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Editor’s Note: This resource has been revised and updated for 2019.
You are reading: Edible wild plant books
Foraging has become more popular in recent years, which is why many books on foraging have been published. unfortunately, many of them are terrible. authors in the space tend to rely solely on other, more in-depth books for their information.
Some of these books aren’t even suitable for teaching you the basics, because they focus on the authors’ lives and sprinkle a few recipes. that’s fine, unless you hope to learn to forage.
some end up spreading false information about which plants are toxic because the author didn’t do any research or experiment to find out. that’s understandable if he’s not sure and doesn’t want to be sued, but it doesn’t help his readers learn.
but there are gems out there, written by truly knowledgeable people who have experience finding, harvesting, and cooking wild plants. Whether you’re a beginner or very experienced, we’ve done our best to Find those gems for you, no matter where you live in North America, or whether you’re interested in vegetables, meat, or mushrooms. There’s also a new book by Thayer, arguably the most popular foraging author.
about field guides
Foraging books alone won’t be enough. very few of them have more than 100 plants because they go into serious detail about how to find, harvest and cook them. few of them will be small enough to take outdoors, and most are not weather resistant. therefore, you’ll need a field guide of some kind to help you make comparisons between similar plants while you’re outside.
You want to find a very broad field guide, in terms of what plants are covered, but you want it to be as specific to your area as possible. For example, my “plants of southern ontario” is much more useful than my “ontario trees” the first one has all kinds of trees i could never find in my area which is overwhelming for a beginner.
The only field guide I’d suggest that won’t do you much good is Peterson’s Field Guide to Wild Food Plants. it does not contain enough information about which parts of plants are edible to be functional. also, in a sense, it is too broad for a beginner, because it is not specific enough for a single area. but it’s also not broad enough in the sense that it doesn’t include poisonous plants.
When you’re learning to forage, you always start by learning which plants are poisonous or toxic, that way you can avoid them. While the best foraging books, like Thayer’s, include a lot of information about similar dangerous plants, many don’t. so you need a field guide to help you double check, and this won’t work.
the best foraging books to start with
1. any of samuel thayer’s books
one of samuel thayer’s three books is an ideal place to start, especially the first: the gatherer’s harvest. thayer provides very detailed information on a selection of plants, including what they look like during different seasons, which is a great help to the beginner.
That said, no matter how experienced you are, you’ll learn something from Thayer. he has extensive personal experience with each of the plants he covers and goes to great lengths to correct misconceptions that various other books will cite as fact.
For beginners, the best part of the book will be the foraging philosophy, general identification tips, and safety information. Talks about the ethics of harvesting, how to store them, what the plants will taste like, and recipes as well. Thayer also includes personal anecdotes, which some people love and others could do without.
those in the northeastern united states to the midwest will find these books most helpful. If you’re west of the Rocky Mountains or far south, you’ll find some of your local species here, but not most. In that case, you’re better off investing in the third book.
The second book is the garden of nature. It provides the same excellent information as Thayer’s first book, but for different plants from a wider geographic area (to be clear: it doesn’t repeat the plants found in the first). there are less than 50 plants in this book, but the level of information on each one is simply second to none.
See Also: Dave Grossman – Audio Books, Best Sellers, Author Bio | Audible.com
thayer now has a third book, published in late 2017: amazing wild edibles. there are 36 new plants cataloged in this book, including some invasive ones, more southern plants like persimmon, and more western plants like strawberry spinach.
an author of another popular foraging book, thomas j elpel, has weighed in on thayer’s latest book and the criticism it has received, namely that it talks about too few plants.
elpel writes: “my bioregion, in the high, arid rocky mountains of northern montana, is probably the least covered region in this or any of thayer’s books. however, 20 or more of the 36 featured plants, shrubs, and trees are found at least sparsely in my region. In addition, Thayer discusses many additional related species, expanding the scope considerably beyond the mere thirty-six plants announced in the title.”
elpel continues, “there is always something new to learn about familiar plants, and I thoroughly digested each entry, even remotely related to my bioregion. miner’s lettuce (montia perfoliata), for example, is quite familiar to me, while that siberian miner’s lettuce (m. sibirica) was unknown to me until i read about it in thayer’s book and then discovered it the same day, growing along the creek we were fishing in. north of coeur d ‘alene, idaho.”
