How to Forage: Ways to Determine What Wild Plants are Safe to Eat

I have to begin with a disclaimer. PLEASE DO NOT SWALLOW anything if you are even the tiniest bit unsure of the plant identification. This article addresses plants only. I have specific information on mushrooms in other articles.

Spend the time and money to study with an expert. Among the reputable people I have taken foraging classes with are: Karen Sherwood, "Wildman" Steve Brill, and Barrie Kavasch. I own copies of their books and those written Samuel Thayer, Billy Joe Tatum, Elias & Dykeman, and Euell Gibbons, among others. I have several field guides to the local edible plants in my area.

1. Understand the basic parts of a plant - root, stem, leaves, buds, flowers, fruit and seed.

2. Learn the poisonous plants in your area. There are fewer poisonous plants than edible plants. My field guides show 27 poisonous plants in my area. If I can positively identify them, almost everything else is likely to be edible to some degree.

3. Study the plant. Does it have a strong smell? What kind of smell?

4. First test: Do you have a reaction to the plant when you touch it? What happens when you put it on your wrist? If you don't have a skin reaction in 15-20 minutes, you're likely OK, but I've had skin reactions after one hour.

5. Second test: Decide which part of the plant you want to try, prepare it the way you intend to eat it, and place a tiny bit to your outer lip.

6. Third test: If you have no burning or itching after 5-15 minutes, place a tiny bit of it on your tongue. I cannot keep something in my mouth for 15 minutes, so if you want to be cautious, hold it in your mouth for a short time and spit it out. Wait to see if you have a reaction.

Once the food is on my tongue for a few seconds, I go ahead and chew. I will spit it out right away if I don't intend to swallow.

By the time I've explored the food this far I know if I want to ingest it.

One important cautionary note: Even with cultivated plants, some parts of the same plant are edible, while others are not. Ever wonder why tomato leaves are not sold?

It is very important to repeat the above process with each and every part of the plant. Don't assume anything.

If you want to play it safe, many wild foods are turning up in stores. Fiddlehead ferns are an example of a perfectly edible food that causes an allergic reaction in some people.

Look through several field guides for the ones most useful to you. Even if you take photographs, spend time sketching or drawing the plant. It helps you notice critical details.