Category Archives: forage

wild highbush cranberry compote (Viburnum edule)

29 Monday Aug 2011

Posted by in cook, forage, wild berries

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An intense and tart burst of red fruity flavor that is packed with vitamin C and K. Serve this over ice cream, yogurt, waffles, pancakes or crepes, or eat it just as it is. .

A few neighbors have described the smell of highbush cranberries as similar to ‘stinky socks’. I was puzzled as I never could smell it. However, today I finally got it. In fact, today the entire cabin reeks of stinky socks!!! I had boiled two batches of highbush cranberries (Viburnum edule), one for jelly (which is currently straining) and one for compote. Once the two batches were fully cooked, I turned off the heat and Lucy and I left for our evening walk. When I came home and opened the door, the pungent smell of stinky socks almost knocked me over! Luckily, there is no smell in the finished product, it was just the cooking process that released the stinky odors.

Here is my recipe for highbush cranberry compote, created just today!

Wild Highbush Cranberry Compote

4 cups (1 L) highbush cranberries

4 apples, coarsely grated

1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh or bottled)

1-2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated

1 cup honey or natural sweetener of your choice

Put highbush cranberries in a large pot and add 1-1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil. As the fruits begin to soften, gently mash the berries to a pulp.

Stain the berries through a cheesecloth or jellybag. Return the juice to the pot and boil, stirring often, until the mixture is reduced to half of its original amount.

Meanwhile, grate the 4 apples and ginger. Add them to a medium bowl and mix in the lemon juice to keep from browning. Once the berry juice has reduced to half, add the apple mixture and the sweetener to the pot and cook for 15 minutes, or until the apple is very soft. Taste to see if it is sweet enough and add more sweetener if desired. Turn off the heat and allow to cool. Keep refrigerated or freeze for later use. Yield: 4 cups.

For more information on highbush cranberries (Viburnum edule), please see yesterday’s post highbush cranberries (Viburnum edule).

If used as a topping on a dessert, consider adding a few tablespoons of your favorite liquor, such as Grand Marnier,  Cointreau or Galliano. I think I will try this served warm over my Decadent Chocolate Cake instead of my usual raspberry sauce.

Enjoy!

highbush cranberry (Viburnum edule)

28 Sunday Aug 2011

Posted by in forage, tea, wild berries

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Today I spent the afternoon picking highbush cranberries up the road near the cabin. I hunted for them last October when I first moved in and was only able to harvest a handful of the last berries of the season. The leaves had already fallen and some of the shrubs still had a few of the red berries, hanging like little shining jewels. Having never picked them before, I had to approach an elderly neighbor walking down the road and ask him to peer into my basket and confirm whether or not these were indeed highbush cranberries. He ended up bringing me home to his wife who confirmed the identity of the berries and told me where to find more. This time around, almost a year later, I knew just where to look and was not disappointed!

Highbush cranberries are also known as crampbark, squashberry and mooseberry. The name ‘cranberry’ is deceiving as they are not true members of the heath family, but instead belong to the honeysuckle family.

This deciduous shrub can be found across Canada and in the northern United States growing in the woods or along riverbanks and streams. Ideally they prefer moist, acidic soil in partial shade. The shrub may grow up to 8 feet tall and has smooth reddish bark and opposite three-lobed leaves. In spring, small white flowers grow in clusters. By late summer, the small red globular berries, each containing a single flat seed, can be harvested.

When the berries are still unripe, they are hard, very sour and may give off an unpleasant musty odor, described by a few of my neighbors as ‘stinky socks’.  After the first frost, they become soft, juicy and more palatable. You can use the bark, inner bark and berries.

Nutrition:

The bark contains calcium, chromium, cobalt, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, tin and zinc. The berries are high in vitamin C and K.

Pick the berries late in the summer or in early fall, after the first frost, when they are soft and juicy. The bark should be harvested before, or after the plant has gone into berry.

Medicinal Uses:

  • Antispamodic (due to a bitter compound called viburnine)- the bark helps stop stomach, muscle and menstrual cramps. Also relieves cramping of the uterus after childbirth. To prepare, whittle off some of the bark and simmer it into a tea or poultice.
  • Astringent
  • Diuretic
  • Sedative
  • To treat bronchial irritation and spasmodic coughing
  • As a gargle for sore throats and as a rinse for gingivitis

Culinary Uses:

  • Mainly in syrups and jelly (where straining removes the seed)
  • Make tea: crush 1/2 cup berries, add 2 cups boiling water. Steep, strain. Sweeten with honey.
  • Use the jelly on toast or on thumbprint cookies or as a condiment served with wild game

Resources:

Bennett, J. (1991). Berries. Camden House: Camden East, ON.

