#fall foraging

Had to take a picture of this iconic mushroom because it's the first one I found this season that wasn't moldy or filled with worms! This year 90% of mushrooms are either moldy, wormy, or most commonly, both, which makes it real difficult to dry them. Either they get moldy or devoured in the process.

Goldenrod or Solidago blooms in late summer/early fall across much of North America. It's beautiful golden flowers reflect the golden sun of late summer. Goldenrod is edible and medicinal and can be used as a natural dye!!

Identifying Goldenrod

Goldenrod is a member of the Asteraceae or sunflower family and likes open sunny areas like meadows, fields, and forest openings. The stems are tall and stiff with tiny golden-yellow flowers in a dense, pyramid-shaped, pluming cluster. It's a prolific perennial and can grow 0.5-2m tall.

The leaves vary slightly depending on the species of goldenrod, but they're long, narrow, and taper to a point. The edges can be smooth or slightly toothed, or slightly hairy on the underside depending on species.

Goldenrod in my area likes to grow alongside New England Aster. They make such a beautiful combination of purple and yellow and can aid in identification. If you see one you just might see the other!

Look-Alikes

Goldenrod can sometimes be mistaken for Senecio species like ragwort (left) and groundsel (right). Some Senecio species contain TOXIC pyrrolizidine alkaloids that can cause liver damage. As always please be 100% certain of your identification before harvesting!! That said, senecio's flowers are generally much larger and much fewer than goldenrod's many tiny flowers. They also tend to bloom earlier in the season than goldenrod.

Harvesting Goldenrod

All of the above-ground parts of goldenrod are edible! Harvest by snipping the top of the stems, leaves, and flower heads with scissors (about the top 1/3rd of the plant). The earlier in the blooming season the better! The later blooms tend to be more bitter and can fluff up like dandelions if you want to dry them.

If you're worried about seasonal allergies you should be safe with goldenrod! Goldenrod is insect pollinated so it doesn't need to release pollen into the air.

Whatever you do DO NOT pull up entire goldenrod plants!!! Goldenrod is a massively important plant for hundreds of pollinators including bees, butterflies, beetles, and wasps. Harvest sustainably, no pulling up by the roots, and only snip the tops you'll use!!

You can use goldenrod fresh or dry it by hanging it upside down for about a week (spread it out for adequate airflow!) or in your kitchen oven by spreading in a single layer on baking sheets and baking 4-5 hours at 170F/76C. Store dried goldenrod in an airtight container.

Goldenrod Uses & Benefits

Goldenrod as an herbal remedy is highly anti-inflammatory, great for the kidneys (prevents and flushes kidney stones, helps relieve minor bladder infections), helpful for minor respiratory issues like seasonal allergies and colds, and helps heal minor wounds and swelling when used externally. It's also edible raw or cooked! The leaves can be cooked like spinach or used in lots of tasty fall recipes like this goldenrod cornbread?!? I need it.

Safety Note: Goldenrod has been traditionally used as medicine and is regarded as very safe. That said, goldenrod taken internally has a diuretic effect. If you have any problems with the urinary system or take a diuretic already, PLEASE ask a medical professional before using. Don't use herbal medicines to treat serious health issues or in fragile populations like babies or the elderly without consulting a doctor. I AM NOT A DOCTOR I JUST LIKE PLANTS.

To use your goldenrod medicinally you can make it into tea, tincture, or infused oil. You can also make a goldenrod salve to apply externally!

Goldenrod Tea:

Add 2tbsp of fresh flowers OR 1tbsp of dried flowers to 8oz hot water.

Cover and steep 15-20 minutes before straining.

This tea can be slightly bitter with a sort of anise/licorice flavor. It's great sweetened with a little honey!

Goldenrod Tincture:

Fill a small jar 1/3 - 3/4 full with chopped fresh goldenrod flowers OR 1/4 - 1/2 full with dried goldenrod flowers.

Fill jar with high-proof (40-60%) alcohol like vodka or brandy.

