The Skillful Forager : Essential Techniques for Responsible Foraging and Making the Most of Your Wild Edibles

The ultimate forager’s guide to working with any wild plant in the field, kitchen, or pantry—featuring plant profiles, harvesting and preservation tips, and easy recipes From harvesting skills that will allow you to gather from the same plant again and again to highlighting how to get the most out of each and every type of wild edible, trusted expert Leda Meredith explores the most effective ways to harvest, preserve, and prepare all of your foraged foods. Featuring detailed identification information for over forty wild edibles commonly found across North America, the plant profiles in this book focus on sustainable harvesting techniques that can be applied to hundreds of other plants. This indispensable reference also provides simple recipes that can help you make the most of your harvest each season. This indispensable handbook of techniques will be a key addition to every forager's library. Highlighting the best techniques for getting the most out of each and every type of wild edible, readers will learn the most effective ways to harvest, preserve, and prepare all of their foraged edibles. The Skillful Forager goes beyond simply identifying wild edibles. It is your guide to the best techniques for working with any edible wild plant in the field, kitchen, or campsite. Although it will include detailed identification information for over 40 wild edibles that have a wide distribution, those species profiles will serve as examples of techniques that can be applied to hundreds of other edible plants. All of the ingredient sections will include advice on the best ways to prepare that type of wild ingredient (shoots, leaves, berries, etc.), as well as information on the best ways to preserve that type of foraged ingredient. It will also highlight seasonal culinary combinations such as bread made with dried mulberries in the spring and roasted black walnuts in autumn. Each example plant within the different sections will be given a full field guide entry, including a clear guide to the identifying characteristics of that plant. But it will also be pointed out that the sustainable harvesting techniques and preparation methods for that individual plant apply to all plants within that category. High quality photos from the author's own collection will illustrate the book as well as some from the collections of friends and colleagues. The Skillful Forager is the ultimate forager{u2019}s guide to working with any wild plant in the field, kitchen, or pantry. From harvesting skills that will allow you to gather from the same plant again and again to highlighting how to get the most out of each and every type of wild edible, trusted expert Leda Meredith explores the most effective ways to harvest, preserve, and prepare all of your foraged foods. Featuring detailed identification information for over forty wild edibles commonly found across North America, the plant profiles in this book focus on sustainable harvesting techniques that can be applied to hundreds of other plants. This indispensable reference also provides simple recipes that can help you make the most of your harvest each season Title Page Copyright Dedication Contents Introduction: A Twenty-First–Century Forager Part One - Getting Started 1. How to Use This Book 2. The Nuts and Bolts of Foraging 3. Gearing Up 4. Which Wild Edible Where and When Part Two - All About the Wild Edibles 5. Leaves 6. Roots, Tubers, Rhizomes, and Bulbs 7. Shoots and Stalks 8. Flowers, Pollen, and Buds 9. Fruit 10. Seeds, Nuts, and Pods 11. Bark and Twigs 12. Sap 13. Mushrooms 14. Seaweeds Part Three - Getting the Most Out of Your Wild Edibles 15. Troubleshooting Flavor Fumbles 16. Universal Wild Food Recipes 17. Preserving Wild Foods Acknowledgments Glossary Useful Resources Index About the Author E-mail Sign-Up