Off the Urban Grid

Foraging for Edible Weeds

I used to raise my eyebrows at the ladies picking weeds along the bike path, plucking these dubious things from the earth and putting them into bags.

Now I realize they were just wiser (and probably healthier) than me. Instead of relying entirely on the limited selection available at supermarkets (there are thousands of varieties of edible fruits and veggies we never see just because their skins aren’t hardy enough for shipping or they grow into shapes that aren’t practical for store shelves), they were going out and getting additional greens for their table. Entirely free greens, mind you. And some of those “weed” greens are surprisingly tasty.

Of course, you need to know what you’re doing when it comes to picking wild plants, because there are some that are poisonous to humans, and you don’t want to make mistakes! But if this is something you’d like to try, you can find experts in your area who might just be willing to take you out for lessons (where I live, there are wilderness survival classes, and several focus on foraging). This is a great way to learn about the edible weeds in your area.

But if you’re like me and enjoy starting your research on the web, then here are some places to check out:

Eat the Weeds (Youtube Videos) — Your host, “Green Dean,” talks about lots and lots of weeds growing right in back yards and along bicycle trails. If you haven’t taken elderberries and thistle home to add to the pot, well, you’re missing out. Green Dean is based in Florida but he covers quite a few plants that grow all over North America.

Wild Man Steve Brill is a forager in the northeast U.S. and offers recipes for wild vegetables, fruits, nuts, and even mushrooms as well as several books on identifying edible and medicinal plants in the wild.

Wild Food Adventures — If you’re in the Pacific Northwest, you may want to sign up for workshops on wilderness survival, including foraging. See a video from these guys at YouTube: Edible Weeds

Tags: edible weeds, Foraging