Survivalists are telling us that these days we all need to know how to be independent of the mod cons we've come to expect. We hardly know how to live without electricity, hot and cold water at the turn of a faucet, and food galore at every turn. But what if you couldn't go to a restaurant or to a grocery store? If you don't want to just sit down and starve, it might be time to learn about the wild foods of California.
In the panorama of history, dependence on food grown by others is relatively recent. Most people grew the majority of their food at home, or raised it in the farmyard. Although a lot of their diet was based on crops, hunting and gathering was always important. Most people looked to the great outdoors for sweeteners (wild honey and maple syrup), nuts (valuable sources of fat and protein), berries, greens (especially in spring after a winter diet devoid of fresh food), and game for meat. As the Hunger Games books relate, hunting was a skill much admired by those who liked meat.
Not just hunting for game, either. Remember that it was a bright dandelion that triggered memories for Katniss. Her father had taught her about edible plants before his death in a mine explosion. The fact that she realized that plants growing in the meadow and the forest could feed her family brought her hope and fired her determination.
That means that you don't have to be a mighty hunter or live near a source of seafood to feed yourself from nature. Vegetarians do just fine, as many in California could already tell you. Cultivated salad greens are no more delicious than the ones that grow all around you free for the picking.
After all, almost anyone can pluck up a green plant or pick a ripe berry. Of course, it's helpful if you know which are good to eat or which might make you sick (or worse). And plants are not hard to find. Dandelions grow everywhere, even in city lots. So do nutritious nettles and wild onions, and many ornamental flowers are edible.
There are some great books, both old and new, that have all the information you need to learn to identify plants you can eat. Some even have recipes and guidelines; the author might tell how Native Americans processed acorns to make them palatable and what they used them for (flour and pemmican). You can learn about the nutrients in a dandelion salad and the way day lily buds taste when sauteed. Of course, some things can be eaten raw, like roots, nuts, and berries.
It's fun to learn about living off the land, even if you're never unfortunate enough to need to do so. It gives a feeling of independence and a bit of control over the future. The child in all of us likes to move through the woods like an Indian, scour the beaches for mussels and other California delicacies, and know which plants make good soap, good wine, or good eating.
California has mild weather in many areas, which means game is plentiful and plants can grow year-round. It also has a vast seacoast, home to sea bass, mussels, sea grapes, and many other delicacies. Live in the mountains? You can find berries, wild grapes, nuts, and edible fungi there. Even the desert has its treasures. You just need to know how to find them and use them.
In the panorama of history, dependence on food grown by others is relatively recent. Most people grew the majority of their food at home, or raised it in the farmyard. Although a lot of their diet was based on crops, hunting and gathering was always important. Most people looked to the great outdoors for sweeteners (wild honey and maple syrup), nuts (valuable sources of fat and protein), berries, greens (especially in spring after a winter diet devoid of fresh food), and game for meat. As the Hunger Games books relate, hunting was a skill much admired by those who liked meat.
Not just hunting for game, either. Remember that it was a bright dandelion that triggered memories for Katniss. Her father had taught her about edible plants before his death in a mine explosion. The fact that she realized that plants growing in the meadow and the forest could feed her family brought her hope and fired her determination.
That means that you don't have to be a mighty hunter or live near a source of seafood to feed yourself from nature. Vegetarians do just fine, as many in California could already tell you. Cultivated salad greens are no more delicious than the ones that grow all around you free for the picking.
After all, almost anyone can pluck up a green plant or pick a ripe berry. Of course, it's helpful if you know which are good to eat or which might make you sick (or worse). And plants are not hard to find. Dandelions grow everywhere, even in city lots. So do nutritious nettles and wild onions, and many ornamental flowers are edible.
There are some great books, both old and new, that have all the information you need to learn to identify plants you can eat. Some even have recipes and guidelines; the author might tell how Native Americans processed acorns to make them palatable and what they used them for (flour and pemmican). You can learn about the nutrients in a dandelion salad and the way day lily buds taste when sauteed. Of course, some things can be eaten raw, like roots, nuts, and berries.
It's fun to learn about living off the land, even if you're never unfortunate enough to need to do so. It gives a feeling of independence and a bit of control over the future. The child in all of us likes to move through the woods like an Indian, scour the beaches for mussels and other California delicacies, and know which plants make good soap, good wine, or good eating.
California has mild weather in many areas, which means game is plentiful and plants can grow year-round. It also has a vast seacoast, home to sea bass, mussels, sea grapes, and many other delicacies. Live in the mountains? You can find berries, wild grapes, nuts, and edible fungi there. Even the desert has its treasures. You just need to know how to find them and use them.
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Discover the wild foods of California through our informative blog. Stop by our website and find out all the details at http://livingwild.org today.
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