Foraging: The Hunt for Wild Food 1

Foraging: The Hunt for Wild Food

Jill Tedford
Hudson Valley Community College

Autor Note
This paper was prepared for English Composition 1, taught by Professor Bornn.
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Abstract

This paper explores the basic aspects of foraging for wild food that can be found in the

Upstate New York area. Important safety measures are discussed, along with the many benefits

that come with foraging. Specifics such as what time of year, where to look, identification of

different species, and uses of plants are discussed for a variety of plants and fungi.
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Foraging: The Hunt for Wild Food

Many of us don’t enjoy going to the grocery store. The bright fluorescent lights,

marketing gimmicks, lines at the cashier, and high price of foods are enough to make us put off

that trip until we desperately need to go. We often forget that there is an abundance of food

growing right outside our doors. Since the beginning of man’s existence, we have been living off

the land and enjoying the wealth that nature has to offer. For most of us, finding our own food

has become a lost art. We have forgot the rush that comes when we come across some choice

edibles while we are out on a walk in a woods or a nearby field. Learning where to look, when to

look, and how to identify edible wild food is a skill that anyone looking to get back to their roots

can benefit from.

When foraging for food in the wild there are some important things to remember. You

should always be sure to identify the plant correctly, cross-checking at least 2 field guides or

consulting an expert. It is also important to know what parts of the plant are edible. Anytime that

you are trying something new it is recommended to only have a taste at first to be sure you won’t

have an allergic reaction (Lord, 2016). When harvesting you should only take what you will use,

being sure to leave enough so the species can continue to grow in the area. You also need to

know local laws concerning foraging. In his article in the Adirondack Almanac Crane refers to

the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation law stating that plants may be

foraged for human consumption as long as they are not rare, endangered or threatened species.

When foraging, you should always be aware of your surroundings. You want to forage away

from roads as toxins from passing vehicles can be deposited on the plants. The plants will also

absorb heavy metals or harmful substances from the ground where they are growing, so you need
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to know what chemicals, such as fertilizers, could have been used or leeched into the area where

you are foraging (J. Wood, personal communication, July 30, 2018)

There are numerous benefits to foraging for food. For me one of the best things is that it’s

free! When you go out foraging, you are also getting exercise and breathing in fresh air - which

many of us don’t get enough of. Wild foods are generally richer in flavor and contain more

nutrients than store bought food. They are gown the way they were naturally intended to, rather

than bred for high production and longer storage (Meredith, 2014, p.12). They are also grown

without fertilizers or pesticides that can harm our bodies. For some foraging seems like too much

work. They would rather just run to the store and purchase the food that they want. But, the best

things in life are the things we work hard for. In my opinion, the only downside to foraging is

that you must be positive of what you are eating, otherwise the results could be fatal. As longs as

you educate yourself and don’t eat anything that you’re unsure about, you will be fine.

Part of the challenge of foraging is know where to look and at what time of year. In the

early spring, you can head to woodland areas and find ostrich fern fiddleheads and ramps

(Meredith, 2014, p. 20). The embryonic fern is tightly curled and is what forms the fiddlehead.

They have a deep groove on the stem, feel smooth, and have a shiny green color. They are also

surrounded by a thin, brown, parchment-like material. When harvesting you simply grab the

stem close to the ground and bend until it snaps and remove the brown material. They must be

cooked prior to eating, otherwise they can cause intestinal upset (Seymour, 2013, p. 29). Ramps,

or wild leeks, are found in similar areas as the fiddleheads. They have wide leaves that grow

directly out of a bulb, and only have a short stem. They also smell like onions. The whole plant is

edible and can be steamed, sautéed, or added to soups. Medicinally, ramps are used to combat

cold and the flu (Meunick, 2013, p. 56).

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Later in in the spring you can find cattails growing in wetland areas. Many parts of

cattails are edible. The rhizomes and shoots are the first things you’ll find. Once you remove the

outer layer of the shoots, you can eat the white part raw. As the plant continues to grow, the two

layered flower spike emerges. The male part is on the top and contains the pollen that, once

harvested, can be added to flour for use in bread, muffins, or pancakes. The female part of the

flower can be cooked and eaten like corn on the cob (Seymour, 2013, p. 115).

As summer sets in, you will find daylilies blossoming in more open sunny areas. The

early shoots are edible and can be chopped and added to stir-fries. However, you must be certain

that they are not poisonous iris shoots. Both plants have linear shapes, but the “daylily’s leaves

are slightly cupped at the base” whereas the “iris leaves are lined up like a fan” (Meredith, 2014,

p. 94). Traditionally daylily root extract is used to treat cancer and has antioxidant and pain-

relieving properties. As the plants grow the buds can be battered and deep fried (Meuninck,

2013, p.17). Once they are blooming, the colorful orange tepals, with reproductive parts

removed, can be added to salads, dried for later use (Meredith, 2014, p.95).

