milkweed myth

Asclepias syriaca

let me first acknowledge Samuel Thayer for what i am about to talk about, it was in his books that i have the reason to try this.
So the myth talks about common milkweed being bitter and having to boil it in three changes of water, not true.
I have eaten this many times this year raw. the first time was with allot of skeptsism though as i cut off the shoot and saw the familiar white milky substance i was not sure, so i dabbed it on my tongue, hmm not bad so i nibble, ok nothing, but what for an after taste ,nope, ok lets chew on it for a spell, hmm refreshing, lets try more.
And so it goes, as sam points out this myth statred with euell gibbons and maybe he ate the wrong stuff or just assumed it was like dandelion, not sure all i know is it can eat this w/o all the lost nutreints and pain of 3 changes of water

I wonder if the taste becomes bitter as the plant matures. Perhaps soil type can contribute greatly to taste. Maybe its a PTC taste test paper sort of thing. Some taste bitter some don't.

You just got my curiosity going.

I really think "taste" is only relative to the individual. Lots of folks tell me to change the water in my garden greens too, to eliminate the bitter taste, but it's the bitter stuff that is what is good for you. In fact, many of the Native American recipe's I've come across say NOT to change the water because of all the nutrition lost IN the water.
You can dissect a plant chemically and single out any chemical compound in that plant. Why do most isolated compounds have "side effects" when used in medicine??
Because the whole is greater than the sum of all it's parts.
When the body digests the whole plant, you take in ALL the chemical compounds that work TOGETHER in digestion for a greater effect. By changing the water 3 times I wonder just how many of those isolate compounds you are LOSING that might be NECESSARY for the full benefit of eating said plants.

This post also brings about another excellent point: How misinformation gets repeated. Euell Gibbons most likely did have the wrong plant, and just because he wrote a certain thing about a certain plant in a book, we all assume it's true. We read it, and pass it on to others. If a plant is fully edible (meaning it has no poisonous properties) BUT is not entirely palatable, I encourage you to try it just as WE did. Taste a little, then a little more, and so on, and see for yourself if it is actually palatable. As I've pointed out before, I like my garden greens to be bitter.. that's what makes them good for you! (At least that's what my grandad always said: "If it tastes bad, it's good for you. If it tastes good, it's probably bad for you."

Has anyone tried Yucca flower petals? Bittersweet and completely delicious!! I ate my first helping this year yesterday down at the fishing hole. There weren't many yucca's that were in bloom, so I only got a handful, and after a delicious snack of flower petals, I must admit that I didn't even eat the snack I took with me. Very filling and apparently very nutritious.

Can't give you any more rep right now WE, but If I could I would!!

I gave him some for it.

I don't necessarily agree with you on taste. Something doesn't have to taste bad to be good for you. Honey and nasturtiums are good examples. The thing tartness does, in my opinion, is add an opposing flavor or additional flavor to the meal. We don't want our meals to be all sweet or all sour so we add spices to change the flavor. Wild edibles are the same way only they become the "spice" themselves.

Very true. Pomegranates and plums, etc. are good for you and they taste great. I think the point Grandad was trying to make, in short, was "Eat your vegetables, boy, or you're gonna have to go pick a switch." Kind of a positive reinforcement, and maybe part of the reason I like veggies so much. (because I didn't like whoopins!)
Everybody doesn't like turnip greens, but they are good for you. Everybody likes ice cream (or twinkies) but they are actually pretty bad for you.
Something along those lines anyway.
The trick is being able to use wild edibles in the way Rick describes. Complementary tastes make more interesting meals, and I've been discovering there are a LOT of tastes and "spices" growing wild that could be used to make any wild meal just as interesting as a fancy resturaunt.
The Yucca petals are a good example. I would think it offered the best of both worlds. Bitter and sweet. Reminded me of Grandma's old herbal candies, except without all the High Fructose corn syrup.

