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{{honor_header|2|1970|Nature|General Conference}}
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<languages /><br />
{{AY Master|Wilderness}}
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<noinclude><translate>
 
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</noinclude>
==Introduction==
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{{honor_desc
There are at least three approaches to finding edible wild plants in your area. The first is to look through a list of edible wild plants that should be available in your area, and then go out and try to find some of them. The second approach is to go out and identify what plants are around you, determine their identity, and ''then'' find out if they are edible by looking them up in a good field guide ('''not by tasting them!'''). The third approach is to take a class, with field trips, on the subject. Having friends interested in it is helpful too. You tend to build on what each one finds out.
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|stage=100
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|honorname=Edible Wild Plants
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|skill=2
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|year=1970
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|category=Nature
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|authority=General Conference
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|insignia=Edible_Wild_Plants_Honor.png
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}}
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{{Honor_Master|honor=Edible Wild Plants|master=Wilderness}}
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{{IAConnection|[[Investiture_Achievement/Voyager/Nature_Study|FRONTIER VOYAGER Nature Study]]|(as one of two options) "Identify, prepare and eat 10 varieties of edible wild plants" which is a good start on Requirement 3 of this Honor|This Honor is a popular choice for the Level 2 or 3 Nature Honor required of FRONTIER VOYAGER.}}
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==Introduction== <!--T:104-->
 +
There are at least three approaches to finding edible wild plants in your area. The first is to look through a list of edible wild plants that should be available in your area, and then go out and try to find some of them. The second approach is to go out and identify what plants are around you, determine their identity, and ''then'' find out if they are edible by looking them up in a good field guide ('''not by tasting them!'''). The third approach is to take a class, with field trips, on the subject. Having friends interested in it is helpful too. You tend to build on what each one finds out.
  
Because a surprising number of plants are edible, the second approach is far more likely to yield successful results. I cannot tell you how long I struggled with the first approach, searching for the likes of Jerusalem Artichokes or Groundnuts without success, all the while overlooking Hazels, Sarsaparilla, and Bunchberry. All my field guides indicated that Jerusalem Artichokes and Groundnuts should both grow in my area, but it was ''years'' before I ever saw either. I did manage to find more than 15 edible plants using the first technique, but it was indeed a ''struggle''. Sometime later I began trying to identify every plant I saw - only a few at a time of course.   I found myself entering information into [http://www.realtimerendering.com/flowers/flowers.html this online key] - and when I got a hit, I would recognize that plant as one that I had seen in an edible wild plant field guide, but had not been looking for. I soon learned that many - perhaps ''half'' - of the plants in my yard are edible. Of course I also found many that are not edible, and several that are poisonous (just so you don't go around thinking that since many plants are edible, it's harmless to eat something you have not identified - '''it is not'''.)
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<!--T:3-->
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Because a surprising number of plants are edible, the second approach is far more likely to yield successful results. I cannot tell you how long I struggled with the first approach, searching for the likes of Jerusalem Artichokes or Groundnuts without success, all the while overlooking Hazels, Sarsaparilla, and Bunchberry. All my field guides indicated that Jerusalem Artichokes and Groundnuts should both grow in my area, but it was ''years'' before I ever saw either. I did manage to find more than 15 edible plants using the first technique, but it was indeed a ''struggle''. Sometime later I began trying to identify every plant I saw - only a few at a time of course. I found myself entering information into [http://www.realtimerendering.com/flowers/flowers.html this online key] - and when I got a hit, I would recognize that plant as one that I had seen in an edible wild plant field guide, but had not been looking for. I soon learned that many - perhaps ''half'' - of the plants in my yard are edible. Of course I also found many that are not edible, and several that are poisonous (just so you don't go around thinking that since many plants are edible, it's harmless to eat something you have not identified - '''it is not'''.)
  
By attempting to identify the plants I had found rather than trying to find the plants I had identified, I found many, many more edible plants in a much shorter time (and several inedible and poisonous plants as well). It has made me a better Pathfinder.
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<!--T:4-->
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By attempting to identify the plants I had found rather than trying to find the plants I had identified, I found many, many more edible plants in a much shorter time (and several inedible and poisonous plants as well). It has made me a better Pathfinder.
  
If you opt to use the second approach, I urge you to review the requirements for the [[../Flowers|Flowers]], [[../Flowers - Advanced|Flowers - Advanced]], [[../Seeds|Seeds]], and [[../Seeds - Advanced|Seeds - Advanced]] honors as well. You can meet many requirements of all these honors at the same time.
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<!--T:5-->
 +
If you opt to use the second approach, I urge you to review the requirements for the [[../Flowers|Flowers]], [[../Flowers - Advanced|Flowers - Advanced]], [[../Seeds|Seeds]], and [[../Seeds - Advanced|Seeds - Advanced]] honors as well. You can meet many requirements of all these honors at the same time.
  
Also in some plants one part is edible and another part is poisonous. A grocery store example of this is cherries. The fruit is very good, but the seeds contain cyanide which is deadly if you eat enough. The leaves are likewise poisonous and have been known to kill cattle. Just because one part of a plant is edible does not mean that the whole plant is good to eat, and just because a plant is listed as edible does not mean that it is not poisonous.
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<!--T:6-->
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Also in some plants one part is edible and another part is poisonous. A grocery store example of this is cherries. The fruit is very good, but the seeds contain cyanide which is deadly if you eat enough. The leaves are likewise poisonous and have been known to kill cattle. Just because one part of a plant is edible does not mean that the whole plant is good to eat, and just because a plant is listed as edible does not mean that it is not poisonous.
  
 +
<!--T:7-->
 
Some plants are edible only in certain stages of growth. Some examples are: Bracken fern is not edible after the fiddle head stage. Nettles can cause kidney problems in some people if they are mature (seed growing on the stalk). Yucca stalk (Hesperoyucca whipplei ) gets too many bitter saponins to be palatable as it matures into a flower head.
 
Some plants are edible only in certain stages of growth. Some examples are: Bracken fern is not edible after the fiddle head stage. Nettles can cause kidney problems in some people if they are mature (seed growing on the stalk). Yucca stalk (Hesperoyucca whipplei ) gets too many bitter saponins to be palatable as it matures into a flower head.
 
'''Be careful.'''
 
'''Be careful.'''
  
