Free food. Wild plants and gifts of nature. Wild edible plants found in rural and urban areas

"Lamb leaves are fragrant, tasty, nutritious and vitamin-rich. In terms of vitamin C content, they are equivalent to sweet peppers, and in terms of carotene content, they are equal to carrots. They contain mucus, tannins, saponins, essential oils, organic acids. The flowers are especially rich in biologically active substances. ..."

"Yarutka leaves contain a large amount of vitamin C, about 20% protein, up to 5% fat, over 40% nitrogen-free extractives and about 25% fiber. It has astringent, disinfectant and antiscorbutic properties. In terms of calories, this plant is close to swede and cabbage. It has a pleasant...

"Due to the fact that Icelandic cetraria (Icelandic moss) contains starch, which forms a gelatinous mass when dissolved, as well as antibiotics; it is used for inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, burns, ulcers, purulent wounds, and is used to treat bronchitis and pulmonary tuberculosis. A decoction of cetraria re..."

"Young spore-bearing shoots, freed from shells, are used for fresh and boiled food, as well as for making fillings in pies, casseroles, okroshka and sauces. Culinary use of horsetail: Horsetail soup. Potatoes (300 g), cut into slices, boil in water (0.7 l), add crushed..."

"The leaves, flowers and young shoots are used for food. The use of yarrow in large quantities can cause poisoning, accompanied by dizziness and skin rashes. Culinary use of yarrow Yarrow salad. In sauerkraut(150 g) add crushed..."

"Tatarnik has long attracted attention for its medicinal and dietary properties. A decoction of grass is recommended for coughs, asthma, palpitations, for washing and compresses for purulent acne and other skin diseases. In traditional medicine it is used in malignant tumors, as well as in hemo..."

"Duckweed serves as a favorite food for fish and waterfowl. It is able to clean water bodies from pollution. It is easily grown in aquariums. The productivity of duckweed is very high: 8 kg of green mass can be obtained from 1 m2 of a reservoir, and even up to 28 kg in the south of the country. Gathering duckweed not very difficult: you can scoop it out ... "

"Common wormwood herb contains protein, starch, essential oil, tannins, organic acids, ascorbic acid and carotene. Traces of coumarin, alkaloids and resin are found in the roots. In medical practice, wormwood herb is used to improve appetite, as a sedative, with n. .."

"Plantain leaves are added to salads, tea, drinks, soups and seasonings. Unlike other herbs, this plant does not have a laxative effect on the stomach. In Yakutia, plantain seeds are stored for the winter, fermented with milk, and used as a seasoning. Young the leaves are well boiled, and, ... "

"In cooking, tansy flowers and leaves are used as a spice. In the manufacture of cakes and puddings, it can replace cinnamon and nutmeg. Culinary use Powder from tansy. Grind dry flower baskets, sift and use to flavor the first and second courses of game. A mixture of... "

"The young leaves are edible for salads, soups and purees. The seeds are used to make a substitute for mustard. Culinary uses for shepherd's purse: Shepherd's purse salad recipe. Finely chopped young leaves (100 g) put on slices of cucumbers (60 g) and tomatoes (60 d), decorate with wa circles on top ... "

"Young dandelion leaves are kept for 30 minutes in cold salted water to remove bitterness, and are used to prepare spicy salads, soups, seasonings, marinades, and roasted roots are used as a coffee substitute. One of the most valuable properties of this plant is its ability to... "

"In culture, stonecrop (hare cabbage) is propagated by cuttings of leaves and roots. It is grown in vegetable gardens, as well as at home (in pots) as a salad plant. Flavone compounds, tannins, carbohydrates, vitamin C, carotene, organic acids and...

“The middle star, in the common people, the mosquito got its name because it is always wet, as it absorbs water not only by the roots, but also by the stem. The corollas of flowers that do not open in the morning are a harbinger of the approaching rain. The grass of the mosquito is rich in ascorbic acid, carotene, vi. .."

"Lungwort contains a complex of microelements that promote hematopoiesis (manganese, iron, copper), ascorbic acid, rutin, carotene, salicylic acid, tannins and mucus. It is interesting that ascorbic acid is preserved in this plant even after drying, boiling, pickling and mari. .."

"In Japan and Western Europe, burdock is cultivated as a vegetable plant. Young leaves and stems of burdock are suitable for salads. Roots are used for soups instead of potatoes, boiled, fried, pickled and baked. Flour from dried roots mixed with cereals or grain flour is used for ready..."

"In cooking, the spear-leaved quinoa, the deviated quinoa, the coastal quinoa, the sprawling quinoa, and the garden quinoa (it is cultivated as a salad plant) are used. Edible types of mari are white marijuana, city marijuana, green marijuana, red marijuana, multi-leaved marijuana and polyseed marijuana. &n..."

