Medicinal Concoctions

Poultice – The simplest method of using many medicinal plants is to mash/pulp the plant by chewing then place it on the skin. Note, some plants can only be used externally and so can’t be chewed. Those must be pounded or chopped into pulp. The poultice can be placed “as is” directly on the skin though it is usually cleaner and easier to maintain proper placement if the mashed plant is wrapped in a single layer of thing fabric such as cheesecloth. Fresh plants usually contain enough water for a poultice though a bit of warm water often helps. Poultices made from dried plants will require rehydration with warm to comfortably hot water, bringing the mash to a cooked oatmeal like consistency. Poultices are generally made with leaves but also sometimes flowers and even roots.

Tisane – many call an infusion of plants steeped in hot water that is drunk an herbal tea, however the correct term is tisane. Standard ratio is 1 oz (weight) of plant in 1 qt of water steeped 30-60 minutes. Generally made from leaves and flowers.

Decoction – plant matter boiled 10-20 minutes, removed from heat, and steeped 1 hour. Decoctions that are drunk are also called tisanes. Standard ratio is 1 oz (weight) of plant in 1 qt of water. Generally made from roots, bark, and seeds.

Syrup – adding sugar to a strong (3.2oz plant per 8 oz of water) infusion or decoction as a preservative. Use equal amounts of sugar and water, simmer 20-30 minutes to dissolve all the sugar. Generally, honey, maple sugar, or raw sugar is used.

Lozenge - boiling a syrup down until it forms a hard candy upon healing. Usually requires syrup to reach a boiling temperature of 290 Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer.

Tincture – plant matter extracted in ethanol. Standard ratio for dried herbs to ethanol is 1:5 which is about 5oz of plant in a 1 qt jar filled to the neck with 100 proof vodka. Let sit minimum of 14 days, shaking twice a day but 6-8 weeks is preferred before straining out the plant. Fresh plant tinctures are made in a similar way but using the higher strength, 190 proof alcohol to take in account for the water present in the plant.

Double Extraction – combining equal amounts of a tincture and a decoction. Usually done with Reishi mushrooms to extract the water and alcohol-soluble components. The same chopped mushrooms can be decocted by boiling for 10-20 minutes an equal volume of water to the amount of vodka tincture. A stronger double extraction is done using equal amounts of fresh mushroom for the tincture and the decoction.

Oil Infusion – plant matter steeped in hot oil (125°F to 145°F) 8-12 hours, allowed to cool, the strained. Use dried herbs as fresh ones can spoil in the oil resulting in a potential poisonous concoction. Standard ratio is 4 oz herb to 1 qt of oil.

Salve – an ointment made by combining an oil infusion with bees wax to thicken the oil. Use 1:8 ratio (volume) bees wax to oil for softer ointments and 1:6 ratio for harder salves.

Liniment – plant matter tincture for EXTERNAL USE ONLY made using rubbing alcohol (isopropanol) rather than ethanol. Use the same amounts of plant and rubbing alcohol as in tinctures.

Elixir - creating a tincture that uses equal amounts of plant material, alcohol (usually brandy) and honey. Let sit at least six weeks in a dark location, shaking every day, before straining out the plant matter and transferring to a dropper bottle.

Infused Vinegar - plant matter soaked in warmed vinegar (usually apple cider or a wine-based vinegar). Heat the vinegar to approximately 100-120°F, pour over plant matter in a glass jar. Cover plant material by ~1/2 inch of vinegar. Seal tightly and store in a dark place. Shake daily for at least two weeks before straining out the plant matter and begin using.

Oxymel - adding 1 part honey to 1 part infused vinegar.

Smoke - drawing the smoke from smoldering herbs into one's mouth is a potent way of accessing the medicinal compounds of some plants. Traditionally, this smoke was swallowed rather than drawn into the lungs, thereby avoiding lung damage.


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.

How to learn edible wild plants.

Learning edible wild plants takes time and effort, there are very few shortcuts. However, the following tips will save you a lot of wasted effort. If you are serious about learning your local edible flora here what you want to do:

The Terrible Secret About Most Edible Plant Books
I get several e-mails a week asking "what one book is the best guide to edible wild plants?". The quick response is Peterson's Guide to Edible Wild Plants. It is probably the most comprehensive guide to edible plants in North America even though it mainly focuses on the northeast. It has color pictures, line drawings, and habitat info on hundreds of plants. But I have yet to meet anyone who successfully taught themselves more than 6-9 plants using this book. Few people can translate its line drawings and postage stamp-size pictures into real plants in the real world.

