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crimescene450
05-14-2010, 08:21 PM
dandelion are edible right?
i was looking at some out in my backyard and i couldnt help but notice the leaves seem to have some prickly looking fuzz on them.


sorry if this is a dumb question
im just trying to start learning some edible plants

and as a follow up question; whats the best way to start learning edible plants?
how'd you guys start up with your knowledge?

your_comforting_company
05-14-2010, 09:00 PM
I started with a basic color coded field guide, and just learned about plants in general. I've been building on my library and online bookmarks ever since. i contacted the county extension office for books more specific to my area and won a copy of "Botany in a Day", which was a huge help.
Are you sure you're looking at dandelion?

crimescene450
05-14-2010, 09:36 PM
I think this is a dandelion right?
sorry the flowers were closing a bit cuz its getting dark here

http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/4446/dandelion2o.jpg


if you look closely you might see the prickley fuzzz on the leaves

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/274/dandelionn.jpg

is the fuzz edible?

Sarge47
05-14-2010, 10:02 PM
YES!!! Dandelions ARE edible. The greens can be eaten in the form of a salad. Wareagle69 can give you more info should he ever show up. Meanwhile...USE THE "SEARCH" BUTTON!!!! :cool2:

BTW, and this is very important, Morals are deadly and need to be disposed of properly..if you find any, pm me immediately & I'll instruct you on how to dry them & ship them to me for safe disposal! :sneaky2: :innocent:

Sarge47
05-14-2010, 10:07 PM
Also: http://wiki.urbanedibles.org/index.php?title=Dandelion

RangerXanatos
05-14-2010, 10:15 PM
Dandelion or Catsear? Both are edible and look VERY similar. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catsear

Rick
05-14-2010, 10:19 PM
I don't think that's common dandelion. The stems are too long and dandelion doesn't have hairy leaves. At least the ones around here don't. The stem should be hollow with a milky white sap. I think that's called Hairy Catsear or False Dandelion. It's edible but I've never had it. The good news is there are no poisonous look alike for Dandelion.

Rick
05-14-2010, 10:19 PM
Yeah, what he said. I was writing when he posted.

RangerXanatos
05-14-2010, 10:23 PM
I don't think that's common dandelion. The stems are too long and dandelion doesn't have hairy leaves. At least the ones around here don't. The stem should be hollow with a milky white sap. I think that's called Hairy Catsear or False Dandelion. It's edible but I've never had it. The good news is there are no poisonous look alike for Dandelion.

I also believe that dandelion only has one stalk with a single flower while catsear will have shoots and have many flowers budding off?

Rick
05-14-2010, 10:24 PM
Agreed. That's right. And the stems are solid, not hollow like the Common Dandelion.

crimescene450
05-14-2010, 10:25 PM
Dandelion or Catsear? Both are edible and look VERY similar. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catsear




I also believe that dandelion only has one stalk with a single flower while catsear will have shoots and have many flowers budding off?


yes, and yes
so its not dandelion.... but its still edible in the same sense?

i guess this just goes to show how similar some plants can be O_o

RangerXanatos
05-14-2010, 10:27 PM
yes, and yes
so its not dandelion.... but its still edible in the same sense?

i guess this just goes to show how similar some plants can be O_o

Correct. :smash:

crimescene450
05-14-2010, 10:28 PM
BTW, and this is very important, Morals are deadly and need to be disposed of properly..if you find any, pm me immediately & I'll instruct you on how to dry them & ship them to me for safe disposal! :sneaky2: :innocent:[/SIZE][/COLOR]
[/SIZE][/COLOR][/SIZE][/COLOR][/B][/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

wait, morals?
arent those mushrooms?

Rick
05-14-2010, 10:28 PM
Again, I have not used it but the leaves are edible both steamed and boiled. The root can be sliced thin, dehydrated and used as a coffee substitute. Apparently, it's the same as dandelion.

Rick
05-14-2010, 10:29 PM
he suckering you in to sending him your morels. Don't fall for it. He tries that all the time. You'd be much better off sending them to me. I'll dispose of them appropriately.

crimescene450
05-14-2010, 10:31 PM
haha
well id have to learn to identify them first
and im not sure if they grow where im at (oak woodland/chaparral, in bay area, CA)


are they really that good?