"Potentilla goose ( goose foot) contains a large amount of tannins, vitamin C, starch, flavonoids, organic and fatty acids, an unknown antispasmodic substance and other biologically active compounds. Young leaves are used as food for salads and soups, leaves and roots are ..."

"Young burnet leaves (fresh and dry) are used in salads and for brewing tea. Fresh leaves smell and taste like cucumbers. Culinary uses of burnet: Burnet and potato salad. Cut boiled potatoes (50 g) into slices. Young burnet leaves (40 d) endure...

"In the spring, when the nettles are tender enough, the young shoots with leaves are used for salads. The tops of the shoots with leaves up to late autumn suitable for making soups and purees. Nettle leaves are part of various teas, and young shoots with leaves are used to prepare salads, soups, and ..."

"Culinary recipes: In cooking, the heads of flowering clover are used for brewing tea, making soups and seasonings, and young leaves are used for salads and soups. Clover greens are very tender, boil quickly, and if you add sorrel to it, you can cook delicious nutritious soups. Team tea..."

"Cooking: Salad with fireweed. Dip young shoots and leaves (50-100 g) in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, put in a colander to make water glass, and chop. Mix with chopped green onions (50 g) and grated horseradish ( 2 tablespoons), add lemon juice (1/4 lemon) and season with sour cream (20 ..."

"Culinary use of hare sour for food: Refreshing drink from sour. Grind greens (200 g), pour it with cold boiled water(1 l) and insist 2 hours. Shchi green with sour. Put chopped potatoes (150 g) into boiling water, after 15 minutes add browned onion (10 ..."

"Food and culinary uses of angelica officinalis (angelica), recipes: Apple jam with angelica officinalis. Washed and crushed angelica roots (300 g) boil in 70% sugar syrup (3 l) for 30 minutes. After that, add small, the size of a chicken yolk, apples (3 kg) vm ... "

In spring and summer, the young shoots are tender and easy to pick. Some can be eaten raw, but most are better cooked a little, especially kupena, fireweed (willow-herb), cattail and bracken. Wash them in clean water, remove, wipe off all hairs and fluff and cook in a small amount of water, so that they are mostly steamed.
The leaves are very rich in vitamins and minerals. Together with young shoots, they are the easiest source of food to obtain. Most will taste better when cooked, but don't overcook them so as not to destroy their vitamins: C, E, K, B and a large amount of vitamin A.

In some plants, the stems are edible, although they are often too woody to eat. If they are soft, peel off the outer layer, fibrous parts, cut and boil. The inner flesh of some stems is nutritious and has a sweet taste, such as that of elderberries. In this case, the stem must be cut and the soft mass removed. For the distressed, the stems provide less nutrients than the roots and leaves, so put them at the bottom of the list of plant foods and find other uses for them. Fibrous stems, such as stinging nettles, make good twine.

1 White mustard (Synapsis alba) grows up to 60 cm, hairy stem, wrinkled leaves with deep lobes, pale yellow flowers. It grows in wastelands and grassy places in Eurasia. The pungent young leaves and flowers are edible raw, but the whole plant is tastier when cooked. Take young plants.

2 Shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa pastoris) can reach 60 cm, has a rosette of arrow-shaped leaves divided into lobes and an ear of small white flowers. Found in wastelands. Boil leaves that taste like cabbage and mix with other herbs.

3 Primroses, primroses (Primula), found in grassy shaded areas. Recognizable by its rosette of wrinkled, tapering leaves and 5-petal flowers in yellow, and in some varieties, pink and red. All parts are edible, but the young leaves are the best. Hundreds of species. The figure shows 3 types.

4 Dandelion (Taraxacum) found in many species almost everywhere. Look for large, yellow to orange flowers or rosettes of deeply lobed leaves. Eat young leaves raw, boil old leaves, changing the water to get rid of bitterness. Boil or roast the roots for coffee. Dandelion juice is rich in vitamins and minerals.

5 Chicory (Cichorium intybus) common in grassy areas and wastelands. It grows up to 1.3 m. Thick hairy leaves form deep rosettes, flowers with leaves in the spike inflorescence are blue, similar to a dandelion. edible plants in the forest. Cook like a dandelion.

6 Wild sorrel (Rumex acetosa) common in wastelands and grassy places, reaching 1 m in height. The leaves are arrow-shaped, ears of small reddish and green flowers. Collect young plants. The mineral-rich leaves are edible raw, but cooking will soften the spicy flavor.

