Lately, we have been on a big nature kick, even more so than usual and in the past two months we have casually completed about 20 miles of Wisconsin's amazing Ice Age Trail. During this time, we have both become more and more interested in what the world has to offer, while we are out on the trail. I (Topher), spent most of my life living in the countryside of rural Wisconsin and have always had an intimate relationship with nature. Over the years, I've collected a decent knowledge base pertaining to surviving in the wild, but my knowledge of wild edibles has always been lacking. Sara, being the awesome woman that she is, decided to surprise me with, Thomas S. Elias & Peter A. Dykeman's, "Edible Wild Plants." This is a good book in my opinion for anyone who is interested in learning about what plants are and aren't okay to eat in the wild. Seeing as how it is winter in Wisconsin right now, almost nothing is available to eat as far as wild edibles is concerned, but there was one plant that held out for us to try. The Staghorn Sumac is a small tree or shrub, that is common around the part of the state where we live now. It is easily identified when fruiting, by its fuzzy red fruit clusters at the ends of most branches. hidden inside of these dense fuzzy clusters, are dozens of small red fruits.
*DISCLAIMER* consuming wild edibles can be extremely dangerous and potentially deadly. This post is not intended to give anyone the knowledge to consume wild edibles in any way shape or form. Now that we have that out of the way, Let's continue! :) Lately, we have been on a big nature kick, even more so than usual and in the past two months we have casually completed about 20 miles of Wisconsin's amazing Ice Age Trail. During this time, we have both become more and more interested in what the world has to offer, while we are out on the trail. I (Topher), spent most of my life living in the countryside of rural Wisconsin and have always had an intimate relationship with nature. Over the years, I've collected a decent knowledge base pertaining to surviving in the wild, but my knowledge of wild edibles has always been lacking. Sara, being the awesome woman that she is, decided to surprise me with, Thomas S. Elias & Peter A. Dykeman's, "Edible Wild Plants." This is a good book in my opinion for anyone who is interested in learning about what plants are and aren't okay to eat in the wild. Seeing as how it is winter in Wisconsin right now, almost nothing is available to eat as far as wild edibles is concerned, but there was one plant that held out for us to try. The Staghorn Sumac is a small tree or shrub, that is common around the part of the state where we live now. It is easily identified when fruiting, by its fuzzy red fruit clusters at the ends of most branches. hidden inside of these dense fuzzy clusters, are dozens of small red fruits. We decided to brew them into a tea after removing all of the individual seeds from the buds. Using a French press, we steeped the seeds in almost boiling water for about 15 minutes, before serving and enjoying. Staghorn Sumac has a bright lemony tartness with a mildly bitter finish, especially as it cools down from what I noticed. Sara says she didn't notice much bitterness, so I guess taste is subjective, but overall we both enjoyed the brew very much and we can't wait to try some fresh fall fruits this year!
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Sara & TopherWe are a working artist couple based out of Austin, TX. This blog chronicles our life and artistic ventures, as we work to make the world and environment a little better every day. Archives
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