==1. Photograph, collect pictures of or sketch fifteen edible wild plants. Identify each plant in the wild. ==
 
  
Several wild edible plants are presented here.  I have included the plants with which I am most familiar, meaning that most of them are available in the Eastern United States, though we are in the process of adding more plants from the Western U.S. To make this section more universal, please add plants from your own area. This should be done by creating a separate page for the plant and including it thusly:
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I have had success in teaching this honor in the past by going to an area that has several (if not all) of the required plants and photographing them.  I then use photo editing software to add the name of the plant to the photo (or you could write the name on the back).  I print out copies of all the photos - enough for each Pathfinder to have one.  Then I laminate them, punch a hole in one corner, and hold them together with a binder ring.  When the day comes to teach the honor, each Pathfinder has a custom field guide to the area having plants for them to find.  You should obviously not wait too long between taking the photos and teaching the honor, or the plants you've chosen may go out of season.
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 +
==1. Photograph, collect pictures of or sketch fifteen edible wild plants. Identify each plant in the wild. == <!--T:8-->
  
<nowiki>{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/New Plant}}</nowiki>
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<!--T:9-->
 +
Several wild edible plants are presented here. I have included the plants with which I am most familiar, meaning that most of them are available in the Eastern United States, though we are in the process of adding more plants from the Western U.S. To make this section more universal, please add plants from your own area. If you do not know how to do advanced wiki editing, please click the [edit] link and just add the name of the plant (preferably, the scientific name).  The volunteers here will format it up nicely for you.  But if you do know how to use wiki templates, feel free to follow the examples here and add it yourself.
  
Save the page, and then click on the red link you just made to create the new page (or let someone else do that - just knowing which plant to include is a great help).  If you choose to add content to the new page, please use the [[Template:EWP|EWP]] template to maintain uniformity.  See the discussion page of the EWP template for its usage, or look at an existing page that uses it (which would be all of the ones below).
 
  
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<!--T:12-->
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{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Amaranth}}
  
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<!--T:13-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Lepidium virginicum}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Lepidium virginicum}}
  
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<!--T:14-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Bladder Campion}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Bladder Campion}}
  
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<!--T:15-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Cattail}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Cattail}}
  
 +
<!--T:16-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Chicory}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Chicory}}
  
 +
<!--T:17-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Clover}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Clover}}
  
 +
<!--T:18-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Dandelion}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Dandelion}}
  
 +
<!--T:19-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Day Lily}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Day Lily}}
  
 +
<!--T:20-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Evening Primrose}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Evening Primrose}}
  
 +
<!--T:21-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Goldenrod}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Goldenrod}}
  
 +
<!--T:22-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Greenbriar}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Greenbriar}}
  
 +
<!--T:23-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Jerusalem Artichoke}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Jerusalem Artichoke}}
  
 +
<!--T:24-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Milkweed}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Milkweed}}
  
 +
<!--T:25-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Pickerelweed}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Pickerelweed}}
  
 +
<!--T:26-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Plantain}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Plantain}}
  
 +
<!--T:27-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Sheep Sorrel}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Sheep Sorrel}}
  
 +
<!--T:28-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Strawberry}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Strawberry}}
  
 +
<!--T:29-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Wild Carrot}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Wild Carrot}}
  
 +
<!--T:30-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Wild Garlic}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Wild Garlic}}
  
 +
<!--T:31-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Wild Onion}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Wild Onion}}
  
 +
<!--T:32-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Wintergreen}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Wintergreen}}
  
 +
<!--T:33-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Wood Sorrel}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Wood Sorrel}}
  
 +
<!--T:34-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Cereus repandus}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Cereus repandus}}
  
 +
<!--T:35-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Berberis}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Berberis}}
  
 +
<!--T:36-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Ferocactus cylindraceus}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Ferocactus cylindraceus}}
  
 +
<!--T:37-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Prunus virginiana}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Prunus virginiana}}
  
 +
<!--T:38-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Cylindropuntia}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Cylindropuntia}}
  
 +
<!--T:39-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Malus coronaria}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Malus coronaria}}
  
 +
<!--T:40-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Vitis vinifera}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Vitis vinifera}}
  
 +
<!--T:41-->
 
<br style="clear:both">
 
<br style="clear:both">
  
==2. Identify in the wild five trees and five shrubs which are edible. ==
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==2. Identify in the wild five trees and five shrubs which are edible. == <!--T:42-->
Trees typically have a single trunk and grow taller than shrubs (which often have multiple trunks). Some species can be classified as either depending on growing conditions.
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Trees typically have a single trunk and grow taller than shrubs (which often have multiple trunks). Some species can be classified as either depending on growing conditions.
 
===Trees===
 
===Trees===
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Acorn}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Acorn}}
  
 +
<!--T:43-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Beech Nuts}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Beech Nuts}}
  
 +
<!--T:44-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Cherry}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Cherry}}
  
 +
<!--T:45-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Hickory Nuts}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Hickory Nuts}}
  
 +
<!--T:46-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Maple Syrup}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Maple Syrup}}
  
 +
<!--T:47-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Persimmon}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Persimmon}}
  
 +
<!--T:48-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Pine Nuts}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Pine Nuts}}
  
 +
<!--T:49-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Pine Needles}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Pine Needles}}
  
 +
<!--T:50-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Sassafras}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Sassafras}}
  
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Sumac}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Sumac}}
===Shrubs===
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===Shrubs=== <!--T:51-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Autumn Olive}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Autumn Olive}}
  
 +
<!--T:52-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Blackberry}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Blackberry}}
  
 +
<!--T:53-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Blueberry}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Blueberry}}
  
 +
<!--T:54-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Cranberry}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Cranberry}}
  
 +
<!--T:55-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Gooseberry}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Gooseberry}}
  
 +
<!--T:56-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Rose}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Rose}}
  
 +
<!--T:57-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Serviceberry}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Serviceberry}}
  
 +
<!--T:58-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Spicebush}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Spicebush}}
  
==3. Identify, prepare, and eat three kinds of wild berries or fruits, three kinds of beverages, three salad plants, three potherbs (greens), and two tubers or roots. ==
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==3. Identify, prepare, and eat three kinds of wild berries or fruits, three kinds of beverages, three salad plants, three potherbs (greens), and two tubers or roots. == <!--T:59-->
 
===Fruits and Berries===
 
===Fruits and Berries===
See above on Apple cactus, Barberry, Barrel cactus, Blackberry, Blackberry, Blueberry, Blueberry, Bunch berry, Cascara, Cherry, Chokecherry, Cholla, Coffeeberry, Crab apple, Cranberry, Currant, Date palm, Desert apricot, Elderberry, Fan palm, Fire thorn, Gooseberry, Grape, Ground cherry, Hackberry, Hawthorne, Holly leaf Cherry, Indian plum, Lemonade berry, Manzanita, Mulberry, Oregon Grape, Organ pipe, Partridgeberry, Passion fruit, Pawpaw, Persimmon, Pin Cherry, Prickly pear, Raspberry, Rose hips, Saguaro cactus, Salal, Serviceberry, Sour Cherry, Squawbush, Strawberry, Sugarbush, Thimbleberry, Toyon, and Wintergreen.
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See above on Apple cactus, Barberry, Barrel cactus, Blackberry, Blueberry, Bunch berry, Cascara, Cherry, Chokecherry, Cholla, Coffeeberry, Crab apple, Cranberry, Currant, Date palm, Desert apricot, Elderberry, Fan palm, Fire thorn, Gooseberry, Grape, Ground cherry, Hackberry, Hawthorne, Holly leaf Cherry, Indian plum, Lemonade berry, Manzanita, Mulberry, Oregon Grape, Organ pipe, Partridgeberry, Passion fruit, Pawpaw, Persimmon, Pin Cherry, Prickly pear, Raspberry, Rose hips, Saguaro cactus, Salal, Serviceberry, Sour Cherry, Squawbush, Strawberry, Sugarbush, Thimbleberry, Toyon, and Wintergreen.
 +
 
