Cladonia portentosa - Reindeer lichen

[Bones]

Bushcraft Brothers,
I have this particular lichen variety growing in vast amounts in my area. I was wondering if there is any uses for this lichen?
Is it edible or medicinal? If so how do you prepare it?

Is there any other bushcraft uses?

thanks

 

[coln18]

will check my books to see if any mention it and get back to you

 

[toilet digger]

its edible - just. dried and ground it can be used to enrich soups and such. pretty much a starvation food i.e. inner bark of conifers in scandinavia.

jamie.

 

[Harvestman]

It always seems pretty dry, and I've taken some in the past to try as kindling, but never got around to testing it. Got a feeling it might make a dye too, but no idea why I think that...

 

[Martti]

Finnish Defence Forces' tests on similar Iceland moss (Cetraria islandica) suggest that lichens could used for food as 100 g of fresh lichen contains c. 183 kJ or 43,6 kcal. However these also have great intake of lead and other heavy metals from the air and ground; e.g. specimens collected during the 1970s from the Finnish wilderness contained up to 30 000 μg of lead per kg, that's over 30 times the safe limit.

However if you should try making food out of them, the moss must be soaked up to five days on 0,5 % - 1 % alkali and then washed, dried and pulverized.

 

[Bones]

thanks for the information so far. That is very helpful.
It is such a beautiful lichen and is so characteristic of the bogland where I live.

 

[John Fenna]

It makes the basis for model railway trees and bushes .....
but I do not know about eating it

 

[toilet digger]

i seem to remember reading that our brethren in northern climes will happily chow down on the reindeers stomach contents in winter (moss) as its partially processed and subsequently easier for humans to digest. YUM

 

[Mesquite]

reported