Gladstar, R. (2001). Rosemary Gladstar’s Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health: 175 teas, tonics, oils, salves, tinctures, and other Natural Remedies for the Entire Family. Storey Publishing, North Adams, MA.

Gray, B. (2011). The boreal herbal: wild food and medicine plants of the north; a guide to harvesting, preserving, and preparing. Aroma Borealis Press: Whitehorse, Yukon.

dandelion pancakes

24 Wednesday Aug 2011

Posted by in breakfast, cook, forage, wild flowers

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The flavor of dandelion flowers is very subtle, which makes adding it to your current recipes very easy as they do not interfere with other flavors. The flowers add cheerful specks of yellow and you benefit from their nutritional value. Here, I added dandelion flowers to my favorite cornmeal pancake recipe. A perfect part of a hearty country breakfast.

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup dandelion flowers (the yellow part)

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1-1/2 cup milk

Put the dry ingredients in a bowl. Make a well in the center and add the oil, eggs, dandelion flowers and milk. Beat well/ Let sit for a few minutes. Then cook on a hot griddle.

Enjoy your breakfast, everyone!

Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum, Rhododendron tomentosum)

23 Tuesday Aug 2011

Posted by in forage, tea, wild plant

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A northern campfire is not complete without a piping-hot cup of Labrador tea. It not only warms you up but provides you with a burst of vitamin C. ~Beverly Gray

Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum, Rhododendron tomentosum; used to be known as Ledum groenlandicum) is also known as bog tea, Greenland tea, Greenland moss, Hudson Bay tea, marsh tea, muskeg tea, swamp tea, storytelling tea and Trapper’s tea.

I have fond memories of picking and drinking Labrador tea up near Cormorant, Manitoba (where I am from) with my favorite Auntie L, who was a trapper. On our way to her bush camp by snowmobile in winter, we would stop at a halfway point, make a small fire and brew up a pot of Labrador tea, freshly picked on the trail.

Labrador tea is described as a straggly and aromatic evergreen shrub that grows in the peaty soils of bogs, muskegs, swamps, and damp conifer forests. This shrub has thick leathery leaves that grow from 2-5 cm long. The leaf edges curl under and their wooly undersides are either white (when young) or rusty brown (when mature).  The undersides are an important identification feature:

Do not confuse this plant with Rhododendron tomentosum subsp. subarcticum (Northern Labrador tea), Kalmia microphylla (Bog Laurel) or Andromeda polifolia (Bog Rosemary), as all three contain toxic alkaloids known to be poisonous to livestock. All three lack the fuzz on the underside of mature leaves and the flowers of Kalmia and Andromeda are pink.

~Alberta Plant Watch

White flowers form on the shrub in clusters from May to July. Both the leaves and flowers can be used. The leaves are available for harvest all year round.

The tea has no caffeine and a mild narcotic effect.  I like Beverly Gray‘s description of the tea as having an “interesting forest-like flavor, a little bitter, a little astringent, a little spicy, a little camphor-like”.

Culinary Uses:

Infuse as a tea. Use as a spice (crushed or ground) and add to meat dishes and salad dressings. Use in soups as a substitute for bay leaves.

Labrador Tea

Crush (to release the essential oils)  ¼ cup dried or fresh Labrador tea. Add 4 cups of boiling water. Simmer for 5-7 minutes or longer for a stronger brew. You can also steep the dried flowers for a fragrant and delicate tea.

Medicinal Uses:

  • treating coughs and colds (high vitamin C)
  • as a relaxant before sleep
  • clearing the sinuses (inhale the steam)
  • According to Alberta Plant Watch: used to treat diarrhea, pneumonia, eye infections, difficulty urinating, tension and kidney ailments, and bad breath
  • liver regenerator and cleaser
  • analgesic properties, which help reduce pain when used as a poultice or infused in oil or water, i.e. added to a warm bath to treat arthritis
  • relief of migraines
  • anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties
  • twigs found to be active against colon carcinoma and lung carcinoma cells
  • has been used by Indigenous peoples for Type 2 diabetes
  • diaphoretic effect (helps the skin eliminate toxins and encourage perspiration, therefore helpful to treat a fever)

