Table of Contents  

Preface ................................................................................. xiii  

 Disclaimer  ..........................................................................   xvii  

 Introduction .........................................................................   xix  

Chapter 1 : Foraging - The Free Lunch  ..................................  1  

 Where to Forage ...............................................................   2  

 The Broccoli Theory  ........................................................   6  

 Foraging Ethics  ................................................................   9  

 Edible Wild Plants Foraging Guidelines ........................ 12  

Chapter 2 : The Big Ten ........................................................ 15  

 The Big First: The Oaks .................................................   15  

 Shelling  ....................................................................   17  

 Leaching Tannic Acid from Acorns  ........................  17  

 Other Oak Foods  ......................................................   18  

 What to do with Leached Acorns ............................. 18  

 The Big Second: The Pines ............................................  19  

 Pine Pollen  ...............................................................   21  

 Pine Nuts ..................................................................   21  

 Other evergreens  ......................................................   22  

 The Big Third: The Grasses ...........................................   23  

 The Big Fourth: Cattails ................................................. 28  

 The Big Fifth: Dandelion  ...............................................   33  

 The Big Sixth: Prickly Pear Cactus  ...............................  35  

 The Big Seventh: Lamb’s-quarters  ................................  37  

 The Big Eighth: Nettles  .................................................   40  

 The Big Ninth: Mustards  ...............................................   41  

 The Big Tenth: Jerusalem Artichoke  .............................  44  

Chapter 3 : Aquatic Wild Edibles  .........................................  53  

 Mints   ..............................................................................   53  

 Chufa ..............................................................................   54  

 Groundnut  ......................................................................   55  

 Sweetflag ........................................................................ 57  

 American Lotus ..............................................................   58  

 Arrowhead ...................................................................... 59  

 Reed   ...............................................................................   61  

 Great Bulrush  .................................................................   61  

 Wild Rice  .......................................................................   61  

 Duckweed  ......................................................................   62  

 Water Purity  ...................................................................   63  

vii  

: Wet Forest Edibles .............................................  65 

Chapter 4 Year-round  .....................................................................   66  

 Sassafras ...................................................................   66  

 Spicebush  .................................................................   67  

 Goundnut .................................................................. 68  

 Wild Grapes  .............................................................   68  

 Spring and Early Summer  ..............................................   71  

 Briers ........................................................................   71  

 Spring-beauties   ........................................................   72  

 Fiddleheads  ..............................................................   73  

 Violets   ......................................................................   74  

 Nettles   ......................................................................   75  

 Solomon’s Seal  ........................................................   76  

 Wild Ginger  .............................................................   77  

 Cleavers .................................................................... 78  

 Redbud   .....................................................................   80  

 Black Locust  ............................................................   80  

 Spring Cress  .............................................................   81  

 Morels   ......................................................................   81  

 Devil’s Walking Stick ..............................................   83  

 Summer   ..........................................................................   87  

 Brambles  ..................................................................   87  

 Blueberries  ...............................................................   90  

 Sulpher Shelf Mushroom  .........................................  92  

 Fall-Winter .....................................................................   92  

 Pawpaw   ....................................................................   93  

 Persimmons ..............................................................   98  

 Mayapple ................................................................ 102  

 Nodding Wild Onion .............................................. 104  

 : Disturbed Areas ................................................   107 

Chapter 5 Poke .............................................................................. 108  

 Elderberry  ....................................................................   111  

 Purslane ........................................................................   112  

 Day-lilies ......................................................................   113  

 Chickweed .................................................................... 116  

 Yucca   ...........................................................................  117  

 Burdock ........................................................................   118  

 Amaranth ...................................................................... 118  

 Ground Cherry  .............................................................   119  

 Sunflower .....................................................................   121  

 Puffballs  .......................................................................   122  

 Shaggy Mane  ...............................................................   124  

Chapter 6 : Culinary Substitutes  .........................................  127  

 Salt and Pepper  ............................................................   127  

 Sugar   ............................................................................   129  

 Coffee ...........................................................................   131  

 Teas   ..............................................................................   132  

 Garlic ............................................................................ 135  

 Onion ............................................................................ 135  

 Lemon   ..........................................................................   136  

 Sumac Chicken  ............................................................   136  

 Carrot   ...........................................................................   138  

 Thickeners ....................................................................   141  

 Gelatin and Pectin  ........................................................   142  

 Ginger and Cinnamon  ..................................................  142  

 Horseradish  ..................................................................   143  

 Poppy and Sesame Seed ............................................... 143  

 Parsnips  ........................................................................  143  

 Rennet   ..........................................................................   144  

