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eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
Lizard
()
Date: June 29, 2010 11:56AM Hello loves,
I'm not sure how to title this one! he he. I've been thinking (I live in Northern VA) when walking in the woods and seeing trees bearing all kinds of berries and leaves, can we eat any of this? I've gotten a book on trees and such "Wild Fruits" by Thoreau and I'm curious if anyone lives off the land in this "raw" way? I'd love to learn how. I also wonder if I could plant maybe some potatoes or sweet potatoes in the forest? I live in an apartment and can't grow too much in it. But I also don't want to mess up the natural flow of the forest so speak. Any tips or experiences to share? Happy Tuesday  Re: eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
Curator
()
Date: June 29, 2010 01:44PM Guerrilla farming can be fun, as long as you make sure to plant things that are non-invasive in your area, I gather allot of different stuff from forests around here when im able, both berries and mushrooms and some plants, but its VERY important to know EXACTLY what you are harvesting, if your not 100% sure, don't bother with it... Oh and I wouldnt suggest either normal or sweet potatoes, as they can both be invasive, and have toxins in them that cause a few problems if eaten raw... although correct me if Im wrong, but I think sweet potatoes may actually be natural in that part of the U.S. so their invasive behavior may not be an issue... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oh, mirror in the sky What is love? Can the child within my heart rise above? Can I sail through the changing ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life? Re: eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
suspendedindefinitely
()
Date: June 29, 2010 02:05PM Lizard, I know exactly what you mean. I would love to forage for goodies but don't have the confidence- I would end up confusing some kind of edible weed with deadly nightshade or something I find the illustrations in books pretty inaccurate!
You could google to see if there are any nature tours you can do nearby where the guide can at least tell you what is/isn't poisonous. Re: eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
Lizard
()
Date: June 29, 2010 03:19PM Great ideas my friends Thank you, I'm way to scarred to try it on my own, even with a book! he he. Curator, thanks for the note about potatoes being invasive! yikes, wouldn't want to do anything to hurt nature hum...now i just need to find an expert in my area i suppose.....Re: eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
Curator
()
Date: June 29, 2010 03:31PM np, oh, if there is a a local native tribe in your area, some of the older members of the tribe would probably be worth learning from as well, since many have allot of knowledge about the different edible flora in the area, and usually medicinal herbs as well ^_^ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oh, mirror in the sky What is love? Can the child within my heart rise above? Can I sail through the changing ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life? Re: eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
Anonymous User
()
Date: June 29, 2010 04:09PM Get a book with colour photos, I have 3 and it's very easy to identify plants correctly with them. There may be wild edible walks in your area, contact the scouts if you can't find anything else as they often have resources like that. Re: eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
juicerkatz
()
Date: June 29, 2010 04:31PM Great book for your area -
Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide Thomas Elias, Peter Dykeman. It has a few mistakes in it, but overall one of the most informative for this part of the US. Re: eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
Lizard
()
Date: June 29, 2010 04:55PM Great tips! thank you my friend. Anyone know how to find a local tribe in my area? Re: eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
Nubster
()
Date: June 29, 2010 08:16PM There is a wild foraging class coming up in September in eastern WV. Not sure where you are in NOVA but it might be worth checking out. I want to attend, just not sure finances will allow it.
[www.wildfoodadventures.com] Re: eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
Prana
()
Date: June 29, 2010 09:13PM Somewhere in the Middle East is a place where there are forests of apple trees. I saw in this a documentary called the Botany of Desire. But since these trees have all grown from seed, the apples are not sweet, but are starchy and more suitable for making cider rather than eating raw.
But still, wouldn't it be wonderful to find a forest of fig tree?  Re: eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
Curator
()
Date: June 30, 2010 08:53AM that would be a wonderful dream indeed prana, I want to plant a forest of fig trees someday ^_^ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oh, mirror in the sky What is love? Can the child within my heart rise above? Can I sail through the changing ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life? Re: eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
loeve
()
Date: June 30, 2010 10:18AM I think with gorilla gardening almost any fruit or vegetable can be planted. Googling "invasive species" for your area is more likely to turn up a list or ornamentals. Who ever heard of invasive carrots or figs. Some herbs tend to take over.
I've been gathering tender grape leaves for greens and as always dandelion. There's wild garlic around which I finally identified (actually an invasive species here) though it's a different species than the cultivated garlic one would normally plant. It'll be dewberry season in the northeast very soon, then blueberries in July, grapes and blackberries in August and September. Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2010 10:27AM by loeve. Re: eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
la_veronique
()
Date: June 30, 2010 11:07AM gee whiz bryan
yeah.. i would LOVE to walk into a forest and have it filled with delicious dark bruised purply ripe fig trees WOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW anything is possible these sort of dreams are deeelissshious! thanks for the thought love it so much! hey curator I DARE you to plant a forest of fig trees yeahh! Re: eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
Curator
()
Date: June 30, 2010 11:22AM Oh LV, if im able to get the kinda property I want someday, believe me, i WILL... or maybe plant them out in a large clearing in the forest... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oh, mirror in the sky What is love? Can the child within my heart rise above? Can I sail through the changing ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life? Re: eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
Lizard
()
Date: June 30, 2010 12:28PM Awesome! Thank you I'll def. try to goRe: eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
Anonymous User
()
Date: June 30, 2010 01:25PM Loeve, are they good to eat raw, tender grape leaves? That's good to know. If you cut the hard woody (but still green inside) stem of a wild grape vine and put a container under the cut end you'll have a jug of fresh sweet water in no time. Nice right? Nature's water fountain. Re: eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
loeve
()
Date: July 01, 2010 02:04AM Well, when it comes to grape leaves "tender" is still pretty tough unless they're run through a juicer or something which is how I use them. They are a little tart like unripe grapes but make a nice lime green addition to my carrot juices. On the trail I would chew the raw leaf then spit out the pulp. Otherwise it's like trying to swallow gum, a high risk maneuver.
I'll have to try the cut grape stem method for sweet water. Re: eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
Curator
()
Date: July 01, 2010 09:46PM that sounds quite tasty!!! I wish we had wild grapes here,lol. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oh, mirror in the sky What is love? Can the child within my heart rise above? Can I sail through the changing ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life? Re: eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
rab
()
Date: July 02, 2010 03:03AM Prana, if I remember well, you don't eat salt, right? I just started to eat salt lately, and I gained 4 lb in no time. It must be all that water that stays in the body in order to process the salt... Re: eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
Prana
()
Date: July 05, 2010 03:41AM rab,
I mostly don't eat it. But sometimes I eat some gourmet raw that might have it. It certainly makes me puffy right after eating it though. Re: eating out of the forest?
Posted by:
rab
()
Date: July 08, 2010 02:40AM I lost track of this topic, somehow. Prana, that is a great link! I wish this was happening everywhere! Coincidently, today I just told my wife about the new law in San Francisco which does not allow use of soda vending machines in public places in SF. It seems that a lot of good things are happening there. This makes me want to move there, really. Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
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