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Thread: Allergic reaction to wild edibles

  1. #1
    Senior Member RandyRhoads's Avatar
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    Default Allergic reaction to wild edibles

    I had some pine needle tea a few days ago. After a gulp I noticed an odd feeling in my throat, really hard to describe but it felt like a general tightness. So I thought either i'm allergic to it, or maybe it has some weird properties like mild anesthesia. Today I found a field of wild mustard and started munching on some. After about 5-10 minutes I had the same feeling. What the hell? Am I just not used to wild foods or what?? I ate the little pine buds and had no effect, other than feeling like I ate a Christmas tree.


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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Perhaps it wasn't the plants but what was on the plants. You've posted quite a bit about the pollution in your area. I wash my veggies, even the stuff that comes out of my garden, just to make certain veggies are all I'm eating.
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    naturalist primitive your_comforting_company's Avatar
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    Rick has a good point. I wonder where you could get stuff like that tested?

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Did you clean them before eating? Were either one near a roadway where car exhaust might have been able to settle on it? I suppose you could have an allergy but that's a pretty diverse food group. Mustards to turpines.

    Here's a little known fact for you. Did you know wild mustard seeds can remain dormant in the soil for up to 60 years? if you want to store seeds for a rainy day wild mustard would make a great choice.

    "Some wild mustard seed is capable of germination as soon as it is mature. However, these seeds may also remain viable in the soil for as long as 60 years, particularly those that are buried at considerable depths."

    http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/...cts/03-043.htm
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    Senior Member gryffynklm's Avatar
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    Do you have any allergies that you know of?? You could be allergic to molds, my son reacted that way to tree molds especially after handling pine needles. If you harvested near a farm filed over spray from spraying the field could find its way beyond the edges of the field.
    Karl

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    Senior Member randyt's Avatar
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    A method I use when trying out new plants, new plants that are known but I'm not sure how I'll react to them. I crush the leaves and rub the leaf against the underside of my arm by my bicep. I wait to see if there is a reaction. I only do this with known plants, it's not a hard and fast rule.

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    Senior Member RandyRhoads's Avatar
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    Yeah randyt I used the "universal edibility test" AFTER I have positively ID'd just to make sure I don't have a reaction to a specific plant.


    I have allergies to cantaloupe and avocado.

    Rick- these weren't from around here I went elsewhere to gather them, and the pine needles were from the wild edibles class, 100 miles away.

    YCC- I thought I had found a university to test some soil, plants, and water for me but I got some wrong information. They only test for government affiliated agencies.

    Karl- That's a good thought, I guess being in the same climate it could be some sort of mold, but I did wash them.


    Does anyone else get a weird feeling when drinking pine needle tea? I want to have the girlfriend try some to see if I was just imagining things. I never had trouble breathing, just a very odd creepy feeling like a pre-allergic reaction. Could just be me... I hope so don't want to miss out on this stuff!

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    I'm sure she'll thank you if she winds up in the emergency room. She might be your ex-girlfriend.
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    Senior Member RandyRhoads's Avatar
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    Finally found a way to get rid of her. But on a serious note she went to the class with me and ate the same things, including the pine bud things from the same needles I tried. When I get some fresh needles that are no where near anything man made I will try them, see if it happens again. She wants to try it anyway, it's not like i'm forcing her....

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