 Allspice  ........................................................................   144  

 : Winter Foods ....................................................   149 

Chapter 7 Latent Fall Crops .......................................................... 150  

 Persistent Winter Edibles  .............................................  150  

 Late Winter Arrivals  ....................................................   151  

 Underground Edibles  ...................................................   152  

 Jerusalem Artichoke ..................................................... 152  

 Garlic Mustard  .............................................................   153  

 Go to the Water ............................................................   154  

 : Critters ..............................................................   157 

Chapter 8 Water Critters ...............................................................   158  

 Frogs   ......................................................................   158  

 Snapping Turtles  ....................................................   161  

 Catfish   ....................................................................   163  

 Crayfish ..................................................................   164  

 Clams   .....................................................................   165  

 Land Critters  ................................................................   165  

 Crayfish ..................................................................   165  

 Possums ..................................................................   166  

 Insects as Food  .......................................................   168  

 : Wilderness Medicine ........................................   169 

Chapter 9 Daily Annoyances ........................................................   170  

 Headaches/Aches/Pains/Fever.   ....................................   170  

 Cuts/Burns/Abrasions   ..................................................   172  

 Heartburn  .....................................................................   174  

 Hay Fever .....................................................................   175  

 Decongestant ................................................................   177  

 Assaults from the Plant Kingdom  ................................  177  

 Poison Ivy/Oak/Sumac ................................................. 178  

 Nettles   ..........................................................................   180  

 Assaults from the Animal Kingdom  ............................  181  

 Insect Bites and Stings  .................................................   181  

 Tick Bites  .....................................................................   181  

A  Word about Lyme Disease .......................................   182  

 Spider Bites ..................................................................   182  

 Snake Bites ................................................................... 183  

 The Little Beasties  .......................................................   183  

 Fungus ....................................................................   184  

 Lice   ........................................................................   185  

 Worms ....................................................................   185  

 Cold Sores ..............................................................   186  

 Warts   ......................................................................   186  

 Coughs   ...................................................................   187  

 Bacterial Infections  ................................................   188  

 Nausea/Motion Sickness ........................................   189  

 Diarrhea .................................................................. 189  

 Constipation  ...........................................................   191  

 Hemorrhoids  ..........................................................   192  

 Eye Problems  .........................................................   192  

 Ear Aches  ...............................................................   193  

 Flu and Colds  .........................................................   193  

 Depression .................................................................... 194  

 Stimulants  ....................................................................   194  

 Sedatives  ......................................................................   195  

 Keeping Healthy  ..........................................................   195  

 Nutrition Enhancers  .....................................................   196  

 High Blood Pressure  ....................................................   198  

 High Cholesterol  ..........................................................   198  

 Immune Enhancers/Adaptogens  ..................................  199  

 : Natural Pest Controls .....................................   201 

Chapter 10 Diet ...............................................................................   202  

 Chiggers and Mosquitoes .............................................  202  

 Treatment  ...............................................................   203  

 Prevention  ..............................................................   204  

 The Secret Weapon: Recipe for Chigger Grease  ...  205  

 Biological Warfare .......................................................   206  

 Gardens   ........................................................................   208  

 Other Pest controls .......................................................   209  

Chapter 11 : Nature’s Bag of Tricks ...................................  211  

 The Bow Drill  ..............................................................   211  

 Basketry  .......................................................................   215  

 Pine Pitch Glue  ............................................................   216  

 Shelters .........................................................................   218  

 Wickiup: A Shelter for All Seasons .......................  218  

 Debris Hut ..............................................................   222  

 Scout Pit  .................................................................   228  

 Fish Stunners ................................................................   232  

 Soaps and Deodorants ..................................................   233  

 Soaps   ............................................................................   233  

 Deodorants and Perfumes  ............................................  233  

 Water, Water Everywhere ............................................  234  

 Toiletries  ......................................................................   236  

 Weather Predictors .......................................................   237  

 Cricket Temperature  ....................................................   238  

 Odds and Ends  .............................................................   239  

 Cordage   ........................................................................   239  

 Pan Scrubbers, Fingernail Files, and Sandpaper ..........  241  

 Torches .........................................................................   242  

 Pollution Indicators ......................................................   243  

Chapter 12 : Wild Farming  .................................................   245  

 Bibliography  ......................................................................   251  

 Appendix A: Favorite References ......................................  261  

 Appendix B: Where to Buy ................................................ 267  

 Appendix C: Schools  .........................................................   275  

 Appendix D: Videos  ..........................................................   283 

 General Index .....................................................................   285 

 Hooterville Farm ................................................................   299