Homesteading

[Kev]

All things regarding the hunting for food and medicine & such..

Discussion

[Kev]

Getting this thread started with a video on medicinal tree barks..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz0R8jfg57A

[Jena]

very nice Kev….this is right up your alley…..some of us love foraging!

[Kev]

I haven’t done enough, and that was a loooong time ago.. I’ve got so much I could learn from others who have way more experience.. I think my strong suit is having a sense of where a mystery plant may fall in the classification schemes, because once you have an idea about that, or a clear indicator, you can sometimes generalize on the properties of plants (as oftentimes, plants in the same plant family will have very similar chemistries and/or medicinal effects, etc.).. For example, members of the Sumac family tend to be irritants (poison oak, poison sumac, poison ivy, the sap of mango trees causes rashes, raw cashews are toxic, etc.).. That sorta thing..

What about you, do you have much wild plant hunting experience??

[Mike]

GREAT thread. Here is one of the most entertaining YT channels EVER for foraging ? Caution though, NSFW due to language. Who knew foraging could be so gangster & hilarious?

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_BZHc17W4xTnblDaG-dZ5rcOjX-V_vMt

[Kev]

Hysterical!.. “It’s an offense to aid and abet the Himalayan Balsam”.. I’m dying.. 😂

I remember seeing this channel quite a while back..

[Mike]

yeah I’ve been watching it since around 2018… so funny and he really knows his stuff

[Sarah Rivkin]

LOL Does this qualify as “gangsta” wild foraging? Devil’s Club no less. The Gangsta herb for sure!

After stripping the bark for medicine, I make these gangsta protection wands wrapping the spikey tip on each.

[Kev]

Oh yeah, that’s full-on gangsta!.. Love those wands.. especially the copper wire.. Hmmm, now I’m inspired!..

[Steven]

I was out by the river today foraging for stinging nettle, I also found some red osier dogwood, plenty of wild rose, and some cow parsnip!

+2 More Photos

[Kev]

Oh nice.. I was just thinking about Stinging Nettles while out walking the neighborhood the past couple days.. Honestly, not 100% certain I know Stinging Nettles instantly when I see it, but I thought about it because all sorts of tall perennial thorny weeds are raging now, the types with thorns like long hypodermic needles.. Very beautiful plants, and keeping my eyes on them to see what they are (thistles or otherwise).. but some thistles definitely started blooming just today I noticed.. Gonna see what I can establish as what’s what (specific species) and hone in on some seed collection later in summer.. Liver medicine!..

And very awesome to hear you found Cow Parsnip.. I discovered that plant when I lived in the high desert of northern New Mexico years ago.. I had an injury to my nervous system and developed full paralysis in my left leg from the knee down (which persisted for 6 months).. I looked into some herb books to find a topical remedy for paralyzed nerves, and came across Cow Parsnip.. Had never heard of it, and wouldn’t you know, it was native to the local desert.. and so I was able to find it at a local herb shop.. Didn’t have time for an oil infusion or anything, but rather made a decoction (tea) and bathed my leg in it.. It returned some function to the nerves, or noticably relieved a measure of the paralysis, but not a total cure.. Not surprising, as the tea wasn’t the most potent delivery method and wasn’t very strong.. Didn’t think to drink the tea though, either.. I wonder if ingestion was not recommended.. Can’t remember.. So, since it’s native to the high desert of 7200 feet, I’m guessing you’re in a relatively mountainous area.. Is that so??

[Kev]

Also.. did the wild rose have seeds on ’em left over from last year??.. and I did an image search of the Red osier dogwood.. Beautiful plant.. Do you know how that’s used medicinally??

[Steven]

Ah it’ll be a while before the Thistles bloom here! Everything just finally started greening up. Nettles are the first thing that starts popping up in my area, so I got to know them really good. And not just because of the sting! lol

Oh really? Full paralysis eh? What kind of injury does that? Oh ok, interesting, I had never heard that the Cowsnip does that! I’ll have to look at making a salve out of it then. Might be very useful in the future. Yes! I live in northern BC, nothing but forest and mountains as far as you can see. You said New Mexico was years ago, where do ye be these days?

