Showing posts with label Seasoning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seasoning. Show all posts

Bay Laurel

Scientific name: Laurus nobilis & Persea borbonia var. borbonia
Abundance: plentiful
What: nuts, leaves
How: roast nuts, used leaf as seasoning
Where: woods, borders
When: leaves all year, nuts in the fall
Nutritional Value: Calcium, iron, other minerals, vitamins A, C, B6, folate.
Other uses: nuts contain a mild stimulant
Dangers: Looks similar to the very poisonous cherry laurel. The leaves of cherry laurel smell like cherry/cyanide and have toothed edges while bay laurel leaves have smooth edges and smell like Italian seasoning.

Medicinal Summary:
Leaves - aid digestion; reduces bloating from gas; soothes skin, urinary tract and bronchial inflammations (tisane)

Laurus nobilis (Sweetbay) Structures:
Leaf Arrangement: Bay Laurel leaves are alternate, glossy, and lanceolate.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are elliptical, measuring around 2 to 4 inches in length.

Leaf Venation: Prominent veins are visible on the leaves, contributing to their overall structure.

Leaf Margin: Leaf margins are typically smooth, without serrations.

Flower Structure: Bay Laurel produces small, yellow-green flowers arranged in clusters.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, shiny black berry, approximately 0.5 inches in diameter.

Bark: The bark is smooth and light gray-brown on younger branches, becoming rougher on older trunks.

Height: Bay Laurel trees can reach heights of 30 to 40 feet.

Hairs: Leaves are generally smooth, but young leaves may have fine hairs on the undersides.

Fragrance: The leaves emit a distinctive "bay" aromatic scent when crushed.

Color: Leaves are dark green, and flowers are yellow-green.

Persea borbonia (Redbay) Structures:
Leaf Arrangement: Redbay leaves are alternate, simple, and lanceolate.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are lance-shaped, measuring around 3 to 6 inches in length.
 
Leaf Venation: Prominent veins are visible on the leaves, contributing to their overall structure.

Leaf Margin: Leaf margins are typically smooth, without serrations.

Flower Structure: Redbay produces small, greenish-yellow flowers arranged in clusters.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, shiny drupe, black when mature, approximately 0.5 inches in diameter.

Bark: The bark is smooth and reddish-brown on younger branches, becoming rougher on older trunks.

Height: Redbay trees can reach heights of 30 to 50 feet.

Hairs: Leaves are generally smooth, without noticeable hairs.

Fragrance: The leaves may have a pleasant scent of traditional bay spice when crushed.

Color: Leaves are dark green, and flowers are greenish-yellow.


Young tree. They get much bigger with time.
baylaurel.jpg
baylaurel1.jpg

Much older, larger bay tree!
Bay

Leaves closeup (Bay Laurel leaves have smooth edges)
baylaurel2.jpg

Nuts
baylaurelseeds.jpg

Dead leaves on a bay tree suffering Laurel Wilt. This fungal disease is transferred by an alien beetle and is wiping out our native bay trees. Currently there's no cure. :-(
Bay Tree

Teeth (pointy bits along edge of leaves) + cyanide/cherry smell = poisonous cherry laurel. DO NOT EAT CHERRY LAUREL!!
LaurelCherryRuler

Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.
BayTX
I know these can be found in Montgomery County, TX.

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
BayLaurel

Texas has multiple types of bay trees. Around Houston the most common are sweet bay (Laurus nobilis), redbay (Persea borbonia) and laurel cherry (Prunus caroliniana). All three grow in the same environment, preferably as understory trees in moist, shaded areas. Very slow growing, most you’ll find will be small trees around 20’ tall. However, mature trees can rival oaks in size and appearance. Crushed sweet bay and redbay leaves have a wonderful bay aroma while laurel cherry smells like bitter almonds or artificial cherry scent. That bitter almond smell is poisonous cyanide and the so the leaves of the laurel cherry should not be used as a seasoning or consumed in any other manner.

Besides scent, the toxic laurel cherry trees can be distinguished from safe sweet bay and redbay by the edges of their leaves. The sweet bay and redbay leaf edges will be smooth while the dangerous laurel cherry leaves will have teeth, ranging in number from two very small ones near the base to many all along the leaf edge.

