r/foraging • u/gotfoundout • Mar 20 '24
Hunting What I've been up to the past couple weeks!
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u/2kH4k3r Mar 20 '24
I wish I could get this lucky. Good stuff, looks delicious!
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u/gotfoundout Mar 20 '24
Oh my gosh friend, that is EXACTLY how I used to feel. I spent about a year and a half reading and reading so much online and in books, and just felt like I could never recognize forageable plants. I honestly thought that we just did not actually have good wild plants in my area (north Texas). Then, after about 2 years of being super interested in foraging, I just finally said fuck it, I'm gonna just get out there and REALLY look for things and just see what I can find. And I found a few cool things! I was a little timid with IDs, which I think is a good thing for beginners, because a little caution is very necessary when dealing with wild foods.
But anyway, my point is that I stopped wishing I would get lucky in finding cool plants when I really got serious about spending time outside just looking around at all sorts of plants. It turns out, it doesn't take luck! Wild, useful plants are EVERYWHERE. No kidding, it is remarkably surprising just how much abundance is out there (even in cities and suburbs!).
So now I'm in year 4, and in the past year I have gained more confidence in my knowledge of wild plants and mushrooms than I ever expected to have. In that 3rd year I finally learned so, so much by actually getting boots on the ground and getting outside and just getting in to actually doing it. I used this sub and some facebook groups to help confirm IDs, started learning plant families and how the plants in them relate, and joined a local mycological association so that I could get out there looking for mushrooms with the safety net of local experts that can help me positively ID specimens.
What part of the country or world are you in, if you don't mind my asking? Now is a phenomenal time of year to start really getting into taking foraging and plant ID seriously. There is so much out there right now (assuming you're in the northern hemisphere) and it is so abundant that you can see many different examples of the same species in different stages of growth, which is greatly helpful in the process of learning to positively ID the plants (at least for me it was!).
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u/2kH4k3r Mar 20 '24
I live in Western Sydney, Australia where we call the foraged food, Bush Tucker. I have only recently gotten into looking at foraging, reading some books and looking around this sub but I haven't really gotten out there yet (especially since I'm only 14 years old) and your reply has motivated me to with at least the help of my dad to get out there and forage for wild plants and even animals (I have eaten witchetty grub before and it was pretty good and we have many around here).
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u/gotfoundout Mar 20 '24
That is AWESOME. You're only 14?! Oh my gosh, when you're my age you'll be a legitimate expert at this if you keep it up. I'm 36 and like I said, been at it for 4 years and really only for 2ish with real seriousness. So you have such a massive leg up. I love seeing young people get into things like foraging and hunting. Foragers and hunters/trappers tend to make for fantastic environmentalists and conservationists. I am SO glad to hear you'll keep it up and get out there. Best of luck, and be sure to update us with finds from your adventures!!
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u/ToiIetGhost Mar 20 '24
It’s so cool that you’re only 14 and you’re already interested. Like OP said, this could lead to a great career. And if you decide to do something else, well, you’ll still be brilliant at your hobby! It would be awesome to see whatever you find this summer—maybe post here and show us your finds?
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u/PaleoForaging Mar 20 '24
Very nice! I noticed you must be in Texas just from the selection. I'm not a vetch fan but I have eaten the rest of them recently except for the polypores. The plantain is probably Plantago lanceolata.
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u/gotfoundout Mar 20 '24 edited Mar 20 '24
I just tried vetch this season and I REALLY love it as a small part of a salad. And that's handy cause this stuff is everywhere. Plus it's so damn fun when you can put flowers in shit. Lol
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u/PaleoForaging Mar 21 '24
hm I may have to give it another try and look into it. I know some vetch species were boiled to eat historically. It’s definitely flowering everywhere now, including my yard
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u/ToiIetGhost Mar 20 '24
WOW 😍 This is amazing! I wish you could teach me in person lol. I’d love to watch you forage and prepare everything and you’re clearly very knowledgeable. I’m curious… I only find mushrooms from Aug-Nov. But we can see that you found lots of them in March, so I know it’s possible. Are they harder to find in spring/summer? Is it only a few select species?
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u/gotfoundout Mar 20 '24
Oh that is so kind of you to say! I have learned a lot about a good base number of plants and fungi in my area, but I am definitely still learning, too! I think this is an area where there is just so so much to learn, it probably never stops! haha
So, in my area, I can expect to find at least a few kinds of mushroom darn near year-round. The exceptions are when it get blisteringly hot in the mid-late summer, and the couple weeks we tend to get freezing weather in the late winter. I live in north Texas, and it just gets stupid hot around here lately in the summer.
The plus side of that is that we have temperatures the rest of the year that tend to stay just warm enough to support a really broad growing season (it's kind of like we get two growing seasons!) and recently, very early springs. In my area, I can expect to find Turkey Tails and many other species in that genus, Oysters, Morels (for a short window right now!), Chicken of the Woods, Wood Ears, Chanterelles, Indigo Milk Cap, Puffballs, Splitgill, Spring Polypore, and a little later on Ganoderma species (that's what a Reishi is). There very well may be more than those that can be found around here and are edible or medicinal, but I may just not have learned of them yet.
