Why Forage Wild Edibles: Free Food, Organic Nutrition, Survival Prep, and Fun

Each person, family, or group comes to wild food foraging for different reasons. Some do it for education, some for survival, some for a sense of community, some for food, and some for fun. I suppose we, The 3 Foragers, do it for all of those reasons listed, and perhaps a few more. We forage wild edibles together as a family, and sometimes with other like-minded friends. We forage mushrooms communally with a mushroom society for the camaraderie and education. We forage with experts to learn more, and perhaps share something we have learned through our own trials and experiments. We understand the benefits to identifying edible and poisonous plants in a survival situation, whether in an apocalyptic sense, or a simple lost-in-the-woods scenario. And we love to cook and eat what we find, photograph the food, and share our experiences. It is through our background stories that we have arrived at this place and time as a foraging family.

Wineberry Bavarian

As a child, I grew up in semi-rural southeastern Connecticut, I am born-and-bred New England, and I love this geographical area of the United States. I read Ranger Rick magazines as a child, which showed me the natural world around me, and introduced ideas like conservation, responsibility, and beauty. I had an uncle who hunted for food and foraged for mushrooms on family property, the same property I hiked often. Even through the consumerist 80's and selfish 90's, it never took much to convince me to take a walk in the woods. For many years, I worked in several professional kitchens doing pastry, so I feel I have a decent understanding of taste, food presentation, and recipe construction. For the last seven years I have been a stay-at-home mom, keeper of the household, and participant in our foraging and cooking endeavors.

Originally from Hungary, Robert's interest in the local edible plants of Connecticut is what triggered our wild food education. As a boy, he fished and foraged in the countryside near his childhood home, and was exposed to the wildcrafting of a more domestic culture. His family fermented wild and cultivated fruits into peasant wines, and planted an extensive garden full of fruit trees and fresh vegetables. He has also worked in a professional kitchen. His main hobby before foraging for wild food was photography, and the skills he learned while photographing beautiful scenes and objects has carried over to the work he does now with the plants and food pictures. His interests include bushcraft, wildcraft, and survival preparedness. Robert also creates some of the recipes we post, and he certainly likes to eat the wild foods we learn about. He follows a vegetarian diet, along with our daughter, and sourcing organic, nutritious, sustainable and delicious vegetables and wild foods are important to him.

Gillian foraging cattail flower stalks

Gillian's puffball

While she is only 7 years old, Gillian is an active, enthusiastic, and willing member of our team. It really is amazing to see how children learn and understand the world around them, and she remembers almost all of the wild foods we have found. Of course, she prefers the sweet handfuls of ripe berries over bitter greens, but she also appreciates the funky garlic flavors and sweet sap directly from a tree, along with the savory mushrooms we hunt. Her proximity to the ground and boundless energy make her a great foraging companion. When we travel, she always comes with us to experience the wild world around us, and her appreciation for food made with wild edibles is commendable.

Honey Mushroom Paprikas

As we continue our education and wild food journey, I hope we can share our enthusiasm through food, recipes, photographs, and personal stories. Not all aspects of bushcraft or wild food foraging are for all people. From watching silly survival shows on TV and lighting campfires with friction, to taking walks with wild food educators, to sharing educational displays at the local library and writing a blogger's column in the local newspaper, we enjoy dabbling in most aspects of the genre. Our daily menu usually includes something either freshly foraged, or something foraged that we previously froze or dried or preserved some other way. What would you rather eat: a bowl full of boiled dock for purity's sake, or a tasty lasagne made with a layer of nettles and ricotta? While not every recipe we post is exclusively made from wild food, we add wild food to most meals we create. Sure, you can eat black locust blossoms straight from the tree, unadorned, simple and wonderful, but we'll also show you how to make doughnuts, flavored syrups, wine, and a dessert custard with them!

