So, you now have a survival shelter to protect you from the elements, and a fire pit to warm you up.
“What’s next?” You ask yourself.
But before you could even start thinking, your stomach starts growling, hinting at your priorities even though you just had some granola bars five minutes ago.
This is where the real battle begins, a battle of attrition with nature, and it all starts with your stomach.
Your meager food supply won’t last you forever, and in most emergencies, you likely only have enough to barely last a day or two.
So, what’s a person to do?
Why, find food, of course! Look around you. Trees, foliage, shrubs, and the like surround you. These things are going to be your lunch now.
But wait! Before you reach out and grab onto that delicious-looking blackberry, how sure are you that it’s not actually a lookalike laced with poison?
If you want to survive, then it’s time to learn how to distinguish a real salad from a toxic doppelganger.
Luckily, most of the plants in the forest are harmless. But all it takes is chomping down on the wrong fruit to incapacitate you or worse. I don’t think writhing on the forest floor is how you want to spend your final moments.
So, let’s dive on in, and find out just how you can tell which plants are edible.
Know thy enemy
… Or in this case, plant.
Knowledge of plants is essential to finding what is edible and isn’t. You don’t need to remember the names and appearances of all the poisonous plants in the world, you simply need to know which ones are safe for consumption.
That said, as a rule of thumb, when in doubt, leave it alone. The benefits do not outweigh the potential detriments and may end up being the end of you.
Some poisonous plants have defining features that make them easily recognizable. Unless you are absolutely certain of the plant species, avoid plants with any of these traits:
· Three-leaved pattern (Poison Ivy)
· White berries (Poison Ivy, Poison Sumac)
· Spines or thorns (Stinging Nettle, Nightshade)
· Almond-like scent (Wild Almond trees are toxic)
· Milky sap (Milkweed, Calotropis)
· Bitter taste (Many poisonous plants are bitter)
Of course, not all plants with these traits are dangerous. For instance, the milky sap of the Papaya is used for medication and can help make you healthy.
This is simply advice for when you aren’t sure if the plant you ran into has toxic properties or not.
But if you really need it, you can use…
The Universal Edibility Test
As plants with toxic properties might cause gastrointestinal problems or even death when ingested, the only way to know for sure that a plant is edible is also the same way to find out if it can kill you.
That is why this test was devised: To minimize any potential damage that a plant may do, should it turn out to be harmful.
This should only be used in an emergency, as it still has very risky (but necessary) steps to take which takes time as well.
1. Separate the plants into various parts (Leaf, Stem, Flower, etc.) This will help you in classifying the edible plant parts later. Focus on one part of the plant at a time.
2. Smell the plant part. If it has a terrible odor, throw it away.
3. Next, hold the plant onto your inner elbow or wrist for a few minutes. This is to check if the plant has poisonous properties that might give your body a rash, an itch, or a burning sensation. If it does, throw it away.
4. At this point you can either try kissing the plant, but boiling it is recommended if you can. Wait for 15 minutes after kissing. If you feel burning or itching on your lips, throw it away.
5. Take a small bite of the plant, chew it, and hold it in your mouth for 15 minutes. If it tastes very bitter or soapy, spit it out immediately, and throw it away.
6. Swallow it. If your body doesn’t shut down after a few hours when you consumed it, it can be assumed that this part of the plant is safe to eat.
After doing this, you will need to do the same for all the other parts of the plant, as some parts are edible, and some are not.
The length at which you can consume a plant takes too long, and its inefficiency is why this should only be considered as a last resort.
As a final note, this test does not apply to mushrooms. Mushrooms should only ever be consumed after positive identification of its species.
What plants can be eaten then?
With the dangerous parts of a poisonous plant identified, here are some edible plants that you can find while scavenging:
Asparagus
Picture credit: Sotiria Simota
A creeping evergreen plant, it can reach up to one meter tall. It can usually be found near water in rural areas.
It has a thinner stalk and will also likely taste different as they are usually sweeter and denser in flavor than the ones you can buy at the supermarket.
Clovers
When you find one, consider yourself lucky.
Not just because of good luck associated with it, but because they are edible as plants too!
They can be found in most open grassy areas.
Clovers can be consumed raw, but they are much better when boiled.
Dandelion
These weeds look pretty but can be quite the annoyance when they spring up in your backyard.
And in a pinch, they can also save your life. Dandelions are edible from stem to root, with nutritious leaves to boot. Its flower can also be consumed raw.
The leaves should be eaten young, as mature leaves taste very bitter unless boiled. And while you’re at it, make sure to boil the roots as well!
Chickweed
Chickweed has many medicinal properties used in folk remedies for conditions, such as asthma and blood disorders.
They are also perfectly edible to eat.
You can find chickweed in cool, damp locations, and rich, recently disturbed soil. Their leaves might occasionally have white flowers on them.
It can be consumed raw or boiled.
Pine Nuts
As the name implies, pine nuts can be found in… pine trees.
Yes, that means if you are surrounded by these trees, then it is likely that you have an abundance of food already right next to you.
But there’s a catch: To get to the pine nuts, you need to go through the pinecones. And pinecones are tough nuts to crack, literally!
There are two methods of breaking open the pinecone to get the nice seeds inside: Drying and Heating
Drying involves simply laying the pinecones down for a long time and waiting for it to dry out. It’s unlikely that you’ll ever use this method in a survival situation, as you do not have the convenience of waiting weeks before the pinecones completely dry up. Therefore, use the second method.
Heating involves roasting the pinecones over a fire, and then allowing them to cool down for a little while. Afterwards, give them a tap, and the seeds should fall out!
Conclusion
There are many dangerous plants out there that might look like the plants you know and love from the supermarket, but don’t let yourself get fooled, especially in an unfamiliar environment such as a forest. They only look good, but your stomach will protest otherwise once consumed… If not your entire body.
Make sure to always watch what you touch, and even more so, what you eat.