Title: Edible Northern Wild Plants
Categories: Amerind Canadian Vegetable
Yield: 1 Servings

1

Info file

There are no poisonous plants, berries or mushrooms north of the tree line South of the tree line the usual prudence when encountering an unknown species is required

These wild greens all make good salad greens:

bracken or brake-fern dandelion lamb's quarters pigweed scurvy grass sourdock strawberry blight red flowering pigweed wild mustard wooly lousewort

Fireweed: treat new spring shoots as for asparagus and summer leaves as for spinach or any other green.

Fiddleheads: as well as the curled spring fronds, the growing portion of the fern at the base of the stem is edible all summer as are the root stalks. Try them boiled 20 minutes, then breaded with eggwash and dried bread crumbs and pan fried in butter.

Labrador tea: high vitamin C content; makes a tasty tisane.

Mountain sorrel: leaves and stems are good in salads, cooked as greens and in cream soups. Can be fermented as per sauerkraut.

Scurvy grass: similar to water cress. Very high in vitamin C.

Spruce tips: for tea. Not very tasty but a common and easily available source of vitamin C winter and summer.

Poplar and Jack pine: another excellent source of vitamin C. Scrape the pulp from new growth, between the wood and the bark and serve in a bowl.

Willow buds: serve with milk and sugar like breakfast cereal.

Wild rhubarb: as well as the common fruit dessert recipes try it simmered and dressed with salt, pepper, butter and a bit of sugar as a vegetable.

Wooly Lousewort or Ussusaq: stems are good raw in salads or cooked as greens.

ROOTS

Alpine bistort: nut-like flavor when cooked.

Dandelion: dry and grind for a coffee substitute.

Liquorice or Masu: similar to carrots.

Wooly Lousewort or Ussusaq: similar to carrots.

From "Northern Cookbook by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada" Posted by: Jim Weller

previous

next