Passing on traditional skills like foraging, cooking from scratch and living well on less
Motherwort is a commonly found plant that is excellent for treating heart issues, menstrual problems, menopause symptoms, stress and anxiety, among other issues. It has been historically used extensively in China, Europe and North America, and still offers exceptional benefits for a whole range of issues today. Motherwort, whose latin name is Leonurus cardiaca, is […]
Has your family tried foraging yet? Foraging for wild edibles is a great way to get healthy, pesticide-free, tasty food for free, plus try wonderful new tastes and get out in nature. There are many great books out there to give you basic information about foraging and I recommend you check out a pile of […]
(Note: This post was originally published many years ago in my green living column on examiner. I’ve since published a book with lots more information on finding and processing acorns via hot water processing and cold water processing, tips and tricks, and with 70+ recipes to use acorn flour. You can read more about the […]
New foragers sometimes worry about telling the difference between highly sought-after ramps (wild leeks) and their poisonous look-alikes, Lily-of-the-valley. It’s always wise to be leery when you’re new to foraging, but once you know what to look for you don’t need to worry. There are quite a few ways to accurately tell the difference between […]
Here’s a wonderful video where famous herbalists such as Rosemary Gladstar, Susun Weed and Matthew Wood teach why they love nettles, how to harvest it and use them, their many health benefits and more. The video begins and ends with herbalists David Hoffmann and Isla Burgess talking about why nettles are their favorite plants. During […]
Every family should keep a jar of elderberry honey syrup in their refrigerator. This simple, natural elixir is fabulous at preventing and treating illnesses and it couldn’t be easier to make or more natural. What’s so great about elderberry syrup? Elderberry syrup is one of the best things on the planet to fight illness. It […]
Spruce tips are wonderful spring edibles that are not only tasty and unique, but also great for us. They are rich in Vitamin C and have been used traditionally for years to soothe coughs and sore throats, as well as to alleviate lung congestion and to treat lung and kidney infections. Best of all, they’re […]
It’s ramp season, and whether you buy ramps at the farmer’s market or forage them yourself in the wild, this is the time to take advantage of this delicious (but short lived) delicacy. What are ramps? The Huffington Post says: Here’s the short answer: ramps are a wild onion that grow during the spring in […]
Pheasant’s back mushrooms can be incredibly easy to find this time of year and incredibly tasty — but you have to know which ones to use and how to prepare them right. Many foragers are told not to bother with pheasant’s back mushrooms, also known as dryad’s saddles. While it’s undisputed that they are edible […]
July is a fantastic time to forage for wild edible foods. Whether you’re in the country or the city, there are wild foods all over that are tasty and nutritious. This is a good month for wild fruits, such as black raspberries and wild plums. Wild greens are still plentiful, such as purslane and lamb’s […]
Mulberries are some of the greatest wild edibles to forage. They’re nutritious, delicious and easy to gather. Most kids find them irresistible too. Mulberry trees can be found in parks, woods and neighborhoods all over the U.S. and the berries and trees are easy to identify. When you find one tree, you’ll start seeing them […]
If you’re not foraging for wild foods, you’re missing out on opportunities left and right. Foraged foods are spectacular in so many ways, from saving money to exposing you to foods can’t find elsewhere to giving you awesome health benefits, just to name a fraction of the benefits. Foraging helps you, your family, your health […]
(Note from Daryl: This was originally shared in my urban foraging column on Examiner many years ago.) I shared how to easily harvest mulberries with your kids last week. Now, here are ten great ways to use your haul. A little about mulberries: You can use them in any recipe that calls for berries. If […]
Fall is hitting early and with a vengeance (we’ve had frost warnings the past two nights) and we’re picking a lot of tomatoes right away that we’d otherwise harvest in waves. Some will still be not-quite-ripe or even green (it’s been a strange growing season), but that’s okay. If they’re close to ripe, just leave […]
I’m still busy cracking the walnuts I harvested last fall (I have over 14 cups of meats so far), and I’m still finding creative ways to use them. Here are some more easy recipes I discovered online. Many of them involve maple syrup, because the maple sap has been running and it’s another great treat […]
Walnuts are some of the best nuts for foraging and there are all sorts of fantastic ways to use them. Last week, I wrote about how to shell your dried walnuts and harvest the meats. Now it’s time to put them to good use! You can eat them raw or grind them and use them […]
Spring is FINALLY arriving in Minnesota, and it’s time to get back into the foraging mindset. Nothing’s ready to be picked yet, but I’ve got 3 large bags of walnuts that have been drying since last fall, and it’s warm enough to start opening them. So let’s get cracking! Materials: dried walnuts from last fall’s […]
Have you ever walked through a park in the fall and stumbled over what looks like green tennis balls? Are you ready to make use of the black walnuts you see scattered all over your neighborhood? Gathering them is easy, and you’ll have a stash of delicious and nutritious treats when you’re finished. Finding the […]
It’s mulberry season! Mulberries are delicious treats that are easy to harvest and great to use in all kinds of recipes. I’ve written about them in the past, because mulberry picking is a great activity to do with the kids — and kids love to eat them! I detailed how to find and gather mulberries […]
The next time you’re driving along in the country, look out the window for clumps of spindly, dark green plants that look like wispy Christmas trees. Congratulations — you’ve found wild asparagus! It’s one of the most unknown of wild foods, which is a shame. It’s delicious, easy to harvest over quite a long period […]
We’ll be picking wild elderberries soon, and after we get them off the stems we’ll need to cook with them or preserve them. This article is about preserving them for later. Why preserve them? According to Wildman Steve Brill: “Avoid unripe, green berries–they’ll get you sick. Even raw ripe elderberries make some people nauseous. Cooking […]
