How are you doing in your Simplicity and Survival adventures? While it's true that many homemaking ladies tend to grow some of their food, not everyone can. Another way to get delicious, nutritious, organic food is via foraging. You may have wild edibles growing right outside your back door, and not even know it.

Anyone can forage. It doesn't matter if you live in the desert, forest, prairie, or in the middle of the city.

In today's article, I am just going to scratch the surface on the world of foraging...

Please Note: You forage at your own risk. I take no responsibility, should you or anyone reading this, forage and eat something poisonous, or have a bad reaction, etc. If you choose to forage, educate yourself, and take full responsibility for what you do or don't do.

Acorns

Acorns grow on oak trees. White oak trees have leaves that are more rounded at the edges, while red oaks have leaves that are pointier. There are also other varieties of oak trees.

Not only can you use acorns to make things such as acorn bread, but you can use the brown water from boiling them as well. The brown water is full of tannins, and you can use these to tan hides. Tannic acid is what makes the boiling water brown, and gives acorns that very bitter taste, if you don't boil it out, well enough. Tannins are also why black tea is a bit bitter.

You can use two cups of the brown acorn water as a laundry detergent. It cleans really well, and the laundry comes out smelling fresh. However, do not wash lights or whites in tannin water, or they will turn slightly tan in color.

This tannic acid is also great for poison ivy, cuts, and rashes. Simply rub it onto the problem areas. It's been reported that the tannic acid water gets rid of poison ivy rash within three days. I haven't tried this myself, but this is what I've heard.

In a previous article in this series, I gave you a few recipes for acorn bread. Below are a few more acorn recipes. Before following the below recipes, make sure you properly process your acorns, as per the instructions in the the previous article...

Acorn Pancakes

Combine two cups of acorn flour, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, and 3/4 cup of water. Pour 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the batter onto a hot griddle or skillet, and cook it like a normal pancake. Repeat, until all the batter is used up. If you like this recipe, and have a larger family, then double, triple, or quadruple this recipe the next time you make it.

Acorn Tortillas

Combine 2 cups of acorn flour, 3/4 cup white or cattail flour, and 1 teaspoon of sea salt. Let the dough sit for a half hour, and then divide it up into several little balls, use a press or rolling pin to flatten them, and cook them in a hot skillet. Cook them just until they begin to brown. Flip them every ten seconds or so.

Acorn Polenta

Bring four cups of water to a boil. Mix together 1 cup acorn flour, 2 cups corn meal, and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Add the mixture to the boiling water, and use a whisk to stir constantly. Turn heat down to a simmer or light boil. Keep stirring for about three minutes. Then, turn off the heat, and mix in 1/2 cup of honey, and a stick of butter.

Cattail

Also in the previously mentioned article, we learned how to make cattail flour, which naturally contains gluten, and is therefore a wonderful companion wild flour to acorn flour, in making acorn bread (recipes and instructions in mentioned article.)

Not only can you make a glutenous flour from the roots of cattail, but you can also use new cattail shoots in the spring to put into all sorts of dishes. Make sure you are positive you are using cattail shoots, as there is another plant that can look like the shoot, but is toxic. If you stick to the shoots from the tall cattails, you should be okay, as the other plants that look similar don't grow any taller than two feet.

Peel and chop the shoots, and put them into pasta dishes, such as spaghetti. In anything where you like to put in veggies like zucchini and/or cucumber, put in peeled and sliced cattail shoots, and see what you think.

These cattail shoots can also be peeled and eaten as is. Just make sure they are positively cattail shoots, and clean them well.

Cacti

There are several forms of cacti that can be consumed. Some species of yucca cactus produce a fruit, and I'm told the fruit is edible. I've never tried it. You can also make nature's needle and thread from the spines of the yucca. Just peel a thin part of the spine off, and you'll have a tough string with a point at the end, which works as a needle. You can really use this to fasten things together, or to sew a hole in clothing, in an emergency situation. The roots of the yucca contain saponins - natural "soap." The root will suds up a bit in water, and you really can use it to wash your hands, or even do laundry, etc.

Another edible cactus is the prickly pear. Both the fruit and cacti paddles can be eaten.

Prickly pear fruit tastes kind of like a cross between bubble gum and watermelon. For those who like to make jelly, the juice of the prickly pear fruit makes an excellent jelly.

To harvest and prepare prickly pear, you must be careful of the cactus spines. The bigger spines are easy enough to avoid, but there are also small, hair like spines which can be hard to see, and may only be realized after they have pierced your skin. These little hair spines can get stuck in and under your skin, and be harder to remove than a sliver/splinter.

You may want to consider wearing thick gloves when harvesting this fruit. Also, have a good, sharp knife with you. Shave off all the spines, especially paying attention to the smaller spines, which you don't want to overlook.

After you've brought these beauties home, you need to do a bit of work to them, before they are ready to be consumed. Like many fruits, these delicious gems need to be peeled. First, cut both of the ends off. Then, slip the knife under the skin, and cut a line down the fruit, so that you can reach under the skin and grab it. After that, just peel the skin off and discard.

The fruit will have a lot of little seeds in it, and the seeds are edible. Some people prefer to just have the juice. To extract the juice, put the clean, prickly pears into a blender or food processor, and blend them to a pulp. Then, pour it all into a large, clean flour sack cloth that is placed over a large bowl. Gather the flour sack cloth into a bag, and squeeze. Squeeze the juice into the bowl. The pulp that is leftover in the cloth can be added to recipes or discarded. Enjoy the juice, and consider making some jelly with some of it.