In a study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in 1992, Dr. Allison McCutcheon and colleagues found the branches of Labrador tea act as an antibiotic against E. coli and Bacillus subtilis. Previous studies demonstrated the floweringheads in an extract were effective against both bacteria as well as the yeast Candida albicans. Other researchers also found extracts from the leaves active against Staphylococcus aureus bacterium.  ~Beverly Gray

Other Uses:

  • Hang leaves in closets to repel moths, insects and rodents
  • A brown dye can be made with the leaves
  • According the Alberta Plant Watch, “Labrador tea has the ability to concentrate zinc and copper, and thus has value in geo-botanical studies”

Caution: Only drink the tea occasionally or in moderation, especially if you are pregnant or have high blood pressure. In larger doses, Labrador tea can be considered cathartic and cause diarrhea.

Resources:

Gray, B. (2011). The boreal herbal: wild food and medicine plants of the north; a guide to harvesting, preserving, and preparing. Aroma Borealis Press: Whitehorse, Yukon.

Stewart, H. (1981). Drink in the wild. Douglas & McIntyre: Vancouver, BC.

Alberta Plant Watch (http://plantwatch.fanweb.ca/plant-information/labrador-tea)

at last…wild blueberries (Vaccinium spp)

21 Sunday Aug 2011

Posted by in forage, tea, wild berries

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I realize that I am bombarding you with posts on wild berries this past month. However, for many, berry picking is an important part of living in harmony with the seasons. When the berries are ripe, everything that can wait is put on hold while the berries get picked. As various berries have been steadily ripening over the past six weeks, berry picking (and preserving the harvest) has become an enjoyable part of my daily ‘chores’ and that is why I often write about it. Berry picking time is precious, and once the rose hips, high- and low bush cranberries have come and gone, the wild berry picking season will be over until next summer.

Berry picking is a great lesson in cultivating mindfulness in my own life. Watching for optimal ripeness promotes a greater awareness of the wild plants around me; the picking of the berries become an exercise in slowing down as it is difficult to pick berries quickly without losing them; and berry picking fully immerses me in nature and helps me open up to the whole experience… the beautiful colors of the berries and leaves, the smells, the textures, the sounds in the forests (there was a bear sighted just up the road four days ago so I am really paying attention to the sounds lately!), noticing the interesting birds and insects that cross my path, and of course the delicious tastes as I sample a few of the ripe berries, juicy and warmed by the sun.

I had been wondering if there were any wild blueberries growing nearby when just last week, a gentleman came by and introduced himself as K, one of the sons of the couple that built this cabin, about 38 years ago. (His family still owns the 150 aces of protected land behind the cabin and the previous week I met his younger brother, R, who also shared many stories. Hi guys!) K and I got chatting about the wild plants in this area and he asked me if I had found the wild blueberries yet? I immediately got excited and admitted that I hadn’t. I asked him where they grow and he took me just a short distance into the woods and pointed out the dense patch of low-growing shrubs. Sadly, there were no berries. However, the following evening as Lucy and I were returning from our hike, I found a few shrubs that had ripe berries on it, and the following day I found even more! At last… wild blueberries!

There are over 20 species in the genus Vaccinium which are native to Canada and the United States. These include dwarf blueberries (V. caespitosum), bog blueberries (V. uliginosum), early leaf (or oval leaf) blueberry (V. ovalifolium) and highbush blueberries (V. corymbosum). Wild blueberries are also known as huckleberry, whortleberry, bilberry, or bog bilberry. These shrubs grow in a variety of habitats, from damp, shaded coastal areas to high mountain areas. They prefer open, sunny locations with plenty of soil moisture. The berries may grow singly or in clusters, and they are juicy, sweet and full of flavor.

According to Bennett (1991) and Powers & Stewart (1995), Indigenous peoples sometimes practiced controlled burning of select areas in order to maintain an optimum habitat for blueberries and other food plants.

Both the berries and leaves can be used. The best time to harvest the leaves is before the plant produces the berries.

Nutritional and Medicinal Information:

Fruits that are dark blue or red in color, such as bilberries, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, and huckleberries, tend to be rich in anthocyanosides, compounds that are especially beneficial for the eyes.

