Foraging J - L

So I'm going to continue here as much as I can, but life is picking up speed here. Been super busy at work and at home. Finally got most of our hearth for our fireplace ready to go, only about two rows left which is exciting. Here is a photo of it, we are about one more row done than in this.

Also we go most of our porch roof insulated, except one area which continues to leak even after we put down Blueskin and new shingles (ARGG!!), so we are going to try to section that part off so that it doesn't destroy all the new stuff we just put up.

Anyways same as before please be careful when foraging. Many plants look similar and if incorrect ones are ingested it can cause illness or death. Use at your own risk.

Jerusalem artichoke

Jerusalem Artichokes have small tubers on the roots that are delicious. It is a native plant, with a very misleading name. It is not at all related to artichokes, nor does it grow in Jerusalem. Tuber is edible raw. Tuber is best when cooked, and similar to a potato. Tuber has high nutritional value. Grows in moist soil and thickets.

 

Johnny-Jump-Ups

Johnny-Jump-Ups have a mild wintergreen flavor and a variety of uses.  They’re added to salads, desserts, and soups, served with cheese and used to decorate confections. Incidentally they are the ancestor of the common pansy.

Knotweed

Seeds are edible. Seeds can be eaten whole or pounded into meal. Plants can be cooked and eaten. Varieties in Manitoba are Common knotgrass, Common knotweed and Mountain knotweed. Grows as a weed in a wide range, including dry areas, plains, and subalpine regions. Raw plants eaten in quantity may cause stomach upset and/or diarrhea.

Kudzo

Pretty much the entire plant is edible and is also known for medicinal values. The leaves can be eaten raw, steam or boiled. The root can be eaten as well. (Like all herbs, pregnant women and breast-feeding woman should consult a physician first before use)

Lamb’s Quarters

Also known as pit seed, goosefoot, pig weed, wild spinach. Also spelt lambsquarters or lamb’s quarter. Was cultivated as a grain-like plant, like quinoa. Can be found along roadsides, in fields and in cultivated ground. It is annual, and will readily self-sow if allowed to set seed. All green, other than a bit of silver dusting, primarily on the underside of the leaves, which is more noticeable on younger plants. Grows up to 7 feet tall, although 3-5 feet is more typical. Leaves alternate up the stalk and are up to 4 inches long. They are lobed father down on the plant and more lance-like towards the tip. Some varieties resemble maple leaves (these are supposed to be some of the best for eating). Flowers are small and green and cluster at the growing tip of the plant the seeds are small and round, either black or brown and are produced by the thousands. Tastes like spinach.

Young shoots or top leaves of older plants are the tenderest and can be harvested until the plant flowers. Can be eaten raw or cooked. Some people may have a mild tongue irritation because of the silvery powder that covers the leaves, so eat gingerly until you know if you are one of them.

The leaves can be steamed or stir-fried, sautéed and used in omelets. May be preserved by canning, drying or blanching and freezing. Possible remedy for nettle sting

Use the leaves raw in salads, or cooked in soups, in mixed cooked greens, or in any dish that calls for cooking greens.  Lamb’s Quarters are susceptible to leaf miners; be careful to harvest plants that are not infested.  Although Lamb’s Quarters are best before the flowers appear, if the fresh young tips are continuously harvested, lamb’s quarters can be eaten all summer.  Lamb’s Quarters are also called Pigweed, Fat Hen, and Goosefoot.

Lavender

Lavender is an old stand-by found in many home gardens including mine. Its flavor is flowery, sweet and citrusy. Lavender has been used to flavor bread, cookies, jelly, beef, wine, sauces, stews, and custards. The blossoms are an attractive addition to champagne. The blossoms are also used around the house to impart a nice aroma from bedding to baths. They are also slightly diuretic.

Lemon Verbena

Leaves are eaten as spinach. they are also used to flavor fruit cups, jellies, cold drinks, salads, omelets, salad dressings, and vegetable dishes. The leaves or, tiny, citrus-scented, are brewed into a refreshing tea. Tea from just the flowers is sweeter.

Lilacs

Lilac blossoms are pungent and on the lemony side.

Lovage

Highly aromatic it is similar looking to flat-leaf parsley only much larger. The flavor is like parsley and celery combined with a note of anise and curry. Leaf stalks and stem are blanched and eaten like celery, or peeled and eaten. They can also be candied. Young leaves are chopped and added to salad, soups, stews, seafood, and omelets. The seeds are used for flavoring, often in breads and confections. An aromatic tea can be made from dried leaves or grated roots. And the flowers are edible.