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Newb
01-17-2005, 13:37
Maybe I haven't looked deeply enough, but I don't see much discussion here of wild plants that can be eaten on the trail. Personally, I love cooking with wild plants, and they can add flavor to basic staples when camping.

To flavor those dried beans, or tortellini, or plain cous-cous It's always nice to throw in some fresh wild onion. There's a lot of other stuff out there that you can use...

I put together a quick list of common plants for my own use that I took from various web sources, including the Army Survival Manual and some University sources. Check it out.

http://www.troutworld.com/plants/index.htm

Tha Wookie
01-17-2005, 16:14
Maybe I haven't looked deeply enough, but I don't see much discussion here of wild plants that can be eaten on the trail. Personally, I love cooking with wild plants, and they can add flavor to basic staples when camping.

To flavor those dried beans, or tortellini, or plain cous-cous It's always nice to throw in some fresh wild onion. There's a lot of other stuff out there that you can use...

I put together a quick list of common plants for my own use that I took from various web sources, including the Army Survival Manual and some University sources. Check it out.

http://www.troutworld.com/plants/index.htm
AWESOME! great resource, thanks for posting. Where exactly does the plant info come from? Could you add a couple sources? I've found that some vary significantly.

Thanks for your work!

Newb
01-17-2005, 16:19
What I did was search for info on plants that can be found in the Appalachian region. I used the army survival manual (it's online) and some various university and healthfood websites.

Any plant I found that needs special preparation so as not to harm you I left out. I don't like to take chances.

Then, I searched the web for photos of the plants. It's hard to find really good pictures of stuff. The webpage I posted is not crawlable by webbots, so it wont end up on the wider web. I just put it up there for a few days to share with y'all.

If you go Googling you will find the same stuff I did.

Mouse
01-18-2005, 19:13
I ate dandelion green raw right off the plant. There are also red and black raspberries and my thruhiking favorite, blueberries!

Deerleg
01-18-2005, 22:15
Very good Newb! Many of these are found in abundance along the trail…I’l have to try some thistle root or nettles in the cook pot some night…I have tried lambs quarters (very good) but have yet to find them on the trail…I’m sure they must be out there…I see them everywhere else. Thanks for the great post.

Mouse
01-19-2005, 10:26
Oooops! How could we forget RAMPS!

smokymtnsteve
01-23-2005, 20:09
Brook letuce is very good...esp with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing very little vinegar is needed.


also in the spring poke salad is very good...sautee it in olive oil with a little dried garlic or ramps...mix in with some rainbow noodles and maybe a little parmasean,,,mmm good

in the fall I sometimes find old apple trees and stew them with a little cinammon and honey and eat over a whole wheat pancake...might tasty.

well not the tree but the apples i pick from it ;)

flyfisher
01-25-2005, 16:13
Maybe I haven't looked deeply enough, but I don't see much discussion here of wild plants that can be eaten on the trail. Personally, I love cooking with wild plants, and they can add flavor to basic staples when camping.

To flavor those dried beans, or tortellini, or plain cous-cous It's always nice to throw in some fresh wild onion. There's a lot of other stuff out there that you can use...

I put together a quick list of common plants for my own use that I took from various web sources, including the Army Survival Manual and some University sources. Check it out.

http://www.troutworld.com/plants/index.htm

I frequently stop and nibble on plantain. It frequently grows along the trail where the dirt has been disturbed by hiking sticks. I figure it is the easiest way to get vitamins when I am on a noodle and jerky diet.

TDale
01-25-2005, 16:55
Maybe I haven't looked deeply enough, but I don't see much discussion here of wild plants that can be eaten on the trail. Personally, I love cooking with wild plants, and they can add flavor to basic staples when camping.

To flavor those dried beans, or tortellini, or plain cous-cous It's always nice to throw in some fresh wild onion. There's a lot of other stuff out there that you can use...

I put together a quick list of common plants for my own use that I took from various web sources, including the Army Survival Manual and some University sources. Check it out.

http://www.troutworld.com/plants/index.htm
Great page, thanks! Saved me from doing it myself!

jlb2012
01-25-2005, 17:18
One of the most common edible plants around here is garlic mustard - has a strong flavor but it can enliven any greens dish or soups. Young leaves are the best. Since this is an invasive exotic plant the stuff is almost everywhere in shady woods right along the trail.

SGT Rock
01-25-2005, 17:22
What does it look like HOI?

jlb2012
01-25-2005, 17:55
Some images of garlic mustard:

http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/plant_profile.cgi?symbol=ALPE4

http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/large_image_rpt.cgi?imageID=alal8_001_avd.tif

http://plants.usda.gov/gallery/standard/alof3_1h.jpg

http://tenn.bio.utk.edu/vascular/photoD/Dicots/Brassicaceae/all_peti1.jpg

http://www.botany.wisc.edu/wisflora/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=ALLPET

http://botany.cs.tamu.edu/FLORA/dcs420/b/hdw09069901s.jpg

http://botany.cs.tamu.edu/FLORA/schoepke/all_pe_1.jpg

http://botany.cs.tamu.edu/FLORA/dcs420/b/hdw060699ys.jpg

SGT Rock
01-25-2005, 17:58
Thanks. When it gets spring I'll look for some of that. How do you use it best?Fresh, dried? Stalks? Leaves? Do tell...

Newb
02-21-2005, 14:13
http://www.trackertrail.com/survival/food/edibleplants/garlicmustard/

The Weasel
02-21-2005, 14:43
The only food worth looking for along the trail are the few things that don't really slow you down. At least in the spring, that's Ramps. They are an onion-garlic type plant that REALLY has flavor. The Ramp Festival is usually within a week or so of Trail Days, in the same area.

I picked ramps for a week, and added them to everything! Wow!!!!!

The Weasel

rickb
02-21-2005, 15:17
I think the last new "edible" wild plant I ate was the tender end of a cattail frond.

We just had a nibble to see if it was palatable, and within a short time our throats started to swell up. Not too badly, it never got to the panic stage, but it did make me think.

I have no idea what happened. I later learned iris's are poisonous but you would have to be pretty stupid to confuse an iris with a cattail-- I don't think I pulled the worng frond, but who knows. Something happened.

My wife won't even eat the fiddleheads I bring in now.

Rick B

Newb
02-21-2005, 16:53
You can make sassafras tea, use wild onions year round, or make strawberry plant tea safely.

I'm studying edible wild plants right now and have discovered that the best bet is to learn, very well, 10 or so wild plants to use and leave it at that.

Roots and tubers will serve you best. Greens are pretty easy to learn, such as dandelions, chicory and similar edibles. Nettles and Burdock are pretty easy to recognize as well.

One GREAT thing to learn is how to recognize common Plantain. Not only is it edible, but if you get poison ivy you can use Plantain leaves (and honeysuckle leaves) to relieve the itching.