By Daryl I consider myself an urban forager, and many people have asked me exactly what I mean by that. To me, urban foraging is more than just walking through the woods (although that’s definitely a part of it). And it’s more than just wandering through town looking at people’s yards and gardens. First, let […]
The pears are falling from the trees, so it’s time to collect as many as you can and put them up for the winter. Here’s a roundup of ideas I’ve tried (or will be trying very soon!) Pear butter, crockpot style Pear butter, stovetop style Freezing pears in syrup Spicy pear preserves Canning pears in […]
I took my children to Lake Shetek State Park in southwestern Minnesota today, and while chatting with the Park Ranger she mentioned there was a plum tree in the park, but she didn’t know where. We had a quest! We drove along the gravel roads, and I happened to look over at the right moment […]
Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through our links earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. RATING: ***** Wild Berries & Fruits Field Guide of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan by Teresa Marrone is by far the most indispensable foraging book I have ever owned, or even seen. It is […]
The main problem I have with fruit trees is that they very seldom stop growing at 8′ tall. Most of the best looking harvest is far above that, so I need a way to extend my reach. Enter the fruit picker. I have a very old one my father passed on to me, and it […]
I’ve written before about how to find the wily wild plum. Once you’ve located them and picked your fill (with your homemade fruit picker, of course), you’ll need to find a way to make use of your bounty. Here are a few ideas. Click on the blue links for the associated recipes. Preserving them Canning […]
Have you ever driven down the road and spotted an apple tree on an empty piece of land? That’s what I like. Finding an old farm, or where a house used to be, anywhere people planted fruit in the past but are no longer around to harvest it. I’ve even come up with a name […]
We’ve been acquiring a lot of apples lately, and some of them are just plain mysteries. They’re either from old properties, gifts, or sometimes it’s just from “that tree in the yard”. A local man sells apples in his driveway, and one of his varieties is called “Tree #2” because when he bought the house […]
A friend recently gifted us with a bag of peppers from her garden. She had used all she could, and decided it was time to “share the wealth”. We snapped them up. To be fair, there wasn’t quite a peck. A peck is actually 2 gallons, or 1/4 of a bushel. But it was a […]
It can be nearly impossible to identify unknown apples, especially feral ones. There are a few ways to narrow it down, but Seed Savers Exchange orchard manager Dan Bussey is writing a book about 20,000 named apple varieties in the US, and there are probably many more out there that are lost to time. And […]
Do you want to try some high-end apples at bargain basement prices? Culled apples are the way to go! In my article about urban foraging, I mentioned asking produce sellers for “canning” or “freezing” grade fruits and vegetables, which are the “not-so-perfect” ones. Some orchards do the same thing with apples — they’re called the […]
Foraging on public lands may or may not be legal, depending on the location. In Minnesota, though, it is always legal in state parks and state forests. I had always heard that it was, but I wanted to make sure so I searched through Minnesota’s laws until I located it. It’s Minnesota Administrative Rule 6100.0900 […]
While 2014 wasn’t a good year for mulberries or acorns, it was a banner year for apples. We had many more than we could possibly process, and had to leave some trees untouched. We have over 400 pounds of apples (about 8 bushels) either already processed or waiting, with more on the way. They were […]
May is when you’ll be harvesting wild asparagus, but the time to find it is now! Starting in June and July, wild asparagus grows tall. It branches out and goes to seed, looking very much like a spindly Christmas tree (complete with little red and green seed ball decorations). If you know what you’re looking […]
Have you always wanted to forage for wild mushrooms but you were afraid of accidentally collecting a poisonous variety? A new crow-funded invention could change all that. Most would-be mushroom hunters are generally discouraged from the hobby when introduced to the activity without the aid of an experienced mushroom hunter or guide in fear of […]
It’s getting to be that time of year for those of us who live in the right climate — maple syrup time! Our family has been tapping trees for many years now and it’s something we really look forward to. We don’t have sugar maple trees on our own property, so we help out at […]
It’s maple tapping time, but did you know you can get more from maple trees than just maple syrup? Companies are now marketing maple water as the next health drink, and you can go tap your own for free. Bettersweet, one company that sells maple water, says: One ingredient. 35 simple calories with the perfect […]
The wild asparagus has finally arrived in our part of Minnesota. It was late this year, and we had checked for weeks with no sign. But when an asparagus spear appeared in our garden, we knew it was time to look again. We had our previous patches marked on our map, and as they turned […]
While it’s easier to find asparagus in the summer or late fall (when it’s too late to harvest), you can find it in the spring as well… if you know what you’re looking for. The spears of asparagus are nearly impossible to see from the road, unless they’re so tall they’re starting to go to […]
It’s harvest season for wild asparagus, and here are 10 ways to enjoy it now or preserve it for later. First, unless you’re using the entire stem, you’ll need to process it. Break off the bottom inch or so — if the stem is too woody, it will bend instead of snapping cleanly. You can […]
It’s the middle of June, and the elderberries are beginning to flower. This is the easiest time of year to find them! The University of Minnesota extension office says: The common or American elderberry is a shrub growing from 4 to 12 feet tall. It is found in moist soils along roadsides, ditches, streams, and […]
Have good foraging spots but forget where they are from year to year? See something promising by the side of the road and want to check it out later? Google Maps is the answer! I don’t have a handheld device with GPS (I’m too old to be learning new tricks), but this works perfectly. I […]