Re-wild yourself Part I: list of wild edibles

As I read a little bit of Michael Pollan's book "In defense of food", his overall health advice was to eat the foods that grow wild around us in our own environment. His argument was that when we eat the foods around us that grow wild are those that help us adapt to the environment and prevent diseases. Pollan concludes from researching cultures that it's important to follow cultural practices in consuming food rather than food science. Additionally, the soil and plant in the wild is cleaner than that grown in the big-Ag industry with all of its spray chemicals. Because the soil in the woods has more nutrients for years of composting leaf matter and other natural fertilizing, the edible foods are more nutritious, and have a diverse range of nutrients whereas the typical store-bought food is the same mix of ingredients of wheat and sugar components in a very strict ratio with no nutrition left after processing. Although it does not have quite the vegan or ethical message as far as what I usually highlight on this blog, I do see merit in his argument. I highly recommend reading this book, so request a copy from your local library.

In considering this from Pollan's argument, I find that I also strive to eat this way considering I do a lot of foraging behind my house. My Family and people around Kentucky, especially where I live, hunt for food like deer, fish, squirrel, turkey, and so that's their way of eating life that is around them in their environment.
Because I eat vegan, the wild foods I have eaten are fruits, nuts, greens/herbs, and mushrooms. Apparently there is a App on iTunes for Vegan recipes of wild edibles here: The Wild Vegan.

In past posts on wild edibles, I have shown you that I forage for mushrooms in the woods, as well as berries and paw paw fruits. Typically the kinds of mushrooms that grow behind my house are Chanterelle mushrooms and Chicken of the Woods, in the pictures below.

chanterelles foraged in kentucky woods

chanterelle & chicken of the woods mushrooms forage
Foraging Chanterelle & Chicken of the woods mushrooms in July

For more pictures of the mushroom foraging in the past years, go to the links provided at the end of this post.

Another mushroom found in Kentucky is Morels. When I was a kid, my Dad and I foraged for these and later he fried them and ate them with ketchup. This how I ate them growing up. I haven't had Morels in a long time because they grow early in the season, and I haven't come across a patch of Morels around my house. Because Chanterelles and Chicken of the woods grow behind my house, those are what I forage the most. I eat these types of mushrooms by tearing them into strips and frying them with a little oil, salt and pepper, served over rice or noodles.

michpics.wordpress.com

Other wild edibles of Kentucky, and perhaps around you too, are Paw paw fruit trees. Last fall I found one paw paw growing among a young, new patch of Paw paws behind my house. The paw paw fruit never grew to a proper size to eat, but when it was so ripe it turned brown and black, I ate a piece and found it to be very tasty, like caramel or something.

pinstopin.com

Of course other wild edible fruits in the woods are berries. They are very easy to identify unlike mushrooms, but some berries can be questionable, however, I have found that I can trust the look of wild black berries and wild raspberries in the woods. Because there is a lot of land behind my house that I explore, I always find blackberries and raspberries to forage and eat. One year I foraged so many berries that I was able to make 10 half pints of jam. Another berry I love and forage around my house is dewberries. They look like blackberries, except they grow on a small vine that crawls across the ground. Typically they are larger than a blackberry.

autumn olive berry pinterest.com

Another berry I like to forage for is huckleberry. It looks like similar to a blueberry plant but the berries are darker and tiny. Of course, the huckleberries around you may be different, considering I'm listing wild edibles I eat in Kentucky.
Many people have heard of this fruit because of Huckleberry Finn, but many have not explored the woods to eat this berry. And it's certainly not a berry we find in the grocery store, much like other wild foods.

The berries listed are typically harvested around July and August. Whereas the Autumn Olive, which as the name implies, is harvested in the fall, around September. I have not tried the Autumn Olive, but realized I have many of these plants growing around my house.
Elderberry is easily identifiable, usually growing along the side of the road like Autumn Olive plants (from what I've noticed). Elderberry is bitter, and eating these may require a lot of sugar or some kind of processing.

elderberry showmeoz.wordpress.com

arcadianabe.blogspot.com

 Persimmons is another wild native fruit that all animals, including me, love to eat. The persimmons around here are very small compared to California and Asian persimmons that are large. I have noticed two different varieties of persimmons I have foraged where I live: one being a flavor like pumpkin pie (which is a similar flavor to the Hachiya and Fuyu persimmons); and the second being a flavor like orange icy pops.

foraged persimmons from kentucky

black raspberry forage in kentucky

blackberry and dewberry (right) forage

There are so many wild greens that are edible as well like ramps, dandelions, and chickweed. This young gentlemen, Sergei in the photo below, has a book on wild edibles titled "Wild Edibles" and apparently it's quite popular, so it seems to be a worthy purchase for those that want to take on this challenge of eating wild edibles. What he does with his wild edibles, I'm not quite sure, but I thought that he and his family were raw vegans, so I can imagine a lot of the greens are used for salads, smoothies, and juices. I would eat the greens all these ways including frying them.

idrinkyourwine.com

Of course nut trees are plentiful, typically around property lines, but some remain in the woods for the squirrels to eat. Some of the wild nut trees around here are hickory and beechnut. There are many others such as Walnuts and pecans that I harvest from on peoples' property lines.