Rick
05-14-2010, 10:33 PM
Horrible. Deadly. Terrible. They will turn your tongue blue. Send them to me. I'll get rid of the beasts.

rwc1969
05-14-2010, 11:04 PM
That doesn't quite look like a dandelion to me either for the same reason rick stated. Sarge I have dried morels if youd like some.

justin_baker
05-15-2010, 01:14 AM
(oak woodland/chaparral, in bay area, CA)


Miners Lettuce:
http://www.almaden.ibm.com/almaden/environs/wildflowers/miner.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claytonia_perfoliata
You find them a lot in the thicker foothill woodlands with the bay/oak tangles, often near streams.
But be warned, this time of year they taste so bitter that they taste almost toxic, but if you boil them, then they taste fine. They are better in early winter/early spring.





Thistles, this one is easy
Peel the outer green stock until you find the inner white pith. Eat that. The stalk itself is way too tough to eat, you need to get to the inside.
http://www.simplythebests.com/nhoes/images/thistle.jpg





Manzanita Berries
http://www.cactusjungle.com/archives/blog/archives/1804-Manzanita-
Berries.html
http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/uploads/misc/arctostaphylos_pajaroensis_paradise_berries.jpg




The Madrone has berries as well
http://www.bahiker.com/pictures/southbay/thornewood/062900/websize/32madrone.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Madrone
http://w3.biosci.utexas.edu/prc/DigFlora/ARXA/madr_fruit.html




California Hazlenut
http://plants.montara.com/ListPages/thumbs1/corcor0.JPG
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corylus_cornuta

crimescene450
05-15-2010, 01:29 AM
WOW thanks man! ^
i reconize a few of those

ive known about manzanitas (from watching man vs wild lol)
i can never find them though
maybe they dont grow in my particular forest.


question: when you boil plants, are you supposed to eat them hot/warm or let them cool off to normal temp first? or is it just preference?

Sarge47
05-15-2010, 08:03 AM
Ignore Rick, he's just messin' with you. However Morels do taste like dog poo;(don't ask me how I know :innocent:) and they grow everywhere, this is what they look like:

http://mobflog.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/morel.jpg

Here's more info:

http://thegreatmorel.com/ :cool2:

Justin Case
05-15-2010, 09:23 AM
They dont grow here,, then again, here is not anywhere, its the middle of nowhere ,,:sneaky2:

your_comforting_company
05-15-2010, 09:52 AM
Eat them like you would any other green. If it's too hot, wait for it to cool.

I think it's worth repeating here.. If you don't KNOW, and I mean KNOW what plant it is, don't eat it.
Aster family plants are wide and varied and many are look-similars.

Just how many observations can you make about that plant in your yard? List them all here. Think of it as a "starter quiz" or a "plants primer" for starting to learn. I want you to learn what to look for in order to be able to tell differences between similar plants.
You don't have to know all the terminology, just use words you are familiar with to describe the plant parts. Careful observation is the key to identifying any plant with a plethora of lookalikes.
Taraxacum officinale
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/plants/DSCN3208.jpg

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/plants/DSCN3226.jpg

justin_baker
05-15-2010, 12:27 PM
ive known about manzanitas (from watching man vs wild lol)
i can never find them though
maybe they dont grow in my particular forest.



Really? They tend to grow in chapparal especially around oaks, usually not in the open oak woodlands but in the messy tangles on the side of hills. Mabeye you havent been looking for them. But remember, all berries dont really ripen until summer/late summer, so you can go ahead and find them for identification but they wont be ripe this time of year.

preachtheWORD
05-15-2010, 06:33 PM
I have eaten dandelions on numerous occasions and I have found them to be extremely bitter.

If you can find a plant that is partially buried with soil, leaves, or debris, the lower part of the dandelion leaf may be blanched (i.e., white) and tastes a little better.

If I was starving and I found a dandelion, I would eat it and not blink an eye. But if I could find something better I would leave the dandelion alone.

I have not tried them cooked. Boiling may dispell some of the bitterness.

