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Thread: Gateway wild edibles.

  1. #1

    Default Gateway wild edibles.

    Gateway wild edibles.

    I live in south florida I have tried pine needle tea so far is there anything to try thats not going to be gross or anything?
    Seams like a silly question but I am not going to pull a Bear Gryls.


  2. #2
    naturalist primitive your_comforting_company's Avatar
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    Stachys Floridana is a nice tuber producer that tastes like juicy spanish peanuts to me. Prickly pear fruits are delicious, but require special handling. There are many fruit and nut trees with good foods. Then you have all the regular "southern" wild edibles: Taraxacum officinale (dandelion), Vitis spp. (wild grapes), Asclepias syriaca (milkweed), Rhus coppalinum (winged sumac), and many, many others. That's a few that will get you started.

    It doesn't sound like you have a terrible lot of experience with wild plants, so practice identifying them before you eat them. If you cannot identify a plant, do NOT put it in your mouth!!

  3. #3

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    Where are you looking for wild edibles?

    Saw grass, Cattails, Spanish Needles, elderberry, cocoplum, pigeon plum, sea grape, beauty berry, marlberry, ceaser weed, poke weed, swamp cabbage heart and berries, saw palmetto buds and berries, yam, wild grapes (various), nettles and false nettles, Lots of aquatic species. You go out to Big Cypress and you'll have orange, grapefuit and lime. Lots of thistle. I am stopping now but there are a bunch more. LOL We will be in the cypress again around Feb 18th. If you would like to join us just PM me.

  4. #4

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    Yeah I would be down for that I have been looking to get out for an overnight at some point. I sent a PM.

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    Resident Wildman Wildthang's Avatar
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    Well I know that wild oranges grow everywhere down there, so I would start with that

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    Mad Scientist Mozartghost1791's Avatar
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    Have you heard of the forager Green Deane in Florida? He offers classes there on a regular basis, and has his own website with several Florida edibles.
    http://www.eattheweeds.com/
    I think Deane just recently updated the site, so now there are two versions of the site with the same url, one no longer in use. If you get the one where the most recent post is something like 'junipers' from fall last year, then it's the old one and I don't know how to get around this other than being subscribed to the newsletter and opening the link Deane sends you. Also, there may be a 'site out of date' page that allows you to jump to the new version of the site from the old one. However, both versions are fine for reference and have tons of florida edibles that you might not have known of.
    "Sometimes the best spear is the one you don't throw."
    -Johnny Whitefeather, Self-Proclaimed Native American

    "Drop the weapon and put your hands on your head!"
    -What you can usually hear when I try to demonstrate the above quote.

  7. #7

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    Yeah theres also a nice youtube channel under the same name eattheweeds. I have seen a few differnt videos on there and he does some classes like 20 mins away from me. I just wanted to know if there are anythings that are easy to pinpoint and find like the pine tree tea is a simple one. Cattail stalks is another one. I havent tried that tho.

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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    I took one of his classes. It was great, but my lack of experience and the volume of "new stuff" was like sensory over load for me.
    Can't Means Won't

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  9. #9

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    Yeah I dont want like a half hour class and get tons of information and not remember anything lol.

  10. #10
    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    It was about a three (maybe longer) hour walk in the woods. He ID'd over 50 wild edibles. There were several people that had taken his classes before. Some video taped the entire day.
    Can't Means Won't

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    Mad Scientist Mozartghost1791's Avatar
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    So you are more interested in learning one thing at a time then... That's pretty much how I am learning, through books, but Green Deane's website and it's accompanying forum have been a huge help. If you're interested the forum is at
    http://eattheweeds.com/forum/index.php
    "Sometimes the best spear is the one you don't throw."
    -Johnny Whitefeather, Self-Proclaimed Native American

    "Drop the weapon and put your hands on your head!"
    -What you can usually hear when I try to demonstrate the above quote.

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    Senior Member GreatUsername's Avatar
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    And of course, if you learn the guidelines for determining plant edibility (do not try with mushrooms), you can always ease your way into new plants if need be, which you might have to do if you get lost in an environment you are less familiar with. There are few plants I can think of that will meanfully harm you if you start by rubbing the skin, then graduate up through the various different tests to finally eating it, so long as you stop once harmful side-effects are noticed. (exceptions: snow-berry, foxglove)

    It's better to know for sure, but that method works in a pinch. It's also good to know the basic guidelines for your area. For example, where I live, all blue colored berries are safe, all black and red colored berries are safe if cooked (though some can be eaten raw, just better to be sure), only one green berry (salal) is safe, and all white berries are bad.

    This simplifies the process so you don't have to remember a million species
    I am to misbehave - Captain Mal

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    Mad Scientist Mozartghost1791's Avatar
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    Tell that to Green Deane... I've heard of that method before and though it's not as bad as eating random vegetation... there are several instances where that could get you killed... slowly by liver failure. Some plants have toxins that build up slowly and though one time eating it ain't bad, the level of toxin in your liver causes it to fail and ya can dye from that. I think dog fennel is an example. Also, I don't know if Water Hemlock would irritate the skin or not... plus it is supposed to taste great... before you go into convulsions and die.
    "Sometimes the best spear is the one you don't throw."
    -Johnny Whitefeather, Self-Proclaimed Native American

    "Drop the weapon and put your hands on your head!"
    -What you can usually hear when I try to demonstrate the above quote.

  14. #14

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    Cannot recommend both of Thayer's books highly enough.

    Unfamiliar with y'all's area bein' a Yankee n all. I start folks off on Ramps, Spring Beauty, Trout Lily, Wild Onion, Sorrels, Milkweed, Nettles, Thistles, Black Locust blossoms, etc.

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