Author Topic: Edible "weeds"  (Read 4031 times)

LivingParadise

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Edible "weeds"
« on: April 03, 2017, 11:51:03 AM »
A few to add to the list:

Purslane - Portulaca oleracea  (high in Omega 3 fats, very tasty raw)
Sea Purslane (same, but very salty)
Spanish needles - Bidens alba (a godsend for fire ant bites, among other medicinal benefits)
Dollarweed/Pennywort/Gotu kola - Hydrocotyle (astounding health benefits - here are some: https://caloriebee.com/nutrition/Pennywort-Tea-And-Its-Many-Benefits)
Amaranth - Amaranthus (a complete protein, edible leaves AND seeds!)
Sow thistle - Sonchus (popular in many countries, multiple medicinal properties)

So silly that people take so much time out of their lives, and spray poison all over their living spaces, to eradicate such abundant food, much of which has properties that could possibly cure cancer or eradicate many chronic illnesses, and then go to the store and spend a bunch of money on less fresh, less nutritional produce that had to be shipped in from elsewhere.

What is considered a "weed" where you live that is edible (and likely also medicinal), but that people get rid of because of their extreme abundance, and perhaps less than desirable appearance and/or taste? Food is food, and medicine is medicine, and there is no need for humans to go hungry virtually anywhere on Earth, nor to have most of the diseases that exist, if we only knew how to use what is so readily available to us.



And yes, I would be remiss if I did not mention the wealth of information available at http://www.eattheweeds.com/, including in the forums, which in many cases cover plants found throughout the world.
« Last Edit: April 03, 2017, 11:57:16 AM by LivingParadise »

ericalynne

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Re: Edible "weeds"
« Reply #1 on: April 03, 2017, 01:09:05 PM »
greenbriar, Smilax, tender growing tips are great. There seems to be many uses for the root, check wikipedia. It grows wild all over the woods in south florida.
Erica

BajaJohn

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Re: Edible "weeds"
« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2017, 12:30:01 PM »
Stinging Nettle - Urtica dioica http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-664-stinging%20nettle.aspx?activeingredientid=664

Dandelion - Taraxacum http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/dandelion

A mouthwatering recipe for nettle pudding from the constantly changing pages of Medieval Cookery (http://medievalcookery.com/oddities)
Ingredients
1 bunch of sorrel
1 bunch of watercress
1 bunch of dandelion leaves
2 bunches of young nettle leaves
Some chives
1 cup of barley flour
1 tsp salt
Method
Chop the herbs finely and mix in the barley flour and salt. Add enough water to bind it together and place in the centre of a linen or muslin cloth. Tie the cloth securely and add to a pot of simmering venison or wild boar. Leave in the pot until the meat is cooked and serve with chunks of bread."
« Last Edit: April 08, 2017, 12:41:43 PM by BajaJohn »

TravelingFriend

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Re: Edible "weeds"
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2017, 12:03:37 AM »
How about chicory?! We have a cultivated type, resiliently growing along, flowering and now self sowed after 2 years.
We can make coffee out of the root,
And my main interest is it is a source of inulin based sugar, calorie free, no spike in blood sugar..
And the pushers keep perverting stevia, pumping us with allergens like msg aka maltodextrin.
I grow stevia and it is worth cultivation, for tea, as a dried herb, and baked in snacks, but the stuff in the store is typically synthetically produced steviaside D which is claimed not sustainable to grow the plant for, so they create it in a lab. Steviaside A, steviaside B, and steviaside C get bitter after long storage.

greenman62

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Re: Edible "weeds"
« Reply #4 on: April 12, 2017, 10:02:32 AM »
greenbriar, Smilax, tender growing tips are great. There seems to be many uses for the root, check wikipedia. It grows wild all over the woods in south florida.
Erica

i found greenbriar in the woods near my house
i grabbed a small one and planted it in my yard, but its not getting any larger.
i produces an edible berrry, and also young shoots can be eaten.

How about chicory?! We have a cultivated type, resiliently growing along, flowering and now self sowed after 2 years.
We can make coffee out of the root,

chicory leaves are bitter to me.
the roots are already on the coffee i buy, so i dont use it as an edible

but the roots are great for improving the soil.
tall flowers attract bees like crazy too.

ragweed... grows, well... like a weed.
about 20 popped up in my yard. great to attract  bees.
The grain is some 47% crude protein and 38% crude fat.
http://www.eattheweeds.com/ragweed/


Commelina grows wild as a ground cover
http://www.eattheweeds.com/commelina-diffusa-what-a-day-for-a-day-flower-2/


common ragwort
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/r/ragwor02.html

goldenrod grows wild all over South Louisiana (and most gulf states)
its been used as a medicinal for a long time.
makes a good tea, and excellent bee-honey

http://www.eattheweeds.com/solidago-odora-liberty-tea-2/


lambs quarters and pigweed are common
but i dont eat them... too bitter...
i do grow "tree spinach" which is a cousin and in the same family

 "tree spinach"  excellent flavor for a green to eat raw.
Chenopodium giganteum

http://www.eattheweeds.com/chenopodium-album-getting-goosed-2/



Chandramohan

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Re: Edible "weeds"
« Reply #5 on: April 12, 2017, 01:01:44 PM »
Sorry, for hijacking the thread, TF, 'msg' is monosodium glutamate,and not maltodextrin. Talking of artificial sweeteners, if you can grow two or three plants of 'Miracle fruit' in a green house, one need never use any sweeteners.