~ Rosemary Gladstone

 Blueberries are rich in lutein, vitamin C, anthocyanosides, and other bioflavonoids which strengthens blood vessels and are necessary for capillary (vein) health and are also good for the heart. They are rich in antioxidants which help improve neurological function and slow the effects of aging. Blueberries contain essential fatty acids (EFAs) which are good for your skin. (Note: EFAs cannot be manufactured by the body and must be obtained through our diets.) Eating blueberries have also been linked to improvements in short term memory. I find it interesting that wild berries contain more benefits than domestic berries.

According to Beverly Gray (2011), “Blueberries are also touted as having excellent anti-inflammatory properties because they contain polyphenols and anthocyanins that help reduce chronic inflammation in the body and have been linked to the prevention of cancer.” She adds that blueberry leaves are used to treat gastrointestinal ailments, such as diarrhea and upset stomachs, for lowering blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, and topically to prevent skin infections.

Culinary Uses:

Add them to smoothies.

Dry them and use instead of raisons. (I love adding dried blueberries to my hot cereal. You can buy dried wild blueberries at your local health food store.)

Cook into a paste and make fruit leather.

Use fresh or dried in salads, sauces, desserts, jellies, jams, muffins, pies, etc.

Blueberry Cordial

Wash the berries, removing leaves and stems. Place in saucepan with enough water to cover. Simmer just long enough for the fruit to break up and mash (with a potato masher or wooden spoon) to release the juice. Strain through a cheesecloth or jelly bag. Add honey and a few drops of almond extract, if desired. Chill and enjoy!

Wild Berry Tea

Pour 3 cups boiling water over ½ cup blueberries, fresh or dried. Steep for 10-15 minutes. Add honey to taste.

Wild Berry Leaf Tea

Steep a handful of crushed green leaves in 2 cups boiling water. Steep longer for a stronger flavor

Sending warm blueberry thoughts and wishes your way as I enjoy this wild blueberry tea…

Resources:

Bennett, J. (1991). Berries. Camden House: Camden East, ON.

Brown, D. (2001). Herbal: The essential guide to herbs for living. Pavilion: London.

Gladstar, R. (2001). Rosemary Gladstar’s Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health: 175 teas, tonics, oils, salves, tinctures, and other Natural Remedies for the Entire Family. Storey Publishing, North Adams, MA.

Gray, B. (2011). The boreal herbal: wild food and medicine plants of the north; a guide to harvesting, preserving, and preparing. Aroma Borealis Press: Whitehorse, Yukon.

Powers, M.J., & Stewart, A. (1995). Northern bounty: A celebration of Canadian cuisine. Random House of Canada: Toronto, ON

Stewart, H. (1982). Drink in the wild: Teas, cordials, jams and more. Douglas & McIntyre: Toronto, ON.

savory gooseberry jam with bay leaf & raspberry vinegar

18 Thursday Aug 2011

Posted by in cook, forage, oil & vinegar, preserve, wild berries

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A tart and savory gooseberry jam to serve with lamb, roast turkey, pork or wild game pie.

I had more gooseberries to work with today and decided to adapt the previous recipe to make a tart and savory jam for meat dishes. The gooseberries growing near the garden have ripened to a lovely ruby red color. I wonder if they are domestic gooseberries, as the wild bushes on the trail have ripened to a deep purple color?

I mixed the red gooseberries together with the wild gooseberries from the trail and made the jam.

Savory Gooseberry Jam with Bay Leaf

1 cup water

3 cups sugar (I only used 1-1/2 cup of organic sugar for more tartness)

4 cups gooseberries

6 small whole bay leaves, fresh or dried

Heat the water on the stove. Mix the sugar in until it is dissolves and add the bay leaves. Allow the mixture to boil down for about 10 minutes.

Add the berries and allow to boil, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes, or until mixture has thickened. Skim off the foam if needed. Remove the bay leaves and place one bay leaf into the bottom of each sterilized jar. Pour jam into jars to within 1/4 inch from the top of the jar. Mix the jar around with a chopstick or small spoon to release any air trapped under the bay leaf. Seal. Makes 6 half pints.

I also made another batch of raspberry jam, started a jar of raspberry vinegar and froze more raspberries for winter smoothies and sauces.

Raspberry Vinegar

1 cup raspberries

500 mL white wine vinegar

Place raspberries in jar and crush them with a wooden spoon. Pour in the vinegar and seal. Keep on your counter for 1-3 weeks (longer for a stronger vinegar). Strain and pour into a decorative bottle.

Note: I poured a whole new bottle of white wine vinegar into the jar. Then I washed the label off of the bottle (it’s a pretty bottle) and will use it to store the raspberry vinegar when it is done with a new cabinorganic label. Speaking of labels, come back tomorrow and I will show you how I make mine.