There's no such thing as a prefect, complete edible plant guide. Unless you are already a plant expert it's impossible to teach yourself all your local edible plant from a single book. It's too hard to have clear pictures of every plant in every stage of it's life. For that reason you really need to have multiple reference books. I have over thirty plant books that I use as guides. These aren't all just about wild edibles. They also include wildflower guides, weed guides, tree guides, botany textbooks, gardening books, forestry books, etc... Each book has different pictures and descriptions of the same plants. Once you get some books start flipping through them every chance you get. You want to train you eyes to see specific plants in all their stages among the Big Green Sea that surrounds you. You don't need to know the name or anything else about the plant at this point, just that you might have seen it in one of your books.

Update: when this article was first written I never expected I'd write a book. Well, I have and it avoids all the problems I described. Outdoor Adventure Guides - Foraging has multiple, big pictures of each plant (leaf, flower, stem, fruit, etc...) along with pictures of any poisonous mimics. It includes range maps to show you where in North America each plant is found, it even has a calendar showing you when the plant will appear depending on if you're in the south, central, or northern areas of this continent. Idiot's Guide: Foraging is available in both paperback and Kindle editions.

Cross Referencing
Once you've found a plant that might be edible it's time to ID it. Take a bunch of pictures of the plant's flowers, leaves (top and underside), stem, and overall appearance. Compare it to many pictures in your books, match the leaves, it's size and shape, and where it is usually found to similar plants in your books. At this point it's very helpful to understand plant descriptors (sepals, palmate, lobed, etc...) as it makes it easier to search through the books. Don't limit yourself to just using books to ID a plant. The internet is obviously another great resource for figuring out what the plant might be.

Take a Class
The best thing a plant newbie can do is take a class and I'm not just saying that because I teach the subject. A few hours with a good teacher will get you through the first, steepest part of the learning curves. By the end of the class you won't be adrift in the Big Green. You'll be able to pick out many plant all around you that are safe to eat (as well as know which tasty-looking plants are highly toxic!). Once you've been taught a bunch of edible plants, learning more becomes much easier as your "plant eye" will be much stronger. Then when you are on your own looking at a landscape you'll already see plants that you can/can not eat. You'll be left with just a few plants that you don't know, which is no longer overwhelming.

The other nice thing about taking a class is you'll get to see plants in different stages of their life. A particular plant may not be ready for harvest yet, but by seeing a young one you'll be able to go back and follow its growth. Or if it's past time you may be able to collect seeds to grow your own.

Growing Your Own
One of the best things you can do to learn edible wild plants is to grow your own. Seeds can be either collected in the wild (follow all appropriate laws!) or purchased via the internet. Observing the plant from seedling to maturity is a great way to train your eyes to see it out in the wild.

The Well-Trained Eye
The repeated scanning of your plant books, internet sites, and home-grown plants will have filled your subconscious with key plant-shapes to look for and you'll be surprised at how they suddenly jump out at you! Each time you go out pick a few new plants to research and after a year or three you'll have mastered the all local edibles. You know you are doing it right when you start dreaming about edible wild plants.


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.

Making Sauerkraut and Other Fermented Foods.

Fermentation is one of the oldest forms of food preservation. While the word fermentation usually brings to mind the conversion of grains or fruit into beer and wine, it also covers microbial actions such as the conversion of starches and sugars into lactic acid. This lactic acid is what gives the tangy sour flavor to sauerkraut, kimchee, salami, sourdough, and yogurt. Vinegar is created by similar manner by bacteria which convert the alcohol into acetic acid. The lactic and acetic acids prevent other microbes from growing and spoiling the food.

These beneficial, acid-producing bacteria are found all around us naturally and under the right conditions they can easily be harvested. "Wild-type" bacteria don't always give great results so most people purchase bacteria which has already proven to be a good performer. The easiest way to buy them is in the form of yogurt with live culture. Strain the yogurt through cheesecloth and the resulting liquid is loaded with live lactic acid-producing bacteria. Lactic acid bacteria can also be bought in pill form in the vitamin section of most stores. Look for pills labeled Probiotic Acidophilus. To use, simply crush 1-2 of the pills and add the resultant power to your fermentation crock. These bacteria will reproduce and feed on some of the plant material to produce the lactic acid.

