Foraging for Goldenrod, Avoid Poisonous Ragwort

Young goldenrod shoots growing up from
last year's dead plants. This is probably
the best age for the stalk + leaf combo

Identification difficulty before blooming: Novice 

Identification difficulty after blooming: Beginner

Goldenrod shoots and leaves are in season right now. 

There are over a hundred species of Goldenrod, all of which are members of the genus Solidago, and they are mostly native to the Americas, although some come from Eurasia. There are far too many to learn each one, though in time you will become familiar with the varieties that live near you. 

And there will be a goldenrod near you, as varieties of the plant are available from parts of South America, all the way north into Alaska and the northernmost Canadian provinces.

Goldenrod is generally considered to be an easy plant to identify, and it is, so long as it's in bloom. 

Before the flower blossoms, goldenrod has several look-a-like species, at least one of which is poisonous, and I don't think this look-a-like gets enough attention in the foraging world. 

But before we go over that, let's talk about goldenrod in general.

Goldenrod taste and uses

These goldenrod plants are about 4ft tall,
at this stage you can break off the top 
5 inches, as long as it is tender.
The leaves are also good here.

The entire above-ground portion of goldenrod is edible. The most common use is a tea, brewed either from the young leaves or the flowers, with the flower-tea more often served chilled. Tender leaves can also be eaten raw or cooked, though they are strongly flavored and are best mixed in with other greens, like in a salad. The young shoots (under 6 inches or so) and tender tips of growing plants can be used as a cooked green, though they are also quite strong in flavor. 

Leaves and plant tips should only be used before the flower buds form, after that they loose flavor and become tough.

You have to really enjoy strong-flavored plants to like goldenrod. The flavor has been described as similar to licorice, though I personally disagree. Perhaps some varieties do taste like black licorice, but in my experience, Forager Chef's description of "the Aster flavor" is more appropriate. It has a strong flavor unique to the aster family, which is otherwise hard to describe. 

How to identify and forage redbud: early spring flowers, mid spring veggies

Identification difficulty: Beginner 

If you live in the Southern, Mid-Atlantic, or Western states of the US, there's a good chance you know redbud, even if you don't think you know it.

Redbuds are the earliest splash of color seen among the trees, even before most leaves are starting to bud. It looks like a fairy passed though and completely encircled the branches in vivid pink. Everything about redbud is charming: beautiful pink flowers, heart shaped leaves, and delicate branches.

They are lovely. . . and edible! In the early - mid spring, redbud flowers add unique flavor and stunning color to a variety of dishes. Young leaves can be cooked, or used sparingly in salads. Late in the spring, you can enjoy the most robust edible from this spectacular tree: the soft green seed pods.

Redbud trees are in the genus Cercis, and the most commonly encountered is Cercis canadensis, the Eastern redbud. Despite the name "canadensis",  it's more thoroughly distributed in the United States than in Canada.

Redbuds are great for urban and suburban foraging, as they are often planted in neighborhoods along sidewalks, and I see them a lot on corporate campuses, in parking lots, and along park/bike trails.

Vegetarian garlicky cleavers walnut pesto. Keto foraging recipe, paleo and vegan optional.

This pesto is not only the best pesto I've ever made, it's the best pesto I've ever tasted, period. If you have cleavers, please try this pesto now. If you trust no other recipe on this site, trust this one. This garlicky cleavers pesto is something you need in your life.

This pesto is fast, simple and can go on absolutely ANYTHING, but of course, I enjoy it best simply tossed with some pasta. This wild herb pesto is a great condiment, it's super healthy because of the nutritious cleavers, and low-carb keto, as well as being vegetarian. If you omit the cheese, it's also Paleo and Vegan!

This recipe has some weird steps, that I came upon entirely by accident, but they worked out so well!

Cleavers are a very common backyard "weed" that's super easy to identify. If it's early to mid-spring, I guarantee that you can find some near you, perhaps in a local park. They have a great herbal flavor, vaguely like oregano, but mostly uniquely their own. Cleavers should be boiled before eating, and I prefer them pureed as well, to avoid textural issues.

Foraging for wild violets: identification, edibility and sustainable harvesting

Identification difficulty: Beginner 

Wild violets are a beautiful, fleeting part of early spring. They grow low to the ground, dainty and unassuming, but bring a smile to every woodland walk. They are found in Europe and North America, and apparently in Australia as well.

Violets are also a tasty edible wildflower, with a unique flavor and aroma which has been valued for centuries. Violets were a vogue flavor in Victorian era, and after, up until the First World War. They were used in candy and baked goods; but trench warfare, and subsequent post-war expansion of roadways and urban areas across Europe, tore up many of the fields they were harvested from.

