Eat Weeds: A field guide to foraging: how to identify, harvest, eat and use wild plants

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A familiar sight in many British gardens – and loved by children – every part of this common weed is tasty both raw and cooked. If you're planning to pick this plant for yourself, the experts at Gardening Knowhow recommend you harvest them when they're young. The flower of the dandelion when harvested immediately pre- or post-bloom has a sweet taste many compare to honey that can be used in the making of wines and teas. Crafted from wood and stainless steel, this lovely garden tool set is just what every gardener needs.

While most people know the daisy-like plant as a tea herb, its yellow flowers can also be used in cereal, porridge, salad or as a cordial with apple brandy. Although the yard is a great place to start foraging, there are many other edible plants and fungi in Minnesota that can be found nearby. Garlic mustard is commonly found growing in shady spots, such as on the edges of woods and hedgerows. Using garlic mustard plants provides an all-season wild food and helps prevent the spread of the herb," Gardening Knowhow say.Forewards by Costa Georgiadis, with added content by Kirsten of Milkwood, Pat of Pat Collins Herbalist, Oliver of Fat of the Land and Sea, Adam of Very Edible Gardens and more.

Their well-produced range of rural, wildlife, fieldsports and fishing books never fail to inform and entertain. For a quick way to differentiate the dandelion from its lookalikes, the dandelion has a hollow stalk and a single flower head.

It has a hot, peppery flavour, great for salads, soups, salsa, pesto or as a substitute for cress or rocket. Here's more information from the Minnesota DNR on how to prevent the spread of invasives while foraging. Finished in titanium with brass fixings, this tool features six different functions including secateurs, a root remover, knife, saw, bottle opener and an easy weeding utensil. Although common purslane prefers dry and full sun environments, this plant will grow in almost all conditions. In the face of global challenges such as climate change, food insecurity and pandemics, we seek to empower ourselves with the information and skills that enable self-reliance and equip us to care for our families and communities.

Although it may be illegal in some cities in Minnesota to forage in parks and woodland areas, foraging on private property is legal. The leaves have a slightly bitter taste comparable to radicchio, which becomes stronger as the plant grows older, but bitterness can be reduced through cooking. Once common purslane has been identified, all parts are edible, although the leaves and stem are used most commonly in cooking. It couldn’t have been published at a better time: just as the cost of living soars, authors Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal have written a book about gathering, and cooking, free foods readily available in the wild. When blooming, clover flowers are significantly different from wood sorrel flowers, having multiple pink or white flowers that give the appearance of a sphere.Two species of dandelion are most prevalent in Minnesota, the common dandelion ( Taraxacum officinale) and the red-seeded dandelion ( Taraxacum erythrospermum). You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. A staple in herbal medicine since ancient times, nettle leaves can be used to make tea, soup or homemade pesto. The delicate, rich renderings of the plants manage to merge a pencil-soft feel with a vintage scientific style, coming together in a book that is as beautiful as it is motivating. The leaves are best harvested when the flower is young, before it blooms, and can be eaten alone, as seen in some of the top kitchens around the world, mixed into a pesto, or used to garnish a baked potato.