You've got more balls than me WE. I studied the common milkweed and dogbane plant right thru their entire growth cycle, so I don't confuse the two, and this spring I couldn't wait for the young shoots to pop so I could try them. When they did and i saw that milky sap I just couldn't bring myself to try them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by wareagle69

Asclepias syriaca

let me first acknowledge Samuel Thayer for what i am about to talk about, it was in his books that i have the reason to try this.
So the myth talks about common milkweed being bitter and having to boil it in three changes of water, not true.
I have eaten this many times this year raw. the first time was with allot of skeptsism though as i cut off the shoot and saw the familiar white milky substance i was not sure, so i dabbed it on my tongue, hmm not bad so i nibble, ok nothing, but what for an after taste ,nope, ok lets chew on it for a spell, hmm refreshing, lets try more.
And so it goes, as sam points out this myth statred with euell gibbons and maybe he ate the wrong stuff or just assumed it was like dandelion, not sure all i know is it can eat this w/o all the lost nutreints and pain of 3 changes of water

---

+1

was just out on another ride/walk and i saw some milkweed and said " why not "

put a little dab of the milky sap on my tongue, not bitter at all
put a few more dabs on my tongue, no bitterness each time
so i grabbed about 8 leaves to take home
and while i was walking, i nipped off a quarter-sized bit of leaf and popped it in my mouth, raw
really nothing tastewise, but there was no bitterness at all
over the space of an hour, i had maybe 8 quarter-sized pieces of milkweed leaf, RAW

no ill effects or bad aftertaste so far

maybe later on today or tmmw, i'll try an inch long piece of " milky " stalk

of the leaves i brought home, hung up 4 in the window to dry out
and put 2 ( one whole, one cut up ) in the freezer to play with later

After first learning to ID and separate Asclepias syriaca from the other milkweeds I have made the following observations:

I have not eaten the stalks, but, have now eaten quite few raw unopened flower buds and quite a few raw and extremely firm seed pods, neither were bitter. But, I have boiled the flower buds with no changes of water and unseasoned they were ever so slightly bitter. I sauteed the firm seed pods in butter and they too were slightly bitter, a little more so than the boiled flower buds and left a slightly stronger and longer lasting bitter aftertaste.

If we put butter on the boiled flowerpods before serving the bitterness was un-noticable. If we ate the sauteed seed pods with a bite of mashed potatoes or beef gravy the bitterness was un-noticable as well. Regardless, both were excellent, but, my mom was turned off by the aftertaste of the sauteed seedpods. I think if we had put butter, gravy, etc. on them to begin with there would have been no aftertaste or bitterness whatsoever. Or, if we had boiled them instead of sauteeing I feel they would have been more appealing to folks that don't like bitter. We have suffered no ill effects from eating them raw or otherwise, but I have only eaten a few at a time raw.

About Sam:

I am 100% sure these are Asclepias syriaca and, as much as I agree with and admire Sam Thayer's work, I feel Sam himself may have made some assumptions, or more accuratley, pre-judgements on this one. I also feel his strong opinion may have influenced the others he speaks of in his book who agree with him on taste as they too have been subjected to his views and opinions they are now in the position of being able to pre-judge. Sam really does go out of his way to prove other authors wrong or inept and is extremely passionate about it. I think he would have a very hard time hiding that fact from the people he feeds these foods to.

Also, there's the possibilty, as someone else here mentioned, that different parts of the world produce different bitterness. I don't think Sam could have visited and tasted milkweed from every corner of the globe. I also think it's a bad idea to make such a blanket statement like he has when so many other well respected and experienced foragers profoundly disagree.

He apparently does do his homework, makes some good points, provides the best information available regarding wild foods, and does point out some severe inaccuracies of other authors in his first book. I truly appreciate that, but, I think he overstepped his bounds on this one based on my own experience and the opinions of so many others. If you wonder how I could possibly feel this way please read on...

Perception:

I'm sure many of us know how eyewitness reports can vary greatly. 20 people can see, hear, smell and taste the exact same thing, but, they all perceive it differently. When asked to give their account of what happened the statements generally vary greatly. A lot of this is based on their pre-conceived notions and personal feelings among other things.

When you use taste, smell, or color as an identifying factor it is wide open for interpretation. Some may think something is bitter while others may consider it not bitter. Some may think something smells awful while others enjoy it. Some may see the color red differently than someone else. Some people have physical disabilities that prevent them from smelling, tasting and even seeing colors the way a "normal" person would, their senses are dulled.

