edible tree leaves, pignuts.

[Longbow lad]

ive heard that hawthorn leaves can be eaten - can they?

also what about some of the others like birch, beech etc

mr mears eats lime leaves but im not really sure how to identify them without a filed guide to trees.

im also trying to identify pignuts. - pictures anyone?

any help?

 

[typha]

Yes Hawthorn leaves can be eaten as can beech leaves, they are best when young and tender like they are at the moment.I have read that birch leaves can be used as a herbal tea to treat rheumatism and bladder complaints and they reduce cholesterol.Lime trees are fairly easily recognised if you refer to a good field guide such as the dorling kindersly books.I do not have any pictures of pignut for you im afraid , the plants are not in flower at the moment anyway in my area which would be an aid to the identification for you.

 

[raskusdrotti]

Hi Longy,

There is a good description of pignuts here

basically they are in woodland and at the moment are around 8 - 12" tall, with tiny white flowers and tiny delicate leaves that look like dill.

Hawthorn leaves are ok if a little bland.

A good book is 'food for free' by richard mabey - comes in a pocket guide and a full sized version.

Neil

 

[raskusdrotti]

There's also a really good tree id site on treegallery

and i'm just trying to sort out a photo of a pignut plant i took yesterday........

EDIT:

here it is.....

 

[demographic]

I remember one of my older brothers using Hawthorn leaves to add to a salad when I was a nipper and being fairly unimpressed with the flavour, not tried it since.

Also I remember digging practice golf holes (again as a nipper) in our back field and finding some pignuts, you know sometimes you eat something in the wild and you can understand why it isn't cultivated?

Pignut isn't one of those, they are really nice and quite sweet in an earthy way

Interesting that it's described as a woodland species though as the field we found them in was nothing like woodland about as bleak a field as you would ever find.

 

[Longbow lad]

thanks for the info chaps, ill be off to the woods during my lunchbreak!

 

[match]

Young beech leaves are edible - they also make a very good liqueur called noyaux (do a search for this here to find a recipe )

Birch can also be eaten, but as with most tree leaves, their don't tend to be many that are highly tasty, and usually the stuff growing on the ground neaqrby is going to be tastier

 

[falling rain]

I actually think fresh young hawthorn leaves are quite tasty. They were known as 'bread and cheese' in some parts. You have to remember that wild food may not be as tasty as salad in a bag from sainsbury's which has been crossed, re-crossed and developed over the years, but having said that lettuce plain on it's own is hardly T-bone steak either. Crab apples are very sour but that's where your granny smith's etc originated from.

 

[Bushpig]

Yes,..and itshould also be noted that our taste pallets take time to adjust..dont throw out a food after first trial, I remember on a survivalweekend I tried some blackberry tea..first night I thought it was awful but over the weekend I got quite a taste for it ! Our taste buds are very fickle to our day to day supermarket nosh and you need to break em in a bit!

Booooosh

 

[Spacemonkey]

I took my muvver for a walk in the woods with my dog last weekend in the New Forest and fed her wood sorrel, birch leaves, hawthorn leaves and apple blossom and she quite liked it. I think that young birch leaves taste just like lettuce and are quite nice. Then I got her to make a little fire using the firesteel and some birch bark, and then with some lichen. Took her a few goes to get the knack but she was really impressed with herself as she wouldn't normally do things like this. You're never too old to learn something new...

 

[Venger]

Just a note of caution, if you are popping 'out of work' to eat tree leaves - be aware of where the trees are, many are road side and absord all kinds of nasty things.
(In fact some trees are planted for that very reason - london plane for example)

 

[tomtom]

Re: pig nuts

have a look at this great article by PatrickM
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=11774

 

[laurens ch]

can birch leaves be eaten raw ,also is it safe too eat them in in large quanaties

 

[andyn]

I actually think fresh young hawthorn leaves are quite tasty.

Yup I agree, You may be able to spot one or two in the salad myself and the Joker had the other weekend, along with Ramson and wood sorrel. Had some pig nuts too for the first time and they were delicious

 

[Jumbalaya]

Just posted info. to another pignut query.
I have some pix and a recipe for using pignut at:
www.countrylovers.co.uk/wfs/pignut.htm

Be inspired.

Marcus

 

[Mooney]

Just posted info. to another pignut query.
I have some pix and a recipe for using pignut at:
www.countrylovers.co.uk/wfs/pignut.htm

Be inspired.

Marcus

Thanks for the link, that site is excellent
www.countrylovers.co.uk/

 

[EdS]

young linden (lime) leaves are good to

 

[Chance]

If you've got a few extra minutes, it's still not too late to make nettle soup.