Japanese Knotweed Recipe - Knotweed Muffins

Japanese knotweed (Polygonatum cuspidatum) has a great tart flavor, and it goes well in sweet baked goods. Here is a simple recipe using knotweed stewed and mixed into a muffin recipe. These are good for breakfast with a smear of butter, or cut and toasted. If you double the recipe, you'll have enough for a 9" x 5" loaf of quick bread.





Japanese Knotweed Muffins                                           makes 8 muffins

1/2 c. sugar
2 c. chopped Japanese knotweed stalks
1/4 c. water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 c. oil
1 egg
1 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 325°, place baking papers in a muffin pan.
2. In a saucepot, combine 1/2 c. sugar, the chopped knotweed stalks, 1/4 c. water and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often. Allow the stewed knotweed to cool. There should be about 1 c. stewed knotweed.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg with the oil, and stir in the stewed knotweed.
4. Sift together 1 c. flour, 1/2 c. sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir into the wet ingredients in the large bowl, do not over mix.
5. Fill the muffin papers about 3/4 full. Bake for 24-28 minutes, until the top is set and springs back when touched. Cool and serve with butter, or toasted.

Japanese Knotweed Recipe - Knotweed Summer Rolls

Since Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) is so common and highly invasive here in southern New England, it is easy to find in quantity in the early spring. It is best picked as a tart, toothsome shoot before it gets much bigger than 8" tall. As it grows, it get tough and stringy and more difficult to incorporate into a recipe. We have made quite a few sweet recipes with knotweed, like dessert bars, jelly and tapioca. Here is a savory idea made with raw, sliced knotweed shoots to eat as part of an early spring, edible weed dinner.

We added some other spring edibles as well, all of which are optional or have similar common substitutes. Any Thai style sweet-sour-spicy dipping sauce is great on the side, and most of the more exotic ingredients are available at an Asian grocery store. To dip and soften the rice paper wrappers, I use a large pie plate filled with warm water. It is a good idea to have extra wrappers, since they may rip. Depending on how full you make the wrappers, there will be 6-8 rolls.

Japanese Knotweed Summer Rolls                                       makes 6-8 rolls

6-10 8" Vietnamese rice paper wrappers
3 oz. bean thread noodle cakes
1 c. thinly sliced Japanese knotweed shoot stems
1/2 c. chickweed greens, or parsley and cilantro leaves
3 Tbsp dandelion flower petals
2 Tbsp chopped ramps leaves, or chopped scallions
4 Tbsp shredded carrots
Thai dipping sauce

1. Soak the bean thread noodles in hot water for 10 minutes, until they soften. Rinse and drain well.
2. In a bowl, add the chopped knotweed, chickweed greens, dandelion petals, ramps, and carrots to the bean thread noodles. Toss well.
3. Soften the rice paper wrappers in warm water for about 15 seconds until they are pliable. Place on a smooth surface.
4. Take about 1/2 cup of the noodle filling and place it in the center of the top third of the wrapper. Fold over the top of the wrapper to cover the filling, then fold in the two sided toward the center. Now roll the filled wrapper towards the bottom, enclosing the filling completely. This may take some practice!
5. Chill the summer rolls for 15 minutes, and serve with a spicy-sweet Thai dipping sauce.

Japanese Knotweed Identified

Knotweed flowering

Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) is a wonderful wild edible, but a horrible invasive species. It came originally from Asia, and has spread to the US from the UK as a planted ornamental plant for its pretty white flower sprays in summer and fall. Japanese knotweed will grow just about anywhere, next to water, on the side of the road and railroad tracks, anywhere there is ample sunlight. It will also grow in just about any type of soil, so it easily excludes native vegetation. It spreads mainly through rhizomes underground, but the seeds have "wings" to better ride the winds. The rhizomes are strong enough to grow through asphalt and retaining walls, causing damage to structures. The thick layer of last season's decomposing dry stems will outmulch all competitors, creating large stands of impenetrable knotweed forests.

