About an hour into my walk in the woods today, I passed one of my favorite wild fruit trees of this season.  Standing there enjoying a couple of luscious persimmons, I reflected on the number of wild edibles in my area and the seasons in which they could be harvested.  Wild onions, mulberries, black berries, dew berries, pecans, walnuts, hickory nuts, plums, persimmons and others are ready for the picking at various times from spring through fall.

That got me wondering about the range of wild edibles that are available in the north woods.  Yes, I'm aware of the seasonal glory of blue berries and raspberries.  I know of wild rice, but based on other posts related to hiding/hanging food packs I was wondering if I might be able to "get by" for a few days based on what I could glean from the woods.  One should be able to still fish, but after a few days of a steady fish diet, I think I'd be looking for a bit more variety. 

Anyone tried cat tails?  Arrow plant? Seems like I've seen a little plantain.  What other choices could you add to your meal?  I've intentionally left mushrooms off the list ... selecting a non-poisonous variety is only part of the reason ... while they add flavor, there apparently isn't a lot of "food value" in mushrooms.

dd

And couple others

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Preacher wrote on Nov 5^th, 2010 at 5:56pm:

Since wild persimmons are about the size of a medium sized plum, they are mostly seeds.  Each persimmon has maybe 6 seeds about half the size of a penny.  So, the wild versions don't produce a lot of edible per unit ... but the tree ripened ones are oh-so-sweet and refreshing. 

I know when they are beginning to ripen when I start to see the seeds in coyote scat ... they populate the ground under the trees.  As for eating an unripened persimmon, expect to pucker-up because of the astringent they contain (esp. tannic acid).

dd

Fiddle head are good, I didn't know about poisoining. Thimbleberries are delishous. When I was in college at Mich Tech. my roomate came home one day and found me making Thimbleberry jam. He said I'd make some one a good wife one day! Dandelions are good to eat also, boiled like spinach, but they will stain your cookwear. Anyone tried to beat the sqirrels and eat pine cone seeds? I heard Burrdock is also edible. True?

jimmar wrote on Nov 7^th, 2010 at 9:49am:


One wonders why (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) are not a commercial crop based on all of the positive benefits ... and ALL parts of the plant are edible.  And like burdock, its root can be roasted and used as a coffee substitute.

Since the Chinkapin Oak grows in your part of the world (but unfortunately not in the boreal forest), have you ever had any of the acorns (about pea size) roasted ... very much like a roasted peanut.

And I've often run into fiddle heads in the woods ... not especially in my area, but in the rockies.

dd