Probiotic Acidophilus containing 1 billion active cultures per tablet.


Acetic acid producing bacteria can be found in certain unpasteurized vinegars such as Bragg's Apple Vinegar and some English malt vinegar. You can also purchase acetic acid bacteria "mother" from various places online.

The acid will attack most metal containers so ceramic, glass, or plastic vessels are used to hold the fermenting food. Traditionally large, straight-sided, wide-mouthed ceramic crocks were used and these still can be purchased from assorted online vendors. They are expensive though and usually outside the budget of most people just getting in to fermented foods. Luckily, circular ceramic crockpots and slow-cookers work just as well and are usually available from second-hand stores for under $10. Since the fermentation takes place at room temperature, the crockpot is left unplugged the whole time. The crockpots need to be circular in shape so a plate can be placed inside the crockpot to weigh down and completely submerge to food being fermented under the fermentation liquid. The acid-producing bacteria are "anaerobic" which means oxygen will prevent them from reproducing and must be excluded. Keeping the food submerged keeps the oxygen away, allowing the bacteria to do it's thing. Usually a weight is placed on the plate to keep everything submerged. I use a pitcher of water as the weight.

Sauerkraut: An Easy Fermented Food.
Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) is one of the easiest fermented foods to make but it is also extremely nutritious. Sauerkraut is simply sliced cabbage with a little salt. More complex sauerkraut recipes call for additional things like apples, onions or spices such as dill and fennel. For your first time just stick with the basics.

Ingredients:
5 pounds of cabbage
3.5 tablespoons of sea salt (optional).
1-2 Probiotic Acidophus pills.

The salt isn't really necessary but adding it will help prevent "bad" bacteria from taking over while you are waiting for the acidophilus bacteria, which is unharmed by high salt concentrations, to grow. The acidophilus pills aren't need either as this sort of bacteria is already all around us and even on the cabbage leaves. I normally don't use these pills except when the weather is exceptionally cold resulting in slow-reproduction of the wild-type bacteria.

Step 1: Gather your stuff.

Here we have the cabbage, crockpots, bowls, and sea salt. I use sea salt as it contains extra minerals that assist the bacteria in the fermentation process. Only one crockpot will be need to hold the cabbage.

Step 2: Slice the cabbage.

Peel off some of the outer cabbage leaves to get to the cleaner interior leaves. Also "core" the cabbage to remove the stem base. The stem base doesn't ferment well as it is large and solid which prevents the bacteria from getting into it. Some people puree the stem base and add it into the crock, but that just makes extra dishes. I'm lazy so I just feed the core to my worms.

Step 3: Salt the cabbage.

Sprinkle some of the sea salt in the bottom of a large bowl, followed by some of the sliced cabbage. Continue to alternate layers of salt and cabbage. If you are adding crushed acidophilus pills do it at this same time, also in layers with the cabbage. Once the bowl is filled mix the salt and cabbage together with your hands while also crushing the cabbage to make it release its juices.

Step 4: Packing the cabbage in the crock.

Tightly pack the sliced cabbage into the crock. You want to press hard on it to drive out any air and also to squeeze more juice out. You need enough juice to completely cover all the cabbage. The salt will help draw out some of the water from the cabbage so don't worry if it at first is seems like there isn't enough juice. After a few hours a lot more juice will be freed from the cabbage so its rare that extra water needs to be added.

Step 5: Submerge the cabbage, part 1.

Place a plate on top of the cabbage to press it down under the water. I usually place a cup or an upside down bowl on top of the plate, followed by a cloth covering and then a pitcher filled with water on top of the cup or bowl. The pitcher increase the weight on the cabbge insuring it will stay submerged.

Step 5: Submerge the cabbage, part 2.