In July you can also find mayapples. These plants are found in large colonies in

woodland areas. They are only 1-2 feet tall and usually have one wide, lobed leaf that looks like

an umbrella and hides the fruit underneath. I came across this plant this past spring, and without

knowing what it was, called it an umbrella plant. They have one creamy white flower that turns

to green, egg shaped apples which change to white then yellow when ripe. Once ripe the fruit can

be gather and is described to have a tropical taste. It is important to note that only the ripe fruit of

this plant is edible, all other parts are toxic (Meredith, 2014, p. 165).

Mushrooms are fun to hunt for from spring to fall and can be found in a wide variety of

locations. As with any other foraged foods, it is critical to properly identify any mushroom prior
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to eating, as there are similar looking species that can be toxic or even deadly. In the spring a

coveted mushroom to hunt for is the morel. Found in hardwood forests, these mushrooms have

been described to be “pitted, ridged, sponge-like, cone shaped, or wrinkled” (Lyle, 2017, p. 54).

They are also hollow inside the cap and stem, which distinguishes it from a false morel.

Although some mushrooms can be found during the summer, fall becomes a prime time

to hunt for species like the giant puffball and chicken of the woods. Giant puffballs are usually

found in lawns or fields. They lack a stem but have string like attachments in the ground. They

are whitish in color all the way through and can be the size of a soccer ball. They can be sliced a

fried (Spahr, 2009, p. 147), or as I have done, used as a crust for pizza. Another favorite of

mushroom hunters is chicken of the woods. They range from a bright orange to salmon to

orange-yellow in color and have a bright yellow margin. They grow on wood, usually hardwood,

from August through October in clusters or rosettes that overlap and can be any where from 2 to

20 inches or more across (Spahr, 2009, p. 123).

Some plants that are foraged for food also have valuable medicinal purposes. Burdock is

used to treat immune system deficiencies or for certain skin conditions. It can also be used to

regulate blood sugar and has been found to have anti-mutagenic (anti-cancer) properties

(Meuninick, 2013, p. 14). The roots of the sassafras tree were originally used as the flavoring in

root beer. The bark, leaves, and roots contain safrole which has been used to treat kidney

problems, toothaches, bronchitis, hypertension, and menstrual problems among many others

(Mueninck, 2013, p. 82).

As I mentioned before, it is important to properly identify the plants that you are

harvesting as there are many plants that look similar at first glance. Wild carrots, or Queen

Anne’s lace, for instance, looks similar to poison hemlock, which is deadly. The identifying
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features of wild carrots include hairy leafstalks, flat, lacy florets that usually have a purple floret

in the middle, and have long, curved, three-forked brackets under the florets. The hairy seeds

look and smell like fennel. Once it goes to seed, the flat flower also folds up to resemble a bird’s

nest. Poison hemlock stems are not hairy, and the umbel is not forked, looking more like a leaf.

Also, the seeds are not hairy and the flower does not fold up (Meredith, 2014, p. 272). King

Boletes are a mushroom that have brown, bun shaped caps with white tubes (instead of gills).

But as Meuninck points out, you should avoid boletes with orange caps, those with red or orange

tubes, and those that turn blue when bruised (2013, p.9).

Wild grapes are another plant that can be confused with a poisonous look-alike, common

moonseed, but it can be easy to tell the difference when you know what to look for. The vines

have white flowers that turn to hard green grapes that later grown into “ pyramidal, hanging

bunches [that are] blackish, dark blue or purple”, tendrils that help it to climb, leaves that are

alternating heart-shaped and lobed (ediblewildfood.com). Common moonseed has a single

crescent shaped seed and lacks tendrils.

As you educate yourself, foraging for wild foods becomes a rewarding way to provide

sustenance for yourself and your family. The knowledge that you gain by learning what plants is

also helpful in case you get lost while hiking, or if we ever find ourselves in a situation where

food becomes scarce. Nature is full of healthy, delicious choices that nourish our bodies the way

that it was designed to be. The desire to forage has long been inside of me, and now I am finally

listening to my inner self and educating myself in the ways of survival that our ancestors

depended on. As Ben Lord said in the Adirondack Almanac, “There is a kind of nourishment that

I get from wild foods that I can’t buy in a market”

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References

Crane, D. (2014, January 03). Dan Crane: The Edible Adirondacks -. Retrieved from

https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2013/12/dan-crane-edible-adirondacks.html

Lord, B. (2016, September 23). An Abundance of Caution: Wild Food and Risk -. Retrieved

from https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2016/09/abundance-caution-wild-food-

risk.html

Lyle, K. L. (2017). The complete guide to edible wild plants, mushrooms, fruits, and nuts:

Finding, identifying, and cooking. Guilford, CT: Falcon Guides.

Meredith, L. (2014). Northeast foraging: 120 wild and flavorful edibles from beach plums to

wineberries. Portland, OR: Timber Press.

Meuninck, J. (2013). Edible Wild Pants and Useful Herbs. Guilford, CT: Globe Pequot Press.

Seymour, T. (2013). Foraging New England edible wild food and medicinal plants from Maine

to the Adirondacks to Long Island Sound. Guilford, CT: Falcon Guides.

Spahr, D. L. (2009). Edible and medicinal mushrooms of New England and Eastern Canada.

Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.

Wild Grape Vine (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ediblewildfood.com/wild-grape-

vine.aspx