Below, raspberries for freezing.

I just had to end with this shot of Lucy, taken today. She has a ‘hot spot’ on her leg which is really itchy. To keep her from licking off the medicine, I have made her wear a shirt for the past three days. Today’s shirt matches the berries. My neighbor L, just dropped off an Elizabethan collar for her and I will use it tonight. Good night, everyone!

wild rose petals (Rose acicularis)

15 Monday Aug 2011

Posted by in forage, wild flowers

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While we are on the subject of drying herbs for teas, I wanted to fill you in on a few other herbs that I had already dried before I started this blog three weeks ago. I will start with the earliest: wild rose petals, which I harvested back in late June and early July. I will cover the other herbs in separate posts in the next little while.

There are more than a hundred species of rose that are native to the northern hemisphere. The wild rose (Rose acicularis), also known as the nootka rose and prickly rose, prefers rich, moist soil and sunny locations. This beautiful shrub has been chosen as Alberta’s floral emblem. Incidentally, ‘Rose’ is also my middle name. (I was named after my grandmother Rose Delna Nabess, a Cree woman who married a French trapper in northern Manitoba.)

You can use the roots, leaves, flowers and fruits of Rose acicularis. In this post, we will focus on the petals. Harvest the petals gently to prevent bruising and only pick from plants that have not been sprayed or contaminated.

When harvesting rose petals do not over-pick from one bush. When taking the flowers, leave one petal behind to ensure that the flower is pollinated, which will let a hip develop.

~Beverly Gray

Medicinal Uses:

According to Beverly Gray, wild rose petals can be made into a poultice and applied to cuts, scrapes and fresh bug bites. The petals take the heat out of the wound and reduce inflammation. She also recommends a cooled petal infusion to sooth irritated eyes (be sure to finely strain the liquid first).

Rose oil is used in aromatherapy as a tonic for the womb and sexual organs, and to tone the circulatory and digestive systems. It has sedative, antidepressant, and, of course, aphrodisiac effects.

Cosmetic Uses:

Rose oil and rose water are soothing, exquisitely scented astringents and emollients, and are widely used in skin-care products as they are very soothing to the skin. They also have a humectant effect, which helps the skin retain moisture. Aroma Borealis makes a rose-petal face cream that has been quoted in an Ottawa newspaper as the “the champagne of creams”. I have just ordered some and I will do a ‘product review’ in a later post. (It cost $14.95 for 30 mL.)

You can make a rose petal facial tonic at home by adding the petals to vodka or apple cider vinegar. Try adding rose petals to your facial steam baths. The petals can also be infused in oil and used as a base for massage and body oils, creams, and other bath products. The petals are also used in potpourris and perfumes.

Culinary uses:

 Rose petals are used to flavor tea, vinegars and sugar, are made into jelly, and crystallized. Middle Eastern cuisine is especially fond of rose-flavored desserts and treats, such as Turkish delight, and rose buds are an ingredient of the spice mix known as ras el hanout.

~Deni Brown

The scented flowers of the wild rose, fresh or dried, make a fragrant and delicious tea. Half a cup of petals is needed for 1 cup of tea.

Flowers can be added to jams, jellies and salads. The fresh petals are often see on top of wedding cakes. The late Lois Hole (1933-2005), in her book Herbs and Edible Flowers, has a flower petal butter recipe and a recipe for gingered rose custard. I like adding the delicate petals to my melt-in-your-mouth shortbread recipe and freezing the petals in ice cubes to add color and a subtle flavor to water or other clear drinks.

Did you know that it takes a thousand roses to produce 1 pint of rosewater? It takes 5000 pounds of fresh petals to make 1 pound of oil.

I will leave you with a funny quote by Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) that I read today in the Boreal Herbal:

I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: no good in a bed, but fine up against a wall.

Resources:

Brown, D. (2001). Herbal: The essential guide to herbs for living. Pavilion Books Ltd.: London.

Gray, B. (2011). The boreal herbal: wild food and medicine plants of the north; a guide to harvesting, preserving, and preparing. Aroma Borealis Press: Whitehorse, Yukon.

Hole, L. (2000). Herbs & edible flowers: Gardening for the kitchen. Hole’s: St. Albert, AB.

Kershaw, L. (2003). Alberta’s wayside flowers. Lone Pine Publishing: Edmonton, AB.