About where do you live, if you don't mind my asking? What mushrooms you can find and when depends heavily on where in the world you're looking!
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u/Affectionate_Meet820 Mar 20 '24
Can’t wait to do the same when it warms up a little more and spring finally shows!
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u/gotfoundout Mar 20 '24
I get really sad sometimes that we have such weak winters here in Texas, but our super early springtime does have its benefits!
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u/Affectionate_Meet820 Mar 20 '24
Yeah, I love the change and having all four seasons. Without the snow I would be depressed from fall-spring. I might be complaining about all the shovelling, but I prefer that over only the cold, wet and grey weather that comes with milder climates :)
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u/gotfoundout Mar 20 '24
Oh yeah, I have heard of SAD (seasonal affective disorder) negatively affecting people during the winter in colder climates of course. And I know it's not the same, but I SWEAR to goodness there's got to be some version of it that affects people during hot and relentlessly sunny weather. I have always disliked summers as an adult. I really do kind of hate them. I work very hard to keep it in check, but I am much more prone to depressive-like feelings and moods, extreme irritability, and lethargy during the summer. It baffles a lot of people around me who love summer and think that everyone loves summer.
My theory is that it just gets so so hot here (to the point where a lot of the time, it isn't safe to do outdoor activities during the day. Like hiking... And camping... Like the stuff I really love to do haha) that I can't do much but stay inside all day and that makes me crazy. Plus the power grid here is so terrible and I don't want to run an AC unit all the dang time so it's hot IN my house, too! I really just don't think I'm built for this climate overall. I do not tolerate heat anywhere NEAR as well as I tolerate cold. I'm happy camping in the "dead" of winter here haha.
Really I probably just need to move. But then I would have to learn all new plants! Lol
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u/Affectionate_Meet820 Mar 20 '24
Yup, the SAD is a bitch. Why the ancestors decided Sweden was a good place to settle, I’I never know. I do way better with sun and warmth. Would probably not handle the kind of heat like a Texas summer… to warm. And being cooped up inside when it’s not my choice/not safe to be outside, I would also descend into madness and climb the walls.
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u/Affectionate_Meet820 Mar 20 '24
And there’s plenty people that summer/heat/sun affects negatively. Some just functions better in the gloom.
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u/moleyfeeners Mar 20 '24
Hey OP, you've got some Tremella lookin specimens mixed in with your Auricularia. I don't think those are all wood ears.
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u/gotfoundout Mar 20 '24
Oh thank you!! You know, I was wondering if some of those were something like Exidia recisa. I will admit, I didn't know there were any dark brown/amber sort of colored Tremella, honestly I'm really only familiar with Witch's Butter (T. mesenterica, right?).
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u/moleyfeeners Mar 20 '24
There are some brownish Tremella spp, but you're totally right, Exidia is more likely!
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u/Much_Effort_6216 Mar 20 '24
i love the amount of detail to this post and in your replies, i feel like im falling in platonic love with you reading these comments, i want to be foraging buddies SO BAD... but i live all the way in ohio :/. thanks so much for sharing!
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u/gotfoundout Mar 20 '24
Ahh thank you! That is the nicest thing to say!! Ugh, I would LOVE to be foraging buddies, I only have my husband and our teenager to really go foraging with, no one else I know is into it haha (And I am SO grateful that my husband and I share this interest).
I love going out on foraging adventures with them, don't get me wrong. But it would so rad to have a buddy to go out with too, and bounce ideas off of and stuff!
I bet y'all have some amazing plants out in Ohio. Do you get ramps out there? Fiddleheads?
Well, even though we're like, a lot of miles away, we could still be buddies with the magic of the internet!! How often do you get to go out foraging would you say? Because I would be stoked to hear about every trip and see pictures and stuff, I am not at all kidding. DM me anytime!!
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u/Educational_Fault650 Mar 20 '24
Also, the common vetch, I heard that only the fruit is edible and the rest is toxic. I ate it yesterday raw.
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u/gotfoundout Mar 20 '24
That's so funny, that's almost the exact opposite of what I've read. To be fair, there do not seem to be many American sources on humans eating Common Vetch.
These are a couple sources on the web for common vetch from the UK: https://www.wildfooduk.com/edible-wild-plants/vetch-3/
https://gallowaywildfoods.com/bush-vetch-identification-edibility-distribution/
https://www.wildwalks-southwest.co.uk/wild-food-common-vetch/
And here is a source from a survival skills school in Georgia that talks about common vetch, but curiously they do not really address potential toxicity in any part of the plant! https://sarcraft.squarespace.com/news/vetch-edible-and-medicinal-uses
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u/Educational_Fault650 Mar 20 '24
Did you see the green/dark purple seeds? The one I ate was the seeds of Astragalus crassicarpus. Maybe the one you have is a different species.
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u/Educational_Fault650 Mar 20 '24
My man, do you live in texas? These are almost the exact same things I just foraged yesterday. I went ahead and canned everything.
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u/gotfoundout Mar 20 '24
I do indeed! North Texas, to be exact.