7 Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) found in open grassy areas in most temperate zones. Its 60 cm leaves are usually red, with arrow-shaped leaves and clusters of small pink or white flowers. The seeds are a good edible grain.

8 Curly Sorrel (Rumex crispus) grows above 1 meter, has narrow, long, wavy leaves along the edges and whorls (bunches at the ends) of small greenish flowers. Grows in grassy places and wastelands. Boil the tenderest leaves of young plants, changing the water to remove the bitterness. Rubbing with sorrel leaves relieves the pain of a nettle burn. There are many other varieties of sorrel in both temperate and tropical zones; prepare as described here, but consume sparingly.

1 Chenopodium bonus-henricus (Chenopodium bonus-henricus)- a prickly plant up to 60 cm high, with dull green triangular leaves, sometimes reddening. The flowers in the spike are small, greenish in color. Usually grows in wastelands. Leaves and young shoots are edible raw or boiled (like spinach). Remove thorns from shoots.

2 White gauze (Chenopodium album)- prickly plant up to 1 m tall, often with reddish stems; dull green, powdery-coated oval to pointed leaves and spikes of small greenish flowers. Grows in abundance in wastelands. The leaves are delicious, cook like spinach.

3 Medium chickweed, wood lice, jaskol-ka (Stellaria media), branches strongly, reaches 30 cm in height, on the main stem there are hairs, pointed oval leaves and small five-petal white flowers. It often grows in wastelands. Boil delicious tender leaves.

4 Watercress (watercress) (Roripa nasturtium aquaticunn) found, often in abundance, near flowing fresh water. It is a creeping semi-aquatic plant with glossy leaves in opposite pairs and small white flowers with four petals. DO NOT confuse with hemlock (milestone). The leaves and stems are edible raw, but boil if the water seems contaminated.

5 Fireweed, Ivan tea (Epilobium angusti-folium), found in light forests, on wastelands and on stony soil. Height over 1.5 m, arrow-shaped leaves in opposite pairs, ears of bright pinkish flowers. Young leaves, flowers, and stems are edible raw, but tastier when cooked. Mature stems have a sweetish soft mass inside.

6 Myrrhis (Myrrhis odorata)- a plant with a sweet smell, grows up to 1.5 m, the stem is slightly hairy and often purplish, the leaves are pinnate, like a fern, with white speckles, heads of small white flowers. Grows in woodlands, on bare and rocky terrain in Europe. Roots, stems and leaves taste like aniseed, can be boiled.

7 Nettle deaf, nettle (Lamium) smaller than stinging nettle, heart-shaped leaves, no stinging hairs, white (7) or pinkish-purple (7a) flowers. Cook like chickweed (wood louse, scab). edible plants in the forest

8 Stinging nettle (Urtica) grows in abundance almost all year round. Look for serrated leaves with stinging hairs and spikes of green flowers. Gather young shoots or young plants 15-20 cm tall - BOIL for at least 6 minutes to break down the formic acid in the hairs. Leaves can be dried and stored; broken stems will give fiber for the rope.

9 Plantains (Piantago) common in most places. Plantain lanceolate (Piantago lanceolata) has arrow-shaped leaves and spikes of flowers are much shorter than that of the greater plantain; loves dry soil. Cook like a big plantain.

10 Pinnate plantain (Piantago coronopus) is a small, star-shaped plant with serrated leaves and short flower spikes. Likes dry sandy soil, often grows near the sea. Cook like a big plantain.
And Plantain large (P. major) has wide oval leaves and distinct vertical spikes of yellow-green and brown flowers. Grows in wastelands and grassy places. Pretty bitter young leaves cook like spinach. Use the juice to heal wounds, and a decoction of the whole plant for chest pains.

11 Plantain large (P. major) has broad oval leaves and distinct vertical spikes of yellow-green and brown flowers. Grows in wastelands and grassy places. Pretty bitter young leaves cook like spinach. Use the juice to heal wounds, and a decoction of the whole plant for chest pains.

FLOWERS

The flowers of some plants are edible. These include linden, rose, hops, elderberry, primrose and chamomile. But it is a seasonal food and contains few nutrients compared to other parts of the plant. They are best used for teas and medicinal infusions.

1 Edible satiety, chufa. ground almond (Cyperus esculenthus), grows to 1.5", stem is triangular, long striped leaves and branching olive-brown flower heads turning yellow when fruit appears. It grows almost everywhere, in fresh water and next to it. Peel and boil the nut-like tubers, which can be dried and ground or crushed to be used as a flour or coffee substitute.

