Yucca Flower Seed Pod Survival Food

Edible Uses: Fully ripe fruit – raw, cooked or dried for winter use. A staple food for several native North American Indian tribes, the fruits are large, fleshy, sweet and palatable. The ovoid fruit is about 17cm long and 7cm wide. 

Considered to be a luxury by the native North American Indians, the fruits were often baked in ovens. The cooked fruit can be formed into cakes and then dried for later use. Large quantities of the fruit has caused diarrhea in people who are not used to it. 

The dried fruit can be dissolved in water to make a drink. Flower buds – cooked. A soapy taste. The older flowers are best, they are rich in sugar. The flowers, harvested before the summer rains (which turn them bitter), have been used as a vegetable. 

Flowering stems – cooked. Harvested before the flowers open then roasted. Seed – cooked. It can be roasted and then ground into a powder and boiled. The tender crowns of the plants have been roasted and eaten in times of food shortage. The young leaves have been cooked as a flavoring in soups.

Reproduced, in part, (as well as previous postings under this title) in accordance with Section 107 of title 17 of the Copyright Law of the United States relating to fair-use and is for the purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

Stay Prepared! Stay Alive!

Charlie

Bear Corn Survival Food

Bear Corn (conopholis alpina var. mexicana)

Bear Corn (conopholis alpina) are root parasites lacking chlorophyll, which make its home on the roots of oak trees and sometimes junipers.  It is common enough and large enough to harvest.  

Many forest animals eat the bear corn, especially bears coming out of hibernation. If ever seen a pile of bear scat or wolf or coyote scat, you may see it filled with many seeds from the bear corn.

The Bear Corn is sometimes called squaw root, American cancer root and Indian corn, but the two are somewhat different as to what they are depending on what part of the U.S you are in.

Edible Uses: The spring roots of Conopholis have been roasted for food, but taste like a bland old turnip.

Medicinal Uses: The root is the strongest part, but the whole plant can be used.   It is strongly astringent, and there for makes an excellent poultice.  It is used internally as a mild laxative, sedative, and can be of great use for restoring muscular strength after a debilitating illness or a mild stroke.  An average dose is a slightly rounded teaspoon boiled in water and drinking up to two cups a day.

(source: Medicinal Plants Of the Mountain West  by Michael Moore, 1st Edition, page 42 , publisher:  Museum of New Mexico Press ; copy right 1979)

Stay Prepared! Stay Alive!

Charlie

Water Cress For Survival

Water Cress

Edible Uses: 

Leaves – can be eaten raw or cooked. Water cress is mainly used as a garnish or as an addition to salads. Water Cress has a radish flavor and slightly hot taste.  The leaves are rich in vitamins and minerals, especially iron. The seed can be sprouted and eaten in salads. A hot radishy  flavor. The seed is ground into a powder and used as a mustard. The pungency of mustard develops when cold water is added to the ground-up seed Mixing with hot water or vinegar, or adding salt, inhibits the enzyme and produces a mild but bitter mustard.

Medicinal Uses : Watercress is very rich in vitamins and minerals, and has long been valued as a food and medicinal plant. Considered a cleansing herb, its high content of vitamin C makes it a remedy that is particularly valuable for chronic illnesses. The leaves are antiscorbutic, depurative, diuretic, expectorant, purgative, hypoglycaemic, odontalgic, stimulant and stomachic. The plant has been used as a specific in the treatment of TB. The freshly pressed juice has been used internally and externally in the treatment of chest and kidney complaints, chronic irritations and inflammations of the skin etc. A poultice of the leaves is said to be an effective treatment for healing glandular tumours or lymphatic swellings. Some caution is advised, excessive use of the plant can lead to stomach upsets. The leaves can be harvested almost throughout the year and are used fresh. (source: wikipedia)

A word of caution: Plants that are growing in water that drains from fields where animals graze should not be used raw. This is due to the risk of it being infested with the liver fluke parasite. Cooking the leaves will destroy any parasites and make the plant safe to eat. 

Stay Prepared! Stay Alive!

Charlie