Read MoreAnd I looked, and beheld a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
-Revelation, 6:8
Summer is here and the vegetation is bountiful! In the Twin Cities area, several greens are at their prime, including lamb’s quarters, amaranth, and purslane. Flowering herbs are also at an ideal stage for picking, and berry season is just starting to kick off. With so many wild edibles abounding in yards, parks, and gardens, now is the perfect time to harvest to your heart’s content! However, you should strive to use everything that you harvest, instead of forgetting about it and letting it rot in your fridge (which I have definitely been guilty of!) Having a list of recipes or go-to dishes makes it much easier to churn through your wild harvests, and enjoy the gifts of nature’s garden!
Read MoreThis video covers the edible and medicinal purposes of broadleaf plantain (Plantago major), goes over identification and harvesting, and ends with making plantain chips!
Read MoreWhite cedar (Thuja occidentalis) makes a delicious and healthful tea! Learn how to identify and use it in this video.
Read MoreNavigating the ins and outs of foraging can be tricky! After the long process of learning how to identify plants and other forageables, you then must find places where you’re actually allowed to harvest them. This isn’t always easy, especially for those of us living in cities. This guide is intended to help you get out there and start picking, without getting into trouble! Since I live in the Twin Cities, most of the information will pertain to this area. However, you can use the information herein to do some research into your locality, including city parks, state parks, state forests, and other areas.
Read MoreThe weather is warming up in the Twin Cities, and tree tapping season will soon be over! Here is part three of a video series about tapping maple trees at home for the sap. This one is about end-of-season clean-up. Part one covers putting the tap in the tree, and part two goes over what to do with the sap. I will not be explaining how to boil down sap for maple syrup. Though it's a great practice that I encourage everyone to try at least once, this video series is designed for people who don't have the time or equipment to make syrup. Plus, maple sap is a great product in its own right!
Read MoreIt's tree tapping season in the Twin Cities! Here is part two of a video series about tapping maple trees at home for the sap. This one is about what to do with the sap. Part one covers putting the tap in the tree; and part three will go over end-of-season clean-up. I will not be explaining how to boil down sap for maple syrup. Though it's a great practice that I encourage everyone to try at least once, this video series is designed for people who don't have the time or equipment to make syrup. Plus, maple sap is a great product in its own right!
Read MoreThere are so many awesome edible plants growing in cities! Unfortunately, I can’t write about all of them, so I decided to narrow the list down to ten. Only ten! It was so hard to choose. I opted for diversity. This list includes a variety of plant forms— some herbs, some trees, some shrubs. It also has various plant parts— greens, flowers, fruits, seeds, and even sap! Finally, these plants are eaten in myriad ways— raw, cooked, made into tea, or infused. But they should all be easily found in most cities, and they are all delicious!
Read MoreIt's still cold and snowy where I live in Minneapolis, but tree tapping season is right around the corner! (And currently taking place in some parts of the country.) Here is part one of a video series about tapping maple trees at home for the sap. This one is about putting the tap in the tree; part two will explain what to do with the sap; and part three will cover end-of-season clean-up. I will not be explaining how to boil down sap for maple syrup. Though it's a great practice that I encourage everyone to try at least once, this video series is designed for people who don't have the time or equipment to make syrup. Plus, maple sap is a great product in its own right!
Read MoreAs a child growing up in urban Milwaukee, family walks on Sunday afternoons were routine. I remember going by rows of neatly trimmed juniper bushes, and my father stopping us all as he picked a few leaves, crushed them between his fingers, put them to his nose, and inhaled. We were made to follow suit. The smell was strong but pleasant— resinous, slightly citrusy, and stimulating. To this day, I can’t resist picking small amounts of juniper and inhaling the invigorating scent.
Obviously I didn’t know this as a child, but those distinctive smells are essential oils, and they often signal important medicinal qualities, such as fighting infections in wounds and treating coughs, colds, or fevers. In fact, I didn’t even know that the plant was called juniper, much less realize that it was edible and medicinal. But that uplifting smell always stuck with me; and once you smell it, I’m sure it will for you, too!
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