Wild edibles

What is everyone foraging for these days? Let's see the wild fruits, veggies, and fungi from your neck of the woods.

This time of year it's all about the brambles - black raspberries are basically done fruiting, but wineberries are currently in season, then blackberries later in the summer.

Some pics from this morning's bike ride - a mix of wineberries and (mostly) unripe blackberries on a local bike path (mid-Atlantic US):

It’s a little early, but I harvest a couple gallons of blackberries/Himalaya berries, and put up 16-24 pints of jam. I also collect anise seeds (licorice) for cooking and you can also make anisette by adding the seeds and sugar to vodka. I used to collect morels and chanterelles, but pickens have been slim lately.

Phytoplankton said:

It’s a little early, but I harvest a couple gallons of blackberries/Himalaya berries, and put up 16-24 pints of jam. I also collect anise seeds (licorice) for cooking and you can also make anisette by adding the seeds and sugar to vodka. I used to collect morels and chanterelles, but pickens have been slim lately.

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Interesting, I hadn't heard of Himalayan blackberries. Is that a west coast thing? They sound kinda like how wineberries are on the east coast, escaped from captivity and now an invasive species.

Did not know anise was a wild plant either, go figure. Thanks for sharing!

Himalaya berries look/taste like blackberries, the plants also look very similar. The difference has to do with the leaflets and whether the leaves are alternating or opposed, they are not native, but are everywhere. Honestly most people don’t even know they’re not.blackberries when they’re picking them. I believe the anise is native, it grows all over my area, basically a big weed!

Definitely an important part of your post-apocalyptic urban survival kit, Portulaca oleracea, aka Purslane. A delicious and nutritious succulent found in sidewalk cracks and neglected planter boxes from June to September. Yummmmm

weedstoner420 said:

Definitely an important part of your post-apocalyptic urban survival kit, Portulaca oleracea, aka Purslane. A delicious and nutritious succulent found in sidewalk cracks and neglected planter boxes from June to September. Yummmmm
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Here's a nice little patch, living its best life in the crack between the asphalt and curb.

If you zoom in on the left side, there's also some spotted spurge (Euphorbia maculata) mixed in. The spurge looks really similar to purslane from a distance, but the leaves aren't as fleshy and succulent, and have a bit of red where they connect to the stem. If you break the stem, some white sap will run out, too. Avoid the spurge, it's bad news for your tummy...

weedstoner420 said:

Definitely an important part of your post-apocalyptic urban survival kit, Portulaca oleracea, aka Purslane. A delicious and nutritious succulent found in sidewalk cracks and neglected planter boxes from June to September. Yummmmm
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It tastes a bit bitter if i remember. I will try again as it tries to overtake my garden on a yearly basis.

Nrk.cdn said:

It tastes a bit bitter if i remember. I will try again as it tries to overtake my garden on a yearly basis.

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It's about like spinach I'd say. It's amazing how fast it grows in the hot weather, too...