A couple little dried up ones maybe, they get picked pretty clean by the wildlife here. I do plan to harvest a little more than normal this year though, I’d like to try making rosebud syrup. Ah the Osier is good for lots of things! The bark and root are Astringent, tonic, analgesic. A Decoction is good for colds, and the bark can be used for skin ailments. I’ve never used it personally, but I’ve dedicated a few pages to it in my notebook

[Kev]

I’m south of you in Portland.. (And yes, plans in motion, continuously, to get out of here).. Lol.. I looked at the member map a while back and happened to see where you are in northern BC, and my initial response was damn, I bet that’s cold, since it’s relatively far north.. Then I thought, hmmm, it’s BC, and probably a lot like it is here, a temperate rainforest, or something along those lines.. And wouldn’t you know it, that very same day YouTube recommended a video on the geography of BC.. Lol.. Spies.. 🕵️‍♀️

The video went over the fact that BC has a middle region flanked by a coastal range to the west, and the Rockies to the east.. Just like here – we have a coastal range to the west and the Cascade range to the east.. Makes it a temperate rainforest.. So my thought was you’re not as cold probably as points east of the Rockies at the same latitude.. Portland is at the same latitude roughly as Minneapolis, which is frigid cold.. We sometimes have winters that stay entirely above freezing, or barely graze that point.. Am I about in the ballpark?.. But if the banner photo on your profile is your locale, so jealous.. Lol..

The paralysis in the leg was multi-factoral I think.. I started having issues with my neck back in those days where I appeared to pull something out of alignment to the degree that I couldn’t move much at all and had to keep a hand grip on my neck almost all the time.. Thought I fully slipped a disc out of place.. Could barely move my head.. Took some time to improve, but it did.. and then there was a second “pull” or “slip” in the neck a few months later, and then back to immobility again.. At the same time, Tea Tree oil was involved, as I have had a long-term systemic situation with a foot fungus, and tea tree keeps it in-check.. I learned the hard way that it also has topical anesthetic properties.. When I pulled the neck out again, plus pinched nerves, plus tea tree on my feet, my leg just went into full paralysis.. It was horrifying actually.. Have since been very careful with tea tree oil.. I walked with “drop foot”, where you have to lift your leg and plant your foot flat because no muscle use in the foot.. And both times I was working in places lifting heavy equipment (a bakery, and then dishwasher in a restaurant with large bakery equipment).. So, enough about that saga.. Lol..

Rosebud syrup sounds pretty amazing actually.. I’m thinking that might be a throat soother.. And made with maple syrup would be great in the kitchen..

And the Osier medicine sounds like a lot of different trees.. What’s popping into my mind is one of my favorites – Prickly Ash.. I was using the bark years ago and had a great affinity for it.. I used it for winter colds and it was remarkable medicine for me, and very resonant to my constitution.. It was soothing to the throat and lungs, calmed all that down, thinned lung moisture, was diaphoretic and warming, and very calming in the evening to help sleep when the body was uncomfortable.. And a brew of the bark is tingly in the mouth.. For some reason, I’m very resonant with mouth tingling plant medicine – Prickly Ash, Wild Cherry, Pau d’Arco, Usnea lichen, etc.. Funny that..

[abram]

if you are in portland, a short hop to us in Elmira…look us up if you come this way, we can share our garden project with you, as well as a meal er sumtin’

[Kev]

Excellent offer!.. Love that.. And hey, if you need some pyramids built or somethin’, I can work on that.. Lol.. Would love to work in the garden with some new friends.. So good..

Excited about tomorrow, as I’m headed to a friend’s house to start turning her backyard into an ornamental garden, one little area at a time.. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s getting some magical rockwork and a bit of Electroculture.. Ha!.. What’s really special is that all the plants are gonna be seedlings or rooted cuttings that I grew, and since some of them will need extra attention going forward, once they’re in the ground, that makes it extra special for me, and hopefully for her, as she is *not* a “green thumb”, and so it will be more engaging..

I just looked at the Amtrak website, and it appears there’s a bus service from the Eugene station to Veneta, which doesn’t look too far from Elmira.. (But the Amtrak website is also not too clear about what’s what.. but it looks like a connecting bus service).. That’d be my only way down there, as I am not a vehicle owner.. Perhaps a visit sometime in the coming months.. 🤠

[abram]

i am 15 minutes from the amtrak station and will be glad to pick you up to come hang for a few days, sounds fun!

