Getting Prepared for Summer Activities, Part 6
Food Foraging
During the summer months, so many plants sprout forth delicious edibles! It can almost become overwhelming, when you think about it!
From blackberries to figs, British Columbia summers are overflowing with wild, edible food. Here’s a list of ten of our favourites, with links to photos to help you identify them as edible, nutritional and SAFE to eat:
- Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus Armeniacus)
- Salmonberry (Rubus Spectabilis)
- Thimbleberry (Rubus Parviflorus)
- Common Fig (Ficus Carica)
- Red Huckleberry (Vaccinium Parvifolium)
- Cherry Plum (Prunus Cerasifera)
- Salal Berry (Gaultheria Shallon)
- Blackcurrant (Ribes Nigrum)
- Oregon Grape (Mahonia Aquifolium)
- Soapberry (Shepherdia Canadensis)
Our big tip: Food Foraging sometimes means sacrificing your skin to some brambles, so do yourself a favour and bring along a first aid kit in case you need to treat some scratches!
We’d also like to share a few tips about foraging in general, based on a CBC News video by Margaret Gallagher and Richard Hebda:
- Know the whole plant, including the leaves as well as the fruit or berry. Get to know what it looks like throughout the year so you can accurately identify edible and nonedible plants.
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- It’s about the search as well as the berries.
- Be prepared to embrace unfamiliar flavours and textures.
- Share the bounty and leave plenty for others.
- If you’re not sure, DON’T eat it.
*If you can’t tell, we particularly appreciate the first and last tips. If you have any further safety tips or edible plant foraging tips that you’d like to share, please leave a comment in the section below!
-Content created by Sophie Wooding – Writer, gardener, cyclist and emergency preparedness enthusiast!