The leaves of the sweet bay and redbay are available all year long and are added to sauces and other foods where one would traditionally use bay leaves. They do have a very potent flavor, so you usually don't need to add more than 3-4. They can be used fresh or dried. Add the leaves while cooking but remove them before serving as no bay leaves should actually be eaten. Supposedly these stiff, hard leaves can penetrate an intestine.

In the fall the dark nuts are toasted and then nibbled on as a strongly-flavored snack. Remove the soft flesh from the bay nut then roll the nuts around in a very hot pan until they start to split open. Remove the outer brittle husk then return the inner meat back to the pan for a final toasting. No oil or grease is needed. These toasted nuts can also be ground and used as a seasoning. 3-5 of these roasted seeds, when boiled in water then adding nutmeg and cinnamon make a very pleasant drink which tastes somewhat like coffee.

Our bay trees are currently under grave attack by a fungal disease transmitted by the invasive, Asian beetle Xyleborus glabratus. This fungal infection first shows up by branches dying and their leaves turning brown. Eventually the whole tree will die, taking with it the main birthplace of Palamedes Swallowtail butterflies. So this disease may not just wipe out one of the south's most common trees, it may also drive that butterfly to extinction, too.


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Beefsteak Weed

Scientific Name(s): Perilla frutescens
Abundance: invasive
What: leaves, flowers, seeds
How: raw, cooked, tea
Where: shade, woods, borders
When: summer
Nutritional Value: leaves have fiber, calcium, iron, potassium, vitamins A, C, riboflavin; seeds have omega-3 fatty acids
Dangers: dried plants can become toxic to cattle

Medicinal Summary:
Leaves - antiasthmatic, antibacterial, general antiseptic, antispasmodic, diaphoretic, emollient, expectorant, antioxidant; anti-inflammatory; antidepressant, and general tonic

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged oppositely-alternating along the stems.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are broadly ovate to cordate, with a length of approximately 2 to 4 inches and a width of 1.5 to 3 inches.

Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate, with veins creating a textured appearance.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margins are serrated or toothed, providing a slightly jagged edge.

Leaf Color: The top side of the leaves is typically green, while the underside may have a purplish tint.

Flower Structure: The flowers are small, tubular, and arranged in spikes or racemes at the tips of the stems. Being a member of the mint family, each flower typically has five fused petals and 4 stamen.

Flower Color: The flowers can vary in color, with shades of pink, purple, or white.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, nutlet or seed, produced after flowering.

Seed: Seeds are small, rounded, and may have a brown or black color.

Stem: The stems are square-shaped, a characteristic feature of the mint family (Lamiaceae). They may have a purplish tint.

Hairs: The plant has very distinctive hairs on the stem. Leave may have a fuzzy texture due to fine hairs.

Height: Perilla frutescens can reach a height of 1 to 3 feet, depending on environmental conditions.

Young Beefsteak Weed. The leave's flavor is excellent right now.
Beefsteak

Mature Beefsteak plant.
BeefsteakPlant1

Mature Beefsteak plant...note the purplish color on the underside of the leaf.
BeefsteakPlant2

A stand of Beefsteak plants.
BeefsteakStand

Close-up of leaf. Note the sharp teeth along the edge and how the veins run along the bottom of these teeth.
BeefsteakLeafTop

Close-ups of the reddish, hairy stem. Note the square shape, opposite leaves and how the flower stalks join the stems at the leaf joints.
BeefsteakStem2

BeefsteakStemCU

Close-up of flower stalk after losing flowers. Note the alternating, opposite arrangement.
BeefsteakDroppedFlowers

Close-up of flower.
BeefsteakFlowerCU

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
BeefsteakNA

Originally a popular seasoning herb and medicine in Asia, Beefsteak Weed has become an invasive plant across central and eastern United States. In Texas these plants are usually found near urban and suburban areas where they've gone feral from landscaping beds and gardens. Beefsteak plants seem to prefer disturbed areas, especially shady areas with moist but well-drained soil. Being in the mint family, Beefsteak Weeds have a strong minty scent, show the characteristic square hollow stem, have alternating-opposite leaves, and reproduce vigorously.

The sweetish-flavored young leaves have a long history of both being used in salads or cooked as a seasoning for rice and other dishes. The flower stalks (inflorescence) are used as garnishes. The seeds are roasted and mixed in with other dishes, dried and then ground as a seasoning, and were pressed for their oil. This oil is comparable to rapeseed oil.