2. stalking euell gibbons wild asparagus
This book was first published in 1962 and, like many good old books, it has a lot of forgotten information that you will find useful even if it is outdated in some ways (like with invasive species or pleasing the modern palate) . ).
Still, it’s a foraging staple because it has detailed information on plants, cooking tips and recipes (including entrees, pies, and meat dishes), and plenty of foraging philosophy. the images are line drawings, so you’ll want a field guide to help with identification. there are also personal anecdotes which, again, can amuse or annoy you depending on your disposition.
What climate is this book about? It’s a bit of everywhere. Consider what the news from mother earth is saying about the gibbons’ varied experience:
“During the intervening years, he lived (as a drifter, drifter, teacher, surveyor, cotton picker, boat builder, and more) in the Philadelphia area, Washington state, Indiana, California, New Mexico, Maine, Hawaii , and the South Seas. however, it was while he resided in snyder county that he was able to marshal his years of experience into the volumes that followed the stalking of wild asparagus.”
In addition, the gibbons that stalk the blue-eyed scallop are essential to those living on the coast (all of them in North America, plus a few for Hawaiians). the book includes some information on freshwater, but certainly not substantial.
Also, stalking health herbs is a worthy follow-up if you’re interested in medicine or herbs. the other gibbon books aren’t as helpful from a foraging standpoint.
3. hunt, gather, cook: find the forgotten feast by hank shaw
This is the most modern starter book on the list and is really aimed at the beginner. there are fewer pictures and recipes here than in other books, but the detailed information on how to forage is excellent. Unlike many modern foraging books, this one obviously has a lot of information on meat, making it a very useful resource for those wanting to start hunting or fishing. the recipes are varied , modern and delicious.
not being from the south, i was initially concerned that this book might not have much for the southern forager other than meat, until a review by robyn in modern hunters cleared it up for me. She has found that many of the berries and nuts are readily available in California.
See Also: | PCWorld
For a snapshot of the book, visit Shaw’s website: Honest Food.
4. edible wild plants: wild foods from the soil to the plate by john kallas
kallas does an excellent job of documenting a number of leafy green vegetables, which would otherwise be considered weeds, in this book. he organizes the book by seasons, has detailed pictures of each plant, and discusses the culinary character of each. he focuses on plants you can find in most areas of the united states.
the best foraging books for your area
It is ideal that you also have a book that has information specific to your area.
1. the regional foraging series
Most Americans will find that one of the books in this series applies to their area. all four have very good identifying information, including pictures. meredith and slatterly are usually highly recommended.
- Foraging in the Southwest by John Slattery
- Foraging in the Midwest by Lisa M. rose
- pacific northwest foraging by douglas deur (you’ll need a separate plenty guide, see below)
- northeast foraging by leda meredith (her other books the forager’s feast , new in 2016. also quite useful)
2. foraging the mountain west by thomas elpel and kris reed
If you’re in the Rocky Mountains, you’ll want to read this book, as the area is generally poorly covered by other books. Fortunately, it’s a diverse book that includes fishing and even dumpster diving.
3. edible and useful plants of the southwest: texas, new mexico, and arizona by delena tull
While this book covers many edible plants, it also discusses medicinal plants, dyestuffs, and textiles. make sure to publish the expanded version in 2013.
4. southern california: pascal baudar’s new artisan cuisine
baudar’s books are about how to make more elaborate dishes from forage foods, and it can be done. the photos are gorgeous, and there are recipes, but much less identifying information. Don’t be swayed by the criticism Baudar has received for this book. yes, southern california has several fragile ecosystems that you shouldn’t tamper with, but baudar practices ethical harvesting. critics seem to not want anyone to forage at all.
the best books to look for mushrooms
Our mushroom friends present a challenge to the collector because many of them are dangerous to eat. If you plan to grow any mushrooms, you will need to have spent some time getting some serious knowledge, and preferably learning from someone with more experience. but there are great books on the subject that can help you.
1. fungi demystified by david arora
This massive tome is the book everyone suggests for mushroom hunting, and for good reason. arora also wrote a smaller book: Everything the Rain Promises and More, which is specifically for the Pacific Northwest and may be less intimidating for beginning mushrooms.
In addition, the National Audobon Society’s Field Guide to Mushrooms is a comprehensive and inexpensive guide that can help you make identifications, although it does not include foraging information.
what books will you take to the desert this spring?
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