Cap, label, and store out of direct sunlight at least 4-6 weeks. Strain before using.

Your tincture should be good for a year or more. Take a few drops mixed with a spoonful of honey or water. Can be taken up to 3-5 times daily or as needed.

Goldenrod Infused Oil:

Fill a jar 1/4 - 1/2 full with dried goldenrod flowers.

Pour an oil (sunflower, sweet almond, or olive are good options) over the flowers until the jar is full.

Infuse one of 3 ways:

Slow Way - cap jar and place in a dark, cool spot like a cabinet for 4-6 weeks. Strain.

Solar Way - instead of capping the jar cover it with a piece of cheesecloth or scrap of old t-shirt. Set your jar in a sunny window for a few days up to a few weeks. The sun's heat infuses your oil faster! Strain.

Speedy Way - don't cap your jar and set it uncovered in a saucepan containing a few inches of water. Heat on low for 2-3 hours, watching it carefully!! Strain.

Goldenrod Salve: if you made infused oil you can easily make it into a salve!

Add 3.5oz (100g) of your infused oil and 0.5oz (14g) beeswax to a small jar.

Place the jar into a saucepan containing a few inches of water. Heat over medium low until the beeswax melts.

Let cool and apply to minor wounds, sores, swelling, aches & pains.

You can also make a gorgeous yellow or green natural fabric dye from goldenrod!

Fall Foraging: American Beautyberries, living up to her name.

In the late of 2017, I had the pleasure of getting up and close to a shrub of beautyberries. I can’t get over that purple! The clusters of berries serve as a food source for birds and deer in the winter. For hoomans, it sounds like the berries can be used in jellies and wine, but the purported astringency doesn’t sound like these berries taste all that good so I’m not convinced on its palatability. However, the freshly crushed leaves of this plant is supposed to be effective as a mosquito repellent.

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Stuff I bring home from the forest!

First picture has parasol mushrooms, poofball mushrooms and chanterelles in the blue tray.

Wild pawpaw, Asimina triloba, is the largest edible North American fruit. It's delicious, custardy flesh is like an indescribable cross between a banana, mango, & pineapple.

Pawpaws grow in most of the mid-western and eastern United States and parts of eastern Canada. Depending on your region, pawpaws are ready to harvest somewhere from the end of August through October. The season lasts about 30 days. The fruits grow 3-6 inches long in clusters like bananas. They're somewhat kidney shaped and fall off the tree when they're fully ripe (or can be shaken off if they're close to ripe). They have pale yellow flesh and large brown poisonous seeds. Pawpaw trees are shrubby and typically don't grow over 40 feet. They thrive in wettish areas like river bottoms, creeksides, and moist forests. Their range has been expanding into higher and drier forests and the edges of pastures and fields too. The leaves are alternate, smooth, and wider at the tip. They're quite large and can be up to 20 inches long. Pawpaw flowers appear in early spring as beautiful white, purple, or maroon blossoms that smell... really gross. Like rotting flesh, actually. But this is to attract carrion flies necessary for pollinating.

Harvest

Once you've found productive, fruit-bearing pawpaw trees it's all about timing. Pawpaws bruise easily, don't transport well, and don't keep very long. Like avocados, they have a very short window of ripeness. They start off green, then yellow, brown, and finally purplish black. Green to yellow is when pawpaws are best for eating.

Pawpaws can be eaten straight from the tree, just scoop out or avoid the seeds (they're giant you can't miss em). They're also delicious made into desserts like ice cream, pudding, or a sweet fruity bread.

1. Crabapples: wild apples are smaller and more sour than their cultivated counterparts, but are delicious when cooked into desserts or made into jelly.

2. Wild Grapes: common in many areas and grow along roadsides, forest edges, and stream banks. You can use them just like you would regular grapes.

3. Persimmons: native to the southeast US and a few southwestern states. Persimmons are a delicious fruit that needs to be eaten when soft and ripe otherwise they are sour and bitter. They’re similar in texture to apricots with a rich, honey like flavor when eaten at their peak.