Here you can see the cloth covering and the pitcher of water. The cloth keeps out any dust, spores, or flies that might want to contaminate the sauerkraut. The pitcher adds weight to keep stuff submerged. At this point depending on the room temperature it will take anywhere from four days to four weeks for the cabbage to reach the proper level of spicy, yummy fermentation. Check it every two to three days during this time to remove any "blooms". Blooms are simply white fuzzy/spiderwebby stuffy. It is non-toxic but kind of icky looking and can impart odd flavors to the fermented veggies if not removed.

A spider-webby bloom. Just remove it, the sauerkraut will be fine.


Step 6: Eat!


Deciding when sauerkraut is "finished" is very subjective and only depends on your particular tastes. Visually it'll have a slightly translucent appearance but what really matters is the taste. If you like the way it tastes then it is finished. Pack the sauerkraut into covered glass or plastic jars and stick it in your fridge, making sure you included enough of the juice to keep the sauerkraut submerged. The batch shown being made for this article filled two quart jars.
The cold temperature of the fridge will cause bacteria growth/fermentation to slow almost to a standstill, no more lactic acid will be produced. The sauerkraut will then stay in this edible state for years.

In Mexico slices of carrots and peppers are treated this way. Kimchee is just Asian cabbages and other Asian vegetables mixed with spicy peppers and assorted seasonings and allowed to ferment into a fiery, tangy dish. Any plant can be fermented, whether it tastes good or not is up to you. I plan on making a kimchee-style dish using smartweed, dollarweed, spiderwort, chili pequins, and assorted other wild edibles. Hopefully it'll turn out fantastic...or at least edible.

Next up, a bunch of stuff mixed together.

Update on the cauliflower/daikon radish/ginger/carrot/hot pepper mix: it's fantastic!!


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.

Common Herbal Teas

I. Introduction
II. Tea: Black, Oolong, and Green
III. Herbal Flavors
IV. Health Benefits
V. Techniques of Preparation
VI. Harvesting, Drying, and Storage
VII. Growing Herbs in Houston


I. Introduction
So, what's all this about teas and why are they so dang healthy? As usual, it's all about the chemistry. You basic “Lipton's” tea is loaded with a number of beneficial chemicals with the main class being known as "flavoniods". Most flavonoids work as antioxidants which is just a fancy way of saying they get rid of the bad, highly-reactive molecules (aka free radicals) in your body. These free radicals would normally bounce around ripping apart other necessary molecules, which is a very bad thing. Getting rid of the free radicals greatly reduces molecular damage to your cells, which is a very good thing.

If all you want to do is protect your molecules from destruction then regular tea is fine. However, why stop there? How about adding chemicals that can perk you up or make you relax, chemicals that can stimulate your immune system or settle down your stomach, chemicals that can reduces cramps or clear your sinuses of goo, maybe even extend your life? Yeah, they can do that and more. Let's learn more, shall we?


II. Tea: Black, Oolong, and Green
The most common teas (Black, Oolong, and Green) all come from the Camellia sinensis plant, originally from Asia. The difference between the three depends on how the leaves are treated after picking, mainly how much enzymatic breakdown they are allowed to undergo. This natural chemical process occurs as the leaves are dried and and once the proper level of breakdown has occur the leaves are heated to stop further breakdown.

Green tea is the least “broken” of the teas and so maintains the highest concentrations of beneficial chemicals but has the weakest flavor by most Western standards. Oolong tea is partially broken giving it a richer flavor and a slight reduction in the chemicals we seek. Black tea is allowed to break down the farthest. This results in the richest taste but a reduction of many helpful chemicals except for the antioxidants. But even Black tea been shown to reduce the clogging of arteries, inhibit cancer growth, and fight some viruses!


III. Herbal Flavors
Besides the assorted health and wellness chemicals available in herbal teas (sect. IV), they offer a whole world of tastes. Mixing and matching these flavors is one of the great joys of herbal tea.

SWEET
Anise
Licorice
Stevia leaves
Vanilla beans
Yaupon holly leaves
Blackberry/Dewberry leaves
Raspberry leaves
Apple fruit
Peach fruit Hawthorn
Strawberry leaves

FLORAL
Chamomile flowers & leaves
Elderberry flowers
Jasmine flowers
Lavender flowers
Basswood/Linden flowers
Clover (white and red)
Rose flowers
Chrysanthemum flowers

MINT
Spearmint
Peppermint 
Wintergreen 
Catnip 
Violet 
Basil 
Yerba Santa

SPICY 
Allspice
Cardamon
Cinnamon
Coriander
Fenugreek
Ginger

CITRUS*
Beebalm/Lemon balm
Lemongrass
Lemon peel
Orange peel
Lime peel Sorrel
*Warning: the peel of store-bought citrus fruit may have been treated with fungicides or other potentially toxic compounds. Wash them thoroughly before use or purchase organically grown fruits.

