Eat the Invaders

Discussion in 'Recipes and Cooking' started by Dirtmechanic, Nov 19, 2022.

  1. Dirtmechanic

    Dirtmechanic Young Pine

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  3. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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  4. Daniel W

    Daniel W Young Pine

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    Prickly pear is tasty. It's just nopales. Best if the pads are young and tender, not old and woody. You have to burn off the thorns first. They sell a thornless type in the grocery stores here, but there are still tiny thorns.

    https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320293#what-is-nopal-cactus

    We don't have kudzu here. I read that the young shoots have a flavor similar to snow peas.

    Some times, there's a difference between "edible" and "tasty". I thought if I grew dandelions in my garden and gave them extra care, they might loose their bitterness. They did not. The young greens are OK in a Spring salad.

    A couple of invaders here that I like - Miner's Lettuce and Lambs Quarters.

    https://www.ediblewildfood.com/miners-lettuce.aspx

    https://www.ediblewildfood.com/lambs-quarters.aspx

    The worst invaders here are bad players. Tansy Ragwort is toxic to humans and livestock, easily fatal. Himalayan blackberry has fairly tasty berries but quickly becomes a kudzu - like, but with nasty thorns, impenetrable thicket. English ivy is a mess too.

    @Dirtmechanic will be the next Euell Gibbons :)
     
  5. Dirtmechanic

    Dirtmechanic Young Pine

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    Without that gorgeous hair? I have a face for radio!
     
    Last edited: Nov 19, 2022
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  6. Tetters

    Tetters Young Pine

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    upload_2022-11-19_16-52-53.jpeg I agree totally with Eileen. You seem to thrive on trying to kill yourself with weird grub. What's wrong with normal stuff DM?
    Zigs tried eating the fruit on one of his prickly plants - he made a video, I'll see if I can find it.
     
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  7. Tetters

    Tetters Young Pine

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    He's about as daft as you DM - you'll need full volume to hear this :rolleyes:
     
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  8. Dirtmechanic

    Dirtmechanic Young Pine

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    I spend 5% of my business budgets on trying new things! The skunk works is always more entertaining than white rice!
     
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  9. Zigs

    Zigs Young Pine

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    We have Signal Crayfish here, they came from the USA, escaped from fur farms or something. They're bigger than our native crayfish and tend to kill them off with a fungus they carry. Ours have no immunity to it.

    We've lost the battle, they're in most rivers now, but you still need a license from the Environment agency to catch them :rolleyes:

    I looked into getting a license, it's a nightmare. You have to fill in all sorts of details about where you're fishing for them, how many you catch etc. Easier to poach them :whistling:
     
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  10. Melody Mc.

    Melody Mc. Young Pine

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    Somewhere in a chest I have a wee vest that my husband made when he was a kid. It is from from skinned and tanned red squirrels and mice. He said he would roast the squirrels over a fire after stretching the wee furs and have squirrel spare ribs........yup. He did that. He said they were pretty good. :smt104:smt106 Now a days we shop at the meat section of the grocery store and buy his clothes at a clothing store. :rolleyes:
     
    Last edited: Nov 30, 2022
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  11. Dirtmechanic

    Dirtmechanic Young Pine

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    Although I did not see her actions properly until the fullness of time allowed me clarity, My grandmother engaged with me in all manner of squirrel recipes and procedures. I did not appreciate her patience with tree rats her grandson brought home at the time. My wife would have curled.
     
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