 +
<!--T:60-->
 +
Also see [[:Category:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/EWP/Fruit|this category]] for a list of all the plants that have been tagged in this Wiki as having edible fruit.
 +
 
 +
===Beverages=== <!--T:61-->
 +
See above on Chicory, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgOgPGA0Ewg Dandelion], Goldenrod, Lemon aid berry, Mint, Nettle, Pine needle, Pineapple weed, Sassafras, Sheep Sorrel, Sumac, Wintergreen, and Wood Sorrel
  
===Beverages===
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<!--T:62-->
See above on Chicory, Dandelion, Goldenrod, Lemon aid berry, Mint, Nettle, Pine needle, Pineapple weed, Sassafras, Sheep Sorrel, Sumac, Wintergreen, and Wood Sorrel
+
Also see [[:Category:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/EWP/Beverage|this category]] for a list of all the plants that have been tagged in this Wiki as suitable for making beverages.
  
===Salad Plants===
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===Salad Plants=== <!--T:63-->
 
See above on Chickweed, Dandelion, Greenbriar, Lambs' quarters, Miner's lettuce, Plantain, Purslane, Sheep Sorrel, Violet, Wood Sorrel
 
See above on Chickweed, Dandelion, Greenbriar, Lambs' quarters, Miner's lettuce, Plantain, Purslane, Sheep Sorrel, Violet, Wood Sorrel
 +
Also see [[:Category:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/EWP/Salad|this category]] for a list of all the plants that have been tagged in this Wiki as suitable salad ingredients.
 +
===Greens===
 +
See above on Amaranth, Dandelion, Dock, Filaree, Fireweed, Lambsquarters, Mallow, Milkweed, Plantain, Russian thistle, Stinging Nettle, Wood Nettle.
  
===Greens===
+
<!--T:64-->
See above on Amaranth, Dandelion, Dock, Filaree, Fireweed, Lambsquarters, Mallow, Milkweed, Plantain, Russian thistle, Stinging Nettle, Wood Nettle,
+
Also see [[:Category:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/EWP/Potherb|this category]] for a list of all the plants that have been tagged in this Wiki as suitable for making potherbs.
  
===Tubers or Roots===
+
===Tubers or Roots=== <!--T:65-->
 
See above on Brodiaea, Burdock, Camas, Carrot, Cattail, Dandelion, Evening Primrose, Garlic, Jerusalem Artichoke, Lomatium, Onion, Sassafras, Salsify, and Yampah
 
See above on Brodiaea, Burdock, Camas, Carrot, Cattail, Dandelion, Evening Primrose, Garlic, Jerusalem Artichoke, Lomatium, Onion, Sassafras, Salsify, and Yampah
 +
Also see [[:Category:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/EWP/Tuber|this category]] for a list of all the plants that have been tagged in this Wiki as having edible roots or tubers.
  
==4. Demonstrate the preparation of wild foods in each of the following ways: ==
+
==4. Demonstrate the preparation of wild foods in each of the following ways: == <!--T:66-->
 
===a. Boiling  ===
 
===a. Boiling  ===
 
Any of the greens and tubers may be prepared by boiling.
 
Any of the greens and tubers may be prepared by boiling.
===b. Frying  ===
+
 
====Cattail Pollen Pancakes====
+
<!--T:67-->
 +
Also see the [[:Category:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/EWP/Boil|this category]] for a list of all the plants that have been tagged in this Wiki that can be prepared by boiling
 +
 
 +
===b. Frying  === <!--T:68-->
 +
See the [[:Category:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/EWP/Fry|this category]] for a list of all the plants that have been tagged in this Wiki that can be prepared by frying
 +
 
 +
====Cattail Pollen Pancakes==== <!--T:69-->
 
[[File:CattailPollenS.jpg|thumb|Cattail pollen collector]]
 
[[File:CattailPollenS.jpg|thumb|Cattail pollen collector]]
 
Collect cattail pollen and mix with flour for pancakes. The best results are with replacing 1/4 and 1/2 of the flour with cattail pollen. This will add nutrition and a bright yellow color to your pancakes.  
 
Collect cattail pollen and mix with flour for pancakes. The best results are with replacing 1/4 and 1/2 of the flour with cattail pollen. This will add nutrition and a bright yellow color to your pancakes.  
  
 +
<!--T:70-->
 
Cattails are in the pollen stage for about 2 weeks to a month. The season starts the end of April in the southern areas of the USA and ends in July in Canada or in high elevations.
 
Cattails are in the pollen stage for about 2 weeks to a month. The season starts the end of April in the southern areas of the USA and ends in July in Canada or in high elevations.
  
  
 +
<!--T:71-->
 
A good cattail pollen harvester can be made with an empty 3 liter pop bottle by making a 1.5 - 2 inch hole just below the curved part of the bottle on the cap end of the bottle. Put the cap on and insert the pollen laden cattail flower head through the hole you made. Tap the cattail stem to release the pollen into the pop bottle. More pollen will be ready to harvest in a day or two. 2 liter pop bottles work too, but the pollen tends to get stuck in the neck of the bottle when emptying it. After emptying the pollen, sift the fiber and bugs out.
 
A good cattail pollen harvester can be made with an empty 3 liter pop bottle by making a 1.5 - 2 inch hole just below the curved part of the bottle on the cap end of the bottle. Put the cap on and insert the pollen laden cattail flower head through the hole you made. Tap the cattail stem to release the pollen into the pop bottle. More pollen will be ready to harvest in a day or two. 2 liter pop bottles work too, but the pollen tends to get stuck in the neck of the bottle when emptying it. After emptying the pollen, sift the fiber and bugs out.
  
====Clover Pancakes====
+
====Clover Pancakes==== <!--T:72-->
Collect about one gallon of clover flowers and let them dry for two weeks (or dry them in the oven at 250°F for 30 minutes and then let them sit overnight). Once they are dry, grind them to powder using a mortar and pestle to make a fine flour. This will produce about a cup of flour. Mix this half-and-half with wheat flour and make pancakes.
+
Collect about one gallon of clover flowers and let them dry for two weeks (or dry them in the oven at 250°F for 30 minutes and then let them sit overnight). Once they are dry, grind them to powder using a mortar and pestle to make a fine flour. This will produce about a cup of flour. Mix this half-and-half with wheat flour and make pancakes.
  