Perhaps its most famous use is in Creme de Violette, a liqueur made by infusing violets into a brandy or neutral spirit. Creme de Violette is beautiful and delicious, with deep purple color, delicate aroma, and impossible to replicate floral taste. For years it was nearly impossible to get a hold of (due to the scarcity of wild violets), but new crops are being harvested from the alps.

You too can experience the unique and elegant taste of violets, and without the expensive price tag, simply by taking a walk in the woods!

It's important to know that violets are native to our forests, not an introduced species. They are also essential for the heath of pollinators, like bees, so sustainable harvesting is a must! 

Foraging: How to Find, Identify, Prepare and Eat Wild Cleavers Weeds

Cleavers (Latin name: Galium aparine) are extremely easy plants to ID, in fact, you probably know them already if you spend much time in the woods or the fields.  They grow throughout most of the U.S., certainly across the lower 48, and also across much of Canada and Mexico. They originate in Europe and Asia, and have been introduced to Australia. I am not sure about South American growth, but basically you can find them almost anywhere.

In addition to being easy to find, abundant, and having medicinal qualities, they taste pretty good. . . If you can get past the texture. That's a pretty big IF.   I'll share with you tips on how to find,  harvest, identify, and prepare cleavers in a way that will help you get past their weird textural issues.

Identification difficulty: Beginner

A note of caution: many people are allergic to cleavers. Use more caution than with most wild plants: please sample only a very small amount at first, and it's worth it to take some time to do a skin test. Also, cleavers may work to stimulate uterine contractions in women, so don't eat them if you are pregnant, may become pregnant or nursing. Finally, people on high blood pressure and/or blood thinning medications should avoid cleavers. More on all this below.

Foraging: Identifying Wild Edible Chickweed

Many people describe chickweed (Stellaria media) as their favorite wild edible green of spring. Many gardeners consider it a difficult-to-remove, annoying weed. Those gardeners just haven't tried it yet!

The foodie world is starting to follow along with the former group, and chickweed is showing up on menus of restaurants that focus on seasonal and/or local organic produce. Chickweed is also starting to show up in places like farmers markets and in the form of herbal supplements and teas at Whole Foods.

There's really everything to like about chickweed: it has a mild, fresh sweetness which some people compare to young corn or iceberg or boston lettuce, it grows in super abundance, easy to harvest and quick to grow back in the early spring when little else is growing, fairly easy to identify AND it even looks pretty!

Technically, chickweed isn't native to the Americas, so it's also an invasive species. Of course, it's been here for generations, so any ecological damage has already been done, but if you're into invasivore eating (eating invasive species) that's something to consider as well.

So let's get started on how to find, identify, harvest, prepare and eat this tasty little weed!

Identification difficulty: Beginner

Foraging: Identifying & Eating Japanese Knotweed

So spring is officially sprung up all around us, and I am back on the blog. I really didn't do much last year, but I am determined to make at least one post a week this year, and see where it goes.

If you are looking to start foraging, April is a great time to get into it. There are tons of really tasty edibles flourishing right now, and they are easy to find and identify. Bonus, its just a great time to be outside enjoying nature!

Identification difficulty: Beginner

Stand of knotweed at the perfect stage for harvesting.
Note the dried stalk's from last year's plants in the back and on the ground. 

Where to find Japanese Knotweed

The husks of last season's plants can be spotted at a distance 

As another invasive species, knotweed can be found anywhere -- it can even come up through concrete! But  it prefers to grow in disturbed ground near the water, so you can mostly find it on the banks of creeks and rivers, where the spring floods wash competition away, and the knotweed--with roots up to 10 feet deep--can grow and spread uncontrolled. You can best find it by looking for the husks of last year's plants. If still standing, they can be up to 6 feet high, and if they have fallen, they have likely covered the ground with long, reed-like tubes. These tubes are hollow, and feature bamboo-like joints. Because they grow so densely, allowing no competition, you can frequently see unbroken beds of knotweed from quite a distance.

Foraging: Identifying and Sustainably Harvesting Ramps

Identification difficulty level: Novice

Allium tricoccum, called sometimes wild leeks, spring onions, wood leeks, or ramson, but most commonly known as the ramp or Ramps, are one of the most sought after wild foods.

Recently "discovered" by the gourmet world, Martha Stewart, the New York Times, the Food Network, and more have just learned what foragers and people of the Appalachian mountains have known for generations. . .that Ramps are the delicacy of the onion family!