How to Find Wild Foods

In the never-ending search for something new and different, food enthusiast have set their sights on including wild foods in their gourmet dishes. Foods that were once looked down upon, such as dandelions and purslane, are now considered specialties and welcomed at expensive restaurants. Whether you're trying to create your own gourmet menu or looking for free food, wild foods are a viable addition to your menu. Find wild foods in every part of the country, from vacant lots in the city to large tracts of woodland and waterways.

Things You'll Need

  • Wild food books
  • Small notebook
  • Pocket calendar
  • Pocket knife
  • Net bags
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Instructions

    • 1

      Research wild foods in your part of the country. Begin with a basic book, such as Euell Gibbons' "Stalking the Wild Asparagus," to get an idea of common plants that grow in most parts of the country. Look for localized versions at your local library or online to find varieties of food common in your neighborhood. Memorize all the important details of each food you will hunt, and take notes in a small notebook you can carry with you when foraging.

    • 2

      Write down the dates when each variety is ripe in a pocket calendar. Keep track of the dates for your part of the country. If you can't find the exact information in books or online, add it when you come upon each food in the wild. Use this calendar each year to plan your foraging trips throughout the growing season.

    • 3

      Map out places where you can search for wild foods. Avoid fields near manufacturing plants or right by the side of the highway, because they tend to accumulate a high amount of toxins. Search out vacant lots in quiet neighborhoods, small parks, state or federal land or nature preserves. Always get permission to forage before setting foot on any land that doesn't belong to you.

    • 4

      Search in three dimensions. Not all wild food grows on the ground. You may find wild grapes growing on phone poles or tall fences and fruit trees on lots with burned-out house foundations.

    • 5

      Cut wild food and store it in a net bag for transport. This will allow insects to fall off before you bring the food into your home.

    • 6

      Take only what you need and never take an entire patch of wild food. Leave enough of the plant so it will grow back next year, either from perennial regrowth or going to seed.