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

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• The bush turns golden yellow in autumn.

• The female bush produces 1/4″ diameter round red berries which are toxic.

Wild asparagus shoots at their prime. Note that they are unbranched, and resemble asparagus that would be sold in stores. Wild asparagus and garden asparagus are one and the same, differing only in the location where they grow.

EDIBLE PARTS & PREPARATION:

The unbranched spear is the only edible part. For maximum flavor, eat it the same day you collect it. On a camping trip, our Scouts discovered wild asparagus. We dropped the spears in rapidly boiling, salted water for three minutes and ate them immediately. They were bright green, crunchy, and absolutely delicious.

WHEN TO HARVEST:

Spring

SUSTAINABLE HARVESTING:

Leave several spears from a group of asparagus plants, to capture the energy of sunlight and keep the roots alive.

PRESERVING THE HARVEST:

Drop spears in boiling water for three minutes, then plunge into ice water. Drain and freeze. Use within 10 months.

Once the spear begins branching out like this, it becomes too fibrous to eat. It also becomes more and more TOXIC, so do not collect it if it resembles this photo.