Plants You Can Eat

Introduction | Edibility of Plants | Plant Identification | Universal Edibility Test | Preparation of Plant Food | Plants for Medicine | Miscellaneous Uses of Plants |

Universal Edibility Test

There are many plants throughout the world. Tasting or swallowing even a small portion of some can cause severe discomfort, extreme internal disorders and even death. Therefore, if you have the slightest doubt about a plant's edibility, apply the Universal Edibility Test before eating any portion of it.

Before testing a plant for edibility, make sure there are enough plants to make the testing worth your time and effort. Each part of a plant (roots, leaves, flowers and so on) requires more than 24 hours to test. Do not waste time testing a plant that is not relatively abundant in the area.

Remember, eating large portions of plant food on an empty stomach may cause diarrhea, nausea or cramps. Two good examples of this are such familiar foods as green apples and wild onions. Even after testing plant food and finding it safe, eat it in moderation. You can see from the steps and time involved in testing for edibility just how important it is to be able to identify edible plants.

To avoid potentially poisonous plants, stay away from any wild or unknown plants that have —

    * Milky or discolored sap.
    * Beans, bulbs or seeds inside pods.
    * Bitter or soapy taste.
    * Spines, fine hairs or thorns.
    * Dill, carrot, parsnip or parsley-like foliage.
    * "Almond" scent in woody parts and leaves.
    * Grain heads with pink, purplish or black spurs.
    * Three-leafed growth pattern.

Using the above criteria as eliminators when choosing plants for the Universal Edibility Test will cause you to avoid some edible plants. More important, these criteria will often help you avoid plants that are potentially toxic to eat or touch.