====Fritters====
+
====Fritters==== <!--T:73-->
*'''Dandelion''' flower heads can be dipped in batter and fried to make fritters.
+
*'''Dandelion''' flower heads can be dipped in batter and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RbVTTlzLcI fried to make fritters].  
 
*'''Elderberry''' flower heads can be dipped in batter and fried to make fritters. Caution: Plant stems and leaves contain cyanide.
 
*'''Elderberry''' flower heads can be dipped in batter and fried to make fritters. Caution: Plant stems and leaves contain cyanide.
 
*'''Milkweed''' flowers can also be battered and fried, but they must be dipped in boiling water for one minute first.
 
*'''Milkweed''' flowers can also be battered and fried, but they must be dipped in boiling water for one minute first.
 
*'''Black Locust''' flowers also make excellent fritters.
 
*'''Black Locust''' flowers also make excellent fritters.
  
===c. Roasting ===
+
===c. Roasting === <!--T:74-->
See above for Acorns, Agave, Chicory, Dandelion, Pickerel weed, Pine nuts, Soap root and Yucca.
+
See above for Acorns, Agave, Beechnuts, Chicory, Dandelion, Pickerel weed, Pine nuts, Soap root and Yucca.
 +
 
 +
<!--T:75-->
 +
Also see the [[:Category:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/EWP/Roast|this category]] for a list of all the plants that have been tagged in this Wiki that can be prepared by roasting.
 +
 
 +
===d. Baking === <!--T:76-->
 +
See the [[:Category:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/EWP/Bake|this category]] for a list of all the plants that have been tagged in this Wiki that can be prepared by baking, and [[:Category:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/EWP/Flour|this category]] for a list of plants that have been tagged as suitable for making flour.
  
===d. Baking ===
+
====Pie==== <!--T:77-->
====Pie====
+
Delicious pies can be made from blackberries or blueberries. Wild cherries are not really large enough for this, but if you find them in quantity, you might make a go of it.
Delicious pies can be made from blackberries or blueberries. Wild cherries are not really large enough for this, but if you find them in quantity, you might make a go of it.
 
 
====Bread====
 
====Bread====
 
Try baking bread by mixing wheat flour with any of the various "wild" flours made from clover, acorn, cattail pollen, or cattail roots.
 
Try baking bread by mixing wheat flour with any of the various "wild" flours made from clover, acorn, cattail pollen, or cattail roots.
  
==5. Demonstrate how to prepare four parts of the common milkweed or day lily for food. ==  
+
==5. Demonstrate how to prepare four parts of the common milkweed or day lily for food. == <!--T:78-->
This is a highly regional requirement valid only where common milkweed or day lily grow wild abundantly. Rather than outright waiving the requirement if you live in a region where these plants do not grow, consider replacing the requirement with something roughly equivalent (i.e., do you know of a plant that grows in your area having four edible parts? Cattail?)
+
This is a highly regional requirement valid only where common milkweed or day lily grow wild abundantly. Rather than outright waiving the requirement if you live in a region where these plants do not grow, consider replacing the requirement with something roughly equivalent (i.e., do you know of a plant that grows in your area having four edible parts? Cattail? Dandelion?)
  
===Milkweed===
+
===Milkweed=== <!--T:79-->
 
{|
 
{|
 
|[[Image:Asclepias syriaca.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Common Milkweed in flower]]
 
|[[Image:Asclepias syriaca.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Common Milkweed in flower]]
 
|[[Image:Milkweed4043.JPG|thumb|200px|right|Milkweed pods]]
 
|[[Image:Milkweed4043.JPG|thumb|200px|right|Milkweed pods]]
 
|}
 
|}
The parts of a milkweed plant that are edible are the leaves, stems, shoots, flowers, and pods. The pods must be collected while they are young, and the flowers are not in season for very long. All are prepared essentially the same way, which is by boiling them in several changes of water. Boiling eliminates the bitter, milky sap from which the milkweed derives its name.
+
The parts of a milkweed plant that are edible are the leaves, stems, shoots, flowers, and pods. The pods must be collected while they are young, and the flowers are not in season for very long. There are many edible wild plant authors who claim that milkweed must be boiled in multiple changes of water to eliminate its bitterness. However, Samuel Thayer in his book ''Forager's harvest'' <ref>[http://www.amazon.com/The-Foragers-Harvest-Identifying-Harvesting/dp/0976626608/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378422468&sr=8-1&keywords=foragers+harvest ''Forager's Harvest'' by Samuel Thayer]</ref> decisively puts this notion to bed, and traces it to the writings of Euell Gibbons. Most authors simply parrot what Gibbons wrote. Thayer suggests that milkweeds reputation was gained because it was confused with dogbane ''(Apocynum androsaemifolium)'' which ''is'' bitter. Milkweed is not bitter, even when raw (though it is best to boil it for a few minutes). If it is bitter, it is not milkweed and should not be eaten. Do not waste time and energy boiling it in multiple changes of water.
 
 
Prepare the milkweed by filling a large pot with water and bringing it to a boil. When the water is close to boiling, fill a small pot with water and bring it to a boil as well.  When ''both'' pots are boiling, place the milkweed in the smaller of the two and let it boil for about a minute.  Pour the water off and then refill the small pot from the large pot. You may wish to use a ladle to dip the boiling water from the large pot into the smaller one. You do not want to cover the milkweed with cold water as this will set the bitterness which is mildly poisonous. Boil the second batch of water for a minute also, drain it off, and refill.  Subsequent changes of water should remain in the pot for a few minutes. After no fewer than six changes of water, the milkweed should be ready to eat. Add a little butter if desired and prepare to treat your taste buds.
 
<br style="clear:both">
 
  
===Day Lily===
+
===Day Lily=== <!--T:80-->
 
See requirement #1 for information on preparing the '''shoots''', '''buds''', '''flowers''', and '''tubers'''.
 
See requirement #1 for information on preparing the '''shoots''', '''buds''', '''flowers''', and '''tubers'''.
  
==6. Explain how to identify three "odd-shaped" edible fungi and how to identify the deadly mushroom amanitas. ==
+
==6. Explain how to identify three "odd-shaped" edible fungi and how to identify the deadly mushroom amanitas. == <!--T:81-->
 
{{Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Problematic requirement
 
{{Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Problematic requirement
 
|This requirement should be removed from the honor as it presents a significant danger of accidental lethal poisoning.
 
|This requirement should be removed from the honor as it presents a significant danger of accidental lethal poisoning.
Line 191: Line 274:
 
}}
 
}}
  
 +
<!--T:82-->
 
I (John Goude) as a teacher about wild edible plants '''strongly object''' to this requirement!
 