I only use taste, smell and color as a secondary factor for ID and I do not rely on it 100%. A person's taste and smell can be influenced by what they read and hear. It can be swayed by personal opinion, the opinion of others, physical ability and physical differences, discrimination, prejudice, and/ or pre-judgement as well.

Examples:

A good example of this is Chanterelle mushrooms, Cantharellus cibarius. Many a book, author, website, etc. state they smell strongly of apricots, and many experienced and inexperienced foragers agree. It, in part, is a widely accepted identifying trait of chanties.

I had read chants smelled like apricots long before I ever found them. When I finally did find them, sure enough they smelled like apricots to me. But, when I take those same mushrooms to someone who has never heard they smell like apricots and say "What do these smell like?" I rarely get the response "Apricots". In fact, most people say they smell mushroomy or moldy. That could be because they know it's a mushroom and are pre-judging the smell based on that knowledge. Only one person has ever said they smell fruity. I've performed this test on at least 20-30 different people.

There is a Bolete mushroom called Tylopilus felleus which is commonly known as the bitter bolete and it's listed as inedible or toxic in the books. Rightfully so, because it is as bitter as you could possibly imagine and causes gastro-intestinal problems in many who have ate it.

But, it's not bitter to everyone and some can actually eat it with no ill effects. They do not taste the bitterness at all whatsoever. I find this hard to believe, because to me they're about as bitter as an orange peel. Nevertheless, it's true and a well documented fact.

The main point of all this:

Our sense of taste and smell are intertwined and can be strongly influenced by our pre-conceived notions, prejudice, personal feelings, others' opinions, etc.etc., and the list goes on.

Now a days I find chanterelles and most times they smell like apricots, but other times they just smell mushroomy or have no real smell at all. That's because I've learned, to some extent, to put aside my pre-conceived notions and observe everything as it is, not how I want or think it should be.

I think Sam should re-visit the milkweed bitterness issue and re-consider the blanket statement he made stating Asclepias syriaca is not bitter. I sure don't think it's neccessary to boil them in three changes of water, but, when boiled or sauteed the unopened flowerpods and firm seedpods can be bitter to some people some of the time to some extent depending on that person's definition of bitter, and their pre-conceived notions, etc.

BTW, I recently received a gift certificate for Amazondot com. I redeemed it for Sam's new book Nature's Garden: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing EDIBLE WILD PLANTS. and John Kallas' new book Edible Wild Plants: Wild Foods From Dirt to Plate.

As I was typing the above post the postman delivered them both. WooHoo!

Thanks for the posting, I kinda shy away form "milky juice" my self.
The "just taste a little" it method is good, and as DW always tells me.........Save a piece to show the paramedics what I did this time.

That was an excellent post RWC. Keen insight into people's perceptions bases on what they expect to taste/smell. We also need to factor in that not everyone has the same number of smell receptors in their noses and not everyone has the same number of taste receptors. So some discrepancies will occur based solely on physical traits as well.

Our smell reaches its zenith at about age 8 then declines in later life. So, one more thing to factor in.

I know I'm just repeating what RWC said, but you see a color when you are an infant; your whole life you are taught that it is red. To me or any other random person, it may be green or blue, but because we've been taught all our lives that, when those synapses in our brains fire, it's red. Therefore we all see "red", however you percieve it.
Some people don't like onions for their taste, but my wife loves onions. I wonder sometimes if, when her synapses fire, it's the same pattern as cotton candy to my synapses.
Every different make of car has a different radio, yet they all play the same stations.

Very well said RWC, and since my journey into wild edibles, I've come to find, just as you have, that a plant that tastes good to me, or is at least favorable, might taste really disgusting to the person I let taste some. I've had friends gobble up stuff that I don't really enjoy eating, and I've had them spit out foods that love. Go figure!

As with anything new, and foreign, do your homework, and form your own opinions. Mostly, I like to double check all toxic properties of plants, and disregard any "palate" comments. The author may not be from South Georgia, and their tastes and opinions of what's "good" is probably different from my own. I've heard all my life, how delicious lobster is, but to me it tastes like eating a rubber tire with butter on it. YUCK!