2 Cattail (Typha) grows up to 2-5 m, has grayish leaves and noticeable, dark brown inflorescences in the form of "sausages". Grows in and around fresh water. The rhizome and stems are edible raw and cooked, the leaves are cooked like spinach and the young shoots like asparagus. Pollen can be stirred in water to form a dough that can be baked or fried on a pan or on a stick.

3 Reeds, reeds (Phragmites), grows up to 4 m. The leaves are gray-green, the heads of the flowers are brownish-purple, on tall reed-stems. Grows in fresh water and next to it, found almost everywhere. Prepare the edible root; if you pierce the stem, it will release an edible, sugar-rich, resinous mass.

4 Susak umbrella (Butomus umbellatus) grows up to 1.5 m. It has very long striped "triangular" leaves emerging from the root, and pink three-petal flowers. Grows in Eurasia in fresh water and near it. Clean and boil the edible rhizome.

5 Bracket Fern (Pteridum aquilinum) common almost everywhere, often in large colonies. Old leaves are dangerous, eat ONLY young shoots with a sharp taste or sprouts, removing the hairy parts and boil for half an hour. Eat little. The roots are edible boiled or fried.
Many familiar table spices and herbs also grow wild. The smell helps to recognize them. They can be dried and stored - but do not dry them under direct sunbeams so they don't lose their essential oils.

6 Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) grows up to 90 cm, it has jagged dark green feathery leaves and bunches of button-like flowers in light yellow tones. Grows in wastelands and grassy places. Strong, pungent, edible plants with a woody bitter smell. Eat little by little, like garden roots, poisonous in large quantities. An anthelmintic tea can be made from the leaves and flowers. Its scent repels flies.

7 Oregano (Origanum vulgare) slightly covered with down, grows up to 60 cm, has small oval leaves on legs and bunches of small crimson-pink flowers. It grows in warm dry grassy places in Eurasia. Seasoning with a sweet taste for roasts. For coughs and indigestion, use the infusion. Chewing the leaves relieves toothache.

8 Ramson, bear's onion (Allium ursinum), is one of the many varieties of wild garlic. It has broad light green leaves (like a lily of the valley) and tufts of white star-shaped flowers at the top of the stem. Grows in Eurasia in a forest area. Recognized by the strong smell of garlic. Use any parts as spices, herbs, etc.

9 Borage officinalis (Borago officinalis) has a round stem, covered with hairs. Height up to 30-60 cm. The leaves are oval, pointed, the flowers are blue star-shaped. Smell of cucumber. It grows in Eurasia on grassy wastelands. All parts are edible raw or cooked, use an infusion when hot. When cooked, the stems release salt.

10 Calamus reed, calamus root (Acorus calamus), grows up to 1.3 m. It has triangular stems, arrow-shaped striped leaves with wavy edges and a finger-shaped flower spike extending from the stem. Grows in and around fresh water. Cut the fragrant, sharp-tasting root and boil until syrupy.

11 Angelica wild, angelica, angelica (Angelica), grows up to 1.5 m, stems are hollow, sometimes purplish, broad leaves arranged in opposite pairs, heads greenish, white or pink flowers. Grows in damp grassy and wooded places. fragrant leaves, stems and roots are edible boiled. Use the infusion for colds, and externally apply to rubbing the joints. DO NOT confuse with hemlock.

Fresh herbs contain many vitamins and minerals. Some edible herbs can boost immunity and cleanse the body. To do this, many gardeners grow on household plots dill, sorrel, parsley. Fiber-rich green onions and salads. Perhaps this is the whole list of greens that are planted in the garden for food. Edible wild herbs can help diversify your diet. Many of them are medicinal plants. In the people, useful wild edible herbs are called edible weeds.

Where the herbs grow

Edible wild herbs are easily mistaken for common weeds. Some species grow right in the garden. Experts do not recommend getting rid of them. Many weeds have beneficial properties and good taste.

Edible wild herbs are widely distributed in middle lane. Eatable plants can be found in a meadow or forest clearing. It is better to collect edible herbs away from the roads. The urban environment also adversely affects the properties of plants. The most useful properties of the plant are gaining by growing in meadows and forests with good ecological conditions.

Edible herbs "come to life" (photo attached below) with the beginning of spring, straighten out, gain strength. They reach their greatest development in the height of summer - they bloom magnificently and set seeds. In autumn, fruiting occurs, they coarsen and gradually die off. Let us consider in more detail which herbs are edible.

Woodlouse

Otherwise, wood lice are called starfish. The plant reproduces quickly, and in wet summer it can spread to most beds. Vegetation continues for a long time: from May to October. The leaves contain more vitamins of groups A, C and E. Woodlice have a high concentration of trace elements, iodine and potassium.

