I have always admired the ability to forage for food in the woods. Since it's generally intimidating to me (too many horror stories of poisonous look-alikes out there), it's a skill that I want to improve for a number of reasons:
To enjoy more delicious plants and fungi (for free!)
To have a deeper connection with the land
To strengthen my knowledge and appreciation of my surroundings
To give back to my social circle, which has bestowed me many gifts of ramps, chanterelles, oyster and lobster mushroom, etc.
Minor problem– It's February.
Leafy greens, berries, and mushrooms aren't exactly bountiful this time of year, but (purportedly) there is still forage-worthy plant material out there. So, when my local nature preserve offered a workshop on winter foraging, my interest was piqued.
Fortunately, when the day came to lace up and hit the trails, the sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the ground was mostly free of snow and ice– an anomaly for the Northeast in winter. A semi-large group had all gathered around a small fire outside the nature center, and the lecturer, Hana Pandori (IG: @wildwoman.botanicals.birth), introduced herself. A super sweet and down-to-earth woman, Hana holds multiple workshops a year and teaches other classes related to natural homesteading techniques.
Hana described herself as a "locavore", a term that I've promptly stored in the brain bank. That is, she prioritizes eating food and buying materials produced, made, and found locally. She even highlighted that her clothing (the most adorable skirt, leggings, scarf, and hat) was made of local, natural fibers. It seemed odd at first, foraging in a skirt during winter, but Hana ensured that the wool layers were incredibly insulating. For coming to learn about foraging, I wasn't expecting to also gain wardrobe inspiration.
On display nearby were a number of foraging books and collection tools. In the summertime, Hana explained that smaller clippers and scissors were great for cutting softer, leafy materials. Conversely, in the winter, it was handy to carry larger clippers that could cut through thicker stems and bark. Of course, having baskets, trowels for digging (roots and mushrooms), mesh bags, and an assortment of knives were also important.
Overall, we spent 2.5 hrs walking around the preserve, pausing at various trees and plant species, and I scribbled furiously in my notebook the entire time. At the end, we returned back to the fire to review.
Hana was also generous enough to share homemade snacks made from her own foraging efforts, and they were positively delectable (pictures below):
Maple-glazed black walnuts. She had both collected her own walnuts and tapped her own maple syrup! For a one-quart mason jar of walnuts, it took her approximately18 hours to crack her own nuts and bake them with maple syrup. I ate them with much appreciation.
Dock seed crackers. Dark, wide strips of varying flour and seed types were blended together to make a paste that was then baked into crackers. They contained dock seeds, lambsquarter seeds, starch, maple syrup, and nut oil.
Persimmon fruit strips. Persimmon fruit pulp was mixed with wild apples and made into a delicious bark. One of my favorites of Hana's recipes!
Hot white pine tea. Topping off the chilly hike with a hot tea made from white pine needles, rose hips, and honey was a great way to end the day. And it's so easy to make!
On the Walk
Bright red, soft, pinecone-shaped flowers stood contrast in the branches of a sumac tree. These flowers were so easy to spot as they were the only pop of color on this muddy, dull, winter day, and they are edible! When steeped in water, they have a strawberry lemonade flavor. While you can harvest any time of year, the flavor is the strongest in the summer and fall, compared to the winter and spring when the rains wash out much of the flavor. For the best outcome in tea, steep the flowers in warm (not hot!) water since boiling can release bitter flavors. You can also separate the seeds from the fluffy red part of the flower in a blender, dry it, and then use it as a spice for a colorful and lemony flavor pop in other recipes, such as those found here. Hana also informed us that these flowers were packed with Vitamin C and antioxidants.*
While the time had passed for walnuts, we still observed the local walnut trees. In the fall, these trees produce large nuts protected by a thick hull. You collect these nuts and store them in bins until the hull becomes black (and kind of gross)– an indication that the walnut will be ready to crack. Walnut trees are also used to make walnut syrup, and they are tapped in the winter (February this year in New York). The hulls can even be used to make a beautiful chocolate dye for fabrics and textile work. Depending on how much stock you put into WebMD, black walnut tannins can also be used as a pain and mucous reducer.*
A fun fact that Hana told us about black cherry trees is that they were used to make the original Robitussin (cough syrup). The cherries that they produce can be eaten raw as well as cooked into jams and syrups, if you can beat the birds to these berries. The inner bark has also been used for cough syrups and sedatives*; however, all parts of the tree except the berries have poisonous substances, so make sure you use caution when making tinctures out of non-berry tree parts.
In New York, beech trees are growing out of control and are often found in large groupings. Rather easy to spot because of their bark, these trees have a smooth surface and so are often found with initials and hearts carved into them. Importantly, these trees produce nuts! You can collect, soak, and roast them when the nuts are ripe (unripe nuts have low toxicity and can cause an upset stomach). While the nuts are mostly available in the fall, in the winter, if you're in a pinch, you can search for caches of beech nuts nearby (just follow the squirrels). Beech trees also have many other medicinal uses in Native American history*.
