Cooking without a pot: which leaves to use?

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Thoth

Nomad
Aug 5, 2008
342
28
Hertford, Hertfordshire
I know about using Burdock and Giant Water Dock to wrap up parcels of food to be cooked in the embers but what other leaves are a good size and safe to use? No foil please! :-D
 

Joonsy

Native
Jul 24, 2008
1,483
3
UK
the biggest leaves i have come across are Gunnera, i'm afraid i don't know if they are edible though but Wiki suggests they are.
 

Thoth

Nomad
Aug 5, 2008
342
28
Hertford, Hertfordshire
rik_uk3 asks "for baking or steaming?" I'm just wondering what the options are (in the UK) but I guess I'm mostly thinking about steaming (i.e. food wrapped-up and put in amongst the ashes/embers). Ramsons are a neat idea John. Maize often easy to find in field corners where it is a cover-crop for game birds so that's probably a good option too thanks for that thought Bushwhacker. I think I've read that Comfrey shouldn't be eaten (Goes to check: yes; River Cottage 'Hedgerow' says it can cause liver damage and/or liver cancer) so I think we'd do well to avoid it when cooking Niels. Any other ideas anyone?
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
Broad leaved dock is a good size, but too bitter. Butterbur might be ok (leaves were used to wrap butter, hence the name), and coltsfoot might be useable.

Basically, if you can get enough leaves, so long as they aren't harmful, like the comfrey, you can use anything - just pack it around.
 

Niels

Full Member
Mar 28, 2011
2,582
3
26
Netherlands
Eeeek! Prickles from leaves in bum !!!:eek:

They don't prickle. I learnt this function of the comfrey leafe from Uncle Ray (as you all call him) he said it in country tracks canoe episode. :p
I know from experience it works.
Maybe just slightly of topic though.
 

Niels

Full Member
Mar 28, 2011
2,582
3
26
Netherlands
I suspect it depends which form of comfrey it is (there are lots), there's one in my hedge that I certainly wouldn't want to use on my bum, not from what it does to my hands!

Lots of butterbur about so shall give that a try for cooking.

Well said, I can only speak for comfrey that grows in the Netherlands and it might be a very different subspieces than your's.
 

bushwacker bob

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 22, 2003
3,824
17
STRANGEUS PLACEUS
I suspect it depends which form of comfrey it is (there are lots), there's one in my hedge that I certainly wouldn't want to use on my bum, not from what it does to my hands!

Lots of butterbur about so shall give that a try for cooking.
Symphytum officinale ? Is the only one simply called 'comfrey' and it has soft leaves similar to foxgloves. Its grown as a green manure and plant food.
Russian comfrey is the prickly type.
 

xylaria

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Comfrey is only toxic if eaten a lot very often, other wise is it a good nutritous plant which would be perfectly good to on occasion use as a wrap to bake food. Coltsfoot is another plant you could wrap your food in.
 

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