An oil distilled from the leaves was used as a flavoring agent in both toothpastes and candy though these have been replaced by synthetic version nowadays.

The entire plant is dried then reconstituted in tea for medicinal uses. Traditional Asian herbal medicine states it is an antiasthmatic, antibacterial, general antiseptic, antispasmodic, diaphoretic, emollient, expectorant, and general tonic. It supposedly has strong anti-cancer properties.

Being invasive, it should be destroyed on sight but at least it can be used after harvesting. Maybe someday if enough people start eating it we can stop it from damaging native ecosystems.


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Bittercress

Scientific Name(s): Cardamine hirsuta
Abundance: common
What: leaves
How: raw when young, cooked when older
Where: moist shaded yards, borders, and woods
When: fall, winter (in Houston), spring
Nutritional Value: Vitamins A,Bs,C,K and minerals

Medicinal Summary:
Leaves - contain lutein which is important for eye health (eaten)
Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged alternately along the stem.
Leaf Shape: The leaves are pinnately compound, consisting of small, rounded, lobed leaflets. Each leaflet is approximately 0.5 to 1.5 inches in length and 0.25 to 0.75 inches in width.
Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate, with veins running along the length of each leaflet.
Leaf Margin: The leaflets may have a toothed margin big enough to appear as lobes.
Leaf Color: The leaves are green.
Flower Structure: The flowers are small and have four petals, forming a cross-like structure. They are arranged in loose clusters at the tips of the stems.
Flower Color: The flower color is white.
Fruit: The fruit is a slender, elongated pod (silique) that develops from the flower. The grow in a spiraling pattern at the ends of stems.
Seed: Seeds are small, elongated, and can vary in color, often brown.
Stem: The stems are slender, erect, and may have fine hairs.
Hairs: Fine hairs may be present on the stems and leaves, contributing to a slightly hairy or textured appearance.
Height: Cardamine hirsuta typically grows to a height of 6 to 12 inches, with variations depending on environmental conditions.

Wood bittercress
bittercress

Bittercress

More young bittercress plants.
bittercress

Bittercress

Closeup of seed pods and flowers.
Bittercress

Close-up of seedpods.
Bittercress IGFB RPL

Bittercress Seedpods IGFB5

Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.
BittercressTX

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Bittercress

Bittercress pops up when most everything else is brown. Look for it yards, flowerbeds and assorted border areas where low growing plants aren't swallowed up by taller stuff. I've been known to buy a potted plant on clearance just because it had some nice bittercress growing in the pot.

Bittercress comes up with a rosette of deeply lobed leaves and small, white flowers which twist up the stem like a spiral staircase. After the flowers come long, thin seedpods which explode open on touch once they've matured and turned brown.

Bittercress has a wonderful horseradish flavor that is great for spicing up sandwiches and salads. The young leaves can be eaten raw while older, larger leaves can be cooked like traditional mustard greens. The seeds are too small to be ground into a mustard-style condiment but the tender, young seedpods are as good or better than the young leaves for a raw blast of flavor.

The leaves and seedpods must be chewed for a bit for the full, powerful flavor to develop. Their taste doesn't come from chemicals found in the plant but rather from the product of these chemicals as they undergo a reaction initiated by chewing. Chewing smashes the cell walls, releasing the compounds so they can react with the oxygen and water in your mouth, resulting in the excellent horseradishy punch.

Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Cedar/Juniper

Scientific Name(s): Juniperus ashei, Juniperus virginiana
Abundance: common
What: leaves, berries
How: leaves see below; berries as seasoning, infused, tinctured, or raw.
Where: landscaping, arid, woods, borders, fields
When: spring, summer, fall, winter
Nutritional Value: low
Dangers: Leaves of Juniperus virginiana, which contain thujone, which slows down the liver's removal of alcohol.

Medicinal Summary:
Inner Wood - soothes skin inflammations; kills scabies (salve, tisane)
Leaves - tea soothes respiratory and gastrointestinal inflammations; soothes indigestion; diuretic; relieves bloating; soothes painful menstruation; eases chronic rheumatism; antibacterial; antifungal (used as a tisane, elixir, oxymel)

Red Cedar (Eastern Redcedar - Juniperus virginiana) Structural Features:
Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged in whorls of three, forming scale-like or needle-like structures.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are scale-like, measuring around 1/16 to 1/8 inches in length.

