Foraging

[Yeshuasdaughter]

Does anyone else want to start a thread about foraging for food, medicine, or fiber plants in the wild?

Earlier this afternoon I was down by a river that was about to jump its banks, and I collected a grip of horsetail. I was really happy to find it in such abundance. But then, I thought about the location of the horsetail, and how it's a soil detoxifier, so any heavy metals or pollution from that river would be taken up into the plant, so, unfortunately, I had to get rid of it.

I know of a more rural location, where the plants will be cleaner. I am thinking of heading to the hills sometime in the next couple weeks, and checking on a hawthorn grove that I know of. Hawthorn is amazing for coronary, respiratory, and mental health.

It is made into a tincture that is famous in Russia, called "Boyaryshnik". It is very powerful. You take a shot of that, and you could have bronchitis, pneumonia, anything, and your lungs will open up like you never were sick. It's a wonder herb.

I need to get up into the hills to forage. The spittlebugs are already making their little foamy colonies on a lot of the wild herbs. I hate them. I want to get up there and collect my herbs before the spittlebugs go crazy on everything, like they do every summer.

I was thinking of making a pot of tamales. You can make dozens of them for very cheap. Instead of corn husks, I like to use maple leaves. It infuses a sweet, nutty flavor into the masa, plus it's local and free.

Are you doing any foraging, or planning to?

 

[RotanotNino]

I don't know enough about it to do so. Tamales made with maple leaves is interesting. Right now I am on a low dose of Metformmoin and asthma drugs and I have to balance my magnesium, calgium and B12 so I'm being careful of what I take that might be contraindicated.

 

[Aspychata]

Tamales sound so good.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I don't know enough about it to do so. Tamales made with maple leaves is interesting. Right now I am on a low dose of Metformmoin and asthma drugs and I have to balance my magnesium, calgium and B12 so I'm being careful of what I take that might be contraindicated.

Do you mean metformin? Yellow corn can be counted as a whole grain for blood sugar control. The same with beans, any legume. The carbs are so bound to protein that release is slow.

I like the Oaxacan tamales wrapped in banana leaves.

Recently my spouse has been harvesting the roadside Asparagus. She also picked a bunch of wild ramp leaves in our woods that we turned into a vinagrete to have with roasted asparagus on a nice piece of fish like Walleye from Lake Huron. No grocery store for that meal (except oil, salt, and vinegar).

 

[RotanotNino]

Do you mean metformin? Yellow corn can be counted as a whole grain for blood sugar control. The same with beans, any legume. The carbs are so bound to protein that release is slow.

I like the Oaxacan tamales wrapped in banana leaves.

Recently my spouse has been harvesting the roadside Asparagus. She also picked a bunch of wild ramp leaves in our woods that we turned into a vinagrete to have with roasted asparagus on a nice piece of fish like Walleye from Lake Huron. No grocery store for that meal (except oil, salt, and vinegar).

Yeah I hit two extras in that post.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

Research, and ask your doctor about Berberine. It is a supplement sourced from Goldenseal or Oregon Grape. It has been shown to be as effective as Metformin, if taken over at least a three month period.

I take it for my hypoglycemia. It balances my blood sugar without the crashes. There are usually gelcaps, but I often take sublingual drops of pure berberine. It's very bitter.

I take 500 mg after every meal, if I remember.