[Kev]

It does sound fun!.. Such a great offer, how can I pass that up?.. and would love to get out of the concrete and sleep on the ground..

I’m starting a course next week, which I can do at my own pace, and I’ll know once I get started how my time will allocated through June.. I’ll be able to gauge all that once I get going.. Also, I recall from a previous comment you made elsewhere that your time might be tight leading up to Music & Sky.. So could you receive a visit sometime in June, or should we think beyond the Solstice??

[Sarah Rivkin]

I’d be interested in visiting. Maybe even as a stop on route to Music & Sky.

I often peter out driving between Salem and Roseburg depending on traffic on the way from Seattle. 🌿

[abram]

you are correct @Kev i am on the admin for M&S and will be heading that way around the 17th of june, with a whole lot going on between now and then…after that i have some time, though i will be at the Oregon Country Fair running a fire at a neighboring campout the second weekend in July (11-15 i think?) if you haven’t been, it is worth the price of admission to check it out, i may even be able to swing some day passes with a bit of heads up!

[abram]

love to have you stop in, easy off ish, we are rural, great drive and more direct taking the 99 to us; and my wife will be home if your travel lands while i am already to M&S…

[abram]

i checked in with my wife and she would welcome a visit even if i have already departed! dm me when it gets closer and i will give you the info

[Sarah Rivkin]

Hi

Thinking I would like to stop by you first night. Not so far but preferring to do a two night trip there to arrive Wednesday day instead of late Thursday and a harder time finding and setting up tent site. Where to communicate besides here? Finding it not easy to navigate here. Thanks!

[Mike]

Yep wrong site! Music & Sky site is the place for this

[Steven]

Well, you’re sort of right! The winters here get to be -40c some days, and the growing season is short, it’s only warm from mid June to October. But once summer hits, it’s very muggy. So it does sound like you fare better than we do. I like the remote-ness up here. Very small towns about an hour or so apart, very little police or government presence. As for the banner pic, yeah, it’s like that here haha! Nothing but mountains, forest and lakes. Beautiful.

Holy! that sounds like quite the ordeal. I’m glad you seem to be on the other side of it at least. I didn’t know about that aspect of Tea Tree oil, I use it for cleaning or as a shampoo ingredient. I’ll definitely keep that in mind

Prickly ash you say? We have Mountain Ash here, I wonder if the properties are similar. I’ll have to look it up. Oh if you like that feel, do you guys have any Aspen down there? The most common tree here is Quaking Aspen, which is can be used to make a mild pain killer tincture. You have to mix it with some water or tea to take it because it’s got a weird mouth feel just on it’s own!

[Kev]

Yeah, we got Aspens here.. They’re native east of the Cascade range, but you see them all over.. definitely a planted tree, though I’m wondering to what extent they’ve naturalized around here..

Man, I’ve been trippin’ this week as I’ve been thinking about the extent to which I can forage even in this urban environment — roadside weeds, many parks have wild areas, and we have a very large forested park right across the river.. I’m just so out of touch with wild plant hunting at this point that the instinct isn’t always there.. Just need that jump start to get me going.. Seeing things I can definitely harvest all over — wild lettuce, lemon balm, mullein, thistles galore.. Want to hit the forest, when I can find the time and see what strikes me.. Tree ID isn’t my strong suit.. Would love to find a friend more knowledgeable than me that can fill me in on some things.. But another thing about the forests around here is that they’ve been overrun by English Ivy, an introduced invasive that’s eradicated quite a bit of native habitat..

I made a load of tinctures yesterday with herbs from retail shops (plus that wild lettuce, Lol), and I set aside the last of my Milk Thistle seeds, soaked ’em, and tossed ’em along the street outside my building in a wild unkempt area.. Also tossed out a bunch of Buckwheat, Amaranth, Aztec Spinach, Flax, Nigella sativa, and who knows what else.. went a bit around the ‘hood tossin’ seeds.. Lol..

[Shawnna]

I’ve been out foraging/wandering in my neck of the woods. Sooo love the energetic reset while wondering.

I recognize all but the cow parsnip. Forage amazing mint and nettle right now. I’ve want to add a resource book to my library for foraging, uses/benefits and preserving/processing. Might you have any recommendations?

[Steven]

Glad to hear you’ve been out in the woods! A reset is something we all need.

