Foraging 101
Ramp season is here!
Foraging is the process of searching for and collecting wild-grown (rather than cultivated or farmed) foods. Although this hobby may seem daunting, it isn’t reserved for hippies and libertarians. Anyone can forage with the help of a local wildlife expert. In this post, I’ll explain how to start foraging, describe some signs of poison plants and tell you all about the most popular plants to forage.
How to Forage
Check local foraging laws
Some states and counties do not allow foraging in certain locations. Research your location before heading out to make sure that you can legally forage in your city or state.
Forage with an experienced guide
Foraging can be very difficult and dangerous for beginners. Until you know soil conditions, look-alikes, and ecosystems like the back of your hand, you should only forage with the help of an experienced guide. To find a foraging expert near you, ask around at local parks departments and wildlife education centers. You may have to pay for individual foraging lessons or a group class depending on your area.
Arm yourself with plant knowledge
More than likely, you're guide will know everything you need to know about local flora and fauna. However, you should also educate yourself a little so you know what to expect and can avoid any accidents.
Before foraging with a guide, you should know a little bit about which plants you're looking for. Research common forage plants in your area, noting what time of year they’re available, how to identify them and how to distinguish them from potentially dangerous lookalikes.
You should also know the potential signs of poison plants. Again, your guide will probs be an expert on this, but it doesn't hurt to know some of this info for yourself. Read the “Sings of Poisonous Plants” section below for the most common signs of poisonous plants.
Dress for the occasion
Foraging often involves walking off of cleared or mulched trails. To avoid ticks, poison ivy, rolled ankles and other irritations, it's best to wear long, loose pants and your best trail-blazing shoes. It also couldn't hurt to bring some lightweight bags to carry your foraged finds. If you're unsure what to wear or bring, ask your guide for recommendations.
Do not take, touch or smell Unknown plants
Under no circumstances should you eat plants that you and/or a local expert cannot identify with absolute certainty. Many delicious plants have poisonous and potentially deadly look-alikes, so you or your guide need to have super detailed plant knowledge in order to forage safely. Before handling plants, you should be able to identify the plant with at least three characteristics, like smell, color, texture, shape, location or soil conditions.
Forage responsibly
Over-foraging or harvesting improperly can ruin forage patches for current and future foraging seasons. Generally, you should only harvest one-tenth to one-third of each patch. This will leave enough plants for others to partake in the fun and will encourage the patch to grow in the coming seasons. Some plants, like ramps, also need to be harvested very specifically in order to enable future growth. To harvest responsibly, ask your foraging guide about the best foraging practices for specific plants in your area.
Signs of Poisonous Plants
Even though you should always forage with an experienced guide, it doesn’t hurt to have some poison plant knowledge in your back pocket. The U.S. Army Survival Manual warns to be especially wary of plants with these characteristics:
Sap that is milky or discolored
Pods containing beans, bulbs, or seeds
A bitter or soapy taste
Fine hairs or thorns
Foliage that looks like dill, carrot tops or parsley
An almond-like scent
Pink, purplish or black spurs
Three-leaved growth patterns
Mushrooms
Four to Forage
If you follow all my recommendations above, foraging can be a fun and delicious pastime. Below are four of the most popular foods to forage during spring.
Cattails
Cattails are common in the wetlands of Canada, the U.S., Europe and some parts of Africa, Asia and Australia. Cattail roots, shoots, stalks, heads and pollen are all edible. Some of the most common uses are boiling the green cattail heads to eat similarly to corn on the cob and grinding the pollen to use as flour.
Although cattails might seem simple to identify, you should still ask an experienced forager for help when hunting for cattails. Cattails can be mistaken for poison iris and are bioaccumulators, meaning they easily absorb pesticides and other toxins from soil. For this reason, it’s not safe to harvest cattails in places with a history of water or soil pollution.
Ramps
Ramps (AKA wild leeks) have an oniony, garlicky flavor and look similar to green onions. Both the stem and the two broad leaves are edible. They taste great both raw and sauteed, perfect for eating on their own or incorporating into dishes like springy vegan nachos.
Again, you should only harvest ramps with an experienced guide because ramps have several poisonous look-alikes. Ramps also need to be harvested carefully in order to preserve the roots for the next year. In some areas, inexperienced foragers have ruined ramp patches by harvesting improperly. Don't be a bad noodle — ask a plant expert for harvesting help to make sure you’re foraging sustainably.
Dandelions
Although dandies often get a bad rap, they are actually a delicious and nutritious plant to forage. Their greens are a perfect substitute for other leafy greens, while the blossoms taste great when fried or turned into wine or jelly.
There are no common poisonous dandelion look-alikes, but that doesn't mean you should forgo the help of a guide. Some dandelions look-alikes are simply not as tasty as the real deal. An expert can help you avoid these imposters. Dandelions are also often sprayed with herbicides that are toxic to humans, so you'll want an expert to help you find a safe harvest location.
Morel Mushrooms
Morel mushrooms grow in North America and Europe during early spring. They have a deeper, nuttier flavor than many mushrooms and a meatier, less slimy texture. This makes them ideal for people who typically don't like mushrooms. Simply grill or sautee them and eat up!
Of course, as is the case with any mushroom, you need to be hyper-aware of potentially deadly look-alikes. Always go morel hunting with an experienced guide, even if you are experienced yourself. A second opinion never hurts when it comes to foraging mushrooms.