Winter foraging

[payne]

What kind of plants/barks/mushrooms are still left to be foraged once snow has fallen?

A recent discussion made me think about Chaga mushrooms. What else? Possibly Turkey Tails mushrooms? Or really just any edible mushroom that grows on trees.
I read and heard from some natives that barks can be used for tonic teas and such as well.

If you have any specific information that would relate to my current location (Quebec), feel free to share!

[BENESSE]

Don't forget to make pine needle tea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrSqva1Y9Bg

[hunter63]

Pretty slim pickings in the deep dark winter.
Pine needle tea is good, .....rose hips if you have a lot of wild rose around, kinda bitter but does make a great tea as well.

[gryffynklm]

Tree or vine fruit dried on the branch. Like hunter said. Slim Pickens.

[mountainmark]

I have little experience with cambium. But the "inner bark" of white pine, hemlock, tamarac, birches, maple, aspen, and spruce as well as some others are edible (according to several guides). If you are good at IDing edible root plants by their dead stocks or know where to dig and the frost hasn't gone too deep, you could dig up tubers like Jerusalem artichoke. If the water hasn't frozen yet you could maybe get some arrowhead tubers as well. (make sure you have a warm fire nearby!) Bienials such as burdock and thistle are a bit tougher because by the time they have sent up a flowering spike the roots are no longer good by winter. They may however give you a good idea of where to uncover the snow and find their first year rosettes. As far as mushrooms go, I have found oyster mushrooms in every month but February provided there is a little warm spell. (granted I am a little south of you in NH) I once (after observing the deer) decided to try my hand at preparing the birch polypore (persistant through winter). Don't bother. Maybe if you were starving to death. No amount of leaching, drying, grinding, leaching again, will make those palateable. Sometimes you get lucky. This year I found hedgehog mushrooms clear into December. Personally I would focus my attention on snares and ice fishing in a wintertime survival situation, but be alert for other opportunities.

[payne]

Pretty slim pickings in the deep dark winter.
Pine needle tea is good, .....rose hips if you have a lot of wild rose around, kinda bitter but does make a great tea as well.

I tried a wild rose tea in the Yukon. Wasn't as great as I thought. It's way better raw. (Or maybe I didn't prepare the tea properly.)

And thanks mountainmark for your reply.

[hunter63]

I tried a wild rose tea in the Yukon. Wasn't as great as I thought. It's way better raw. (Or maybe I didn't prepare the tea properly.)

And thanks mountainmark for your reply.

I didn't say it tasted good, ....LOL, it is bitter, but does have a lot of vitamin C.....better with honey.
If they are still fleshy can be just chewed, but if dried, better in tea.

I have picked wild grapes that had dried, but was kinda just seeds in a coating.....maybe grind them up?....

[buckslayer]

I've been thinking about winter edibles for a while but haven't went out looking for anything yet. Looks like I'll have to get some pine needles for the tea.

[Psalm25]

I have found green wintergreen leaves under the snow and made a nice tea out of them. I've also made a lemony tea out of staghorn sumac. I have also picked wild leeks under the snow to cook with my grouse. Cattails can be found easy, makes a good flower for making bannock bread... if you have a lot of patients. There are plenty of root types like the thistle that are there for the picking in winter. Some water plants too

[Wildthang]

In a lot of places, you can find onion grass, wintercress, garlic mustard, and field garlic during the wintertime. They are all greens and can be eaten. Onion grass is not really an onion but actually smells like and onion when you mow through it in your yard. I have the stuff in my yard here in Ohio! Wild brocolli stalks can be eaten in the winter but they are very tough, and require a lot of chewing.