Stewart, H. (1981). Drink in the wild. Douglas & McIntyre: Vancouver, BC.

wild strawberry leaf tea (fragaria vesca, fragaria virginiana)

14 Sunday Aug 2011

Posted by in forage, tea, wild plant

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Over the past two weeks, I have been picking wild berries every morning on our hikes. I have made a few batches of jams and jellies and have frozen many ziplock bags full for winter baking and smoothies. Last week, I also harvested and dried some wild strawberry leaves for tea.

There are several species of wild strawberries that grow across Canada and the United States. Also known as ‘mountain strawberry’ and ‘wood strawberry’, these wild plants prefer well-drained soils in sunny locations. The small fruits are delicious and nutritious, and the leaves and rootstock are also edible and beneficial, mainly as an astringent and diuretic.

The best time to harvest the leaves is actually in spring or early summer before the berries start to form. Be careful to harvest only clean and healthy leaves that have not been sprayed or otherwise contaminated. For this reason, avoid picking from plants that are growing along the roadside.

Once back home, wash the leaves in a large bowl of cold, salted water. Allow them to drain thoroughly (I put mine in a salad spinner to remove the excess moisture) and then put the leaves in your dehydrator, or on a tray in full sun, or in a large, open paper bag that you shake three times per day until they are completely dried.

Beverly Gray, in her book The Boreal Herbal, cautions us not to use strawberry leaves when they are wilted (neither completely fresh or dried) due to an important chemical process they go thorugh while drying.

Wild strawberry leaves are rich in iron and vitamin C.  Interestingly, Lust (1972) writes that cultivated strawberries have much less medicinal value than wild strawberries.

Wild strawberry leaf tea is mild and can even be given to babies and children. It can be made from either fresh or dried leaves. You can drink the tea on its own or mix the leaves with other tea leaves for a blended tea.

For one pot of tea, use ½ cup of fresh leaves or ¼ cup dried leaves in 2 cups of boiling water.

Wild strawberry leaf tea has many uses:

  • Drink it to treat diarrhea, dysentery, and hematuria, as well as for gravel and problems involving the urinary tract (Lust, 1972).
  • Use both internally and externally at the same time to treat eczema and acne (Lust, 1972).
  • Wild strawberry leaf tea seems to be particularly good for babies, children, nursing mothers and convalescents. According to Kavasch and Baar (1999): massage the tea into your baby’s gums to ease teething pains; if you’re a nursing mother, drink as a digestive aide; if your baby is colicky or has diarrhea, drink some yourself and give the baby some lukewarm tea, a small spoonful at a time. Strawberry leaf tea also makes a pleasant and mild skin wash for infants. Treat scalp irritations, such as cradle cap, by adding a small amount of honey to the tea and lightly sprinkling it on your baby’s head and gently rubbing it in. Leave it on for ten minutes to half an hour, then rinse with plain water or unsweetened strawberry leaf tea to lubricate the skin and wash away any stickiness.
  • Gray (2011) adds that dried wild strawberry leaves help “regulate menstruation, calm morning sickness, promote abundant breast milk production, and can act as a mild nerve tonic” (p. 230). She adds that using the tea as a mouthwash can help alleviate toothache and heal ulcers of the gums, and that a poultice made from fresh wild strawberry leaves can be used to treat open wounds, eczema, and psoriasis to accelerate healing. Also, the tra from the iron-rich leaves helps treat anemia.
  • The astringent quality of the leaves of this versatile plant make it the perfect ingredient in a facial steam, helping to reduce excess sebum which causes oily skin. The leaves can also be used to make a facial toner.

I am looking forward to incorporating wild strawberry leaf tea into my diet, both for pleasure as well as all of the health benefits it brings. Cheers, everyone!

Resources:

Gray, B. (2011). The boreal herbal: wild food and medicine plants of the north; a guide to harvesting, preserving, and preparing. Aroma Borealis Press: Whitehorse, Yukon.

Kavasch, E.B., & Baar, K. (1999). American Indian healing arts: Herbs, rituals, and remedies for every season of life. Bantam Books: New York.

Lust, J. (1972). The herb book. Bantam Books: New York.

Stewart, H. (1981). Drinking in the wild: Teas, cordials, jams and more. Douglas and     McIntyre: Toronto, ON.

dandelion love

05 Friday Aug 2011

Posted by in cook, forage, tea, wild flowers

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Rather than blurt out that there were weeds in my dinner, I silently ate my salad, nodding vigorously when asked if my silage was satisfying.

