Foraging food is gathering food, such as plants, fungi or animals, from locations where they are not deliberately grown. Many foragers consider the harvest from landscaping or street trees to be foraging, in the sense that these were not planted for food production. Foraging can take place in cities, countryside or wild areas.
Creative Commons/Dendroica cerulea
Black Locust Flowers
Where?
- In the Midwest
- Can be found in Wisconsin
- In old fields, forests, urban areas and roadsides
When?
- Flowers are out for a little over a week in early summer
- Pick them before they’ve already opened, or a few days after they are open
- Look for a yellow spot on the upper petal—if it is bright, you can eat it, but if it is faded, then the flower is too old
Preparation and Taste
- The flower blossom tastes similar to a sort of sweet pea and has subtle vanillas flavors as well
- They could be used in a cream-based pasta sauce, in a salad, sprinkled over cereal or eaten right from the tree
Ramp (Wild Leek)
Creative Commons/Wendell Smith
Where?
- Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest
- Can be found in slightly wet hardwood forests and floodplains of rivers
- Found on the forest floor
When?
- In the spring time, they tend to die in early summer
- The best time to harvest is usually in the middle of spring
- Gather them when their leaves have grown to be two-thirds of their full size
Preparation and Taste
- Both the leaves and the bulbs of the leeks are edible
- Taste is similar to onions and garlic
- Can substitute cooked ramps for anything that calls for onions
- Could also be candied and eaten with grilled meat
Creative Commons/Per
Puffballs
Where?
- Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest
- Can be found in hardwood forests, prairies, by streams and pastures and even on stumps and wood debris
When?
- Late summer through fall
- Make sure to cut open each puffball before using it. If the skin inside is hard, slimy or if there is any yellowing or darkening, do not eat it
- Make sure to refrigerate the puffball after harvesting
Preparation and Taste
- Puffballs are a type of wild mushroom and have a solid interior. They can be substituted in many recipes that call for mushrooms
- Could make a sandwich with them using lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise
- Could also grill them like steaks
Information is from the books The Forager’s Harvest and Abundantly Wild. Description of foraging is from an email interview with Sam Thayer, author of The Forager’s Harvest.