Habitat with most odds off obtaining all your wild food needs in the U.K.

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n00b

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Yup, but that is not at all like eating the plant itself. Even there is some selectivity as some berries are poisonous to some animals and not to others. Then there is the case of the pulp(?) being edible but seeds poisonous like yew. Even there we have selection as some cultivated berries are the result of selective breeding to get rid of things like saponins.
The aril of the yew berry, yeah. Or flesh I suppose. True, eating leaves is different.

Would saponins in mashed leaves rise to the top when boiled? That would pose a problem for leaf curd.
 

Toddy

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I don't see how leaf curd is worth the effort. It's boiled, therefore vitamins and minerals are lost....part of the boiling.....and then it's strained so that presumably squeezes out more of the nutrients and all that's left is the stuff that makes up the structure of the leaf, the cellulose....and if it's green, the chlorophyll.
As far as I know humans can't digest cellulose, we lack an enzyme, even cows regurgitate and chew it again to get it to break down.

Found a quote that says it better than I did,
"Humans cannot digest cellulose because they lack the enzymes essential for breaking the beta-acetyl linkages. The undigested cellulose acts as fibre that aids in the functioning of the intestinal tract."

I don't see how it's better than drying the leaves for later use, or just breaking them up a bit and boiling them up to make soup. At least in the soup, or stew, you're still getting whatever goodness is left in the liquid.

Happy to be proven wrong, but nettles dry well, they make good soup, if you cut them back they'll come up with fresh growth pretty much all year long.
 

Toddy

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2.7g per 100g cooked......ehm, well, I have to ask, is that really worth the effort ?
A man needs about 55g per day.....that's a heck of a lot of nettles.

Me ? I'd make soup.
 
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Toddy

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Scottish Agriculture usually means feeding animals, and they do have enzymes that break down cellulose.

The 2.7g is the accepted amount of protein per 100g of foodstuff... in this case, nettles.

I'm all for variety in the diet, and I include nettles in that, but sometimes you have to think things through re the benefits versus the energy and time used to acquire something.

Then again, I like dried seaweed.
 

n00b

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Aug 7, 2023
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Well yeah not ideal for a survival situation. But pretty beneficial as a food
 

TLM

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Would saponins in mashed leaves rise to the top when boiled?
Apparently almost all saponins are water soluble (kind of their definition) so if one boils something they stay in the water or foam as they lower the surface tension of water.
 
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Poacherman

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Re vegan options leaf curd is interesting. I made some last month from stinging nettles mashed between stone and strained through muslin to boil the liquid and skim off the curds, then I strained that through cycling shorts. In a survival situation, this may be a viable option - and it's not limiting to any particular habitat. If you haven't heard of it, the idea is that it extracts the protein, along with plenty of micronutrients, from basically any leaf (though some are better than others, nitrogen-fixing are best, eg beans). This was my yield from about an hour's work, but it can be dried and stored

20230902-103549.jpg
Ah Fergus drennan style leafu good stuff good protein now u just need some fat
 

Poacherman

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How do you make your walnut butter @Poacherman?

Also btw just do your 7 day experiment. Everywhere has owners yes but few of those owners use much of their land and not one of them can do anything but politely ask you to leave!
Walnuts a little mineral water sea salt
Just a reminder that (natural) plants are not there to eat, they actually fight back with chemicals to make themselves inedible.
Fish meat insects are way forward nuts being a exception I don't rate Burdock root \cat tails ect for energy surely a addition but done plenty experiments fats are way better.
 

Poacherman

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2.7g per 100g cooked......ehm, well, I have to ask, is that really worth the effort ?
A man needs about 55g per day.....that's a heck of a lot of nettles.

Me ? I'd make soup.
Fat is king really u can go very long without the RDA off protein iff you don't have injuries I only eat meat 1x a day like 30grams and my biceps are still large.
 
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Poacherman

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The aril of the yew berry, yeah. Or flesh I suppose. True, eating leaves is different.

Would saponins in mashed leaves rise to the top when boiled? That would pose a problem for leaf curd.
I read native Americans mixed fine powdered clay with acorn meal to nullify saponins clay has lot health benefits very high in minerals Silica zinc ect.It also makes great soothing spread for insect bites or a blob is great on the ankle for blisters.
 

Toddy

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Fat is king really u can go very long without the RDA off protein iff you don't have injuries I only eat meat 1x a day like 30grams and my biceps are still large.

I'm a good vegetarian, and I manage to get enough protein :) and so do my sons. I don't do much dairy since I can't digest it well, and the only other product I eat is honey.

I think if you're getting enough variety, one way and another, with enough of the basics and plenty of the micro nutrients, the minerals, etc., then we're fine.

On another forum Stew recently posted asking about how many plants we ate in a week even if it's in tiny quantities.
The aim is at least thirty.
I can manage that in a day without any problems, but I eat the weeds, the seeds, etc., and they count towards the total as much as flour and spuds and apples do.
 

TLM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 16, 2019
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I read native Americans mixed fine powdered clay with acorn meal to nullify saponins clay has lot health benefits very high in minerals Silica zinc ect
They stole the idea from some parrots that invented it. Clays have very variable composition and generally it is not possible to state their composition.
 

Toddy

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Geophagia has issues at times. It's used to help ease diarrhoea as well. Do you really want to gum up your guts ?

Healthier just to eat the skins of your veggies I reckon.

The teeth of the skeletons of the past show just how much grit, etc., was in their diet. It's incredibly hard on teeth enamel.

 
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Poacherman

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I'm a good vegetarian, and I manage to get enough protein :) and so do my sons. I don't do much dairy since I can't digest it well, and the only other product I eat is honey.

I think if you're getting enough variety, one way and another, with enough of the basics and plenty of the micro nutrients, the minerals, etc., then we're fine.

On another forum Stew recently posted asking about how many plants we ate in a week even if it's in tiny quantities.
The aim is at least thirty.
I can manage that in a day without any problems, but I eat the weeds, the seeds, etc., and they count towards the total as much as flour and spuds and apples do.
I like appples
 

n00b

Forager
Aug 7, 2023
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I read native Americans mixed fine powdered clay with acorn meal to nullify saponins clay has lot health benefits very high in minerals Silica zinc ect.It also makes great soothing spread for insect bites or a blob is great on the ankle for blisters.
I've just recently realised how good it can be for bites and burns
 
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