I (John Goude) as a teacher about wild edible plants '''strongly object''' to this requirement!
  
 +
<!--T:83-->
 
Is it '''ethical''' to teach Pathfinders to eat wild mushrooms being that even experts in '''mycology''' have died from eating mushrooms they collected? Where ever I go teaching about wild edible plants I hear heart wrenching stories of whole families that have been wiped out by eating wild mushrooms. Do you want to lead your Pathfinders to be part of one of these stories?
 
Is it '''ethical''' to teach Pathfinders to eat wild mushrooms being that even experts in '''mycology''' have died from eating mushrooms they collected? Where ever I go teaching about wild edible plants I hear heart wrenching stories of whole families that have been wiped out by eating wild mushrooms. Do you want to lead your Pathfinders to be part of one of these stories?
  
 +
<!--T:84-->
 
The introduction to <u>Poisons Plants of California</u> says "Of all poisonous plants in California, toxic mushrooms cause the most serious illnesses and nearly all the fatalities to humans."
 
The introduction to <u>Poisons Plants of California</u> says "Of all poisonous plants in California, toxic mushrooms cause the most serious illnesses and nearly all the fatalities to humans."
  
 +
<!--T:85-->
 
Following is a quote from Dr. Peter Gail Ph.D. one of Euell Gibbons literary assistants.
 
Following is a quote from Dr. Peter Gail Ph.D. one of Euell Gibbons literary assistants.
  
 +
<!--T:86-->
 
:"I have spent 55 years as a forager and at least 43 of them teaching others to forage, and I don't do mushrooms other than puffballs. Reason? When I was a wet behind the ears Masters degree student in Plant Systematics at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont California, my mycology professor, the very prominent Dr. Richard Benjamin, went out one weekend on a mushroom hunting expedition with one of his buddies, an equally prominent mycologist who was a specialist in mushrooms. On Monday, he was badly shaken, and reported to us at morning coffee break that there had been a mishap--his buddy had eaten a poisonous mushroom and had died from it.
 
:"I have spent 55 years as a forager and at least 43 of them teaching others to forage, and I don't do mushrooms other than puffballs. Reason? When I was a wet behind the ears Masters degree student in Plant Systematics at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont California, my mycology professor, the very prominent Dr. Richard Benjamin, went out one weekend on a mushroom hunting expedition with one of his buddies, an equally prominent mycologist who was a specialist in mushrooms. On Monday, he was badly shaken, and reported to us at morning coffee break that there had been a mishap--his buddy had eaten a poisonous mushroom and had died from it.
  
:"You can imagine the impact THAT had on me. Even the best, most knowledgeable botanists make mistakes. So, with mushrooms, it evidently doesn't matter how much you know. I don't use anything but the Agarics I get at the store and puffballs. There are others which are not mistakable for anything poisonous. Morels vs. false morels are a good example of the problem you can have. I leave mushrooms to other, more adventurous types than myself.
+
<!--T:87-->
 +
:"You can imagine the impact THAT had on me. Even the best, most knowledgeable botanists make mistakes. So, with mushrooms, it evidently doesn't matter how much you know. I don't use anything but the Agarics I get at the store and puffballs. There are others which are not mistakable for anything poisonous. Morels vs. false morels are a good example of the problem you can have. I leave mushrooms to other, more adventurous types than myself.
  
 +
<!--T:88-->
 
"Peter A. Gail, Ph.D.<br>
 
"Peter A. Gail, Ph.D.<br>
 
Director<br>
 
Director<br>
Line 209: Line 299:
 
www.edibleweeds.com"
 
www.edibleweeds.com"
  
 +
<!--T:89-->
 
There are highly poisonous mushrooms outside of the Amanitas contrary to what this requirement suggests.
 
There are highly poisonous mushrooms outside of the Amanitas contrary to what this requirement suggests.
 
:Some examples:
 
:Some examples:
Line 214: Line 305:
 
*False morels, (''Gyromitra caroliniana'', ''G. esculenta'', ''Helvella spp.'', ''Verpa bohemica'', ''Disciotis spp.'', etc.), can be fatal.
 
*False morels, (''Gyromitra caroliniana'', ''G. esculenta'', ''Helvella spp.'', ''Verpa bohemica'', ''Disciotis spp.'', etc.), can be fatal.
  
 +
<!--T:90-->
 
For mushroom poisoning reports
 
For mushroom poisoning reports
 
*http://www.namyco.org/toxicology/index.html
 
*http://www.namyco.org/toxicology/index.html
Line 221: Line 313:
  
  
 +
<!--T:91-->
 
NAMA (North American Mycological Association) poster.
 
NAMA (North American Mycological Association) poster.
 
*http://namyco.org/images/pictures/warning_poster.jpg
 
*http://namyco.org/images/pictures/warning_poster.jpg
 
*http://www.namyco.org/toxicology/tox_report_2007.html
 
*http://www.namyco.org/toxicology/tox_report_2007.html
  
 +
<!--T:92-->
 
Further, mushrooms are no longer classified as plants. Mushrooms are heterotrophic (get their nutrition by digesting or decomposing other organisms). Plants are autotrophic (do not digest or decompose other organisms). Most commercial mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus ) in the USA are grown in manure and straw. The less popular commercial mushrooms (oyster mushrooms, winter mushrooms aka enoki and shiitake) are grown on dead wood.
 
Further, mushrooms are no longer classified as plants. Mushrooms are heterotrophic (get their nutrition by digesting or decomposing other organisms). Plants are autotrophic (do not digest or decompose other organisms). Most commercial mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus ) in the USA are grown in manure and straw. The less popular commercial mushrooms (oyster mushrooms, winter mushrooms aka enoki and shiitake) are grown on dead wood.
  
 +
<!--T:93-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Sulphur shelf}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Sulphur shelf}}
  
 +
<!--T:94-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Morel mushrooms}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Morel mushrooms}}
  
 +
<!--T:95-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Puffball Mushrooms}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Puffball Mushrooms}}
  
 +
<!--T:96-->
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Nature/Poisonous plants/Amanitas}}
 
{{:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Nature/Poisonous plants/Amanitas}}
  
 +
<!--T:97-->
 
<br style="clear:both">
 
<br style="clear:both">
  
==7. What root plant can be dried and ground into meal? ==
+
==7. What root plant can be dried and ground into meal? == <!--T:98-->
 
* Cattail
 
* Cattail
 
* Greenbriars
 
* Greenbriars
 
* Kudzu
 
* Kudzu
* Jack-in-the-pulpit
+
* Jack-in-the-pulpit (You might get some hell fire preaching in your mouth if you try this one.) Someone who knows from experience exactly how to do it please detail out your fail safe way how you do it. There is a lot of misinformation in edible plant books on this plant.
  
