Ash keys as food

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Andy B

Forager
Apr 25, 2004
164
1
Belfast
[h=3]Ash keys[/h]



Even in winter food can be found. Ash are often covered in keys well into winter. They can be gathered and opens to reveal seeds which are edible and not bad at all.When they are green they can also be pickled.
 
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Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
Timely comment :D

I like the little pea like ones at the end of the Sycamore wings too :) They last right through Winter too, even amongst the leaf litter.

cheers,
Toddy
 

spandit

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 6, 2011
5,594
308
East Sussex, UK
Every day is a learning experience! Are they best eaten raw or can you cook with them/grind them up to make flour?
 

Andy B

Forager
Apr 25, 2004
164
1
Belfast
Some are bitter and some are not. It depends on a lot of things. I just eat them like little almonds. They do take a while to harvest though.

I like the little pea-type things in Sycamore samaras too. they taste very nutritious and are sometimes sweet which is nice. last through winter too.
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
I like them :D The tree over the lane fence from my garden has sweetish, pea tasting ones :cool:

I think that's something we forget; every tree, even of the same species, tastes a little different.
It's really noticeable with elders, but think on apples, cherries, acorns and the like too. Like AndyB's Ash seeds as well :)

Traditionally these winged seeds were part of the mast that pigs grazed on in woodlands. The pigs fattened up nicely on them too :)
A kind of forgotten harvest, iimmc.

cheers,
M
 

Andy B

Forager
Apr 25, 2004
164
1
Belfast
I like them :D The tree over the lane fence from my garden has sweetish, pea tasting ones :cool:

I think that's something we forget; every tree, even of the same species, tastes a little different.
It's really noticeable with elders, but think on apples, cherries, acorns and the like too. Like AndyB's Ash seeds as well :)

Traditionally these winged seeds were part of the mast that pigs grazed on in woodlands. The pigs fattened up nicely on them too :)
A kind of forgotten harvest, iimmc.

cheers,
M

As an arboriculturalist I have had the oppertunity to look into it a bit and have found that trees growing in stressfull enviroments have more bitter seeds. For example a syscamore that is constantly grazed might be more bitter. Its a well known natural process. Not saying its scientific just my personal observations.
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
That's interesting :) so, copicing might stress them enough to react and produce unpalatable seeds ?
The trees I forage from have never been touched, they're huge things now, but I've been munching oak and beech, sycamore, rowans and so on, from them most of my life. I tell folks that these ones are sweet, but many find their local ones not so good. Might indicate a reason why ?

cheers,
M
 

Andy B

Forager
Apr 25, 2004
164
1
Belfast
Coppicing is a form of stress indeed. The wind is a stress too. Trees are under constant stress from various things and spend their lives trying to minimise it mechanically and chemically.
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
To be honest, Liam, I've never tried cooking with them; they're just an occasional munchie :) Like beechnuts, if you find them full, eat them while you can :)

Andy's 'flour' recommendation sounds interesting though :D

Young Jon did a bit about Sycamore seeds a while back. Can't remember how big that thread became however.

Interesting to hear what other folks do with them :cool:

atb,
Mary
 

xylaria

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
I have found ash keys to be a bit on the bitter side to eat in any quantity. a little they fine, then the bitter taste creeps up and gets stronger. I have tried leaching and honey roasting but I still didnt like them. The maples and sycamores seeds are variable eating as well.
 

benp1

Nomad
Nov 30, 2006
473
0
42
London
I didn't know you could eat these tree seeds. Are there any you can't eat? Might go and try some, I have a sycamore outside my house as well
 

HillBill

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 1, 2008
8,141
88
W. Yorkshire
I always assumed that if something isnt poisonous, then its edible. :)

The only exception to this rule that i know of, are Yew berries. All parts of the tree are poisonous but the berry flesh.

No part of the ash or sycamore is poisonous that i know of, hence all parts are edible. Taste and nutritional quality may not be good in certain things, but that doesn't mean you cant munch on it :)
 
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