Man of the earth

[Nomad]

Just wondering if anyone has eaten the tuber of the wild potato vine, otherwise known as man of the earth? Supposedly they can grow up to thirty pounds or so. They're a member of the morning glory family. Another food i'm interested in is the groundnut. It's not the common peanut that the carters are famous for but something entirely different. Maybe some of you know of a wild root or tuber that can be harvested in the winter??? I'm looking to add some more food sources this year. Got cattails already on my list. Also has anyone tried eating (black) birch bark? I heard the civil war soldiers would cut the inner bark into strips and boil it like noodles. Thanks...

[snakeman]

You can make tea from sassafras roots and eat the twigs, and leaves. Its pretty good. the root bark has also been used to flavor candy. dont know if you could eat the roots raw. about all of a pine tree is edible( inner bark, nuts, needles, and buds). inner bark of maple is edible. willow inner bark is also good and it relieves headaches. walnuts, acorns, and beechnuts are also available in the fall and winter.

[Badawg]

Tule potatoes are easy to gather in the winter out in the west, but plan a nice fire first as it's a cold job. They crow in slow spots in perennial creeks all over the west. To gather them, you strip down to your skivvies and wade on in barefoot. digging them out with your toes is the preferred method. They taste really good too.

I did this once on a wilderness food course many years ago, and it was cold muddy process, but we filled a huge basket in under an hour.

[RBB]

Tule potatoes are easy to gather in the winter out in the west, but plan a nice fire first as it's a cold job. They crow in slow spots in perennial creeks all over the west. To gather them, you strip down to your skivvies and wade on in barefoot. digging them out with your toes is the preferred method. They taste really good too.

I did this once on a wilderness food course many years ago, and it was cold muddy process, but we filled a huge basket in under an hour.

Locally these are known as, ground nuts, Indian potatoes, or bog potatoes." As Badawg says, gathering them is a muddy mess.

[RobertRogers]

As with most things, doing it in real life is often far different than portrayed in books.

[Runs With Beer]

Amen Brother!