TART
Rose hips
Turk's cap flowers
Hibiscus flowers
Dock leaves

LICORICE
Anise
Fennel
Licorice
Star Anise
Goldenrod leaves & flowers

EARTHY/ROOTY
Dandelion root
Burdock root
Ginseng roots (flavor becomes bitter if left in water too long)
Chicory root

RESIN
Rosemary
Pine needles
Thyme
Sage
Cloves

BITTER
Chicory root
Ginseng roots (flavor becomes bitter if left in water too long)
Yarrow flowers & leaves
Willow twigs

ARBORACEOUS
Sarsaparilla roots
Birch leaves
Ginseng roots (flavor becomes bitter if left in water too long)
Sassafras roots
Burdock root
Echinacea flowers
Ephedra bark & twigs


IV. Health Benefits
Now it's time for the best part of herbal teas, the wonderful effects they can have on your body. Do you want to sleep or wake up? Are you suffering from a cold? Do you need your heart, or blood to function better? Do need to calm your stomach or your nerves? Yeah, there's a herb for that.

HERBS FOR ENERGY
Ginseng
Yaupon holly (caffeine)
Licorice
Tumeric
Chrysanthemum
Ephedra

HERBS FOR HEADACHES
Mint
Rose hips
Rosemary
Thyme
Lavender
Chrysanthemum

HERBS FOR IMPROVED HEALTH
Burdock root - blood purifier, antioxidants
Cinnamon - improves circulation, may increase longevity
Dandelion root - stimulates liver, flushes system
Lemongrass - cleanses blood, liver and kidneys; reduces blood pressure
Licorice - reduces congestion, improves focus
Stinging nettle - cleanses blood, stimulates liver & kidneys
Blackberry/Dewberry - high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants; blood cleanser
Rose hips - vitamin C, antioxidants
Rosemary - improves liver action and blood circulation, improves memory
Persimmon - vitamin C
Sassafras - blood cleanser
Hibiscus flower - antioxidants, control blood pressure, lowers cholesterol
Red clover - antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, reduces bad cholesterol, thins blood
Ginger - reduces morning sickness, reduces arthritis pain and other chronic pain
Jasmine - antioxidants, lowers bad cholesterol, may fight cancer, boosts immune system
Ginko Biloba – improves memory
Chrysanthemum – lowers blood pressure, high in minerals
Sage – blood purifier, improves liver, kidney, and brain functions,
Thyme – reduces anemia
Fennel – reduces pain
Ginseng – improves immune system, lowers bad cholesterol, improves blood flow
Hawthorn – strengthens heart tissue & blood vessels, lowers bad cholesterol
Mint – strengthens immune system

HERBS FOR CALM
Chamomile Oatstraw
Basil Valerian root
Lemon balm St. John's Wort
Lemongrass Ginseng
Mint Sage
Jasmine Licorice

HERBS FOR STOMACH ILLS
Burdock - reduces indigestion and constipation, increases bile production
Cardamom - increases digestion, reduces gas
Chamomile - reduces indigestion
Cinnamon - reduces indigestion
Cloves – aids digestion, reduces nausea
Fennel - improves appetite, stimulates digestion, reduces gas
Ginger - reduces nausea
Lemongrass - improves digestion
Mint - improves digestion, reduces nausea
Licorice – improves digestion
Blackberry/Dewberry - helps control diarrhea
Sage - improves digestion
Ginseng – increases appetite, helps digestion, cures diarrhea
Yarrow - increases appetite, improves digestion
Red clover - reduces gas
Stevia - reduces heartburn
Anise - reduces gas and indigestion
Thyme – reduces gas
Basil – reduces diarrhea
Fennel – reduces gas, aids digestion