Leaf Color: Foliage can range from green to blue-green, depending on factors like age and environmental conditions.

Fruit (Seed Cones): Red cedar trees produce small, berry-like cones that are about 1/4 to 1/2 inches in diameter. The color is bluish-purple on mature trees.

Bark: Bark is reddish-brown, fibrous, and peels in strips. On older trees, it becomes gray and scaly.

Height: Red cedar trees can grow up to 40 to 50 feet in height.

Hairs: Leaves and branches are generally smooth, without noticeable hairs.

Wood Color: Heartwood is typically reddish-brown.

Wood Use: Valued for its aromatic, insect-repelling wood, often used for cedar chests and closets.

Branching Pattern: Red cedar trees have a pyramidal or columnar shape with dense foliage.
 

Texas Mountain Cedar (Ashe Juniper - Juniperus ashei) Structural Features:
Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged in whorls of three, forming scale-like structures.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are scale-like, measuring around 1/8 to 1/4 inches in length.

Leaf Color: Foliage can range from green to blue-green.

Fruit (Seed Cones): Texas mountain cedar produces small, berry-like cones that are about 1/4 to 1/2 inches in diameter. The color is bluish-purple on mature trees.

Bark: Bark is typically reddish-brown and peels in long, fibrous strips.

Height: Texas mountain cedar trees can reach heights of 30 to 50 feet.

Hairs: Leaves and branches are generally smooth, without noticeable hairs.

Wood Color: Heartwood is typically reddish-brown.

Wood Use: The wood is aromatic and used for various purposes, including fencing and woodworking.

Branching Pattern: Texas mountain cedar trees have irregular branching and a dense, rounded crown.


Juniperus ashei aka Mountain Cedar in the Hill Country. Note the round shape.
Cedar Texas

Juniperus ashei generally have multiple trunks.

Juniperus ashei about to release LOTS of pollen!


Juniperus ashei, berries which take several years to mature.
Cedar

Both mountain and red cedar have alternating leaves that are tiny, tough, and closely overlap like scales.


Texas distribution of Junipers ashei, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.
TXCedarTXMap

North American distribution of Junipers ashei, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
TXCedarUSMap


Juniperus virginiana aka Red Cedar. Note the pyramidal shape.

Juniperus virginiana berries are high in sugar and are eaten as a trail snack, though their flavor is somewhat intense.

Closeup of Juniperus virginiana berries. The gray color is wild yeast that can be used to raise bread or make alcohol.


Juniperus virginiana generally form only one trunk. Bark peels off easily and makes good tinder.

Texas distribution of Junipers virginiana, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.
VirginiaCedarTexasMap

North American distribution of Junipers virginiana, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Cedar_US_Map

First things first, junipers and cedars are the same thing. That being said, there are two types of cedar trees in Texas. The first, Junipers ashei, is the small, multi-trunked Hill Country cedar sometimes referred to as Mountain Cedar which takes on a roundish shape. More to the east and northern parts of Texas you'll find the Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) which has a single trunk and grows quite tall with a pyramidal shape. The trunks of both are covered with loosely peeling, fibrous bark. The inner wood of both is reddish in color and very aromatic. When used in campfires it'll "pop" a lot and throw sparks.

The Hill Country cedars, Juniperus ashei, can be used in multiple ways. Starting with the leaves, they can be smoked, made into tea, or used to infuse vinegar. Native Americans smoked the leaves both for pleasure and medicinally to help with lung and sinus issues/infections. Cedar tea contains the anti-viral compound known as deoxypodophyllotoxin which may be why such tea was historically used to treat many viral-based diseases. The berries, which are not true berries but rather a very strange cone like a pine cone, can be nibbled raw but they have a very potent flavor so the are best used in small quantities as a flavoring agent or seasoning. German settlers loved to ad 2-4 berries to each quart of sauerkraut. Gin alcohol is made by adding juniper/cedar berries during or after the distillation step. Soaking the berries in vodka for a few weeks creates your own version.