Spruce gum
When spruce trees are harmed, they produce a sap which crystalizes, and Hana searched many spruce trees to try to find evidence of this. Unfortunately (for us), most of the trees were too healthy to get a substantial amount of resin. This spruce resin is an antimicrobial (it can damage bacterial cell walls), and it is good for your oral health, among other medicinal uses and claims.* A good resin will chew like gum and have a flavor that even lasts longer. However, you need to make sure it is completely cured, otherwise you will have a regretful time with sap in your teeth.
Of course, you can tap maple trees for maple syrup! This is done in the winter like the walnut trees, but, compared to walnut trees, maple trees have more sugar content and take less time to boil. By tapping your own syrup, you avoid all the unnatural additives in fake syrup, and it tastes infinitely better.
There are a number of pines in New York, and white pine can be identified by its number of 5 needles on one stem. A helpful way to remember is that the word "white" has 5 letters. Comparatively, red pine has 3 needles in a cluster, and the word "red" has 3 letters.
White pine needles make an excellent tea! You strip the needles (avoiding the tip of the branch where the tree is actively growing) and boil them. White pine also has many other uses, such as being converted into ship masts and medicinally for skin wounds and as a decongestant and antiseptic.*
Multiflora rose was the bane of my existence when I did outdoor work at a field station during college. Its vicious thorns were massive, and it vined everywhere. While it sucks to manage and it's very invasive, it produces red berries which hang around in the winter. They are small and flavorful and can be eaten directly, added to tea, made into an oil or jelly, or topped on anything else. They are also high in Vitamin C and may have other health benefits*.
In the autumn and winter after the leaves have fallen, dogwood stems are bright red, straight, and stick straight up from the ground. They are very nimble and thus are used in basketweaving!
Burdock is often recognized by its burs– the natural inspiration for the invention of velcro! In the winter, you can eat the roots in a number of ways, and they are very tasteful. They can be added into soup, roasted, made into chips, braised, fried, and pickled! However, the roots are best harvested and eaten during the first year before they produce the recognizable seed pods. Before the pods develop, all the energy goes to the roots which makes them the most edible and flavorful. After the first year, the energy is allocated towards reproduction (the seeds), and the roots lose their flavor. There are some health benefits associated with burdock root, including having a surplus of antioxidants, possibly inhibiting cancer, and even being an aphrodisiac.* So, consider planning a hot date by going root digging for burdock!
Hawthorne trees are very identifiable with spikes that protrude from their bark. Even though they may look intimidating, these trees produce fruits which may still be present during winter, and they can be used to make jelly or be eaten directly. The berries may help lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation, in addition to having other benefits.* You can also make a tincture which may be beneficial for heart health*.
Thick vines are often seen growing in the woods, not unlike what you could imagine Tarzan swinging from. These are wild grape vines! Like hawthorne berries, in the winter, grapes can be found frozen on the vines– nature's wild raisins.
These mushrooms are ubiquitous and can be found all year long. Before eating them, make sure they are in good quality by checking the underside to verify they are still white. These mushrooms can be made into a tea, but often they are ground into a powder since they are tough and leathery. Hana mentioned that these mushrooms are an adaptogenic (good for general health), and they can help the immune system and gut microbiome, among other health benefits.* But, y'know, double check all that.
Trees and fungi often form associations with each other (beneficial or not). For instance, birch trees frequently will have chaga mushrooms growing on them, resembling tumors. These mushrooms are edible and are purportedly cancer-fighting*. Outside of the fungi you can harvest from the trees, you can also tap birch trees for sap, and it produces a molasses-like syrup. The outer-bark can also be harvested to make gorgeous containers, and the inner bark can be used to make flour.
These berries lay low to the ground and are bright red among the loose, green ground cover (picture below). They have 2 indents on the berries, much like two eye sockets. While they are not very flavorful, you can make a tea, eat them directly, or add them to salads or other dishes for a pop of color. Multiple Native American groups have used this berry for a number of medicinal remedies*.
A particular jelly-like fungus can be found growing on dead wood, Tremella mesenterica, which is commonly known as "Witch's butter" (picture below). Legend says that if this fungi is growing on the gate/door of your home then you have been targeted by a witch's spell. Fortunately, you can eat it, though the legend doesn't say what will happen if you do.
The fungi is squishy, bright orange, and lobed, and it eats like a flavorless gummy bear. It can be cooked, adequately sweetened, and made into a hard candy. In China, it is added to some soups.
*Of course, always dig into the scientific literature for more information, and confer with your doctor about any health-related claims.