HERBS FOR COLDS/FLU
Burdock - reduces congestion, opens airways, reduces fever
Elderberry - improves immune system
Fennel - soothes sore throats, reduces coughing
Ginger - soothes throat, opens sinuses, reduces fever
Lemongrass - reduces fevers and other cold symptoms
Licorice - soothes sore throats, reduces coughing
Stinging nettle - reduces coughing, opens sinuses
Black berry – soothes sore throat
Sage – reduces, fever, congestion and coughing
Strawberry leaves - slows diarrhea, reduces indigestion
Thyme - reduces coughing and sore throats, strengthens immune system
Yarrow - reduces congestion and other cold symptoms
Red clover - expectorant
Ephedra - reduces congestion
Anise - expectorant, reduces congestion
Cinnamon – reduces cold symptoms

HERBS FOR WOMEN
Cinnamon - reduces menstrual cramps
Ginger - reduces menstrual cramps
Lemongrass - reduces menstrual issues
Licorice - reduces menstrual cramps
Fennel – stimulates milk flow
Motherwort - reduces PMS
Blackberry/Dewberry - general menstrual aid
Skullcap - reduces PMS mood swings
Stevia - may help prevent osteoporosis
Fenugreek – increases lactation
Red clover - reduces symptoms of menopause due to estrogen mimicking molecules, not for use by pregnant women!

HERBS FOR MEN
Ginseng - improves blood flow to Mr. Happypants
Ginko Biloba - improves blood flow to Mr. Happypants
Ginger - improves blood flow to Mr. Happypants
Hawthorn - improves blood flow to Mr. Happypants
Blackberry/Dewberry - improves blood flow to Mr. Happypants


V. Techniques of Preparation
So now let's make the tea. There are a few things to keep in mind to optimize the release of power of your herbs. Being a chemist, I'm going to pull out the big words for this section.

INFUSION
This method is used for soft plant matter such as leaves, flowers, seeds, or crushed fruits/berries. Boiling water is poured over these materials which are then steeped for 10 to 30 minutes. The water is not brought back to a boil but rather it is allowed to slowly cool or heated to below boiling. The longer the herbs are soaked in this water the more flavor, nutrients, and medicinal compounds will be released. However, be careful with some bitter herbs as a long soaking of these can render the tea unfit to drink.

DECOCTION
To decoct means to add the woody herbs to boiling water which is then kept over heat and simmered 20-60 minutes. Roots, bark, and twigs need this more vigorous extraction. As before, the longer you soak the herbs the more you'll get out of them. If making a tea with both soft and woody components first boil the roots/bark/twigs then add the leaves/flowers/fruit and remove from heat.

TINCTURE
Extraction of herbal chemicals with alcohol makes a tincture. The basic rule of thumb is 300-400 grams of herbs are used per liter of alcohol. Let this mixture soak for at least two weeks with shaking every day. Some people leave the herbs in the alcohol others filter them out. Filtering them out makes for a cleaner tincture which I find easier to use. Vodka and rum (80-100 proof) are the alcohols of choice, with rum being better at disguising flavors of harsher herbs. To use, take one teaspoon of the tincture up to three times a day, either straight or added to juice or soda.
WARNING: never use wood alcohol, rubbing alcohol, or methanol to make tinctures.



VI. Harvesting, Drying, and Storage
Okay, so know you know something about the health benefits and flavors of herbal teas, now lets learn about proper collecting and storing of your future tea. It's a pretty easy, but there are a few things you should know to make great teas.

HARVESTING
Now days it is easy to buy tea herbs off the internet or even in grocery stores. However, the fresher the better in most cases and the freshest will be the ones you grow yourself. The best time to harvest your herbs' leaves and flowers is mid-morning after any dew has evaporated but before the day's heat has a chance to really set in. Most of the flavor-producing compounds are produced by chemical reactions in the plant during the night. But these yummy compounds are easily evaporated out of the plant by the sun's heat so the later in the day you wait to pick them the less there will be of these tasty and beneficial chemicals. However if you pick the leaves/flowers while they still have a coating of dew there is a very good chance that they will mildew and turn to a mushy, useless mess during storage.