“Why yes, I like nothing better than a deep bowl of lawn clippings at the end of a long day!”

I have always been interested in wild plants. As a child, I would gather wild flowers and press them into a scrapbook (pictured below). In my later years, I would photograph wild flowers while on nature hikes with the intention of identifying them later and learning their names and uses. But once I returned home to the city, the pace of life was just too busy and as always, my study of wild plants fell to the wayside.

Moving out here to Pigeon Lake ten months ago, I knew that the time was ripe to begin my natural studies on wild plants. I just never thought it would be the common dandelion that I would fall in love with first.

Yes, you heard me: the dandelion! We don’t even think of dandelions as wild plants as they are everywhere; in every corner of our concrete cities as well as all over the the countryside. In my mind, wild plants were respected, sacred and noble plants with ancient and esoteric medicinal properties. To my uneducated mind, the dandelion was just a common weed (we can’t even say the word ‘weed’ without sneering) that everyone hated and were at constant war with, using all manner of cruel chemicals and sharp objects to remove these persistent pests from their yards and gardens.

But I am finding out that the dandelion is noble. According to some herbalists, the dandelion is royalty in the herb world, earning its high respect from the fact that every part of this plant is not only edible and yummy, but is in fact very good for our health.

The yellow flower petals can be gently pulled off and steeped in boiling  water to make a nutritious dandelion tea or an intoxicatingly delicious dandelion wine. The flowers contain vitamins A and B12 (riboflavin) as well as a compound called helenin, which helps those with night blindness.

The leaves can be eaten fresh in salads (it tastes bitter, like arugula; balance this with a sweet dressing if you do not like bitter) or cooked and added to stir fries, soups and casseroles. You can juice the leaves, freeze the juice in ice cube trays (storing the cubes in ziplock freezer bags) and add to green smoothies all year round. Or you can make large batches of dandelion tea with flowers and leaves, allowing the mixture to boil down and become very concentrated. Strain then freeze the tea in ice cubes. Later, thaw a cube and add to a mug of hot water for dandelion tea in winter. The leaves contain bitter glycosides, carotenoids, terpenoids, choline, potassium salts, iron and other minerals, vitamins A, B, C and D. The leaves act as a detoxifying agent and therefore often used during cleanses. It is also used as a diuretic or to treat high blood pressure. The leaves are very good for the liver and gallbladder, and stimulates the production of bile.

The mighty dandelion root can be dried or roasted. It also can be added to stir fries, soups and casseroles. Many people grind up roasted dandelion root, adding it to hot water, and drinking it instead of coffee.  It is supposed to be delicious and I am looking forward to harvesting some large dandelion roots soon and making my own. Dandelion root contains bitter glycosides, tannins, triterpenes, sterols, volatile oil, choline, asparagin and inulin. The root is used to treat infections, constipation, arthritis, gout, and skin problems, such as acne, eczema and psoriasis.

Did you know that here in Canada, there are annual dandelion festivals? So far I have found Dandelion Festivals in Halifax (NS), Kemptville (ON) and Ottawa (ON). People come from far and wide to celebrate the dandelion and bring their recipes and sample each others’ dandelion culinary creations. For example, you might sample some dandelion sausages, dandelion wines, different blends of dandelion teas, dandelion cakes, breads and pastries… Well, you get the idea.

There is so much more that I am learning about the medicinal properties of dandelions (including in the prevention and fighting of cancer). I will write an in depth article very soon once I complete my research and post it here along with my resources for those of you that are interested.  I am also putting together a little dandelion cookbook complete with nutritional information, medicinal properties, recipes and lots of beautiful photographs celebrating the beauty of the dandelion. I think I may also try to attend one of the dandelion festivals, perhaps next year. In the meantime, I simply wanted to try to win you over to the wild side and invite you to change your perspective on this lovely and noble little plant growing in your backyard.

Public opinion on dandelions have been slowly changing.  CBC did a piece on dandelions, and there is a hilarious and highly informative article in the National Post (quoted above).

Not convinced? Why not try using some dandelion in a few of your own recipes? Remember to harvest the plants where there has not been any harmful chemical spraying (difficult in the city, I know!). You can also go to your local health food store and buy dried leaves or root. I recently bought this package of dandelion root from Earth’s Aromatique (located in Edmonton, AB) to experiment with while I prepared and dried my own.


