Squirrels had it right all along- acorns are a viable source of nutrients. Photo by DAVID ILIFF
Did you know that many of the plants that we consider “weeds” are actually edible plants? Many of the plants that you see everyday in your yard are edible and quite tasty too! These plants provide nutrients, and in a pinch, can serve as viable menu items. If you decide to eat these items, however, make sure that the plants were not chemically fertilized or sprayed with harsh pesticides. These chemicals can poison the plants, making them unsafe to eat.
The next time you need something to round out a meal, try serving some of the following odd plants:
Nettles: Prickly, but Nutritious!
Nettles have been used as food for thousands of years. Photo by Cody Hough
Nettles: Nettles pop up in early spring. These large, prickly plants have a variety of uses, including herbal properties. For general cooking, nettle leaves can be used in a salad much like spinach leaves or lettuce. Pick the leaves while they are still soft and rinse them thoroughly. Use the leaves in a salad, or mix with other vegetables and foods as a flavoring agent.
Chickweed For Healing or Salad – Who Knew?
Chickweed is tasty in fresh salads. Photo by André Karwath
Chickweed: Chickweed is a small, weed-like plant (hence the name) that pops up in the winter or early spring. This little plant has tiny leaves and small white flowers, and is more useful than you’d think for its diminutive size. You can use the leaves in a salad, or juice the plant to use as a “cooling” agent on burns, scrapes, or inflammations – like aloe!
Keep Reading for more tasty plants you never knew were edible!
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Nettles…are not the plant pictured. That is the Thistle. Both are edible. Nettles must be gathered carefully to avoid the stinging hairs on the plants. Boil for 3 minutes, then drain. Do not serve raw. Thistle leaves can be gathered when very young, still best to steam, not serve raw. The thick stems can be peeled then steamed. Best is to gather the seeds, sieve, and then roast.