Eat Your Weedies

Sauteed Garlic Mustard Greens

Eating Weeds

I like to supplement my garden goodies with weeds foraged from the countryside. This year I decided not to forage for milkweed, since the Monarch butterflies are in danger. I do believe that you can harvest milkweed if it is in abundance in your area, but please check for Monarch eggs and caterpillars first! And remember to leave plenty for the butterflies.

Lambs' Quarters
Lambs’ Quarters

One of my favorite weeds is wild spinach or lambs quarters. You can read more about them in my post Growing Lambs Quarters in My Garden. I also like to Freeze Lambs Quarters for the winter. These weeds have a very mild flavor but have an unusual texture when eaten raw.

Daylilies are a mild-flavored ‘weed’ commonly found growing along ditches. Foraging for Tiger Lilies is a great way to add some flavor to your salads.

If you like strong-flavored greens, you might like to try Sauteed Garlic Mustard Greens. Garlic mustard is an invasive plant and you should feel free to eat as many as you can find.

Carduni made with Burdock Leaves

One of my favorite wild foods is burdock stems cooked as Carduni. You can read more about Foraging for Burdock and Making Carduni if you’d like to try this traditional Italian dish.

There are plenty of books available about identifying wild foods, but you might want to look a few up online first and see how you like them.

Do you eat weeds? What is your favorite foraged food?

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