are alder catkins edible

[laurens ch]

I came across a article on a web site about eating alder catkins. The guy boiled them but had also eaten them raw. Has anyone else tried them ?

heres the web site http://www.stoneageskills.com/pages/1/index.htm

 

[andyn]

Not sure about eating the catkins but from various sources I have seen the following information:

If you boil the bark it is useful to bath swellings and inflammations and is good for sore inflammed throats.

Also similar to Oak bark, due to the tannin content, it can be used as a mild astringent.

The bark also produces the dye Aldine which in the past people used to chew the bark and use the spit to dye leather and other products.

But im tempted to try the catkins and see what they taste like. Although it wouldn't surprise me if they have a high tannin content too and end up dying your mouth if you eat lots.

 

[gregorach]

According to Plants for A Future, some alders have edible catkins, but they have a very bitter taste.

http://www.pfaf.org/database/search_name.php?ALLNAMES=Alnus

The ones with edible catkins apparently are:

White Alder (Alnus rhombifolia)
Red Alder (Alnus rubra)
Sitka Alder (Alnus sinuata)
Mountain Alder (Alnus tenuifolia)
American Green Alder (Alnus viridis crispa)

All other alders are marked "Edible Uses: none known" - which doesn't necessarily mean they aren't edible, just that PfaF can't find any sources that say they are. However, if they were poisonous, it would probably be known.

 

[laurens ch]

I think I’ll try some when I can. If they are edible there are enough of them to make a small meal when I go out might prove quite useful. At first I’ll just eat a little to make sure they don’t disagree with me. I ate a lot of Japanese knotweed once and that’s meant to be edible ,gave me a bad stomach though.

 

[wolf]

ive eaten them b4,they are very bitter,and yes they do dry your mouth out,but they are a good energy provider...

 

[laurens ch]

Perhaps boiling them in several changes of water might remove some of the tannins, that’s what is done with acorns. Wonder if hazel catkins are edible too I think give them ago as well.

 

[Ahjno]

I came across a article on a web site about eating alder catkins. The guy boiled them but had also eaten them raw. Has anyone else tried them ?

heres the web site http://www.stoneageskills.com/pages/1/index.htm

The guy you mention is Storm, a member here on BCUK
You can e-mail him through the link on his profile (I reckon no joy with a PM, since his last activity was on 19-02-2006 ... )