Ah I just might have some recommendations! What area of the world do you live on?

[Shawnna]

Thanks, south central Idaho usa

[Steven]

<div>I have the version of this book for my locale (Northern BC) and I definitely go back to it more often than the others I have! Check it out</div>

https://www.amazon.ca/Mountain-States-Medicinal-Plants-Identify/dp/1604696540/ref=pd_sim_d_sccl_3_3/132-8755969-0669766?pd_rd_w=Lrg9a&content-id=amzn1.sym.42c1043c-ad58-41fe-b788-44907dd387d2&pf_rd_p=42c1043c-ad58-41fe-b788-44907dd387d2&pf_rd_r=45D1GM2Q2ND6MC6GHV3T&pd_rd_wg=gRvp9&pd_rd_r=116b6893-aef4-4ba5-a4f8-2d9066027536&pd_rd_i=1604696540&psc=1

[Kev]

Hey Steven.. Great recommendation.. Will be useful for Shawnna for sure, and if I happen to end up east of here, I’ll keep it in mind.. If you recommend it, sounds good.. 🤠

[Steven]

@Kev Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants is the version I have, and it covers your area too!
@Shawnna Not a problem at all, hope you enjoy the book, I look forward to hearing about your finds!

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Steven.

[Kev]

Aww nice, thanks for that heads up.. I missed that.. Part of a 6-book regional series.. I thought I’d go ahead a post the page for all 6 books.. Thanks Steven!..

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BLZMH993?binding=paperback&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tpbk

[Shawnna]

Many thanks Steven! I will check it out. I appreciate the detail that it is the one you go to most.

[Kev]

How to identify Wild Lettuce (which is growing absolutely everywhere right now!).. and then a second video (in the first comment below) on how to make a medicinal extraction, as a sleep aid and pain reliever..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNogado3JiE

[Kev]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YwsiSbSp9g

[Sarah Rivkin]

Thanks Kev! Cool thread. Will be adding contributions. 🌿🌿🌿🌿

[maryschurr]

@Kev, very helpful. Even, if I’m not using it at least I have an idea of what it is. Thank you!

[Kev]

Sure thing.. 🌿

[Sarah Rivkin]

It’s all over here too. I’ve been wanting to try making this extract. Have only 120 proof alcohol though. Also what temperature do you dehydrate it at? And what would the dose be as extract, or if made into a tincture? What about using a slow cooker for it? 🌿

[Kev]

All good questions.. I think dehydrating at a reasonable temp would be good enough (say 125 F or so).. I don’t have silicone though, so I’m gonna look into video instructions from other people to see if there’s a way around that step (a more traditional technique that doesn’t rely on dehydrators or silicone mats).. I’m also gonna make a standard tincture as well (just dried leaf soaked in alcohol + water).. I also like how he takes this concentrated tar and dissolves it in alcohol again to make delivery easy in the form of liquid drops.. I’m thinking that’ll be much more concentrated than a standard tincture.. But depends on how much you mix in.. Dosing?.. Safe bet would be one drop of a tinture preparation and see what happens.. Less is better to test the waters..

[Kev]

Sarah.. here’s some good instruction.. This guy uses a slow cooker and emphasizes keeping the cooking temperature below 180 degrees.. Also talks about how he and his wife dose with it..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7qASKcZDr0

[Shawnna]

That was very cool to learn! I have the tools and look forward to processing to the extract. Thanks for the share Kev!!

[Kev]

Sure thing!.. I got a bunch of leaf dried now and ready to go.. Will be putting together a basic tincture next week, and hopefully diving into the tar extract.. Still, gonna look at a couple other instructional videos for comparison and take from them the way I want to do it.. Wild Lettuce is *everywhere* right now!.. Also got my eye on a patch of Horsetail.. Lol.. 🤠

[Sarah Rivkin]

Late for Horsetail already? I harvest mine when they are just opening, and before the growth is straight out from the stem. They’re all already huge here. Maybe all stages good?

I make a decoction with Nettles and Horsetail for a hair rinse. Add some ACV before using. For beards too? 😆

[Kev]

Ah, yes, I don’t know about what stage of Horsetail is best.. I know that’s a thing with many plants, considering the point in its growth cycle.. The patch here locally I got my eye on are still relatively short.. I was thinking of waiting till they grow taller, just to have more herb, and let’s face it, I like to cut them when they’re tall and then show how and why it’s called “Horsetail”.. Ha!

