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

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• The single fruit is a berry having the shape and size of a hen’s egg.

• Ripe fruit color ranges from creamy white to yellowish white to lemon yellow.

Ripe mayapples – some have small rotten spots that I cut out before using them to make marmalade.

CAUTION:

The green, unripe fruit is toxic, as are the seeds, leaves, roots and rhizome. Be very careful and avoid all fruit that has even a hint of green.

EDIBLE PARTS & PREPARATION:

The fully ripe berry is the only edible part of this otherwise toxic plant. It can be eaten raw or used in a beverage, cake, or ice cream, but my favorite way to enjoy it is to make the Mayapple Marmalade recipe on page 150.

WHEN TO HARVEST:

Mid-summer: mid-July to mid-August. Collect berries when fully ripe (light yellow to lemon yellow with no hint of green). Ripe berries feel slightly soft.

SUSTAINABLE HARVESTING:

Collecting the fruit does not harm the plant.

PRESERVING THE HARVEST:

Process mayapples within a day of harvesting them. Wash the fruit, cut off the blossom and stem ends, and quarter the fruit. Bring it to a boil in a pot with a cup of water, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to be sure it doesn’t burn. Strain through a food mill. Keep the juice and pulp, and discard the skin and seeds. Vacuum seal and freeze the juice and pulp. Use within six months.