To prepare the paddles to be edible, again, pick them carefully, and then scrape off all of the spines with a good knife. Clean the paddles well, and then trim and cut them into strips. Boil these strips for about 20 minutes, until they are tender. They can be seasoned and served as is, or added to salads, casseroles, and more. Some people find them similar to green beans in flavor, but it varies. I've seen these paddles for sale in the produce department of many grocery stores.

Prickly Lettuce

Warning: this wild lettuce can create a drowsy or even a somewhat drugged state in some people. If you haven't tried this wild lettuce, try a bit first, and make sure you don't have adverse reactions.

Prickly lettuce is very common. Most people probably have it in or near their back yards. Its leaves are slightly bitter, depending on the season, and how big the leaves are. It can be used in salads and sandwiches, or as a garnish.

Wild Onions

Sometimes what looks like a wild tuft of grass can actually be a treasure. I'm referring to wild onions. Many people pass this right up as wild grass. You can use a small shovel or your hands to pull or dig these up. The bulbs will be small, white onions. It should smell like onions, with no question. The onion bulbs can be used just like the regular onions you buy from the store, and the green stems can be chopped, and used like scallions. Wild onions are very common. Once you get used to spotting them, you may start finding them all over the place on nature walks.

As with foraging all things edible, make sure you know what you are foraging. There are poisonous, dangerous things out there, so make sure you educate yourself.

Berries

What's foraging, without berries? Mulberries, black berries, dew berries, raspberries, strawberries, etc. Learn what types of berries grow in your area, and where to forage them. Generally with berries, if you find some that are white, don't eat them, as white is often poisonous. Red is 50/50, and dark blue or black, is usually okay (but not always), don't consume these berries, unless you are sure they are okay.

Nuts

You may be surprised to find more nut growing trees around than you are aware of. Learn what types of nut trees grow in your area of the world, and take some nature hikes and see if you can find some.

Crab Apples

Who hasn't had crab apples? While eating too many has been shown to give silly children tummy aches, that doesn't stop these from being harvested by creative moms all over the place. Crab apples can be made into a fabulous jelly.

Yarrow

Yarrow is a powerful, medicinal herb that many mistake for a common weed. Do not get this beautiful plant mixed up with water hemlock, which is poisonous, and looks similar. Yarrow is a plant worthy of research, so look into it, and see what you think.

Buffalo Gourds

Depending on where you live, you may have seen these beautiful plants growing on roadsides. Some people have problems with these plants taking over their farmland or gardens, as they can spread rapidly. While they look like little watermelons on a vine, they are NOT. Do NOT eat the flesh of the buffalo gourd, or you could be looking at several days of bad stomach cramps and diarrhea, or worse. It can even make you pass out.

The seeds of this wild gourd are edible, however. Make sure you clean them well, and roast them first, and they make a great snack. Like the yucca, the roots of the buffalo gourd contain saponins - meaning, you can suds it up to wash your hands, or even use it for doing your laundry.

Peaches, Apples, Pears, and More

One house I lived in had three peach trees in the backyard, and no one even knew about it, because everything was all overgrown back there. After a bit of clean up, I enjoyed these hidden treasures.

Driving through neighborhoods, I often come across people with pear or apple trees in their front yards, and around harvest time, their yards are often just littered with these wonderful fruits. Don't be afraid to ask if you can have some of the fruit. Many people will be very GLAD for you to take it, because sometimes so much fruit is produced, they get tired of it.

Persimmons

Find out if there are persimmon trees in your area. Sometimes you may see these delicious little fruits in the produce aisle of some supermarkets. Persimmons will be intensely bitter and drying to the mouth, if eaten before they are ready. Persimmons are generally ready to pick and enjoy after the first frost of the year. If they are firm, leave them be. You want the more squishy ones.

They are great eaten as is, but also make a nice jelly, or you can make a fabulous persimmon wine.

Sand Plums

Sand plums grow along roadsides and by cow pastures in many areas of the U.S. They are the size of berries, but taste like little plums, because that's what they are. I like to make sand plum preserves or jelly just about every summer. These are great eating right off the tree, or as a jelly. I often see sand plum jelly entries at our yearly county fair.

Red and White Clover and Dandelion Greens

I don't know about you, but during spring and supper, I can walk out my door, and pick a small salad. One part of my yard literally becomes a natural carpet of white clover. Sometimes I pick red clover at parks. These clover heads can be eaten picked, just as they are. They are a bit bitter, and full of nutrients. The leaves also can be eaten, and have a bit of a vanilla taste to them.

I have also used the clover flowers/heads to make clover teas.

And don't forget about dandelions. Just about every part of that plant can be used, including making a wonderful dandelion wine.

More Foraging

As you can see, you can forage not only for food, but natural "soap," "needle and thread," and even medicinals. Foraging is something that I believe the Christian homemaker should be educated on. While it's great to grow some of our food, wild food also grows, and sometimes it's just outside our back door. May we never tire of learning more about God's amazing creation.

Find yourself a good foraging book for the area in which you live, and integrate nature walks and discovering edibles in your area as part of your children's education. Go out exploring and learning, and have fun.