I’m gonna make a tincture in order to have bioavailable silica in my diet.. I had forgotten about it being a hair rinse.. Hmmm, a beard rinse??.. Now that’s an idea, as my beard has stagnated in growth.. I wonder if it would stimulate hair growth applied topically.. or taken internally.. Methinks probably..

🧙‍♂️

[Kev]

Here’s another video for comparison.. Very similar technique, and this guy uses a crock pot, and emphasizes to keep the temperature below 180 degrees.. And he skips the part about putting the tar into a dehydrator to make it that really thick tar that can be formed into a ball.. Not a necessary step.. And he does also dilute the tar (water or alcohol) to make it capable of being used with a dropper.. Glad I found this info..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7qASKcZDr0

[Kev]

My 3-hour neighborhood walk this morning included foraging for Wild Lettuces.. Got a fair amount, and dehydrating them now, in order to make the black tar extract.. It appears I got 3 different species (Lactuca canadensis, Lactuca ludoviciana, and Lactuca serriola).. I’m gonna mix them together in the medicinal preparation (which I will post the results of in the Medicine discussion thread once it’s finished).. Big project and new territory that will be.. 🤓

[Kev]

Sassafras trees are native in the woodlands where I grew up.. Distinctive leaf shapes and blue-colored berries.. Didn’t know back then that it was the source of traditional root beer (my favorite)!.. This video covers processing the various parts of the leaf and roots and some medicinal applications..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9PYzDV17R8

[Sarah Rivkin]

A few weeks ago I made Stinging Nettle pesto and garnished with Dandelion flowers petals and daisies. There’s another yellow flower on it but can’t remember what it was!

Pesto:

Stinging Nettles

Garlic cloves

Walnuts

Olive oil

Lemon

Salt

[Shawnna]

I’ve made a delicious pesto with chives. Nettle makes a lot of sense. What’s your process that makes the sting disappear with nettle?

[Mike]

great idea!!

[Kev]

Pesto looks divine.. I love dandelion petals!.. But I have a question about dandelion flowers you may know something about.. Can you use the whole flower just as long as you cut all of the stem away??.. I saw someone say once that it’s best to also cut away the portion of the flower under the green parts from where the petals are attached.. But also saw someone throw whole flowers into a salt brine for preservation I think it was.. Maybe the central portion is too bitter, don’t know.. I like bitter, so it’s a matter of what’s actually edible, or what might cause stomach upset, or whatnot..

[Sarah Rivkin]

I have always heard that all of the Dandelion plant is edible. Just a matter of taste and texture preferences.

[Kev]

Can’t say I’ve ever eaten a whole flower.. Gonna give that a whirl next time I see one..

[Kev]

Yeah, I popped a whole Dandy flower in my mouth.. Delicious and all good.. 😋

[Ann-Marie Shapiro]

Where I live, we have Chenopodium (lamb’s quarters). I made pesto with that, and if memory serves, used walnuts, too. Yum!!!

[Kev]

Thanks for posting this about Lamb’s Quarters.. I see that growing wild around here all the time.. When I was spotting it last year, I knew it was in the Amaranth family, and I was certain it was a Chenopodium, even gave it a little taste.. Now that I did an image search to confirm, yeah, I’ll be foraging that one too.. Hey, have you heard of a Geum species called Wood Avens??.. That’s everywhere too, and I’ve yet to taste it..

[Eliza]

The pesto looks delicious and yes, I’ve been intrigued by sassafras- I thought it was a bark based original fermenting ingredient for root beer…

[Sarah Rivkin]

Just chopping them in the processor, blender, etc. removes the sting. I add them fresh when making guacamole in the mini processor too.

[Shawnna]

ok, I’m happy to hear it’s that simple! Thank you!!

[Kev]

Wow, okay.. I thought the stingers needed to be cooked, but grinding is good enough.. Good to know!!

[Sarah Rivkin]

I saw a video once of a boy folding a leaf up with the stinging side inside and chewing it well and eating it. I do this with the seed clusters sometimes putting them between molars. Have missed and gotten some minor tongue stings but the masticated Nettle juice neutralizes their sting!