Where I live, there is a lot of logging for nut trees, so the woods has become a place of destruction. I am afraid that some of these wild foods like Paw paws may become extinct the more logging that is done. Because of clear cutting, Paw paws and other trees may not survive the logging industry due to equipment/machinery completely killing any other tree that would not have been cut for the logging company. It seems nothing is safe in its path. We must demand an alternative to clear cutting woods and forests, and oil businesses that also clear cut, and shopping malls and other projects that devastate the landscape. We must demand a different path to protect ecosystems, wildlife, and protect wild native plants.

Other related posts are provided below to find more information and pictures of foraging wild edibles, including more pictures of BIG foraging hauls of Chanterelle and Chicken of the woods mushrooms:

Late July Garden harvests (Peaches ... 
Foraging Chanterelle & Chicken of the woods mushrooms in July
BIG Garden Harvest in late August ...
Heirloom Solar Flare & Gold Berries ... 
Chanterelle mushrooms from the woods!
Rain for weeks grows BIG mushrooms ...
Foraging for Wild Edibles (Fall & Winter)
Pawpaw flower & Fruit identification ...
Apple, Persimmon, & Nut Foraging in ...
10 remarkably useful plants you can find in the wild
List of Uncommon Cold Hardy Fruit ... 


Similar to what Michael Pollan was speaking about with diet, Markus Rothkranz, a health "guru", has created this short video I have posted below which discusses the healing properties of wild edibles further as Pollan had.

2 yr old Hardy Kiwi (Vining Fruits) video

A perennial vine native to Japan, Korea, Northern China, and Russian Siberia, the Actinidia arguta (hardy kiwi) tolerates slow temperature drops to -34°C (-30°F).
It often produces a sweeter & smaller than the fruit than the conventional kiwi. Unlike the conventional kiwi, hardy kiwi does not need to be peeled.
The fast growing Hardy Kiwi needs a pollinator, usually a male pollinator can enable six female producers to fruit.
And, Flowering typically occurs in May (in the Northern Hemisphere) starting in the third year of growth.

2 yr old Grape plants (Vining fruits) video

Fruit trees & Fruit bushes we are currently growing (Garden update July 2014)

Over the last three years, I have bought several different varieties of fruit trees, bushes, vining fruits. For example we bought three blueberry bushes and bought five more this year (one died). The blueberries we harvested a couple months ago, came from the blueberry plants we bought this year. 

First blueberry from the garden

7 blueberry plants

I believe the birds ate most of the blueberries, I harvested maybe four of the 50+ blueberries I saw growing. Well the birds also ate most of the strawberries, but I fortunately placed Garden figurines beside the Strawberry plants. The very day the birds quit touching the berries. 

Garden figurines to prevent birds

the figurines kept the birds away

You may have read that I transplanted nearly 300 Tomato starters this year. The majority of the Tomato plants (approx 200) came up volunteer from the strawberry beds you see below. I am convinced that next year I will be able to rely on

Strawberry bed 1

Logs used as frames, pine used as mulch, compost for soil and nutrition-- all resources that were free. The strawberry plants will cost you about $1 per plant. Strawberries are one of those Fruits that put off the same year you plant too!

Strawberry bed 2

Strawberry bed 3

The Blackberry bushes ripened at the beginning of July after a cool front. Of course the birds got to most of them especially around our yard.

My (two) grape plants are progressing. Actually I ate one grape today that turned purple. It tasted much like sour apple jolly rancher and the texture was like the candy too.

To see both grape plants & how they're grown, see video "2 yr old grape plants".

Below are pictures of my old Peach tree (30+ years old). It has approximately 10 Peaches growing. Last year we had over 100 Peaches growing. This year however a Late Frost killed most the blooms, and several have fallen too early.

Old Peach Tree

Peach fruit

Peach Tree fruits

Below is a picture of my younger Peach Tree (3-4 years old). I bought this Peach tree from Arbor Day, which states this variety produces fruit after 3 or 4 years, so I expect it to fruit next year. This variety is Golden Jubilee which self-fertilizes.

3-4 year old Peach Tree

The Fig Trees and Cherry Trees are putting off shoots to make new trees. I was worried the two Fig Trees and two Cherry trees were completely dead.

I hear Fig Trees grow well in Pots, so I may purchase several more to experiment in growing them in containers. My variety of Figs are called Chicago Hardy Figs, suitable for Growing Zones 6 or higher.

