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wild_edible_plants_lambs_quarters_smallLearn to identify and prepare wild edible plants

Wild Edibles of Missouri

Jan Phillips’ award-winning book was published in 1979 and is now out of print. We’ve preserved it here as a set of PDFs. Download all 21 to learn how to turn wild Missouri plants into biscuits, fritters, jellies, juices, pancakes, pies, salads, soups, wines and more. Color illustrations help you identify plants that are poisonous or have poisonous parts.

The following is just example of the wealth of information contained in this book:

FIELD SORREL, SHEEP SORREL [Rumexacetosella)

field sorrelFLOWERS: May – September

DESCRIPTION: Basal, arrowhead leaves, sour taste.

HABITAT: Sour soils of fallow fields, waste ground, railroads

LOCATION: Statewide

COLLECTION: April -November

USES: Salad, potherb, soup, seasoning

I love the shape of this arrow-like leaf as well as the sour taste. It, like the wood sorrel, enhances a tossed salad. While this is not a member of the wood sorrel family, like that family it contains potassium oxalate which could be poisonous if eaten in large quantities. The small amounts eaten fresh in salad or as a field nibble are of little concern. It loses it is poison potential after being boiled, therefore making it a safe, tasty addition to the greens pot.

Another excellent use is to chop it up and add it to cole slaw. A soup made from field sorrel is great! Cook the sorrel for 30 minutes. Add 4 cups milk, chopped onion, 2 t butter, 2 T flour. I serve this soup with onion breads.

On a recent weekend outing my menu called for bacon lettuce-tomato sandwiches. I forgot the lettuce. A short hike produced a large supply of field sorrel and the needed lettuce. Anyone for a Bacon-Sorrel-Tomato? You’ll try this again, I’m sure.

Old-timers used this plant in a variety of ways. The leaves were used to cleanse the blood, expel worms and warm the heart, while the roots aided menstruation and expelled kidney stones.

You’ve got to admit, that’s quite a plant!

How to Perform the Universal Edibility Test

  1. Fast for eight hours to insure that test results are accurate and any reaction comes from the plant ingested rather than an unknown source.
  2. Separate the plant you’re testing during this eight hour fast. You’ll want the leaves separate from the stem and any flowers separated as well.
  3. Test for reaction by placing one portion of the plant against your lips. Wait fifteen minutes to see if you react. If there is no stinging or burning, you can continue.
  4. Place the portion you’re testing against your tongue. Do not chew or swallow. Wait fifteen minutes to see if you react. If you do not, you can test another portion of the plant in the same way. Continue until all sections have been tested.
  5. Reacting during any part of this test means the plant portion has failed the universal edibility test and is not safe for ingesting.
  6. Take one portion of the plant that passed the tests above, and prepare it as you would plan to eat it if it were an edible wild plant.
  7. Place a small amount in your mouth and chew, be sure you do not swallow at this time. Wait three minutes. If there is no reaction, you can continue the test.
  8. Swallow the portion of the plant you’ve chewed and wait eight hours. During that time frame, if you experience any reaction, induce vomiting to remove the toxins from your system. If there is no reaction, you can continue the test.
  9. Prepare a 1/4 cup of the plant portion and eat. Wait an additional eight hours. Again, if you react at all, induce vomiting. If there is no reaction, that portion of the plant is safe to eat and has passed the universal edibility test.
  10. Test each part of the plant for edibility. Just because one part is safe to ingest does not mean that other sections of the plant are safe to ingest. Each portion needs to be tested separately to insure that you are dealing with an entirely edible wild plant.

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