4. Elderberries: immense medicinal value and also edible, elderberries are loaded with immune boosting antioxidants and vitamins. They’re juicy and edible when mature, but it’s best to eat them cooked as the raw berries may cause nausea.

5. Autumn Olives/Silverberries: not really olives but red berries that grow on a shrub in the central and eastern United States. They need to be fully ripe before eating or else they taste astringent, but when at their peak are quite tasty and can be enjoyed raw or cooked.

6. Cranberries: native to the northeastern and upper midwestern United States and eastern Canada. They handle frosts well and will last through the fall and even part of winter.

7. Rose Hips: the fruit of the rose flower, can be found in the wild or cultivated gardens. They are high in vitamin C and help boost the immune system. They make a delicious syrup, jelly, or tea.

8. Sumac Berries: any sumac variety that has red berries is edible. The clusters of berries are very tart and will persist well into fall. The sourness of the berries makes them great for a tart sumac lemonade.

9. Hawthorn Berries: there are many types of hawthorn berries that are ripe in fall. They don't all taste great, but none are poisonous except for the seeds. Hawthorn berries are loaded with antioxidants, have anti-inflammatory properties, and aid in digestion.

10. Acorns: the nuts of oak trees are especially abundant in fall. They need some processing to make them edible but they can be made into acorn flour.

11. Chestnuts: sweet chestnuts are a delicious fall treat. Don't confuse them with the similar looking horse chestnut though, which are very bitter and toxic.

12. Black Walnuts: a great fall foraging food, but takes some work to hull, crack, and dry. Not everyone likes them, but if they're abundant near you give them a try! They have a sweet, earthy flavor that goes well with desserts.

13. Pine Nuts: pine nuts come from the piñon pine which grows in the western United States. They are a bit tough to harvest and process but they’re a delicious waxy little nut. They’re also high in healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.

14. Dock Seeds: curly dock and yellow dock are leafy weeds foraged in the spring and summer for their greens. In late summer they grow a large stalk that will be covered in seeds in fall. Once the seed stalk dries the seeds can be collected. They can be toasted, ground into flour, or boiled into a mush.

15. Dandelion Root: a highly medicinal bitter herb that is abundant in most areas. Dandelion root can be used in all kinds of recipes from a coffee substitute to dandelion root muffins.

16. Chicory Root: chicory grows almost everywhere. High in fiber and like dandelion root can be used as a coffee substitute or in other recipes to boost fiber content, like granola bars. Some people are sensitive to chicory root and it can cause gas and bloating, so just be cautious when trying it out.

17. Burdock Root: burdock is a thistle with a tasty edible root. Other kinds of thistles like bull thistle and milk thistle also have edible roots you can dig up in the fall. They are a starchy vegetable that also aids in digestion.

18. Jerusalem Artichoke: these knobby tubers actually get sweeter after a few frosts. They are often grown in gardens but can also be found growing wild in disturbed areas. The white flesh is nutty and crunchy when eaten raw and similar to a potato when baked in their skins.

19. Conifer Needles: the needles of evergreen conifers are one of the most widespread plants to forage in fall. Most are edible except the yew which is toxic. Pine, fir, spruce, redwood, and hemlock are all good and can be made into a tea or added to recipes.

20. Birch bark: can be foraged in colder regions, the bark and small twigs can be made into a tea. The inner bark can be made into a flour substitute. Don't forage too much bark from one tree or you risk harming the tree and it's growth!

21. Sassafras: the root and bark can be made into a tea and is one of the original flavors in root beer. It grows in the eastern United States and has distinctive mitten shaped leaves.

22. Juniper Berries: they aren't really berries but a pine cone with a distinctive flavor and scent. Commonly used as a spice or for medicinal purposes instead of a food.

23. Chickweed: comes up in spring and again in the fall. The greens are edible and make a yummy pesto!

24. Goldenrod: blooms in the late summer and fall. Use goldenrod as an infusion for honey and add it to tea. It is great for relieving allergies.