Tried two new wild edibles yesterday. Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), which is a feral ornamental from Asia, and bee larvae, which are delicacies there.
I had read about Autumn Olive and been wanting to try it. Once I learned how to recognize it and spotted my first one, I'm suddenly seeing them everywhere - highway medians, front yards, abandoned fields. The way the berries grow makes them easy to pick, two of us filled a bucket in short order. Ate some fresh, made juice of the rest, and fed the remains to the chickens. Good sweet/tart taste, easy picking, and wide availability will put this high on my list of favorites from now on.
Had also read about eating bee larvae, so tried a few when I had a hive open yesterday. Just picked them out of the comb with a toothpick and ate them raw. No taste at all. Maybe I'll try stir-frying a few next time. At any rate, a potentially good source of protein in the wild if you can get them without being stung. There must be a reason bears and skunks like them so much.
I had read about Autumn Olive and been wanting to try it. Once I learned how to recognize it and spotted my first one, I'm suddenly seeing them everywhere - highway medians, front yards, abandoned fields. The way the berries grow makes them easy to pick, two of us filled a bucket in short order. Ate some fresh, made juice of the rest, and fed the remains to the chickens. Good sweet/tart taste, easy picking, and wide availability will put this high on my list of favorites from now on.
Had also read about eating bee larvae, so tried a few when I had a hive open yesterday. Just picked them out of the comb with a toothpick and ate them raw. No taste at all. Maybe I'll try stir-frying a few next time. At any rate, a potentially good source of protein in the wild if you can get them without being stung. There must be a reason bears and skunks like them so much.