[Kev]

I was just thinking yesterday about whether fermentation would neutralize/soften the stingers on nettles.. I haven’t seen any around here yet, but I was thinking maybe I could throw the whole leaves into a kraut and see if the fermentation breaks down the stingers.. I bet it would.. Fermentation usually puts the plants through big transformations or break-downs..

[Kev]

I’d have to rewatch this video, but I think he confirmed what I had thought before — root beer is made from the root bark of the tree.. (i.e. the outer bark layer of the roots).. I used to make Sassafras tea years ago with the root I bought at herb stores (don’t know if it was the “root bark” specifically, or just the whole root.. probably the whole root just chopped up and dried).. But, the tea tasted like root beer.. No fermentation involved, just a hot tea.. Never did ice it or anything or add sweetener.. Would be a good experiment..

And hey, with my fermentation skills, methinks I need to make a root beer brew.. In fact, I think today I’m gonna look at my local herb shops to see if they have Sassafras.. I wonder how to get the fermentation started with sugar.. The only sugar water fermentation I know is kombucha, and that involves a starter culture to get it going.. Will have to look up making traditional root beer ferment.. But also, another idea — kombucha made with a sassafras tea as the liquid, and then just add the kombucha starter culture.. That sounds freakin’ amazing.. Wonder if it will work, as kombucha culture I think feeds on black tea and may need that.. Hmmmmmm

[Mike]

Had a fine time up in the Oregon mountains this last weekend trying to identify plants with my youngest. Realizing how much I don’t know! Looking forward to Oregon grape season, huckleberries and wild strawberries. No mushrooms but the trillium was everywhere which made for a beautiful hike!

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[Kev]

I’m feelin’ that — there’s soooo much I don’t know, with a feeling that I don’t know where to start sometimes.. Hey, did you say you were up at Klamath Lake??

I spotted some wild looking strawberries planted in parks around here (i.e. “native plantings”), and I’mma collect some seeds.. thanks for that reminder..

And of course, Oregon Grape is planted absolutely everywhere here.. everywhere.. I’mma be pickin’ berries this year.. and I’ve identified a large plot of native Salal in a local park.. If you don’t know Salal, it’s an Oregon native with black round berries that the first nations used for food.. They’re delicious, and prolific, and since they’re in the same genus (Gaultheria) as the source of wintergreen oil, they have that minty overtone to them.. Soooo good.. I sowed some seeds too.. 🤠

And of course, we can’t not look forward to blackberry season later this summer…….

[Mike]

You all know way more than I do so I’m enjoying this thread! Yea close by, hiking PCT. I’ll have to try those other berries! My boys love huckleberries the most, the little red ones especially

[Kev]

Salal screen captures..

[Sarah Rivkin]

Salal in blossom here like little white bells. LOTS in The Magnificent Forest a few blocks away from me.

[Kev]

I’d love it if you were around down here to go walking in Forest Park with me.. would be fun.. my skills need some upgrade!..

[Sarah Rivkin]

That sounds great! I’d love to. Will be passing through on the way to and back from Music & Sky. May stay 1st night at the couple here who offered you to visit. Offered me as well. Depends on if I do a one or two night road trip to the event in the Mendocino area.

[Sarah Rivkin]

Usually I’m reaching high for these so I never noticed before that the red Salmonberries have exquisite dark red crowns; or cool punk rock stylin’. 😆

[Kev]

Sweet.. Salmonberry might not be the correct name for ’em.. 😄

[Sarah Rivkin]

😬Yes, Salmonberry. The light orange variety are more common. They grow side by side though.

[Kev]

Ah, I should clarify.. When I said Salmonberry might not be the correct name, I wasn’t correcting your identification of them.. I was saying that because of their spiked-hair punk rock appearance, they should have a more colorful name that reflects their unique appearance.. 😜

[Kev]

All about the Thistles — over 200 species worldwide, all of which are edible and medicinal.. 15 minute video.. Looks to be a nice YT channel on foraging and medicine and cooking..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg6RGwz5GMY

[Mike]

Thanks for sharing! Came across this bull thistle on our hike and was wondering if it was any good to eat 🙂

[Kev]

Yeah, this information was a revelation for me.. I had no idea.. I’ve used both Milk Thistle (seed) and Burdock (root) medicinally for years.. Didn’t know it was all so edible, from roots to stems to leaves (and seeds as a food?).. I’m all about it now.. I see them thistles everywhere.. Might need to invest in a good pair of clippers again and carry them around now.. I’m missin’ that.. Ha!.. Oh, but also, if you’ve never eaten Burdock root, I recommend!.. Regular part of my diet, as I found it at an Asian market here.. Mostly sweet, touch of bitter, and you can even eat it raw in fact, believe it or not.. Tasty snack while I’m choppin’!.. Gonna need to find Burdock seeds for the garden eventually and let them naturalize.. 🤠

[abram]

i believe we have some burdock seed, if so, we will send you home with some!