My favorite thing to do with J. ashei is to infuse apple cider vinegar with it to make a "forager balsamic vinegar. To do this take a fresh, 16oz bottle of apple cider vinegar and pour off 1/2 cup. Now take a bunch of fresh J. ashei leaf-tips and start twisting and smashing them...not too much as you don't want lots of little pieces. Just enough so that their oils can steep into the vinegar. Now start adding these abused cedar leaf-tips into the bottle until the vinegar is just about to overflow. Cap it and set it somewhere dark for 6-8 weeks, shaking it at least once a day. After the required time has passed strain out the leaf bits through a coarse wire mesh. Don't use filter paper as you'll want the original vinegar solids to remain in the liquid. I add a sprig of cedar into the strained bottle just to mark it as infused.

Now let's talk about Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana). While it's berries (okay, cones) can be used the same as Junipers ashei's berries, the leaves should not be used to make tea, infused vinegars, or smoked. These leaves contain several compounds such as thujone which can cause diarrhea if consumed in large quantities. Yes, thujone is also the active ingredient in absinth, but that's none of my business. Thujone slows down the removal of alcohol from the blood so just a little bit of it cause the BOC to shoot up much higher than expected from a drink. Now, that all being said, there is historical records of the Juniperus virginiana being used for tea so like so many wild edibles. 



Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.


















Chaste Tree


Scientific Name(s): Vitex agnus-castus L.
Abundance: common
What: seeds
How: ground for seasoning
Where: landscaping
When: fall, winter
Nutritional Value: none
Dangers: supposedly lowers libido in men while also makes women more likely to get pregnant

Medicinal Summary:
Dried Seeds* - maintains proper progesterone/prolactin levels; reduces excess prolactin; soothes PMS breast tenderness; reduces heavy menstrual bleeding; reduces cycles longer than 28-days; increase milk production; may prevent uterine fibroids; mild sedative; reduces PMS and menopause mood swings; which helps with PMS mood swings; reduces menopause hot flashes (tincture, tisane)
*can reduce male libido over time

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are opposite, arranged in pairs along the stem.

Leaf Shape: Palmately compound leaves with typically 5 to 7 leaflets, each leaflet measuring around 2 to 4 inches in length.

Leaf Color: Foliage is typically gray-green.

Flower Structure: Chaste tree produces spikes of small, fragrant flowers. The spikes can reach lengths of 6 to 12 inches.

Flower Color: Flowers come in various shades, including lavender, blue, pink, or white.

Fruit (Seed): The fruit is a small, round drupe, approximately 0.2 to 0.3 inches in diameter.

Bark: The bark is typically smooth and gray-brown.

Height: Chaste trees can grow to be 10 to 20 feet tall.

Hairs: Leaves and stems are generally smooth, but fine hairs may be present on the undersides of leaves.

Branching Pattern: Chaste trees have an open, spreading habit.

Chaste Tree
ChasteTree1

Chaste Tree leaves (not edible).
ChasteTreeLeaf1

Chaste Tree flowers (not edible).
ChasteTreeFlower1

Chaste Tree flowers close-up.
ChasteTreeFlower2

Chaste Tree seeds (edible).
ChasteTreeSeeds1

ChasteTreeSeeds2

Chaste Tree bark.
ChasteTreeBark1

Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.
ChasteTreeTX
This map is very incomplete.

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
ChasteTree

With summer comes the multitude of blue, flowering spikes of the Chaste Tree. Used in landscaping all across the south, this multi-trunked small tree/large bush is cherished for it's beauty, scent, and attraction for bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Rarely if ever is tree found in the wild and if so it will be in full sun to partial shade with well drained soil. Besides almost every branch ending in a large spike of small flowers, the leaves of the Chaste Tree are sometimes mistaken for those of the marijuana plant.

In fall the flowers have become small gray/brown seeds which, when crushed release a pungent but pleasant aroma and flavor. For this reason the seeds have been used as a seasoning for ages. However, there is a belief that the seeds, when consumed, reduce a man's desire hence the name "chaste". Monks supposedly used Chaste Tree seeds to season their food and also reduce their passions. Chaste Tree seeds, in small doses, can slightly increase the amount of female hormone prolactin in men, which may give rise to the...uh, failure to rise. However, larger doses can actually reduce prolactin in men, perhaps making them more manly.

There is quite a bit of evidence and scientific studies which show these seeds have a great deal of beneficial effects for women. There is proof these seeds help with PMS, and many other menstrual issues, helping fertilized eggs bond to the womb, and many other hormone-based issues. Please note, this is not medical advice, just a review of what others claim.


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

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