Mokritsa refers to medicinal plants. Doctors recommend using it raw for thyroid diseases, cystitis, hypertension, bronchitis and arthritis. By adding a few leaves of the plant to a salad, you can prevent the development of gallstone and urolithiasis.

Housewives sprinkle salad, soup or second with finely chopped herbs. Due to its neutral taste, wood lice are suitable for most ready-made dishes.

Quinoa

The quinoa, like the wood lice, is usually classified as a weed and is actively combating its spread. The main property of this plant is vitality. In addition, green shoots contain many useful substances.

Herbalists use quinoa for arthritis, gout, constipation, and menstrual irregularities. The leaves contain substances that suppress appetite. There are a number of contraindications: it is not recommended for gastritis, colitis and other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Previously, the quinoa saved people from hunger and beriberi, so it was cultivated. But over time, the plants stopped sowing the fields with seeds. Now this sowing culture is undeservedly forgotten. The leaves have a delicate taste, they can be added to salads, okroshka and fortified cocktails.

Dandelion

At almost every step we meet wild, but delicious medicinal edible herbs. One such plant is the dandelion. It is a small plant with bright yellow flowers. The seeds are spread by the wind over long distances, so it may appear unexpectedly in the garden. Refers to medicinal herbs choleretic and diuretic action. Its leaves help normalize metabolism, relieve symptoms of constipation and hemorrhoids.

The upper part of the plant is added to salads and soups. Sometimes young leaves are stewed with onions and spices, and then used as a seasoning for fish and meat dishes. Before cooking, dandelion shoots are dipped in salt water for 30 minutes. This little trick will help get rid of the bitter taste.

Nettle

Nettle is a whimsical edible herb in the garden. She prefers to settle in places with a good ecological situation. Vitamins A, B, C and carotene are found in large quantities in the leaves. Nettle is rich in phytoncides and tannins, there is a small amount of minerals, as well as salts of iron, magnesium and potassium.
Some gardeners consider nettle a valuable plant because its decoctions can lower blood sugar levels and relieve inflammation. Fresh is recommended to be eaten for liver diseases, arthritis, anemia and anemia.
Before cooking, nettle leaves are poured with boiling water for a couple of minutes. Finely chopped greens are added to salads, side dishes and omelettes. Due to the high protein content, it will be thick and satisfying.

burdock

Burdock is a plant with large, fleshy leaves and inflorescences that are studded with hooks on the outside. Thanks to these hooks, the heads with seeds easily stick to clothes and wool. Distributed almost everywhere.

In Asian countries, burdock is considered a garden crop and is used in cooking. Widely used as a dressing for salads and soups. Young shoots and roots of the plant are popular. Large leaves can also be eaten, but they are not as tasty.

Have high content essential oils, tannins and vitamins A and C. Thanks to this, burdock has found application in medicine. Its decoctions stimulate tissue regeneration, improve digestion and reduce fatigue. Doctors use the leaves of the plant as a medicine for diabetes and urolithiasis.

Horse sorrel (wild sorrel)

Sorrel is a plant with bright green leaves that have a pleasant sour taste. It is recommended to keep it not only on the table, but also in the medicine cabinet. Sorrel is able to stop blood, relieve inflammation and improve appetite. The plant relieves pain and removes toxins from the body. For medicinal purposes, it is also used to treat beriberi, scurvy, and anemia.

The leaves of the plant are rich in organic acids and trace elements, the concentration of vitamins A, B, C and K is high in them. Chemical composition wild sorrel is similar to rhubarb. endow sorrel with antibacterial properties.

Housewives love to make salads, they also use it as a filling for pies. In the Caucasus and Central Asia, the plant found wide application when preparing dough, soups and hot dishes.

Snotweed is a low grass with delicate green stems and lush leaves. One of the relatives of this species is celery. It will grow mainly in the forest in sunny glades and along the edges of the paths. The first shoots appear immediately after the snow melts. Only young leaves are suitable for collection, so it is better to go in search of goutweed in early spring.

Snyt contains several groups of vitamins, rich in manganese, boron and iron. Apply infusions from the upper part of the plant in the treatment of diseases of the kidneys and liver, with anemia and beriberi.

In cooking, it is used raw or boiled. It is not recommended to boil the gout for a long time, as it quickly loses its beneficial properties. The plant is a good substitute for cabbage, so it is fermented with carrots. Housewives add leaves to okroshka and salads, cook cabbage soup and cold drinks. And petioles are usually salted and pickled.

yarrow

Yarrow is a perennial with serrated leaves and corymbose inflorescences. The medicinal plant is harvested at the time of flowering. Fresh heads are of great value. Harvest for the winter, drying in a well-ventilated dry room.