Rick
05-15-2010, 08:30 PM
If they are bitter, then they are 1. too old and 2. too exposed to sun. The best leaves are the youngest and those that grow in shade. Leaf lettuce is the same way. If you let the leaves get too old and growing in full sun they will get nasty bitter too.

The mature flowers are good fried. They don't have much taste so a nice batter will give it the flavor you want.

wareagle69
05-15-2010, 10:23 PM
dandelion are edible right?
i was looking at some out in my backyard and i couldnt help but notice the leaves seem to have some prickly looking fuzz on them.


sorry if this is a dumb question
im just trying to start learning some edible plants

and as a follow up question; whats the best way to start learning edible plants?
how'd you guys start up with your knowledge?
Well to start with in ohio look up dave canterbury, he has a new show called dual survivor, but he can help also in wooster ohio the OSU agricultural branch is there great stuff there, i lived there in my teen years, in california look up chrystopher nygeres, try and start with an edibles course first, also look up weeds on the computer, learning is easier that way, as thats what you will be looking at mostly and there is way more info on weeds than wild edibles.

I don't think that's common dandelion. The stems are too long and dandelion doesn't have hairy leaves. At least the ones around here don't. The stem should be hollow with a milky white sap. I think that's called Hairy Catsear or False Dandelion. It's edible but I've never had it. The good news is there are no poisonous look alike for Dandelion.
Not exactly true, the leaves actually can be smooth or have some hair, which is usually refered to as pubeseant instead of hairy, the lobes can also vary greatly, the theory being whether they get lots of sun or shade

I also believe that dandelion only has one stalk with a single flower while catsear will have shoots and have many flowers budding off?
that is not correct, dandelion can have many stems coming off of a rosette.

The way i like to eat this plant is varied, making fritters out of the flower heads, also cooking with bacon or my personal fav, is look at what are called the crowns, that is the flower heads before the grow a stalk they are tight to the rosette, cook like a vegetable, also i put on my pizza.
funny how something we see everyday can have so many assumptions made about it, just a casual glance and we assume so much, as i have said before the one thing that i have gained in my study of plants is the gift of observation, i look at everything the plant has to offer, even going as far as to dig up a specimen to see the roots and also to crush the leaves for a scent as well as tearing stems and leaves to see what happens.

wareagle69
05-16-2010, 09:31 PM
another interesting note to this, today i was digging out some of my lawn to make a new garden, dug down about 8 inches and pulled out the sod, well one perticular clump a dandelion slipped thru, so out of curiosity it kept digging away the clay, i got down just past 12 inches and the root snapped. 12 inches, not bad wonder how much further it went but then i had to chuckle thinking how deep this root goes and the tools that people buy or how they try to get rid of these plants when they go so deep, anyhow,
so , did anyone go out and get down on their hands and knees and truely study these plants this weekend?

your_comforting_company
05-16-2010, 11:14 PM
I took time to study dandelion further this weekend. I reread everything in all my books and looked over a few pictures till the net went down.

rwc1969
05-17-2010, 02:38 PM
I observed one that had 1/2 to 3/4" flowers with 4 tight sepals, 4 light to dark purple petals, and 6 stamen-4 long and 2 short. It has 6 plus inch long, on average, lance shaped dark green leaves with a whitish midrib, and a slightly fuzzy 3/8" thick lighter green stem. The unopened flower buds are quite mild in taste compared to Garlic mustard and Wintercress. They appear to be the third of the mustard family to flower as they are beginning now.

I also observed that all plants are a good week or two ahead of normal. Garlic mustard is up to my eyeballs, Stinging nettle is getting up past a foot high and some was frostbit, I saw some goosefoot just starting, the curly dock is getting it's flowerbuds. The woods is alive and getting thick with greenery. The morels have shutdown.

wareagle69
05-18-2010, 08:28 PM
i kind of figured about 3 or 4 of you here would take the time to really look at this plant

your_comforting_company
05-18-2010, 09:42 PM
I observed carolina false dandelion today and noticed quite a few very obvious differences in it and true taraxacum. They really are interesting to hold side by side. When they are together, they look nothing alike, but apart, they definately look similar.
Plants are cool :D