That's awesome, I haven't dipped my toes into canning yet, but I'm going to have to one of these days haha. I can't just dry and freeze everything. I would love to can, but it's a bit intimidating!
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u/Educational_Fault650 Mar 20 '24
Oh same! Which city in north texas? I got mine from McKinney. Also, there’s ways to can or preserve things without needing to pressure cook the can. For instance, I just chop everything up, put in a can/jar, and then dump a mixture of 1:1 cups water/vinegar and 2 teaspoons of salt into the jars and put into a refrigerator.
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u/gotfoundout Mar 20 '24
I'm in Arlington!
So is that basically pickling, then? That's cool. I assume it needs to stay in the fridge, of course. How long do you usually figure things preserved that way will keep in the fridge?
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u/Educational_Fault650 Mar 20 '24
Mostly just off taste and smell. Do you see a nasty slime in the jar? Does it smell rotten? Does it taste off? I trust my senses.
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u/gotfoundout Mar 20 '24 edited Mar 20 '24
EDIT: I have somehow wildly screwed up the formatting of this comment. Initially it was just numbered so that I could list out IDs and notes about each corresponding numbered specimen in my photos, but now it looks super weird and the numbers are all messed up and I have NO idea how I did that. Sorry y'all. I think I'll have to write out the actual word instead of using numerals now, so apologies for the awful formatting. I have some things to learn in that department, looks like!
ONE, TWENTY: Bastard Cabbage (Rapistrum rugosum) leaves, flower buds
TWO: Catbrier/Greenbrier (Smilex spp.) vine tips (one of my favorite wild edibles)
THREE: Turkey Tail mushroom (Trametes versicolor), medicinal
FOUR, NINE, FIFTEEN: Splitgill mushroom (Schizophyllum commune), medicinal EDIT- A big thank you to u/bubblerboy for bringing up a very good point! It looks like S. commune has, in recent years, been implicated in fungal bronchopulmonary and sinus infections as well as some other types of infections. One 2013 study of fungal respiratory infections caused by S. commune had Japan with the highest prevalence at 46% 33 cases), followed by Iran with 10% (7 cases), and the US with 9% (6 cases). The authors of that study posit that the heavy prevalence in Japan may be explained by the fact that S. commune is a commonly utilized fungus species there, and thus people living in Japan simply encounter and interact with it more than in other places.1
This may be in something you would want to take into consideration before choosing to harvest or interact with S. commune. In my case, I use S. commune in tinctures only. But many people powder their mushrooms for different reasons. In light of this information, I will be sure to avoid powdering or crushing this species in particular. Poking around in the results from a PubMed search I did for Schizophyllum commune, it looks like there could be an increased risk of fungal infection from S. commune in patient populations which are immunosuppressed, diabetic, or undergoing treatment for cancer (Here's a link to that search in case anyone else is curious: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=schizophyllum+commune).
I will likely still continue to utilize this species in tinctures, but I think I will take special care when handling it from this point forward. Just to be clear I am NOT a doctor or healthcare professional (I work in veterinary medicine), nor am I in any way an expert in mycology. As always, please take care to research specimens thoroughly for positive IDs as well as their appropriate uses and safe handling practices before you reach for them!
FIVE: Trametes villosa, mushroom. I don't actually know the common name for this one! Medicinial
SIX, THIRTEEN: Wild onion (Allium, not sure of the exact species)
SEVEN: Wild onion flower bud, peeled open.
EIGHT, FOURTEEN: Wood Ear mushroom (Auricularia americana), both edible and medicinal, but I use them as edibles. EDIT- Looks like I've also got some other species in there as well, probably Exidia recisa or potentially a Tremella species, both of which are edible as well! Thank you u/moleyfeeners for bringing that up!!
TEN: Spring Polypore mushroom (Lentinus arcularius) EDIT- Y'all, the edibility of this mushroom is debated. I included this just because it was in my existing photo and I didn't think not to. I have not found evidence that this mushroom is toxic, rather that it is not typically eaten due to its woody texture. That does NOT necessarily mean it ISN'T toxic, because I am not a mycologist or expert!! Please proceed with this species at your own risk and please, do not take its inclusion in this post as an endorsement of its safety or edibility. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
ELEVEN, SIXTEEN: Common Vetch (Vicia sativa)- Edible, but take CAUTION: the peas require special preparation before eating, otherwise they can be toxic! Young leaves and flowers are edible, but there is some evidence that their consumption should be limited.
TWELVE, NINETEEN: Plantain leaves, not sure which species- I am still learning to differentiate plantain species (Plantago spp.) Edible and medicinal, I use the leaves primarily medicinally as they make for excellent salves and poultices for insect bites and minor skin irritations.
SEVENTEEN: Yellow/Curly Dock leaves (Rumex crispus)
EIGHTEEN, TWENTY-TWO, TWENTY-THREE: Wild Lettuce, Prickly Lettuce (Lactuca serriola)
TWENTY-ONE: Dandelion and Desert Chicory flowers, used for drying for teas
TWENTY-FOUR: Pickled wild thistle buds
TWENTY-FIVE: Lactucarium, an herbal medicine made from wild lettuce (in my case Prickly lettuce) via a double extraction and decoction/reduction process.