The concentration of essential oils, tannins and organic acids can reach 80% in yarrow. Researchers also note a high content of vitamin C and carotene.

In yarrow, young shoots, leaves and flowers are considered edible. However, it must be used with extreme caution. In large quantities, it is harmful to the body and can cause skin rashes and dizziness. This herb is not suitable for people with increased blood clotting and a tendency to form blood clots. Pregnancy will also be a contraindication for the use of yarrow.

Plantain

Plantain is small plant, which can be found on the roadsides. They grow everywhere in the steppes and meadows, can be found in wastelands and on sandy soils. It is very easy to recognize the plantain: the leaves are collected in a rosette near the ground, and several flower stems on top have a dense spikelet.

Everyone knows that plantain stops blood well and heals wounds. The juice of the plant has disinfecting and anti-inflammatory properties.
Plantain leaves have been used in cooking. They can be added to salad or soup. Traditionally, in the middle lane it is customary to prepare teas and infusions from plantain. In Siberia, plant seeds are stored, and then fermented with milk. It turns out a very useful seasoning. In Europe, plantain is known as it can be found in garden beds.

Lungwort (pulmonaria)

Lungwort - low perennial grass with pink or blue corollas. Flowering begins very early, and the inflorescences contain a lot of nectar, so the plant is considered a good honey plant. It grows mainly in forests and ravines, and can also be found in bushes. For the development of young shoots, shady corners are needed; with an abundance of sunlight, it quickly dies.

Lungwort contains a lot of manganese, copper and iron, so it helps to purify the blood. The leaves contain rutin, carotene, ascorbic and salicylic acids. Beneficial features the plant retains even after drying. For a long time, lungwort has been used to treat lung diseases.

Young shoots and leaves are used to prepare decoctions, with its help they salt and pickle vegetables for the winter. In European countries, lungwort is added to mashed potatoes and dough.

In order to enrich your menu with vitamins and microelements, it is not necessary to plant all the garden beds with garden greens. Useful edible herbs and plants can be found among weeds and wild plants. They can and should be used in order to stock up on nutrients during the warm period. Edible herbs and plants can support health and energy for a long time. In the wild, there are so many useful herbs that can be eaten that it is impossible to list them. We examined the most common edible herbs (names and descriptions of plants).

Back in the 18th century, about 700 leafy vegetables alone were known, read - edible herbs and flowers. Modern people are concerned to find and use wild herbs and flowers as an edible supplement because of their undoubted usefulness. Let's take a closer look at the "pasture" that will give us vitamins, nutrients and minerals.

Dandelions

Dandelion is mainly eaten in Western Europe and especially in France, where it is even grown in greenhouses as a salad plant. In Russian cuisine, salads made from fresh herbs were not known until about the era of Catherine II, and even after that they were served only in the homes of the nobility. The bitterness of the leaves is the main value of dandelion, as medicinal plant. All bitterness increases liver activity, improves digestion and metabolism. In order for dandelion to be safely eaten, there are several ways. The easiest is to pour boiling water over the leaves, but at the same time we get completely lethargic soft leaves, not a particularly pleasant consistency. The second way: chopped leaves are poured with salt water (1 tablespoon per liter) and left to soak for 10-15 minutes, while they better time from time to time to try, so as not to completely lose all the bitterness. The light bitterness of dandelions gives the salad a special piquancy. And the third, most time-consuming method is bleaching. To do this, the dandelion is deprived of light for several days - covered black film, carton box Or even a tin can. Arriving at the cottage in a week, you will get white, crispy leaves, ideal for salad.

Primrose

The leaves of all types of primroses are used in Western Europe as salad plants. They have a pleasant taste and a very high content of ascorbic acid.

The leaves of the wild primrose of our forests, which is also called rams, are officially used in medicine as a vitamin plant. They go well with green onions and cucumbers. Of course, you can make a salad out of onions and cucumbers, but just primrose with onions is tasty and healthy. You can put daisy leaves in a salad, and then their flowers, this is also an English classic, where salads and sandwiches are decorated with daisy flowers.

Levkoy

The leaves of the evening are very good in the salad - perennial levkoy, which blooms with pinkish-purple flowers in June-July. They are spicy, taste like mustard and go well with any other greens. This plant is very common in our flower beds, but it never occurs to anyone that it is edible. Meanwhile, from under the snow, the bushes of the evening come out with green leaves.

Bluebells The leaves of most bluebells are edible and can not only be eaten raw, but also made into a delicious salad. Rapunzel-shaped bell is especially suitable for this - a pretty perennial that easily turns into an annoying weed. This type of bluebell has creeping underground shoots and large branching roots, similar in shape to a carrot. These roots are also edible and even tasty, so when fighting bluebells, do not throw them in the compost, but rather eat them. Bluebell greens contain a large amount of vitamin E, the vitamin of eternal youth, which is responsible for reproductive function and skin condition.