==8. Know at least 8 families embracing the poisonous or doubtful plants. ==
+
==8. Know at least 8 families embracing the poisonous or doubtful plants. == <!--T:99-->
Many plants with edible parts also have poisonous parts. The list below, though not exhaustive, features plants with poisonous parts (even though some may also feature edible parts).
+
Many plants with edible parts also have poisonous parts. The list below, though not exhaustive, features plants with poisonous parts (even though some may also feature edible parts).
 
*Buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae) - buckthorns
 
*Buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae) - buckthorns
 
*Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) - buttercups, larkspur, baneberry, monkshood
 
*Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) - buttercups, larkspur, baneberry, monkshood
Line 262: Line 361:
 
*Yew family (Taxaceae) - yew
 
*Yew family (Taxaceae) - yew
  
==9. What is the cardinal edibility rule? ==
+
==9. What is the cardinal edibility rule? == <!--T:100-->
 
Never eat any wild plant unless you have positively identified it and ''know'' that it is edible.
 
Never eat any wild plant unless you have positively identified it and ''know'' that it is edible.
Actually, it's not enough to know that a plant is edible - you also must know what ''part'' of the plant is edible, and at what stage of its growth it is edible. For example, pokeweed (''Phytolacca americana'') leaves are edible when they are young and cooked in 2 or more changes of water, but the older leaves, stems, and seeds in the berries are all toxic. Also Mayapple (''Podophyllum peltatum'') are toxic until they are ripe.
+
Actually, it's not enough to know that a plant is edible - you also must know what ''part'' of the plant is edible, and at what stage of its growth it is edible. For example, pokeweed (''Phytolacca americana'') leaves are edible when they are young and cooked in 2 or more changes of water, but the older leaves, stems, and seeds in the berries are all toxic. Also Mayapple (''Podophyllum peltatum'') are toxic until they are ripe.
 +
 
 +
==References== <!--T:101-->
 +
<references/>
 +
==Further Reading==
 +
 
 +
<!--T:102-->
 +
Samuel Thayer's books are the best books I've seen on the subject of edible wild plants.  Instead of providing a paragraph and a single sketch or photo for every edible (or reportedly edible) wild plant in a region, Thayer provides you with an entire chapter on each plant he covers.  In other words, he provides depth rather than breadth.  He tells you how to identify, harvest, and prepare each plant, and how to reliably distinguish it from look-alikes.  Furthermore, he includes only plants that he has personally eaten on a regular basis.  Each of his books covers about 40 plants.
  
==References==
+
* [http://www.amazon.com/The-Foragers-Harvest-Identifying-Harvesting/dp/0976626608/ref=sr_1_1 Forager's Harvest], by Samuel Thayer
*'''A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants, A Peterson Field Guide''' by Lee Allen Peterson
+
* [http://www.amazon.com/Natures-Garden-Identifying-Harvesting-Preparing/dp/0976626616/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y Nature's Garden], by Samuel Thayer
* [http://www.edibleplants.com Dining on the Wilds], by Miriam Darnall-Kramer, and John Goude
+
* [http://www.diningonthewilds.com Dining on the Wilds], by Miriam Darnall-Kramer, and John Goude
 +
* ''A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants, A Peterson Field Guide'' by Lee Allen Peterson
  
 +
<!--T:103-->
 
[[Category:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book|{{SUBPAGENAME}}]]
 
[[Category:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book|{{SUBPAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Completed Honors|{{SUBPAGENAME}}]]
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<noinclude></translate></noinclude>

Revision as of 21:51, 26 August 2017

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Investiture Achievement Connection: This Honor is related to the Investiture Achievement requirements for FRONTIER VOYAGER Nature Study which require (as one of two options) "Identify, prepare and eat 10 varieties of edible wild plants" which is a good start on Requirement 3 of this Honor. This Honor is a popular choice for the Level 2 or 3 Nature Honor required of FRONTIER VOYAGER.

Introduction

There are at least three approaches to finding edible wild plants in your area. The first is to look through a list of edible wild plants that should be available in your area, and then go out and try to find some of them. The second approach is to go out and identify what plants are around you, determine their identity, and then find out if they are edible by looking them up in a good field guide (not by tasting them!). The third approach is to take a class, with field trips, on the subject. Having friends interested in it is helpful too. You tend to build on what each one finds out.

Because a surprising number of plants are edible, the second approach is far more likely to yield successful results. I cannot tell you how long I struggled with the first approach, searching for the likes of Jerusalem Artichokes or Groundnuts without success, all the while overlooking Hazels, Sarsaparilla, and Bunchberry. All my field guides indicated that Jerusalem Artichokes and Groundnuts should both grow in my area, but it was years before I ever saw either. I did manage to find more than 15 edible plants using the first technique, but it was indeed a struggle. Sometime later I began trying to identify every plant I saw - only a few at a time of course. I found myself entering information into this online key - and when I got a hit, I would recognize that plant as one that I had seen in an edible wild plant field guide, but had not been looking for. I soon learned that many - perhaps half - of the plants in my yard are edible. Of course I also found many that are not edible, and several that are poisonous (just so you don't go around thinking that since many plants are edible, it's harmless to eat something you have not identified - it is not.)

By attempting to identify the plants I had found rather than trying to find the plants I had identified, I found many, many more edible plants in a much shorter time (and several inedible and poisonous plants as well). It has made me a better Pathfinder.

If you opt to use the second approach, I urge you to review the requirements for the Flowers, Flowers - Advanced, Seeds, and Seeds - Advanced honors as well. You can meet many requirements of all these honors at the same time.

Also in some plants one part is edible and another part is poisonous. A grocery store example of this is cherries. The fruit is very good, but the seeds contain cyanide which is deadly if you eat enough. The leaves are likewise poisonous and have been known to kill cattle. Just because one part of a plant is edible does not mean that the whole plant is good to eat, and just because a plant is listed as edible does not mean that it is not poisonous.

Some plants are edible only in certain stages of growth. Some examples are: Bracken fern is not edible after the fiddle head stage. Nettles can cause kidney problems in some people if they are mature (seed growing on the stalk). Yucca stalk (Hesperoyucca whipplei ) gets too many bitter saponins to be palatable as it matures into a flower head. Be careful.


I have had success in teaching this honor in the past by going to an area that has several (if not all) of the required plants and photographing them. I then use photo editing software to add the name of the plant to the photo (or you could write the name on the back). I print out copies of all the photos - enough for each Pathfinder to have one. Then I laminate them, punch a hole in one corner, and hold them together with a binder ring. When the day comes to teach the honor, each Pathfinder has a custom field guide to the area having plants for them to find. You should obviously not wait too long between taking the photos and teaching the honor, or the plants you've chosen may go out of season.