The other photo below, a Plum tree called the Damson Plum (tart) variety, self-fertilizing, grows up to 10 to 20 feet tall and wide.

Fig Tree sprouts

Fig Tree sprouts

Cherry tree sprout

Plum tree

Other Fruit Trees I have, two Pear Trees, and Kiwi plants. As I done with the Fig Trees, I purchased a Cold Hardy variety of Kiwis. Simply called Hardy Kiwis, they are a fast-growing, climbing vine, and is capable of surviving slow temperature drops to -30°F (-34°C). Kiwis take approximately threes years to begin producing Fruit. Flowering usually occurs in May, and they need a male pollinator. A male pollinator can enable six female producers to Fruit.
Kentucky was hit hard last Winter, one of the worst in 30 years! Around November I cover mulched these plants in leaves halfway up those poles.
The poles you see were re-purposed from an old playground. I almost always obtain free materials within the Garden. My goal is to avoid purchasing resources altogether, but we do what we can in the meantime.

2 of 3 Kiwi plants survived the Winter

Video of my kiwi plants at "2 yr old Hardy Kiwi plants"

Below are the 3-4 year old Pear trees, the Kieffer variety. They are self-fertilizing but do best with two trees for better crop; Very hardy and tolerates hot climate, from Zones 4 to 9; and grows to 15' to 30' tall, 12' to 20' spread. I also purchased the Pear trees from Arborday.org (as well as the young Peach Tree and Plum tree).

 

Aside from Fruit trees, I am growing many Vegetable fruits including Yellow Squash, Zucchini, Butternut Squash, Pumpkins, Tomatoes, Peppers, Cucumbers. Also I am growing beans, corn, potatoes, and greens.
I am most happy with the progress of one cantaloupe plant, which has five medium to large-sized fruits and three are small to medium-sized. See video of cantaloupe growing strawberry bed, go to video "progress on Cantaloupe & pumpkin n the compost". And for the Watermelon & Cantaloupe Garden tour, go to video "watermelon cantaloupe & corn ready to harvest".
Considering melons are high maintenance and Kentucky weather is not the best conditions, I am excited to harvest several healthy melons. Then again, I purchased $10 worth of seeds this year on Cantaloupe and Watermelon seed, after several transplants most died, and the remaining melon plants have no produced any fruit. Last year I had the same success with the Melons.

For now, we have a small variety of fruit trees, but of course we buy additional fruit every year to add to the collection.
Ultimately, a lifestyle that represents lessening the amount of cruelty, environmental impact, and exploitation of workers or customers is a diet and lifestyle centered around growing your own food, specifically living off the land of your fruits. When you grow your own fruits and vegetables, you can control avoiding harm to bugs and animals and the environment when you avoid pesticides, herbicides, etc. There are many cruelty free techniques in gardening. Matthew David gives examples on Ethical & low maintenance gardening here. Another aspect of eating a diet of fruits and vegetables is spreading the seed to create future food, in abundance.

View my other posts for photos of Fruit harvests from my garden.


I am interested to know or see your own collection of Fruit trees. Are you growing a food forest?

Sensa, Atkins Diet, Hydroxycut, Weight Watchers, QuikTrim: What do these have in common?

All of the weight control programs/products I have mentioned, are deliberately promoting an anorexic diet. Sensa helps people suppress their hunger, by sprinkling a concoction onto your food, so you will eat smaller portions. Don't you feel like a science experiment when dousing Sensa on your food?
Weight Watchers is similar in that it uses a number system so you can control the amount of food you are eating. The Atkins diet aims for you to eat all of the low carb foods like meat and vegetables, without fruit, rice, and potatoes.

Every weight loss product and program is going to tell you to eat smaller portions, because they know you're going to keep eating animal products, which have the highest fat and lowest nutritional value. Fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, have zero fat and have the highest source of vitamins.

Don't Be Fooled By the Supplements & Superfoods!

In the last year of my raw vegan research, I've noticed health gurus are always selling a product. One of the  world's leading authorities on nutrition, David Wolfe, is known to promote superfoods, but not real food! Why is he a health expert, if he is only selling a refined version of the food you should be eating? It's because there's no money in telling people: "EAT BANANAS!" or "EAT MANGOES!"

Photo by "Thai Food" on About.com 

Actually, I was very fascinated by the maca, lucuma powder, cacao, and spirulina that I saw online. And I was fascinated because I thought I needed these superfoods, because the authorities were raving about how much better they feel on supplements. Luckily, I NEVER bought any of those products, because I realized some of the people in the raw food world was just as blinded by marketing schemes as someone saying you need to restrict your calories or your carbs to lose weight. If you need more vitamin C, eat a meal of oranges for breakfast, then for lunch have a meal of bananas...your vitamin C levels will go up tremendously (and that's cheaper than buying camu camu.)