The time of day is less important for heavier parts of the plant such as roots, twigs, and bark. The proper time to collect these are based more on the calender than on a clock. Late winter/early spring is usually the right time to collect twigs, roots and bark from trees as this is when they are starting to be flooded with life again after the cold, dark winter. This new life is the vitality you want to tap. On the other hand, the roots of flowers, shrubs, and non-tree-type plants are usually better in the fall. The plant has spent all summer turning sunlight into healthy nutrients and stuffing them into the roots for storage over the winter. Come spring these nutrients were to be used to regrow the plant but now you'll be harvesting that regrowth for yourself.

DRYING and STORAGE
A basic rule of thumb is the thicker the plant matter the thicker you can pile it on top of itself during drying. Leaves are best dried while still on the stems/stalks in bundles hung up in warm, dry areas out of direct sunlight. Remember, you don't want the good chemicals to evaporate away so warm with air circulation is better than hot or direct sunlight. If you have the room, store these bundles hanging somewhere dry. A layer of cheese cloth over them will keep the dust off them.

Flowers should be removed from their stems and gently shaken to get rid of any bugs (though these bugs are a source of protein). Place them on a cookie sheets one layer deep and set them in a dry, warm place. Again, avoid hot areas or direct sunlight. Air gently passing over them with prevent mildewing, molds, or fungi from growing which are BAD for tea. Once dry, place the flowers in lidded, wide-mouth jars. Traditionally porcelain or amber-colored glass jars are preferred to reduce degradation of the herbs by light.

Heavy materials such as roots, bark and twigs should be cut into strips approximately 4" long and no wider than your little finger, then loosely pile on a cookie sheet. As before, place them in a dry, warm area with moving air to dry them without losing any goodness. Twigs and uncut roots can be bundled and hung like your did earlier with the leaves. Bark and cut roots should be stored in the same manner as flowers.


VII. Growing Herbs in Houston
The most efficient way to grow herbs is in an “herb spiral”. This is simply a six foot wide by three foot high circular ramp of soil. Your herbs are planted along this ramp with their placement determined by their required growing conditions. Plants which need full sun are placed on the south-facing side of the spiral, full shade plants go on the north side. Partial sun/shade plants can go on the east or west sides. The top portion of the spiral dries quickly while the lower levels remain moist so plants that require well-drain soil are planted higher up and moisture-loving plants go in the lower levels. Table 1. lists common herbs and their growing conditions to assist you in planning your herb spiral. Figure 1. shows the basic layout of an herb spiral.

Table 1. Common herbs
Plant___Light___Water___Height____Width
Anise....full sun....well drained....18”-24”....12”
Basil....full sun....moist....18”-24”....12”
Beebalm....partial sun....moist....24”-48”....12”
Catnip....partial sun....well drained....12”-36”....12”
Chamomile....any....dry....9”....varies
Chrysanthemum**....full sun....dry....48”....24'-48”
Coriander....sunny*....medium ....12”-36”.... 8”
Echinacea....sunny....well drained....3'-4'
Fennel....full sun....well drained....48”....24”
Fenugreek....full sun....well drained....24”  
Ginger....partial sun....moist....24”....12”
Hibiscus....full sun....moist....7'....5'
Lavender....fun sun....well drained....36”....24”
Licorice....full sun....well drained....36”....24”
Peppermint....partial shade....moist....12”-24”....12”-24”
Roses....partial sun...drained....varies
Rosemary....full sun....well drained....72”....72”
Sage....full sun....well drained....24”-36”....24”-36”
Spearmint....partial shade....moist....12”-24”....12”-24”
Stevia....full sun*....well drained    24”....8”
Strawberry....full sun....well drained....12”....bed
Violet....partial sun....moist....6”....bed
Wintergreen....partial shade....moist....12”-24”....12”-24”
Yarrow....full sun....well drained....24”-36”....10”

Figure 1.  Herb spiral

Remember, the spiral should be at or over three feet tall at the center. It is watered from the top, allowing the water to flow down around the spiral.


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.

Collecting Tools

All one really needs to properly gather wild edible plants is sharp knife, a digging tool, and a container to hold your harvest. Personally, I prefer to use a garden shears instead of a knife when gathering leaves, shoots, tendrils, twigs, and other items that are cut off a plant. Note though that I always have a knife with me as part of the 10 Wilderness Essentials. For digging roots and tubers I use a Japanese Hori Hori Knife.