[Kev]

Awww yeah, so nice.. 🙂

[abram]

thanks Kev, that was a great little video, makes me smile just watching the guides joy in it…i will try me some thistles! lord knows we have em’ a plenty here in the PNW!

[Kev]

I know, right?.. I was salivating after he dug up that root.. Looks so succulent, and then he said that one is sweeter than Burdock.. and Burdock is pretty sweet.. I’m thinkin’, if need be, I could live on Dandelion, Thistles, and Sunchokes if I have to.. Ha!.. Would be the healthiest ever!.. 🤠

[Kev]

Starting to identify specific patches of weedy food-medicine in my immediate neighborhood.. Here’s a few photos.. Need help identifying one of these weeds and a mushroom..

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[Sarah Rivkin]

Processed the Pineapple weed/Wild Chamomile today that I gathered yesterday. Tinctured some and dehydrating some.

Plenty still growing for more dried if I want. I love how it looks like mini forests!

+2 More Photos

[Kev]

Nice!.. Those are growing all over along the river’s edge here, especially in the sand.. and I thought the same thing — they look like little trees!.. So I popped some out of the ground to go into one of my miniature landscape gardens.. Here’s some photos from over a month ago.. This dinosaur is lost in a forest of Lichen & Chamotrees.. 😄 ..They’ve since matured and dropped their seeds everywhere.. So much fun, and looking forward to future surprise germinations..

Definitely inspiration to go do a mass harvesting.. Such charming little plants.. 🙂

[Kev]

I ended up harvesting and drying some of this chamomile the other day, and then tinctured it..

I had a question for you about Lemon Balm.. I harvested some the other day and put it in the dehydrator at 104 degrees, and a lot of the leaves turned really dark, sometimes a dark brown or sometimes almost black, and some had brown spots.. The brown spots reminded me of the fungal scab that can pop up on apple leaves during high temperatures (in my experience).. Is this something you’ve experienced yourself??.. is that typical??.. nothing to be concerned about??

Here’s a photo I took post-dehydration..

[Sarah Rivkin]

Not sure. But if it turned brown maybe degradation of properties. Looks like it. Too high heat I guess. Do a tea taste test for flavor. Even the scent, or lack there of, of the dried indicates potency. I dry my Lemon Balm in paper bags as I do with Nettles and most more delicate leaf herbs.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Sarah Rivkin.

[Shawnna]

I like paper bag drying too. Keeps direct sun off and dries quickly when bag is set in the AM sun. When using dehydrator for the wild mint, nettle, mallow, lambs quarters and standard herbs… 95degrees.

[Kev]

Good advice on the temp.. When it browned out, I was sure 104 degrees was too high.. As I said in my other comment, will do another round of air-drying, bag-drying, and dehydrator at 95 degrees max, and then just compare, see the differences.. 🙂

[Kev]

Yeah, good advice.. Too high heat seemed to be the culprit.. I’m gonna harvest some more and dry 3 different ways — dehydrator at 95 degrees max (as Shawnna recommends), paper bag (which I’ve never done), and hang-drying (already got twine hanging from my ceiling ready to go).. And then will compare.. This browned-out leaf does still have its aromatic lemon scent, but I’m still gonna compost it..

[Shawnna]

I would be interested in hearing your comparison.

[Sarah Rivkin]

Also when I dry larger amounts in paper grocery bags, I don’t overpack it, and toss plant material around every couple days. Keep it loose. I keep it in a closet, flat down, open on end. Closet open a bit for air circulation.

[Kev]

Good advice!.. Exactly.. I’m also thinking of putting the bag outside on a warm day for ambient warmth (but the bag kept in full shade)..

[Author]

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