Last season's dry stems

The shoots appear next to the last season's dry stems, first as pink shoots, then growing quickly into tall, red-speckled green stems with a crown of curled, green leaves. The shoots have a sour, green apple-like taste, but with an odd vegetal quality. It is probably one of those love-or-hate tastes. Some recipes may call for you to peel the stalks, which we do with a potato peeler. When the shoots are about 3"-8" tall is the best time to gather them to use in recipes like dessert bars, tapioca, or a jelly. If the stems are about 8"-12" tall, we still pick them to make the jelly or wine. When they get too much taller, more leaves will unfurl and the stems become tough and stringy, almost more string than flesh. The stems can grow 6'-12' tall, and there is a second species that grows in our area that is even bigger, the giant knotweed (Polygonum sachalinense).

There are several very distinct identifiers, including the jointed stem which looks like bamboo, a membranous sheath at each of the stem joints, and leaves that are broadly oval with an oddly straight base and a pointy tip. They unfurl into leaves about 5"-6" long and 2"-4" wide. When sliced, knotweed has a mucilaginous quality. Japanese knotweed does contain some oxalic acid and should not be consumed in massive quantities. It also contains resveratrol, which is the same compound found in grapes and red wine that might positively affect heart disease. Most resveratrol nutritional supplements are derived from Japanese knotweed.

Japanese knotweed chilled soup

Dock Recipe: Dock Stuffed Baozi (Chinese Steamed Buns)

Curly dock

Some of the more common greens in our area are the docks- curly dock (Rumex crispus) and broad leaf dock (Rumex obtsifolius). Dock greens are not tender enough to eat raw as a salad for most people, but they are tough enough to stand up to cooking as a pot herb. Essentially, you can chop them and add them to soups, curries, stews, casseroles, and any other place you might have used another green like kale or cooked spinach.

Broad leaf dock

We made the filling to this recipe two ways, once with curly dock, once with broad leaf dock. The filling made with curly dock had a sour/tangy taste, almost lemony, and was a bit more tender. The filling made with broad leaf dock was slightly bitter, and the texture was more substantial and toothsome. Both fillings were excellent, so make the buns with whatever dock you have, or to fit you tastes. We like both sour greens and bitter greens, so we would make them both again with the abundance of free, local, and fresh wild foraged dock in our area. As usual, this is a vegetarian recipe. We used some re-hydrated Hen of the Woods mushrooms, but you could use some shiitake or white buttons. You will need a bamboo steamer and some parchment or wax paper squares to steam the buns on.

Dock Stuffed Baozi                       makes 16 filled buns

Bun dough
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. water
1/2 c. warm water
2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp vegetable oil


1. To make the bun dough, mix together the yeast, 1 tsp. sugar, 1/4 c. flour and 1/4 c. water. Allow it to sit for 30 minutes, becoming bubbly.
2. Mix in the additional 1/2 c. water,  2 c. flour, salt, sugar, and vegetable oil. Knead the dough until its surface is smooth. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and allow it to rise for 2 1/2-3 hours.
3. Punch down the dough and knead until smooth. Divide the dough into 16 portions. Roll each portion into a ball.
4. Flatten a dough ball in the palm of your floured hands into a 3" circle. Spoon 2 Tbsp of cooled filling into the center of the circle, then gather up the edges and pinch them closed. Place the filled bun onto a small square of parchment paper or waxed paper to rest for 30 minutes, covered.
5. Steam the filled buns over simmering water for 15 minutes in a covered bamboo steamer. Serve hot with dipping sauce.


Filling
1 tsp. minced ginger
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp peanut or olive oil
1/4 c. chopped mushrooms
1/4 c. crumbled firm tofu
1 tsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp soy sauce
6 c. coarsely chopped dock leaves
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1. In a saute pan over medium high heat, heat the toasted sesame oil and peanut or olive oil. Add the minced  ginger and garlic and saute 1 minute.
2. Add the chopped mushrooms, crumbled tofu, and 1 tsp. soy sauce and saute for 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Using the same hot pan, add the water and 1 Tbsp soy sauce and bring them up to a boil. Toss in the chopped dock greens and cover to steam them for 3 minutes.
4. Remove the cover from the pan, add the mushroom/tofu mix back into the pan. Saute until all the juices have evaporated, stirring often, about 5 minutes. The greens will have turned dark olive green and reduced to about 2 cups. Cool the filling mixture before stuffing the buns.