1. Photograph, collect pictures of or sketch fifteen edible wild plants. Identify each plant in the wild.

Several wild edible plants are presented here. I have included the plants with which I am most familiar, meaning that most of them are available in the Eastern United States, though we are in the process of adding more plants from the Western U.S. To make this section more universal, please add plants from your own area. If you do not know how to do advanced wiki editing, please click the [edit] link and just add the name of the plant (preferably, the scientific name). The volunteers here will format it up nicely for you. But if you do know how to use wiki templates, feel free to follow the examples here and add it yourself.


Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Amaranth

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Lepidium virginicum

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Bladder Campion

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Cattail

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Chicory

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Clover

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Dandelion

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Day Lily

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Evening Primrose

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Goldenrod

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Greenbriar

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Jerusalem Artichoke

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Milkweed

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Pickerelweed

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Plantain

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Sheep Sorrel

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Strawberry

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Wild Carrot

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Wild Garlic

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Wild Onion

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Wintergreen

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Wood Sorrel

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Cereus repandus

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Berberis

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Ferocactus cylindraceus

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Prunus virginiana

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Cylindropuntia

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Malus coronaria

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Vitis vinifera


2. Identify in the wild five trees and five shrubs which are edible.

Trees typically have a single trunk and grow taller than shrubs (which often have multiple trunks). Some species can be classified as either depending on growing conditions.

Trees

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Acorn

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Beech Nuts

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Cherry

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Hickory Nuts

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Maple Syrup

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Persimmon

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Pine Nuts

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Pine Needles

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Sassafras

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Sumac

Shrubs

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Autumn Olive

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Blackberry

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Blueberry

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Cranberry

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Gooseberry

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Rose

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Serviceberry

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Spicebush

3. Identify, prepare, and eat three kinds of wild berries or fruits, three kinds of beverages, three salad plants, three potherbs (greens), and two tubers or roots.

Fruits and Berries

See above on Apple cactus, Barberry, Barrel cactus, Blackberry, Blueberry, Bunch berry, Cascara, Cherry, Chokecherry, Cholla, Coffeeberry, Crab apple, Cranberry, Currant, Date palm, Desert apricot, Elderberry, Fan palm, Fire thorn, Gooseberry, Grape, Ground cherry, Hackberry, Hawthorne, Holly leaf Cherry, Indian plum, Lemonade berry, Manzanita, Mulberry, Oregon Grape, Organ pipe, Partridgeberry, Passion fruit, Pawpaw, Persimmon, Pin Cherry, Prickly pear, Raspberry, Rose hips, Saguaro cactus, Salal, Serviceberry, Sour Cherry, Squawbush, Strawberry, Sugarbush, Thimbleberry, Toyon, and Wintergreen.

Also see this category for a list of all the plants that have been tagged in this Wiki as having edible fruit.

Beverages

See above on Chicory, Dandelion, Goldenrod, Lemon aid berry, Mint, Nettle, Pine needle, Pineapple weed, Sassafras, Sheep Sorrel, Sumac, Wintergreen, and Wood Sorrel

Also see this category for a list of all the plants that have been tagged in this Wiki as suitable for making beverages.

Salad Plants

See above on Chickweed, Dandelion, Greenbriar, Lambs' quarters, Miner's lettuce, Plantain, Purslane, Sheep Sorrel, Violet, Wood Sorrel Also see this category for a list of all the plants that have been tagged in this Wiki as suitable salad ingredients.

Greens

See above on Amaranth, Dandelion, Dock, Filaree, Fireweed, Lambsquarters, Mallow, Milkweed, Plantain, Russian thistle, Stinging Nettle, Wood Nettle.

Also see this category for a list of all the plants that have been tagged in this Wiki as suitable for making potherbs.

Tubers or Roots

See above on Brodiaea, Burdock, Camas, Carrot, Cattail, Dandelion, Evening Primrose, Garlic, Jerusalem Artichoke, Lomatium, Onion, Sassafras, Salsify, and Yampah Also see this category for a list of all the plants that have been tagged in this Wiki as having edible roots or tubers.

4. Demonstrate the preparation of wild foods in each of the following ways:

a. Boiling

Any of the greens and tubers may be prepared by boiling.

Also see the this category for a list of all the plants that have been tagged in this Wiki that can be prepared by boiling

b. Frying

See the this category for a list of all the plants that have been tagged in this Wiki that can be prepared by frying

Cattail Pollen Pancakes

Cattail pollen collector

Collect cattail pollen and mix with flour for pancakes. The best results are with replacing 1/4 and 1/2 of the flour with cattail pollen. This will add nutrition and a bright yellow color to your pancakes.

Cattails are in the pollen stage for about 2 weeks to a month. The season starts the end of April in the southern areas of the USA and ends in July in Canada or in high elevations.


A good cattail pollen harvester can be made with an empty 3 liter pop bottle by making a 1.5 - 2 inch hole just below the curved part of the bottle on the cap end of the bottle. Put the cap on and insert the pollen laden cattail flower head through the hole you made. Tap the cattail stem to release the pollen into the pop bottle. More pollen will be ready to harvest in a day or two. 2 liter pop bottles work too, but the pollen tends to get stuck in the neck of the bottle when emptying it. After emptying the pollen, sift the fiber and bugs out.

Clover Pancakes

Collect about one gallon of clover flowers and let them dry for two weeks (or dry them in the oven at 250°F for 30 minutes and then let them sit overnight). Once they are dry, grind them to powder using a mortar and pestle to make a fine flour. This will produce about a cup of flour. Mix this half-and-half with wheat flour and make pancakes.

Fritters

  • Dandelion flower heads can be dipped in batter and fried to make fritters.
  • Elderberry flower heads can be dipped in batter and fried to make fritters. Caution: Plant stems and leaves contain cyanide.
  • Milkweed flowers can also be battered and fried, but they must be dipped in boiling water for one minute first.
  • Black Locust flowers also make excellent fritters.

c. Roasting

See above for Acorns, Agave, Beechnuts, Chicory, Dandelion, Pickerel weed, Pine nuts, Soap root and Yucca.

Also see the this category for a list of all the plants that have been tagged in this Wiki that can be prepared by roasting.

d. Baking

See the this category for a list of all the plants that have been tagged in this Wiki that can be prepared by baking, and this category for a list of plants that have been tagged as suitable for making flour.

Pie

Delicious pies can be made from blackberries or blueberries. Wild cherries are not really large enough for this, but if you find them in quantity, you might make a go of it.

Bread

Try baking bread by mixing wheat flour with any of the various "wild" flours made from clover, acorn, cattail pollen, or cattail roots.

5. Demonstrate how to prepare four parts of the common milkweed or day lily for food.

This is a highly regional requirement valid only where common milkweed or day lily grow wild abundantly. Rather than outright waiving the requirement if you live in a region where these plants do not grow, consider replacing the requirement with something roughly equivalent (i.e., do you know of a plant that grows in your area having four edible parts? Cattail? Dandelion?)

