Perhaps one concept we could stand to change is the idea that our lawns need to be a perfect picture of grass. If we were to allow the weeds to take over, we'd have a plethora of healthy food in our own back (and front) yards! I have to admit that I'm fairly new to foraging, and what I'm sharing is what I've recently learned. The photo above is from a small part of my yard, and the reason it looks like a tangled mess of grass and weeds is because it is! We've had a lot of rain, and the ground was too boggy for DH to mow. The focus in the above pic is on a patch of wild onions. The wild onions blend in well with the grass and are single stalk with a bud on top. In the forefront, you can see one of the buds opening. I pulled one up so I could show what it looks like. The aroma of the plant also helps with its identification. In this case, it smells like an onion. (Look-alike plants, i.e. Crowpoison - Nothoscordum bivalve will not smell like onion even though the stalk and bud look similar.) According to Deane on the Eat The Weeds website, http://www.eattheweeds.com/allium-canadense-the-stinking-rose-2/, If it has that garlic/onion smell, it's wild onion. The whole plant can be used as food.
I have many patches of these growing all over my yard, but will only harvest one or two at a time, and only when I plan on using it in my food. By only getting what I need, I make sure to not deplete or lose what's growing. (I have to admit that I dug some up and planted them in my front garden where DH won't mow as a precaution.) I'm hoping the various onion patches survive being mowed and the hot, dry summers here. I'll be watching to see how they fare and update here periodically. One final note: The experts on foraging recommend gathering no more than 10% if you're foraging on your own property so you'll still have plenty for later times. |
DisclaimerThe information contained in this blog is for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Archives
February 2021
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