How to Test Wild Edibles in 3 Steps
When SHTF, even the most prepared of us may find themselves separated from their prepped stores, and out on their own. All of our planning can go south quickly, and we may find ourselves fleeing danger with little more than the clothes on our back. It can happen to anyone. Depending on what youâve managed to escape with, triaging your needs (once safe) must be the first priority. Food is on top 3 priorities, and for that reason looking for edible plants in the woods is one skill to learn for survival.
Rule of Threeâs
When triaging needs, remember the ârule of threeâs.â 3 hours without protection from the cold, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food. Most camping/wilderness deaths are caused by hypothermia: in a cold environment without the proper shelter or clothing to keep you warm, hypothermia can cause death in as little as 3 hours.
Remember, temperatures usually drop at night, often significantly. Just because it was warm during the day doesnât mean that it will stay that way out of doors at night. If you feel it getting cooler as the sun begins to set, or you know cold is coming, find some warm clothes, a blanket, and make yourself some form of shelter to retain your body heat.
Once thatâs covered, next comes water. You can survive without water for up to 3 days. But your demand for water increases when you perspire, and during times of high stress. Water will be a high priority if you donât have enough.
The body can survive for up to 3 weeks without food (not true for diabetics).
And although 3 weeks might sound like you have plenty of time to get by, and that you might not need to worry immediately, think again.
If youâre used to eating regularly, like most of us are, it wonât take long before that hunger will impact your judgment.
24-48 hours without food, and you can expect to feel lightheaded, fatigued, and possibly even dizzy. Itâs not fun. So while your need for food might be the least immediate of the three, it is definitely a priority.
Warnings to Keep in Mind when Looking for Edible Plants
Many plants are poisonous, and eating a toxic plant can cause reactions within the body ranging from relatively mild, like vomiting, to the more severe â organ failure, coma, and eventually death. One of the safest methods to determine if a plant is safe to eat is to use the âUniversal Edibility Testâ developed by the U.S. Army.
But before we get into how to test a plant, there are a few general tips to consider first.
Donât even consider testing a plant that there isnât a lot of. Youâre taking a risk by testing and eating it, and you want to make sure youâre not going through all this trouble (and potentially death) unless you can make several meals from it. If itâs just one small outcropping, make a mental note of its location, and move on. Try to find a more abundant resource.
Never eat mushrooms or fungi. Period. I know some mushrooms are really tasty. But unless you REALLY know what youâre doing, eating the wrong mushroom will cause you permanent, sometimes fatal, injury. And itâs not possible to test mushrooms or fungi with the Universal Edibility Test because a toxic mushroom will affect your nervous system. These effects wonât show up for days, and by the time they do, thereâs no treatment. Just avoid all mushrooms.
Donât eat plants grown in polluted areas. Avoid roadside plants because car exhaust and other chemicals like antifreeze are more abundant at the roadside and could have contaminated the plants growing there.
Same goes for plants growing near a polluted water source. Do not eat anything thatâs growing in brackish, murky, stagnant, or smelly water or soil. When a plant grows in or near contaminated water, the plant itself becomes contaminated.
Basically, if itâs growing someplace where you wouldnât want to step, or in something you wouldnât want to get on your face because of its smell, avoid it!
Say NO to anything thatâs rot, mold, soft. Anything thatâs rotting, moldy, or overly soft (like before rotting) is a definite avoid. Yes, blue cheese is mold, but mold in general is not your friend. Most biological weapons programs start with mold. If itâs moldy or mildewed, stay away!
Some other general âavoid thisâ type of indicators are:
beans, bulbs, or seeds inside pods
spines, fine hairs, or thorns
If you come across a plant that smells a little bit like almonds, it could contain cyanide. Avoid.
If the leaves are shiny, and/or grouped in threeâs, itâs likely poison ivy, and youâll want to steer clear. Some folks will say certain colored berries are OK to try. But unless youâre sure youâre eating a blackberry, raspberry, or blueberry, Iâd give these a pass.
Boiling can help remove some bitterness, but isnât very effective at removing toxins if the plant is poisonous. Donât think boiling a toxic plant will make it edible. It wonât. And before you risk your health by testing an unknown plant, if thereâs meat available, stick to eating meat.
The Universal Edibility Test
Youâve found an abundant plant, away from the road and other sources of contamination, and you want to test it. The following is from The U.S. Army Survival Manual FM21-76. Itâs important to note that while this test comes from the U.S. Army, there are experts who donât believe this test is effective, because some plants can cause serious adverse reactions simply from skin contact.
And even this Army manual emphasizes the importance of knowing and being able to identify the edible plants in your area, and having a field manual to help do so, so as to not need to perform this test. But when SHTF, this is probably better than starving.
Use with caution, and use common sense. Youâll need to fast for 8 hours before testing a plant. Remember to pick something abundant, so youâre not potentially wasting your time (and risking your life) for a light snack.
Some parts of a plant can be poisonous, while others arenât. For example, a plant can have poisonous leaves, but the roots and stalks might be fine. So take the plant apart into its main components.
1. Skin Contact Test: Crush up the part of the plant you want to eat â only the one part, like the leaves OR the stalk, for example â and rub it on the inside of your wrist or elbow for 15 minutes. Once thatâs done, watch the area for the next 8 hours (during which time you can only drink water â no food). If thereâs any reaction like redness, bumps, burning, pain, itching, etc, you donât want it inside your stomach.
If after 8 hours your skin is still fine, then itâs on to step 2. Hold the plant to your closed lips for 3 minutes. If you feel any tingling, burning, itchiness, really any unusual reaction, toss this part of the plant and start over with another part.
If thereâs no lip reaction, place the plant on your tongue for 15 minutes. Again youâre looking for any weird sensations. Any tingling, burning, itching, etc. spit it out, rinse out your mouth, and move on to another part of the plant. Just because it tastes bad, or bitter, doesnât necessarily mean itâs bad for you. Youâre looking for a reaction to know if itâs safe to continue or not. When in doubt, spit it out. And move on.
2. The Chew Test: Now you can chew up this plant part in your mouth â but donât swallow. Hold the chewed up plant in your mouth for 15 minutes, looking for any of the earlier mentioned reactions.
If you react badly to it, spit it out, rinse your mouth out with water, and press on. If 15 minutes pass and youâre still good, swallow whatâs in your mouth. If you feel nausea, or any ill effects, you need to make yourself vomit and then drink plenty of water. After youâve swallowed, wait 8 hours to test it properly. You can have water during these next 8 hours, but no other food.
3. The Bigger Bite: If the plant passes the test over the next 8 hours, and youâve had no ill effects, try eating about 1/4 cup of the plant part. Wait another 8 hours, drinking only water. Eat no other food. This is the final stage of the test. If youâve made it to the end of the 8 hours and your fine, then the plant part (only the part you tested) is safe to eat.
Youâll need to repeat the full test with every other part of the plant, if you want to eat it.
Other Things to Expect
Most wild edible plants will taste less bitter when theyâre young. The more mature the leaf, the more bitter it will generally taste. Boiling offers some relief from the bitterness. But some plants you might want to boil multiple times.
Many edible plants are rich with anti-oxidants, and have been a staple of many native diets for centuries.
Being able to identify the plants in your area before there is the need, is the best preparation for finding edible plants.
Disclaimer: This is not meant as a field guide, and before you eat (or test) an unknown plant, do your best to follow the general guidelines from the Army Survival Manual detailed above, use common sense, and be careful.
Written by Joe Touchstone for Survivopedia.com
Wild Edibles Taste Test was originally published on DIY Prepping