My harvest container depends on what I'm collecting. A net bags such as the type onions come in is very good for leaves/twigs/roots. Reusing a bag like this is also good for the environment. Berries and other delicate plant matter work best in shallow Tupperware-style containers. Don't use high-sided container for berries. You'll be tempted to fill the container to the top and the resulting weight will crush the berries at the bottom.

A bag with lots of pockets works great for carrying your tools, guidebooks, and harvest containers. I prefer a shoulder bag to a backpack because the shoulder bag has quicker access. You need to remove a backpack to take out/put in stuff. Shoulder bags do have an annoying tendency to swing forward into the way when you bend over, but I find clipping it to one of my rear belt loops with a cheap carabiner takes care of this problem.

Other optional gear:
1. Guidebook of edible plants (better safe than sorry)
2. Leather gloves (some plants have thorns)
3. Sunblock
4. Bug repellent
5. Long pants (better protection against bugs, sun, thorns, etc...)
6. Water (duh)
7. Small notebook
8. Ruler or small tape measure
9. Camera


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.

Preparation Tips for Bitter Greens

Dandelions, chicory, thistles and wild lettuces are some of the most nutritional edible wild plants you can harvest but in their rawest forms they are very bitter and generally uneatable by any but the most die-hard foragers. Luckily, it is very simple to turn these plants into dishes that are not just eatable but actually delicious. It always helps to pick the leaves at the proper time (early young leaves before the flower stalk(s) have appeared) but these tricks will even help with late-harvested, extremely bitter leaves. These four different methods are as follows:
1. boiling
2. wilting with hot grease or oil
3. diluting with mild greens
4. overpowering the bitterness with salt, sour, and/or tart flavors

Boiling
Many of the bitter-tasting chemicals in these plants are soluble in hot water and so can be removed with 1-3 changes of boiling water. However this method also removes/destroys some of the nutrients so you'll need to increase the amount of greens you are cooking.

Cover the greens in excess water, boil for 10 minutes, then rinse of and taste a small bit of the plant. If it's still too bitter pour off this water and replace it with fresh water, then boil for another ten minutes. Keep doing this until the greens are edible. The resulting mass will be unattractive and lacking in the more water-soluble "good" chemicals, but the protein and other large phytochemicals will remain.

Wilting with hot grease or oil
This is my particular favorite method. Drizzling hot bacon grease or hot seasoned olive oil causes a chemical change to the bitter molecules and also leaves a protective coating on the tongue which reduces it's sensitivity to bitter flavors. Bacon/egg/sow thistle omelets are a Sunday morning treat at our house. The hot bacon grease converts the bitterness to a rich, deep flavor that I can't really describe other than to say I (and my young daughters!) find it to be fantastic. Vegans can use olive oil though for some reason I find the results to be inferior to bacon grease.

Don't completely cover the greens in the hot oil/grease, just dribble it on so most of the leaves have become a little "crinkly". I like to include a variety of bitter plants in the bowl to give a very complex mix of flavors. You will have to experiment a little to find the amount of wilting you prefer but luckily most of these plants are plentiful and it's easy to harvest plenty.

Diluting with mild greens
This is the best way for raw-foodists to incorporate dandelions and the such into their meals. It retains all the beneficial chemicals though it does require having assorted mild greens such as dayflower, young dollarweed, plantain, chickweed, amaranth, young hibiscus and turk's cap leaves, or even regular lettuce.

Finely chop or shred the bitter greens and combine them with the mild greens in a ratio of 1 part bitter-9 parts mild. This will greatly cut the bitterness to just the point of adding a unique flavor to your salad. As you grow accustom to the flavor you can increase the bitter portion, but few will go more than 3 parts bitter-7 parts mild.

Overpowering the bitterness with salt, sour, and/or tart flavors
The tongue, while amazingly sensitive to flavors, can be overwhelmed at times. Combining the bitter greens with soy sauce or a tangy red wine/vinegar dressing over-stimulates most people's taste-buds resulting in a reduced ability to taste the bitterness. This technique is another favorite of vegans and raw-foodists.

A similar effect occurs when incorporating the greens into homemade sauerkraut or kimchi. The sour fermentation of these foods will help break the bitterness though it requires more experimentation due to the unequal levels of bitter chemicals from plant to plant. In my opinion that is part of the fun of wild foods, though!


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.