Day-lily

The most delicious spring salad is obtained from the well-known daylily, especially the one that blooms in autumn. This type of daylily - yellow-brown daylily - is not considered a flower at all in China, from where it came to our gardens. Pickled daylily flowers can sometimes be bought in Chinese shops. But daylily leaves are also edible, they taste like onions, but not at all spicy.

Young leaves are used both independently and in prefabricated salads. In summer, when the leaves become stiff, you can put their young part, located at the very bottom, in salads. Daylily flowers are the main thing that is eaten in it, but in daylilies, blooming in spring, they have too strong a smell and are used only as seasoning. Autumn daylilies do not smell at all, so their flowers can be eaten raw and processed in unlimited quantities.

snyt

Pay attention to the most common weed in our gardens, with which more than one generation of summer residents have been fighting - snot, one of the popular names of which is "food-grass". This ancient food plant of our ancestors is mentioned in Dahl's dictionary: "If there were a cow parsnip and sleepy, we would be alive." Snyt is a very tasty plant whose young leaves are edible. In order for them not to cause gas formation in the intestines, they must be scalded or subjected to any heat treatment.

Shchi from goutweed is much tastier than nettle. The taste of gout is reminiscent of carrots and parsley at the same time. Very old leaves can be put into the broth as a spice and thrown away after cooking, and various dishes can be prepared from young ones: scrambled eggs, stew, fillings for pies, salads. When gout begins to eat intensively, the plants quickly weaken and after a year or two completely disappear.

Nettle

And, of course, how can you do without young spring nettles? Shchi is prepared from it, added to salads and stuffing for pies is prepared. However, be careful: nettle appears on thawed patches, especially "sweaty ones", long before the complete end of snowmelt. It grows rapidly and after 10 - 12 days becomes "old" and of little use for food.

wild bow

Wild onions appear about a week later than nettles and grow on hillsides, along river banks, on sparse grasses on stony soils. Its leaves are similar to the leaves of ordinary cultivated onions, but thinner, tougher, it is noticeably less juicy. Wild onions are used for salads, as well as wild garlic. In addition, it can serve as a seasoning for soups, borscht, fish soup, as well as ordinary onions. It is not harvested for the future - I found it, tore off a bunch for salad.

Ramson - wild garlic

It appears already along the thawed patches and the first wild garlic should be looked for on the southern slopes in sparse aspen forests growing in place of dark coniferous plantations, according to forest glades. Appears earlier in hot spots ground water. On sale most often there are bunches with cut leaves and torn flowers.

Kislichka This delicate small plant, whose leaves are similar to clover leaves, can be used as a sorrel. It grows under the canopy of dark coniferous plantations and is very plentiful. However, due to the small size, the collection of sour is laborious. It is not as acidic as sorrel and therefore suitable for salads. To such salads, as an additive, you can use chickweed, a common weed that grows in well-moistened open fertile areas.

Sorrel

Used for food different types sorrel (ordinary, pyramidal, curly, passerine). Leaves and young shoots are mainly used in cooking green cabbage soup, which is prepared according to the same recipe as fresh cabbage soup. After the chopped leaves boil once, the cabbage soup is ready. They are served with hard boiled eggs and fresh sour cream. Sorrel is also used as a filling for pies, especially in the first half of summer, when the berries have not yet appeared. The leaves are steamed, cut and mixed with sugar. Up to 50% of peeled hogweed stalks (bundles) can be added. Sorrel can be preserved by hot processing and salted. Due to the presence of acid, there is no danger of anaerobic fermentation in this case.

bracken fern

The young shoots of the fern are eaten. Two or three decades ago, no one collected fern in Russia, since they did not consider it an edible plant. But with the development of relations with Japan, China and South Korea, where fern shoots have been eaten since ancient times, bracken fern began to be harvested in our country, first for export, and then for our own consumption. Gradually, the Russians, primarily the inhabitants of Siberia and the Far East, tasted this gift of the forest, and now the fern is considered a delicacy product, along with champignons, olives and asparagus. The fern harvesting season is short - about 2-3 weeks. It starts, depending on the region, at the end of the first or second decade of May, and approximately coincides with the collection of wild garlic.

