Читать книгу The Scout's Guide to Wild Edibles. Learn How To Forage, Prepare & Eat 40 Wild Foods онлайн

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• There are no thorns on this plant.

At the preferred size for harvesting the leaves for cooked greens, this green amaranth was one of dozens that grew as weeds in community garden plots in Ann Arbor, MI. Note the distinctive red root, helpful in identification, and why the plant is also known as “redroot.”

EDIBLE PARTS & PREPARATION:

The young leaves are edible raw or cooked. The seeds are an ingredient in wild food trail bites (award-winning recipe on page 162). Snip off several of the greenish brown seedheads into a paper grocery sack. Roll the sack tightly closed and shake it to free the seeds. As some of the seed coverings will be mixed in, it will be necessary to winnow the tiny black seeds to remove the chaff.

WHEN TO HARVEST:

Early summer for greens; late summer to early fall for seeds

SUSTAINABLE HARVESTING:

Collecting young leaves and dozens of seedheads will have little impact on this prolific plant.

PRESERVING THE HARVEST:

Drop leaves in boiling water for three minutes, then plunge into ice water. Drain and freeze. Use within 11 months. Keep hulled seeds frozen for up to one year.