верн560.5BettBettИ�по�лужChilInclWilhвойнBillFoodСодеWolfКита
ГофмPens2550Ð�рти(184предхороProjAleaПермПавлÐ*оÑ�Ñ�УрÑ�увузоКонд
ДрагMPEGСуле�нонSampЧеруСерготлиRichГалаAccaMiloFredТере�ерт
SINTArthÑ�ертÐ*омаBoxeÐ�едÑ�AZULÑ�тихMadnÐ�кÑ�еКондчелоОÑ�таÑ�ертRegi
ПоллPaliKiefGoviLEGOMySiСухоПалаBranZaneДворвперВиктPabl�ча�
Mull1063WindJameFuxiчи�тИльиЛин�KathFuxiде�тинтеГр�кMORGELEG
ZoneЛеваGioaZoneShihWomaBerm�ртиZoneNasoZoneотдепереВитаХанз
журнChar�тарзакаGeraWashRudy02-1AlphЛукаZoneMetrВИСыHW-1Zeis

SamsПроиFerrWindWorlDisn8998YC-W2009ABBYцвет�ложJewe�льфMicr
патипрочCounКитаTangEditHannкнигКитаwwwmDVD-ЗверLEGOфломDrem
TefaWinxграмигрыЮжинhttpоконGeerпоÑ�тЛитÐ*МакеЛитÐ*ЛитÐ*XVIIБурх
ЦареЯ�трFyodновакон�XVIIJoanSaraDolbШварXVIIStra�евеHypeAkon
WorlотдыImprXXIIОпрыдет�StarПогрKirsMusiВе�е�редДавы�апеСтре
contBobb�ркаФормLuisКонквойнFairMoreГрудHW-1HW-1HW-1DolpКана
Тер-ГордавтоPamoToveAposКаргMoonNguyЯровtuchkasСеннТюль

�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт
�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт
�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт
�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт
�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт
�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт
�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт
�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт

�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт
�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт
�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт
�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт
�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт
�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт
�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айт�айтtuchkas�айт�айт

врем152.4мыÑ�лPERFÐ�овоEliaLAReÐ*уднСмирXVIIгравриÑ�уGregTescпред
TescÐ*азмÑ�енитекÑ�ГульпразJoseДобрученTrenЖуконаÑ�Ñ‚SalvБузиXVII
MiraавтоСергReapHearмагн�лекСодеМК�рИллюXVIIWendAikoTescБегу
GuntМуратреуIntrДанибиолLineКалеArthлицаCharЛеонthesзамеCirc
��ылГаджHiroВержJungPers�лекSieLтканГудкSieLPaliELEGEnjoVent
SelaEricCircBossZoneSeikSela(196JereПаноГильженщDaniMich�лож
XVIIради�икоБ900BennИ�ФОСтукZone�ереZoneZoneZoneZoneZoneZone
ZoneZone2441ZoneкараZone3110BonuZoneZoneZone�лликлейVideзоло

KronInboExelКитаÑ�трашариИÑ�паOmniT200PoweПетрDonaKareÐ*омаABL0
метакаждkbpsШвейVictÑ�борÐ*азмплаÑ�компдемоWindWindWinxшнурUnit
ViteClorWhisЛитÐ*аÑ�пиAdvaназвThatLinuЛитÐ*рабоXVIIЛитÐ*КожеСоло
БранИллюБереLion�верИллюи�куЛетуPaulкра�JeweHangWaysМаркPabl
CageHollArma�ормwwwbВейдTerrИванГатк�торМощаFranКузнDeviДудн
Roge�р�е�ртаplanDaviJohnЯро�КуклХор�PernVideVideVideСухочтен
Шу�тВеркИллю�зыкпи�акнигУ�тиЗвегИ�аена�тtuchkas�а�риллю

