Wild Edible Plants

Most of us are open to trying something new in food and having wild edible plants are the best way to tickle your taste buds. If you are bored of the same old vegetables and fruits then the next step is to try out wild plants which are edible. They are full of vitamins and essential nutrients and they taste delicious too. Before you go foraging into the woods for wild plants, please make sure that you can identify them positively and that they are not poisonous. When you are collecting wild edible plants, avoid plants that are growing near buildings and along roadsides as they are sure to have been sprayed with pesticides. Avoid eating any leaves or seeds which have an almond-like scent. It is a characteristic of the cyanide compound which is poisonous. Many edible wild plants, such as acorns and water lily rhizomes, are bitter to taste. These bitter substances, usually tannin compounds, can be eliminated by boiling them in water several times.

Wild Edible Flowers and Plants

• Dandelion - Dandelion is one of the most popular wild flower plants that can be fried and eaten as a snack. The young leaves of the dandelion should be picked in spring and it can be used in a fresh green salad. The roots of the dandelion can be dried in the sun and then ground. This powder can be used as a substitute for coffee.
• White Dead Nettle - White dead nettle is a kind of weed that is prolific in the English countryside. It has a very sharp and appetizing scent and adds a wonderful texture and flavor when added to salads.
• Cow Parsley - Cow parsley, also known as wild chervil, has a delicious flavor similar to that of aniseed and can be used to jazz up a humble salad. If you can get hold of the purple variety then the best way to have it is to steam it and drizzle with butter or you can preserve them by making a pickle.
• Violet - The violet flower can be deep-fried and also used in jams. The young leaves of the violet can be used in salads and for thickening soups.
• Prickly Pear Cactus - The prickly pear cactus is one of the most well-known wild edible plants of North America and it has multiple broad leaves with long and very sharp spines. Its leaves are fleshy and they come with pink, purple or yellow flowers. The spines are removed from the prickly pear cactus and they are either eaten raw or deep-fried.
• Hart's Tongue Fern - Most ferns contain carcinogens, but Hart's tongue fern is an exception. This should be first boiled in salted water then it can be used as a salad leaf.
• Seaweed - One very important and tasty wild edible plant is seaweed. It is a kind of marine algae that is found near sea shores. Thin varieties of seaweed can be sun dried or grilled over fire. These can be used to flavor and thicken soups and stews.
• Cattail - Cattail can be found in fresh and brackish water of marshes and swamps. It is a tall plant with leaves that are sword shaped. The cattail leaves can be used in salads and the young roots can be added to thicken soups.

This was all about different types of edible plants which grows in the wild that can safely be consumed by people. Always make sure that the plant is edible before attempting to cook it in any way.