I've started getting into foraging to try and discover how to use native (or invasive!) plants in my neighborhood. I forage throughout the year and am getting familiar with some of the edible plants and mushrooms.
Some notes on foraging:
If you decide to get into foraging, please be careful, especially with mushrooms! Find all the identifiers and don't harvest anything unless you're 1000% sure of what it is. Even so, it's always best to consume a small amount for the first time.
When harvesting, only take what you will need and consider the abundance of the plant/mushroom present. If it's invasive and found everywhere, you're probably okay to take some extra to dry and save for later. If there's a sparse amount in your area, take a little or take a picture, and hope more will grow next year.
Find other groups/resources online from credible sources, and don't be afraid to ask for help with identifying something or how to prepare it. If you don't follow Alexis Nikole (aka Black Forager) on social media, please do so now!
Pictured below is everything I found on my hike this morning (except the turkey tail mushrooms on the right) and I've included how I am planning on using them.
1) Top Left: Oyster Mushrooms: I have been searching far and wide for a Hen of the Woods (Maitake) mushroom, and instead happened to glance over at a small log to find a bunch of oyster mushrooms instead. I've never found or cooked with these before, so I only harvested a small amount and did a very thorough identifier search to make sure I can eat these and not die. Fortunately, there's not many poisonous lookalikes in the US. These mushrooms are slightly sweet and can take on a lot of flavors, so I plan to use them in a spaghetti sauce with venison. I will make a separate post on how it turns out.
To identify this mushroom correctly, I referenced this site: Oyster Mushroom: Identification, Foraging, and Cooking - Mushroom Appreciation (mushroom-appreciation.com)
2)Bottom Left: White Pine Needles: Pine is pretty much everywhere around here, and I harvested a small bundle of needles to make pine tea, which has an excellent source of vitamin C if you're not feeling well or just want a boost to your immune system. I'm sure you can make a pine water infusion to make some bread/cookies but I haven't tried this.
3)Next Row (Top): Blue Wood Aster and (Bottom) Goldenrod: I started seeing bluewood aster everywhere on my hike, and after some research found that the flowers and roots are consumed in many indigenous cultures. Goldenrod is absolutely everywhere in my neighborhood but it's starting to die down so I could only harvest a small amount. People blame goldenrod for allergies, but actually ragweed is the culprit. Both have medicinal benefits and can be dried and made into a hot tea separately (asters can be a laxative and goldenrod can be a diuretic, so be careful!) but I wanted to see if I can make a fizzy fermented drink using the wild yeast naturally found on most wildflowers. This may not work as there was a frost this morning causing moisture on the flowers and therefore removing the yeast. I combined 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup filtered water, and the (unwashed) flowers in a mason jar covering the top with a paper towel. Mix and let set a few days by the window, hope this works!
About Asters: Can You Eat Asters: Tips For Eating Aster Plants From The Garden (gardeningknowhow.com)
About Goldenrod: Goldenrod: Medicinal Uses & Benefits (chestnutherbs.com)
4)Crabapples: So many people avoid crabapples because they're so bitter in the warmer months, but after the frost the cold makes the fruit very red and sweet. I was unable to climb high enough on the tree to take the apples, so I used a large fallen branch to whack the apples down until I was awkwardly interrupted by people riding bikes on the trail....oops. I harvested about a cup to make a (very small!) mug of hot apple cider. Combine 1/8 cup sugar, 1.5 cups water, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg with the apples (cut off the bad parts and remove the seeds first). Bring to a boil and let simmer until the apples are mushy. Strain into a mug and enjoy! It also makes such a pretty pink color. You can also use them to make jam or jelly. Note that the seeds are poisonous just like with regular apples.
Source: Crabapples: A Small Fruit With Many Health Benefits! - Ted Lare - Design & Build (tedsgardens.com)
5) Turkey Tail Mushrooms: I found these one morning on a huge dead log, and I wasn't sure what to do with them so I dried them in my oven on a raised rack (170 F for several hours). Turkey tail is alleged to have multiple medicinal benefits (digestion, antioxidants) and is mostly consumed in drinks in powder form or in tea. I attempted to achieve this with my spice grinder, but for some reason they would not turn into a powder. I plan to infuse the mushrooms in some broth to make a soup. These mushrooms have such a low moisture that it's unpleasant to eat them whole. Thankfully, there's no recorded poisonous lookalikes (that I found, at least, so use caution!). I find them on dead logs throughout the year, especially in the fall.
Identification and Uses: Turkey Tail Mushroom: Identification and Uses (practicalselfreliance.com)
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