The Hunger Games is about survival, but then so is life itself.

Many of us are fortunate enough to lead comfortable existences where we take shelter, food and water for granted  But for many people across the world, that comfortable life often ends very suddenly, and they are left to depend on their wits and knowledge to survive.  They may not be fighting an enemy determined to destroy them as in the story, but their survival is just as dependent on their knowledge and abilities.

Disasters happen every day, such as hurricanes and tornados, that leave people stranded or homeless, where often they must depend on their skill and wits to stay alive until help arrives (if it arrives at all!).

This is why, even we who live in the “cradle of civilization” should always be prepared for such eventualities.

The true hunger games will likely happen when the industrial food chain breaks down and food suddenly becomes scarce (which is a strong argument for local agriculture and vegetable gardens).

One might store food in readiness for such an event, but just as in the story of The Hunger Games, one has to be able to hold on to it.  When there are a lot of starving people roaming around, things will get nasty and personal food stores will be prime targets.

The safest survival stores you can have, is knowledge.

Those who can turn to nature for shelter, water and nourishment will stand a far greater chance of survival.  This is why I have always felt it very important to develop my basic life skills and learn what plants can be eaten and which ones are poisonous.  My knowledge of wild foods and primitive skills has given me an inner confidence that has taken me through life.

Living off the land in an emergency is not easy,

nor is it necessarily very pleasant, however, it can mean the difference between life and death.  A knowledge of the medicinal uses of common plants can also be invaluable when there is nowhere else to turn.  The healing properties of common weeds such as plantain could stave off a serious infection when it is applied to an injury.  Common yarrow has historically been employed to stop bleeding on the battlefield and shepherds purse will help with internal bleeding.  We don’t have to wait for the arrival of a silver parachute sent by some distant benefactor, if we know how to make use of the herbal pharmacy that surrounds us.  Nor need we go hungry.

Of course, there are many other nature crafts and skills that would serve us in a survival situation.

Knowing how to build shelter, make fire, find water, fish, trap and hunt using only what nature provides, are skills that we may never need, yet given a true emergency situation, this ancient knowledge could mean the difference between surviving and becoming another statistic.

The post How to Survive the Hunger Games – Suburban Foragers’ Style – part I appeared first on Suburban Foragers.

Milkweed pods

Milkweed is one of the most useful plants that we have been blessed with.  Beginning in May, the shoots appear, heralding the spring.  If I encounter a large enough patch, I’ll carefully harvest a few by slicing off the tender tops.  I’m careful to only select from those that are about 10 inches or less, as the taller plants begin to get tougher and as they develop a red blush, they become somewhat toxic.  The harvested shoots are usual about 6 to 8 inches in length, and have 2 or three pairs of leaves, with a cluster at the top.  I remove all but the very top leaves and put them aside to be used in other dishes.  What remains resembles asparagus.

These tasty shoots are delicious to eat as is or they can be lightly boiled or steamed and serves with butter or your favorite sauce.  I prefer them to asparagus.  One of our recommended recipes for May I call Milkweed Seaweed noodles, in which I shave thin slivers from the stems until I have a bowl of green “noodles”.  I then either steam or blanch them until slightly softened.  I generally make up an Asian style dressing, using soy sauce or tamari, rice vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil and palm sugar, which I pour over the noodles.  Finally, I sprinkle over some toasted sesame seeds and serve.  Try it.  It will become a perennial favorite with your family.

In June the flowers begin to appear.  Before they open they resemble clusters of capers.  If there are enough clusters at this stage, I like to pick a few to use in a variety of dishes from salads to soups to stir fries.  As the flowers open up they become more colorful and really help to brighten up a salad or just about any dish.  They are a perfect snack when you are walking through a meadow and happen upon a patch of milkweed.  However, be careful not to pop a bug in your mouth, as milkweed flowers are very popular with insects, particularly the Monarch butterfly and a little orange and black beetle known as the milkweed bug.  It is quite harmless, and if you are feeling adventurous, quite delicious.

After the flowers fade and drop away, start to look out for the seed pods.  There are generally about  2 or 3 to a plant, particularly in sunny areas.  When they reach about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in length they are ready to be harvested, however, only pick them if there are plenty to be had and always make sure to leave a few to propagate for next year.  The pods only remain edible for a few days before they begin to get tough and stringy. You can tell if they are too ripe without having to pick them.  The edible pods are very firm.  As they become spongy feeling, you’ll know that it is too late.

The pods can be used in many different ways.  They are quite tasty raw, or sliced up and added to salads.  They can be sautéed, battered and deep fried or prepared like you would okra (without being slimy). Another idea you can try is to split them along the seam and remove the insides (immature seeds and silk, then stuff them with grain and chopped vegetables, cover them with cheese and breadcrumbs and bake them in the oven or steam them and drizzle your favorite sauce over them.  There are so many ways that you can prepare them that the only limit is your imagination.

In the Fall, after the plant has begun to die off, it still has its uses.  The stalks can be stripped of their outer layers, which can be used to make twine.  I have made some very strong thread from milkweed, that I used to sew on a button that is still firmly attached several years later.

As if this wasn’t enough, the latex from the plant can be used to remove warts (I’ve done it – it really works).

To watch a video on cooking milkweed  click here

For a recipe for cooking milkweed click here

The post Blog: Milkweed: This week’s seasonal edible plant appeared first on Suburban Foragers.