Submitted by Enviroman on
Image by Bertsz from http://Pixabay.com
Many people, especially outdoorsy types, know the story of Christopher McCandless, as famously told in author Jon Krakauer’s book (and the film of the same name) Into the Wild.
After surviving in the Alaskan wilderness for over 100 days, the rogue adventurer ultimately died in an abandoned bus there. The official cause of McCandless’ death has always been listed as starvation, but Krakauer felt like there was more to the story. In a journal entry a few weeks before he died, McCandless wrote, “Extremely weak. Fault of pot. seed . . .” He was referring to seeds from Eskimo potato, also known as alpine sweetvetch.
After years of investigation, Kraukeur and a chemist discovered a toxin in the potato seeds that could have extremely negative effects on the body, if enough of them were consumed.
The story of Christopher McCandless reminds us that eating and foraging wild plants is a risky game. As a hiker or backpacker, you might encounter a thousand plant species on a single trip, and any number of them might be edible. Others . . . could kill you with a single bite.
The best way to determine if a plant is edible is to study up before you ever hit the trail, and consider carrying an edible plant identification guide. But, if you find yourself in a desperate situation, and you’re not sure if you can eat something or not, there is a universal edibility test, which we walk you through above, that can lead you toward safer plants.
1. Separate the plant into its parts - roots, leaves, seeds, flowers, fruits, stem.
2. Rub each part on your wrist. Waot a few minutes for a result. If your reaction is skin thatb itches, tingles, goes numb or develops a rash - discard the plant.
3. If possible cook the plant. Some plants aren't edible raw but are disgestible with cooking.
4. Hold each part of the plant to your lips. After 15 minutes discard if you have a reaction.
5. Take a small bite. It the plant tastes bitter or soapy - discard.
6. Swallow a small bite and wait 8 hours before trying more of the plant. Wait another 8 hours and if no reaction, the plant is likely edible.
- Always avoid the following:
- Milky or discolored sap
- Spines, fine hairs, or thorns
- Beans, bulbs, or seeds inside pods
- Bitter or soapy taste
- Dill, carrot, parsnip, or parsley-like foliage
- “Almond” scent in the woody parts and leaves
- Grain heads with pink, purplish, or black spurs
- Three-leaved growth pattern
https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-test-if-a-plant-is-edible/