Last week, I made a batch of dandelion pancakes that were a hit with H. With the flower heads that I harvested this morning, I made Dandelion cupcakes. This was originally a recipe for white cupcakes that I adapted. Not too healthy, I admit, but a treat! By the way, this cake would be perfect at a child’s birthday party with a garden theme. You know the one I am talking about. The ‘dirt’ birthday cake topped with oreo cookie crumbs, cookie fence, marzipan vegetables and gummy worms hidden inside the cake layers.

Dandelion Cupcakes

2-1/4 cups unbleached white flour

1-2/3 cups sugar (or natural sweetener of your choice)

1 cup dandelion flowers (just the yellow part)

3-1/2 teaspoons baking power

1 teaspoon salt

1/1/4 cup buttermilk

2/3 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 egg whites

Heat oven to 350 degrees (F). Grease and flour a rectangular pan, 2 round pans or line a cupcake tin with paper baking cups. Beat all of the ingredients, except the egg whites in a large mixing bowl on low speed for about a minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with spatula to make sure that all of the ingredients get incorporated. Add the egg whites one at a time, beating on high speed, again scraping the bowl. Pour mixture into pan.

Bake rectangular pan for 4—45 minutes (9-inch rounds or cupcakes for 30-35 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely. Frost the cake with a creamy butter icing if desired. Garnish with a single dandelion flower or frosting and yellow sprinkles.

raspberry jam, gooseberry jam & apricot butter

04 Thursday Aug 2011

Posted by in cook, forage, preserve, wild berries

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I spent another two hours picking wild berries this morning and I also had two large bowls of raspberries picked from a friend’s yard the evening before. I decided to spend the day preserving the harvest.

First, I froze some of the raspberries, laying them out on a cookie sheet and putting them in the freezer. Then, I bagged the hard frozen berries in a ziplock freezer bag. Freezing them this way makes for easier handling, keeping the berries from getting squished and freezing together in one large lump. Then, I repeated the process with saskatoon berries, black currants and red currants, placing them in separate freezer bags.

Next, I made a triple batch of raspberry jam, using Jean Pare’s recipe from her Company’s Coming ‘Preserves‘ cookbook. Here is the recipe I used:

Raspberry Jam

4 cups raspberries, packed

3 cups sugar (or your preferred natural sweetener)

1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh or bottled

Place raspberries in a large pot. Cover with sugar and stir. Let stand on counter for about 1 to 2 hours until berries release their juice.

Add lemon juice. Heat on low, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to bubble. Simmer slowly, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and bring to a rolling boil. Boil hard for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until it thickens. Test a little on a chilled saucer to see if it is the thickness of jam. Pour into hot sterilized jars with within 1/4 inch of the top. Seal. Make 2 half pints and 1 small jar.

Then, I made a half batch of wild gooseberry jam. It took a little time prepping the berries as I first had to remove the stems and tails from each one. Here is Jean Pare’s recipe:

Gooseberry Jam

4 cups sugar (or natural sweetener of your choice)

1 cup water

2 lbs. (about 4 cups) gooseberries, tipped and stemmed

Combine sugar and water in a large pot. Heat and stir on medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil.  Boil, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occassionally.

Add gooseberries. Return to a boil. Boil for about 30 minutes until a small amount cools and sets on a chilled saucer. Skim off foam if needed. Pour into hot sterilized jars to within 1/4 inch of top. Seal. makes 4 half pints.

I had never tasted gooseberry jam before and was very pleased with the tart fruitiness of this jam. I only have 1 jar so this will sit on the pantry shelf like treasure until the darkest days of winter when we can taste some summer sunshine on our breakfast crepes.

While I am here and sharing preserving recipes, I will also share the recipe I use for apricot butter, also from Jean Pare’s cookbook. I just made this butter just a few weeks ago but will need to make more.

Apricot Butter

3 lbs. (5 cups)  pitted organic apricots

1-3/4 cup sugar (or natural sweetener of your choice)

1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh or bottled

1/4 teaspoon almond flavoring (optional)

Remove pits from apricots. Grind or mash the ripe apricots. Combine the pulp with the sugar, lemon juice and flavoring in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring often, for about 1 hour 15 minutes until thickened. A spoonful cooled on a chilled saucer should remain smooth with no watery sign. Fill hot sterilized jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Seal. Makes 2 half pints and 1 small jar.

Happy canning everyone! Can you believe that it’s August already???