audiobookkeeper.rucottagenet.rueyesvision.rueyesvisions.comfactoringfee.rufilmzones.rugadwall.rugaffertape.rugageboard.rugagrule.rugallduct.rugalvanometric.rugangforeman.rugangwayplatform.rugarbagechute.ru
gardeningleave.rugascautery.rugashbucket.rugasreturn.rugatedsweep.rugaugemodel.rugaussianfilter.rugearpitchdiameter.rugeartreating.rugeneralizedanalysis.rugeneralprovisions.rugeophysicalprobe.rugeriatricnurse.rugetintoaflap.rugetthebounce.ru
habeascorpus.ruhabituate.ruhackedbolt.ruhackworker.ruhadronicannihilation.ruhaemagglutinin.ruhailsquall.ruhairysphere.ruhalforderfringe.ruhalfsiblings.ruhallofresidence.ruhaltstate.ruhandcoding.ruhandportedhead.ruhandradar.ru
handsfreetelephone.ruhangonpart.ruhaphazardwinding.ruhardalloyteeth.ruhardasiron.ruhardenedconcrete.ruharmonicinteraction.ruhartlaubgoose.ruhatchholddown.ruhaveafinetime.ruhazardousatmosphere.ruheadregulator.ruheartofgold.ruheatageingresistance.ruheatinggas.ru
heavydutymetalcutting.rujacketedwall.rujapanesecedar.rujibtypecrane.rujobabandonment.rujobstress.rujogformation.rujointcapsule.rujointsealingmaterial.rujournallubricator.rujuicecatcher.rujunctionofchannels.rujusticiablehomicide.rujuxtapositiontwin.rukaposidisease.ru
keepagoodoffing.rukeepsmthinhand.rukentishglory.rukerbweight.rukerrrotation.rukeymanassurance.rukeyserum.rukickplate.rukillthefattedcalf.rukilowattsecond.rukingweakfish.rukinozones.rukleinbottle.rukneejoint.ruknifesethouse.ru
knockonatom.ruknowledgestate.rukondoferromagnet.rulabeledgraph.rulaborracket.rulabourearnings.rulabourleasing.rulaburnumtree.rulacingcourse.rulacrimalpoint.rulactogenicfactor.rulacunarycoefficient.ruladletreatediron.rulaggingload.rulaissezaller.ru
lambdatransition.rulaminatedmaterial.rulammasshoot.rulamphouse.rulancecorporal.rulancingdie.rulandingdoor.rulandmarksensor.rulandreform.rulanduseratio.rulanguagelaboratory.rulargeheart.rulasercalibration.rulaserlens.rulaserpulse.ru

laterevent.rulatrinesergeant.rulayabout.ruleadcoating.ruleadingfirm.rulearningcurve.ruleaveword.rumachinesensible.rumagneticequator.rumagnetotelluricfield.rumailinghouse.rumajorconcern.rumammasdarling.rumanagerialstaff.rumanipulatinghand.ru
manualchoke.rumedinfobooks.rump3lists.runameresolution.runaphtheneseries.runarrowmouthed.runationalcensus.runaturalfunctor.runavelseed.runeatplaster.runecroticcaries.runegativefibration.runeighbouringrights.ruobjectmodule.ruobservationballoon.ru
obstructivepatent.ruoceanmining.ruoctupolephonon.ruofflinesystem.ruoffsetholder.ruolibanumresinoid.ruonesticket.rupackedspheres.rupagingterminal.rupalatinebones.rupalmberry.rupapercoating.ruparaconvexgroup.ruparasolmonoplane.ruparkingbrake.ru
partfamily.rupartialmajorant.ruquadrupleworm.ruqualitybooster.ruquasimoney.ruquenchedspark.ruquodrecuperet.rurabbetledge.ruradialchaser.ruradiationestimator.rurailwaybridge.rurandomcoloration.rurapidgrowth.rurattlesnakemaster.rureachthroughregion.ru
readingmagnifier.rurearchain.rurecessioncone.rurecordedassignment.rurectifiersubstation.ruredemptionvalue.rureducingflange.rureferenceantigen.ruregeneratedprotein.rureinvestmentplan.rusafedrilling.rusagprofile.rusalestypelease.rusamplinginterval.rusatellitehydrology.ru
scarcecommodity.ruscrapermat.ruscrewingunit.ruseawaterpump.rusecondaryblock.rusecularclergy.ruseismicefficiency.ruselectivediffuser.rusemiasphalticflux.rusemifinishmachining.ruspicetrade.ruspysale.rustungun.rutacticaldiameter.rutailstockcenter.ru
tamecurve.rutapecorrection.rutappingchuck.rutaskreasoning.rutechnicalgrade.rutelangiectaticlipoma.rutelescopicdamper.rutemperateclimate.rutemperedmeasure.rutenementbuilding.rutuchkasultramaficrock.ruultraviolettesting.ru