Looking for wild edibles has never been more popular than it is now. Even the hoity-toity TOWN AND COUNTRY magazine recently published a spread about it. The bible for those whom like to find wild edibles is STALKING THE WILD ASPARAGUS. Euell Gibbons was definitely before his time. For instance, did you know that all parts of the day lily are edible? More about this at the bottom, for it is very important for our children and grandchildren.
I found these beautiful mushrooms out by the woods yesterday. They were various sizes, but these two beauties were at least 10 inches across. I have never seen these around here before. Upon further examination, I tore one apart. Though there are gills, they are not seen from the underside of the fungi.
The underneath side was covered in pores.
The entire mushroom looked like a giant hamburger bun.
I researched these fungi on Google and videos on youtube and have decided it is a King Bolete mushroom. These are (besides truffles) the most desirable wild mushrooms out there. They are hunted worldwide for their flavor and rarity. So, did I cook it and eat it. No! You should never eat a mushroom that you are not 100% certain about. As an aside, Euell Gibbons says that native Americans didn't eat wild mushrooms, probably because they knew of the possibility of poisonings.
Time to segue into why the whole wild edible thing is important for your children and grandchildren. In just a generation, we have lost the ability to discern what is edible in nature. If you read the MIT study a couple of weeks ago (Massachusetts Institute of Technology - and they don't come any smarter than they are), about the coming global economic collapse by 2030 and the depletion of the world's natural resources, i.e. energy, water etc. They even talk of millions dying, but I won't get into that. 2030 is 17 years away, that is unless there is the perfect storm; a trifecta of pandemic, natural disaster and/or war, which could make it happen sooner. I don't even want to see what a super great depression would be like. But, I am going to start making some changes; preparing as I am able. Not like the nuts on National Geographic channel prepping for whatever. I do think it would be prudent to plant gardens, fruit and nut trees. What do you think? Little Red Hen? Look at Greece right now, the run on banks and if you have a 401K, it is going to be affected. Texas and the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations are suing the state of Oklahoma right now over water rights. The rumblings are there and it would be foolish to ignore them.
5 comments:
You are so very wise. I am thinking this way also.
Dottie
Euell Gibbons, a name from the past!
That's a pretty mushroom. Can the OSU Extension Center confirm for you what it is? If it's not poisonous, it would be fun to taste it.
I never knew the Indians didn't eat mushrooms. Pretty smart.
I think planting gardens and fruit and nut trees is smart. Exactly where do you live? :-)
Most of the time I live on my Peaceable Hill Farm in SE Oklahoma. I have and am planting more fruit trees, grapes, berries and have built a greenhouse where I winter my lemons, oranges, bananas, coffee plants and vanilla orchids for vanilla beans as well as olives. I am getting ready to grow cinnamon and some other fruiting plants that need to go up in the greenhouse in winter. Besides the tropical plants, I have a vegetable garden.
Very interesting and I totally forgot about Mr. Gibbons.
That is so funny, Stalking the Wild Asparagus, I dug out my old book a few months ago...lol...and boy are the pages ratty, I practiced it too. The only mushrooms I feel safe eating are the morels, of course and the puffballs...yummm! But the thing that freaks me out the most about all of this crap is the environment and what man has done to it, we are a parasite that consumes everything out of greed.
Why can't we all just get along, because there is too many of us, we are out of control, but I'm doing what I can(and always have) to conserve and prepare, enlarging my gardens and spending less, that's why I don't find it fun antiquing anymore, unless it's something that I can use when the shit hits the fan. Like my new(old) potato fork, I use it to turn my compost pile.
I'm still purging my stuff, more going to Sisters Garden tomorrow...and I need it why...lol! Good to here from you old friend, I hope you're getting rain, we're in dire need of it here...I'm afraid to ask WHAT NEXT...lol~
sharon
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