FORAGING IN THE MIDWEST / MEIRA DATIYA How-To and Recipes
When I first started learning about foraging, I thought the only time that someone could go foraging was in autumn and a lot of the things I thought were edible I quickly learned would kill me. I live in the Midwest and last October I finally took a beginner’s course in foraging. I learned Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota) can be easily confused with Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum). But I also learned about Paw Paws, Sassafras, Wild Ginger, Black Walnuts, and Persimmons. I even harvested some and baked an amazing Persimmon tart that rivaled anything sold at the local grocery store. So, with the winter frost slowly starting to give way to spring and plants becoming available to forage I decided to look into it more and it turns out there a lot of edible plants you can harvest throughout the year depending on fruiting times, etc. Below you will find a shortlist of plants to forage, some tips on foraging, and a few recipes to inspire you in the coming year. Edible Plants for Beginning Foragers in the Midwest Dandelion | Purslane | Rose Hips Purple | Passionflower | Nettles Blackberries | Black Walnuts | Paw Paws | Persimmons Autumn Olive | Sassafras
The above plants are easy to identify and forage, however, if you want to dive deeper into foraging, I highly recommend taking at least a beginner course in foraging for your region. There are a lot of plants out there that like to interweave themselves with edible varieties or even appear to be edible like wild grapes. Even wild grapes have a poisonous impersonator. The best way to avoid getting something toxic is to know the plants you are foraging top to bottom.
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Other things to be aware of when foraging:
ivy, mosquitos, ticks, mosquitos, snakes, etc. Make surewear you • PoisonPoison ivy, ticks, snakes, bears,bears, etc. Make sure you wear long have and bug aspray, and aif deterrent if necessary, long pants, havepants, bug spray, deterrent necessary, etc. etc. • Mushrooms are tricky even for experienced foragers! Do not to try Mushrooms are tricky even for experienced foragers! Dotrynot harvest these as a beginner. Even varieties that are not poisonous to harvest these as a beginner. Even varieties that are not poican cause digestive issues etc. sonous can cause digestive issues etc.
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• Dehydration & sunburn. Always prepare for theforweather, bringbring sunDehydration & sunburn. Always prepare the weather, screen, a jacket, and make sure you have plenty of water. sunscreen, a jacket, and make sure you have plenty of water.
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roots or whole Unless youthe ownland, the land, can be • TakingTaking roots or whole plants.plants. Unless you own it canitbe illeillegal to harvest in conservation areas, state parks, etc. Know gal to harvest in conservation areas, state parks, etc. Know the laws where you harvest! wherethe youlaws harvest!
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