Tropical Bay Area

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Re: Edible "weeds"
« Reply #6 on: February 12, 2021, 12:27:11 AM »
Oxalis species. The yellow flowered pink tuber lens in the sfo Bay Area have edible flower stems where you chew them and just suck the lemony juice out. Not very much but the pink tubers are also edible with a sour taste. Can’t eat too many though because if the oxalis acid.
Cheers!

Daintree

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Re: Edible "weeds"
« Reply #7 on: February 12, 2021, 07:08:13 PM »
I never kill anything that comes up.  I LOVE dandelions! When people ask why I am letting them grow in my lawn, I tell them that they are genuine imported European Lion's Tooth Asters! Plus they are beautiful!

One of my favorite plants is garden plantain (no relation to musa...). The seed heads are delcious, and my baby parrots especially love them.  When I tried to identify it, I took it to a local garden store.  They just said "it is some broadleaf weed. You can kill it with this". They were very confused when I said I didn't want to kill it!

As a matter of fact, my greenhouse has formed its own country - The Commonwealth of North Daintree. The country's motto is "Taraxacum in Perpetuum!"
 Dandelions Forever!

Carolyn

Galatians522

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Re: Edible "weeds"
« Reply #8 on: February 12, 2021, 10:37:48 PM »
No list of edible weeds would be complete without mentioning cat tail. I ate some last week.

Francis_Eric

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Re: Edible "weeds"
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2021, 05:29:42 AM »


One of my favorite plants is garden plantain (no relation to musa...). The seed heads are delcious, and my baby parrots especially love them.  When I tried to identify it, I took it to a local garden store.  They just said "it is some broadleaf weed. You can kill it with this". They were very confused when I said I didn't want to kill it!

 Dandelions Forever!

Carolyn

Yes Broad leaf  Plantain a common yard weed throughout North America the leaves are also crushed ,
and used as drawing out poison like Mosquito bites even brown recluse (which I do not think I've had)
I had got a  bite in Texas it grew bigger until I put Crushed Plantain leaves on it
Different species of what we have here , but the leaves have a certain smell.

(Broad leaf plantain) Plantago Major IS metamucil (Narrow Leaf Plantain is P. Ovata is psyllium husks)

Some crush it in the field to apply some chew it up first
I like to freeze it since it breaks it down to apply doesn't leave a green color although can freeze dry
 not a bad idea to place in a glass jar for longer storage -
(although people also put in a crock pot with oil, and make a ointment (or add bee's wax as well)



I Know Plenty of web sites but  wildman Steve brill is another good one

https://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/plants
https://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/

Thistle is mentioned It is related to Asparagus
I like bull thistle before it becomes woody you can peal off the thorns, and eat it like celery
(I've read your suppose to cook it some places, but never bothered me

Burdock is good as well early Picking the roots , and eating them like carrots
although after the may here they get tough (the weather can get them tough a week or two early or later)

Rhubarb is in the Polygonaceae Family So is curly dock
The Leaves do have a sour taste you should not eat to much also can pick up nitrates from over fertalized soil
Calcium oxilates like found in kale in large amounts can be bad for you it is in those leaves,.

Got to go, but
around here we have a ton of Garlic Mustard Like covers everything (leaves like a garlic smell) root is spicy
Heard a great Ice cream Beleieve it or not can be made from my friend that ate some at a fair

also common is Dames rocket (related to arugula in mustard Family )
Creeping charlie grows in everyones yards reminds me of a herb for cooking (i've ate it )


Francis_Eric

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Re: Edible "weeds"
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2021, 07:50:02 AM »
See On invasive plant atlas Here is a good idea how Invasive (European) Garlic Mustard is
(I could pick these traveling through multiple state lines)

Root has a Horse radish like taste best I can describe it .

When I first started Learning of some wild edibles I tried learning of the invasive type since there is so many
Keep in mind not all Invasive plants are not non native some are Native.
 funny because even plenty of Government sites list native plants as a bad thing in multiple states to be removed.
(like wild native grapes for instance I've seen those cut away by forest preserves )

https://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/subject.html?sub=3005
https://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/herbs.cfm










Francis_Eric

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Re: Edible "weeds"
« Reply #11 on: June 27, 2021, 06:39:20 AM »
Mostly Temperate , but saw this today when looking at persimmon beer recipe in email
already have a wine from them
(it is good, but oddly I liked the second tiny  batch better
 from spent fruit of first batch which is thinner and subtle Minerally tasting )
 
Plant profile
http://www.wildfoodies.org/PlantProfiles.htm

Wow didn't notice the Index will have to check out
http://www.wildfoodies.org/index.htm
http://www.wildfoodies.org/Persimmon.htm

Quote
The fruit is also fermented with hops, cornmeal or wheat bran into a sort of beer or made into brandy

Bull Thistle plan to peel some of these stems soon
Asparagus Relative stems have a celery taste with a tad bid astringency (which I like)
sometimes can have a grub in the hollow stem
(I cooked a grub under log at least those taste great like concentrated  fish)





nullroar

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Re: Edible "weeds"
« Reply #12 on: September 25, 2021, 04:44:30 PM »
air potato.

[There are edible versions of dioscorea bulbifera. Hard to find in the US, but you will struggle to find a more prolific edible "weed" once it starts growing]