese, then lay another tortilla over the top. Now watch. At a certain point, not only will the bottom tortilla be beautifully golden-brown, but you will see the whole little package steam and swell, which means that it will be crisp and puffy, rather than dry and leathery. Flip it and cook the bottom side until brown. Remove the quesadilla to a plate, open it up to add the purslane and hot sauce, then sandwich it all back together and cut in quarters. Divine.
After foraging for chickweed make this super tasty chickweed pesto! Chickweed is a very nutritious wild green and this pesto is a delicious way to enjoy it.
Commonly mistaken for a weed, purslane is one of the most nutritious vegetables on the planet. Find out how to identify it and use it in 20 delicious recipes! #purslane #verdolagas #foraging
White clover blossoms make a wonderful refreshing iced tea that is also highly nutritious, as they are high in vitamins and minerals.
Commonly mistaken for a weed, purslane is one of the most nutritious vegetables on the planet. Find out how to identify it and use it in 20 delicious recipes! #purslane #verdolagas #foraging
Wondering what to do with all those lambsquarters? Check out this huge collection of inventive lambs quarter recipes and get cooking!
Goldenrod is helpful for making salves for sore muscles, tea for your kidneys, and may be useful for respiratory woes.
I’m often asked during my classes why I mention many plants that can be used to make tea. There are two answers: One is that different teas can be pleasurable if not healthy. The other answer is more practical: Leaves that can made into tea can often be use for flavoring like a bay leaf, […]
Spring is a great time for foraging! Learn what to forage in spring with this list of 20 edible and medicinal plants and fungi. Spring foraging is fun!
As the opioid epidemic worsens, people are desperate for natural pain relief options. Wild lettuce has been used for millennia as a natural herbal pain reliever, and now survivalists are touting it as a form
Edible weeds are a great way to increase the foods you grow- and consume- without any additional work on your part. Here's a list of 15 edible weeds to try!
This invasive plant has a mild garlic flavor and a bit of bite that makes for a delicious, brilliant green pesto. Learn how to identify and prepare garlic mustard greens.
I may receive a commission if you purchase something mentioned in this post. More details here. The appearance of stinging nettles in my neighborhood is exciting, because it marks the beginning of the foraging season! Last year, spring came in so late that we were desperate enough to go collect nettles that had just barely […]
One of the benefits of using medicinal weeds from your own backyard is that you know how they are grown and that they are fresh.
