kaelln wrote:Down here in Dixieland, we have every sort of edible animal you could want: squirrel, possum, raccoon, deer, snakes galore, fish, turkey, and the list could go on and on. Some things you might think aren't edible really are with a little processing, for example, stinging nettle is similar to turnip greens when its boiled, and is highly nutritious, to boot.
When I was a child, I used to wander the woods randomly trying various things to eat. Probably pretty dangerous, but I never even got sick, and I never went hungry. Saw palmetto has edible parts, which you wouldn't think to look at it, but the center of the big woody things that the fans grow out of is edible. In my experience, you're more likely to find poisonous plants in your yard than in the woods. For example, elephant ear plants, extremely poisonous! Acorns, if processed properly, are edible. You have to shell them, boil them a couple of times, and throw away the water. Acorns can then be ground and used for flour. If you have a natural forest of a decent size that's been allowed to grow without interference from humans for a few decades, you can probably find enough to eat. Bear Grilles always seems to have problems getting enough calories, but he's also always engaged in high calorie activities, like trying to get out of his environment as fast as possible. I think water is usually a bigger problem. Good luck finding clean water in the US these days!
I've got a couple of books on Native American recipes and North American foraging, and they both mention acorn flour. Have you ever tried it? I've got several oaks on my property and some years, the plopping of the acorns on the roof keeps us up at night. However, I've never given it a try.