Milkweed

Common Milkweed in flower
Milkweed pods

The parts of a milkweed plant that are edible are the leaves, stems, shoots, flowers, and pods. The pods must be collected while they are young, and the flowers are not in season for very long. There are many edible wild plant authors who claim that milkweed must be boiled in multiple changes of water to eliminate its bitterness. However, Samuel Thayer in his book Forager's harvest & decisively puts this notion to bed, and traces it to the writings of Euell Gibbons. Most authors simply parrot what Gibbons wrote. Thayer suggests that milkweeds reputation was gained because it was confused with dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium) which is bitter. Milkweed is not bitter, even when raw (though it is best to boil it for a few minutes). If it is bitter, it is not milkweed and should not be eaten. Do not waste time and energy boiling it in multiple changes of water.

Day Lily

See requirement #1 for information on preparing the shoots, buds, flowers, and tubers.

6. Explain how to identify three "odd-shaped" edible fungi and how to identify the deadly mushroom amanitas.

Template:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Problematic requirement

I (John Goude) as a teacher about wild edible plants strongly object to this requirement!

Is it ethical to teach Pathfinders to eat wild mushrooms being that even experts in mycology have died from eating mushrooms they collected? Where ever I go teaching about wild edible plants I hear heart wrenching stories of whole families that have been wiped out by eating wild mushrooms. Do you want to lead your Pathfinders to be part of one of these stories?

The introduction to Poisons Plants of California says "Of all poisonous plants in California, toxic mushrooms cause the most serious illnesses and nearly all the fatalities to humans."

Following is a quote from Dr. Peter Gail Ph.D. one of Euell Gibbons literary assistants.

"I have spent 55 years as a forager and at least 43 of them teaching others to forage, and I don't do mushrooms other than puffballs. Reason? When I was a wet behind the ears Masters degree student in Plant Systematics at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont California, my mycology professor, the very prominent Dr. Richard Benjamin, went out one weekend on a mushroom hunting expedition with one of his buddies, an equally prominent mycologist who was a specialist in mushrooms. On Monday, he was badly shaken, and reported to us at morning coffee break that there had been a mishap--his buddy had eaten a poisonous mushroom and had died from it.
"You can imagine the impact THAT had on me. Even the best, most knowledgeable botanists make mistakes. So, with mushrooms, it evidently doesn't matter how much you know. I don't use anything but the Agarics I get at the store and puffballs. There are others which are not mistakable for anything poisonous. Morels vs. false morels are a good example of the problem you can have. I leave mushrooms to other, more adventurous types than myself.

"Peter A. Gail, Ph.D.
Director
Goosefoot Acres Center for Resourceful Living
Cleveland OH
www.edibleweeds.com"

There are highly poisonous mushrooms outside of the Amanitas contrary to what this requirement suggests.

Some examples:
  • Boletus satanas, is reported not to kill you but will make you so sick that you think you will die.
  • False morels, (Gyromitra caroliniana, G. esculenta, Helvella spp., Verpa bohemica, Disciotis spp., etc.), can be fatal.

For mushroom poisoning reports


NAMA (North American Mycological Association) poster.

Further, mushrooms are no longer classified as plants. Mushrooms are heterotrophic (get their nutrition by digesting or decomposing other organisms). Plants are autotrophic (do not digest or decompose other organisms). Most commercial mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus ) in the USA are grown in manure and straw. The less popular commercial mushrooms (oyster mushrooms, winter mushrooms aka enoki and shiitake) are grown on dead wood.

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Sulphur shelf

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Morel mushrooms

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Edible Wild Plants/Puffball Mushrooms

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Nature/Poisonous plants/Amanitas


7. What root plant can be dried and ground into meal?

  • Cattail
  • Greenbriars
  • Kudzu
  • Jack-in-the-pulpit (You might get some hell fire preaching in your mouth if you try this one.) Someone who knows from experience exactly how to do it please detail out your fail safe way how you do it. There is a lot of misinformation in edible plant books on this plant.

8. Know at least 8 families embracing the poisonous or doubtful plants.

Many plants with edible parts also have poisonous parts. The list below, though not exhaustive, features plants with poisonous parts (even though some may also feature edible parts).

  • Buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae) - buckthorns
  • Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) - buttercups, larkspur, baneberry, monkshood
  • Carrot/parsley family (Apiaceae) - Water hemlock, Poison hemlock or fool's parsley
  • Daisy family (Asteraceae/Compositae) (other than: Asters, Balsam root, Burdock, Chamomile, Chicory, Dandelion, Golden rod, Jerusalem artichoke, Oxeye daisy, Pineappleweed, Prickly lettuce, Salsify, Sow thistle, Thistle, Wild lettuce, Wild sun flower, etc.) - white snake root
  • Dogbane/milkweed family (Apocynaceae) - dogbane, butterfly weed
  • Legume family (Fabaceae) - Goat's rue, indigo, locust (seed pods), Lupine, Rattlebox
  • Horsechestnut family (Hippocastanaceae) - horse chestnut
  • Iris family (Iridaceae) - all are poisonous
  • Lily family (Liliaceae)(other than: Avalanche lily, Camas, Day lily, Desert lily, Dogtooth violet, Indian cucumber, Leek, Tiger lily, Wild garlic, Wild onion, Yellow bells, etc.) - False Hellebore, Fly Poison, Star of Bethlehem, Deathcamas
  • Mushrooms - many (not in the plant kingdom)
  • Nightshade family (Solanaceae) - nightshade, tomato (leaves), potato (leaves)
  • Poison Sumac/Oak/Ivy family (Rhus/Toxicodendron/Anacardiaceae) - poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac
  • Rose family (Rosaceae) (other than: Apples, Pears, Hawthorn, Blackberry, Raspberry, Rose hips, etc. fruits) - cherry (leaves, seeds, bark)
  • Soapwort family (Caryophyllaceae) - soapwort
  • Grape family (Vitaceae) - Virginia creeper
  • Yew family (Taxaceae) - yew

9. What is the cardinal edibility rule?

Never eat any wild plant unless you have positively identified it and know that it is edible. Actually, it's not enough to know that a plant is edible - you also must know what part of the plant is edible, and at what stage of its growth it is edible. For example, pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) leaves are edible when they are young and cooked in 2 or more changes of water, but the older leaves, stems, and seeds in the berries are all toxic. Also Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) are toxic until they are ripe.

References

Further Reading

Samuel Thayer's books are the best books I've seen on the subject of edible wild plants. Instead of providing a paragraph and a single sketch or photo for every edible (or reportedly edible) wild plant in a region, Thayer provides you with an entire chapter on each plant he covers. In other words, he provides depth rather than breadth. He tells you how to identify, harvest, and prepare each plant, and how to reliably distinguish it from look-alikes. Furthermore, he includes only plants that he has personally eaten on a regular basis. Each of his books covers about 40 plants.