Dipping sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp chopped chives, ramps greens, or field garlic stems
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. sugar

1 . Mix all ingredients together and let it sit at room temperature 30 minutes.

Spicebush Identified

Spicebush Swallowtail on milkweed

The spicebush shrub is a favorite spice we like to use to season teas and beers, and add to stewed apples or to baked goods. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree, known by several names: common spicebush, Benjamin bush, or wild allspice. It is native to eastern North America, ranging from Maine, through Kansas and into northern Florida. It is a favorite food of the Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly and its larvae.

Spicebush grows as an understory shrub in wet forests, along trails, in swamps, and rich woodlands. In the early spring, they are often the first shrub or small tree to produce their flower clusters, which are small, yellow and fragrant. The flowers are produced before the leaves appear, and are either male or female. The shrub is not self-fertile, so both male and female plants must be present for the production of viable berries and seeds to be produced on the female shrubs.

The leaves are alternate, simple, oval and broader after the mid point of the leaf. They are bright green, about 2"-6" long. The bark is grey/brown and spotted with small bumps called lenticles. When picked fresh, the twigs can be used as a seasoning for teas and skewering meats over a grill, with a mildly spicy/citrusy flavor.

The berries are drupes,, about 1/2" long and oval, ripening from bright green to red in August and September. In the center of each berry is a seed covered with a dark, leathery shell. The berries are highly fragrant, like allspice or cloves mixed with lemon. Soon after the berries are picked, they oxidize to a dark reddish-black, so we preserve them several ways throughout the year to use in recipe. We add them to vodka, keep them in sugar, or freeze the whole berries, since they contain lots of volatile oils that dissipate if the berry is dried. Robert likes to add spicebush berries to beers that he brews.

Hairy Bittercress Identified

This is a new spring green for us, one that is ready to eat right now. "Wildman" Steve Brill had asked if we were finding hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) in our area yet, but we had never looked for it before. I browsed through a few books to look for it with no success, but it was listed on his app "Wild Edibles", available in the android Marketplace.

Hairy bittercress is known by other common names like pepperweed, snapweed, and land cress. It is in the mustard family, and has the same peppery, bitter flavor as other mustards. It is best to gather the greens very early in the spring, or in the late fall when the leaves are tender. The many leaf stalks grow from a basal rosette, can reach about 4" long, and are sparsely hairy. Each leaf stalk has 5-9 paired leaflets, and the largest unpaired leaflet is at the tip of the stalk. From the center of the basal rosette, flower stalks will grow up to 10" tall, with several more leaf stalks growing from the main stem. The flowers are very small, white, and have 4 petals, and will bloom while the seed capsules are forming. The seed capsules are small, about 1/2"-1" long, and olive green. When the seed capsules are mature, they can explode and spread the tiny seeds far from the parent plant. While the flowers and flower stalks are edible, they may seem a bit tough compared to the more tender leaf stalks and leaflets.

Hairy bittercress may be considered an invasive lawn weed, as it will form dense mats of rosettes over an area. It likes to grow in disturbed soil, in a sunny area that may be a bit wet. A great place to find it is invading greenhouses and newly potted plants and gardens. We found some growing next to buildings, where a micro-climate is produced by the building insulating the soil and rainwater is dropped from the roof. Hairy bittercress is originally from Europe and Asia, but now widely spread throughout North America..

To gather the hairy bittercress, we just lift up the cluster of leaf stalks and cut them with a knife near the ground. Then we wash the greens and pick through them, discarding the yellow leaves and pinching off some of the larger stems and flower stalks. They add a peppery bite to raw salads, and can be cooked with soups or in a recipe like other greens. We did eat a big salad with a yogurt and bittercress dressing for dinner one night, and may try some potatoes cooked with bittercress and field onions into a breakfast hash this week.