Asparagus (Asparagus) On sunny sandy slopes, on dry manes and hills, white-greenish and juicy large shoots of asparagus appear in the spring at the time of bird cherry blossoms - an excellent spring food rich in vitamins and other valuable substances. This plant was introduced into the culture by the ancient Romans, who highly appreciated its qualities. In our country, wild asparagus is found in the European part, in the Caucasus and in Western Siberia, where it grows in meadows, among shrubs. Probably everyone has seen adult asparagus - herringbone twigs with red berries, often added to flower bouquets. Young shoots of asparagus are also difficult to confuse with anything - they are thick sprouts with triangular scales, whitish at first, then darkening and becoming brown-greenish, sometimes with purple tint. Young shoots of asparagus are eaten boiled, used either as a main dish or as a side dish.

Yarutka

Yarutka can be found without much difficulty in the nearest digging area, abandoned arable land or by a field road, as long as the soil is not covered with solid turf. This is a plant of the cabbage family, or, as they used to be called cruciferous. Young shoots are used in salad.

Shepherd's bag

The shepherd's purse, like the colza, rises early in the spring, literally from under the snow. Shepherd's purse leaves are eaten raw in salads, boiled in soups and borscht, even salted. Interestingly, as a vegetable, shepherd's purse is widely used in Chinese cuisine, moreover, it was brought by the Chinese to Taiwan, where it is grown as a "magnificent spinach plant" (quote from the book "Edible Plants of Southeast Asia", published by in Hong Kong).

Surepka

One of the first to catch the eye in the fields, garden beds and other areas dug up in August-September are bright green, shiny rosettes of colza leaves. Their taste resembles mustard, slightly burning, so it is better to mix it in a salad with other early plants. This bitterness disappears during cooking, so colza is also used instead of cabbage in soup or as a side dish for meat, but in this case it is cooked for a very short time, otherwise colza loses its taste.

Caraway

A well-known plant with a characteristic umbrella inflorescence (belongs to the corresponding umbrella family). Widely used in pickles, bread baking, etc.

Wild edible herbs are a natural and valuable source of nutrients. Many plants have healing properties and are used in cosmetology and medicine. It is also a spicy, unusual taste.

If you ate only greens from the garden, then after reading this article you will have an idea what field plants you can eat, how to cook and store them.

Why are wild herbs better than store-bought salads?

It is no secret that wild plants are much more useful - the fact is that they are more adapted to receive everything they need for growth from nature. They have naturally longer roots. Not spoiled by regular watering, fertilizing the soil and artificial lighting. On the contrary, domestic plants, as a result of many years of selection and cultivation, have lost the ability to produce and store many valuable substances.

The absence of nitrates in wild plants, their ability to self-repair through the sap, is what makes herbs an attractive food supplement for us.

What wild herbs can you eat

In food, you can eat not only greens, but also flowers of plants. Here is a partial list of edible greens:

• Highlander bird (knotweed, goose, weed-ant);
• Goose foot. Suitable for whole food;
• Angelica;
• Chickweed (wood louse);
• Ivan tea - sweet rhizomes;
• Reeds - peel young shoots, they are sweet and juicy;
• Clover - young leaves are very tender and good in salads;
• Nettle - everyone has heard about the benefits of nettle, young shoots are very useful;

• Quinoa;
• burdock;
• Cuff - edible leaves and young shoots;
• Lungwort - blue-lilac leaves - an excellent honey plant. In England, it is bred in the garden, using peeled stems and basal leaves as food;
• Dandelion - the leaves are soaked in water and added to green smoothies or salads;
• Shepherd's bag (purse bag or field buckwheat). Leaves are used for food: only young, unaffected by the fungus, absolutely healthy;
• Plantain - young leaves can be widely eaten. In combination with sorrel, the taste becomes more pleasant;
• Wheatgrass - roots are eaten raw;
• Sleep - you can eat young leaves. In Russia, there are 5 types of goutweed, this herb has a wide range of beneficial effects;
• yarrow;
• Horsetail.

Edible flowers: nasturtium, red clover, marigolds (marigolds), chrysanthemums.

Leaves of berries: leaves of strawberries, wild strawberries, currants.

Tops of plants: carrots, kohlrabi cabbages, beets, radishes.

How to cook wild herbs

• Collect wild plants only outside the city, away from roads.
• It is advisable to eat the collected greens on the same day. You can keep it fresh if you wrap it in a wet cloth, a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator.
• All wilted greens can be given fresh look if soaked in water before use.
• In a salad, it is good to sprinkle greens with any sour juice, this improves the absorption of nutrients.
• Wild herbs are tastier in salads with the addition of sour cream or curdled milk.
• Salads from greens do not salt. It spoils them appearance, taste and destroys useful substances.
• Bitter leaves are poured before adding to salads cold water with the addition of a small amount of salt, for 30 minutes.
• It is better to scald greens with boiling water, so it is better absorbed and becomes tastier.