The guy that runs the Lone Survivalist website at Lone Survivalist | Survival Skills 24/7 has put out a free ebook entitled "Down & Dirty Survival Hacks". I downloaded it, and read it. Then I sent him a notice of error. His book wrongly identifies Burdock as being the same plant as elephant ear. Then he goes on to say that the giant leaves and stems can be eaten raw. That is not just wrong, it's dangerously wrong. Elephant ear has a high concentration of oxalic acid, particularly in the stems and leaves. If eaten raw, they can kill a person stone dead. Aside from perforating the esophagus (oxalic acid burns tissue like bleach), and causing the throat to swell shut, the stuff can kill your liver. So--if you plan to read this book, you should wear rubber gloves over your eyeballs. There are a few other iffy items in the book, but the elephant ear screwup is the one most likely to kill someone. I plan to watch a while and see if the ebook gets corrected, and whether this guy sends out a warning to all the people who have downloaded it. In the meantime, monkey see, monkey don't. (Mods: I would have posted this in Survival Articles, but I apparently have insufficient privileges. NP. Move it if it needs moving.)
He probably thought wild elephant ear was used to make the delicious treats sold at carnivals and fairs. Thanks for the head's up. I'm seriously deficient in this part of survival lore. I need to take time this weekend to identify some edible plants, both locally and in the area I'm looking to for relocation. In fact, along with other criteria, should be on the list when looking for a new AO. @Motomom34 edible/useful plants would be an outstanding TOTM subject.
Moved, and featured. I have the greatest faith in UncleMorgan, and have no intention of testing elephant ears for edibility, but in taro form, they were a staple in pacific diets. Cooked properly, it is safe. Raw, well, not so much. See also "poi."
Yes: cooking breaks down oxalic acid. You just want to make sure that all of it gets broken down. Islanders have very specific procedures for preparing taro.
Poke weed can be ate after boiling it several times adding clean water so on and so on but why would you waste your time doing so that leads me to my next point. IF YOU DO NOT PRACTICE YOUR SKILLS YOU WILL NOT HAVE THEM WHEN YOU NEED THEM.
Dont know if its still available, but the B.S.A. had a regional edibles booklet, very well done and tried and tested! They also would send out updates as they came in! Learn how to test unknowns as well, with different names for things, you might pass right on by a gold mine and not even know you did it!
Stalking The Wild Asparagus Paperback – Deluxe Edition, March 22, 2005 by Euell Gibbons (Author) 4.7 out of 5 stars 122 customer reviews https://www.amazon.com/dp/0911469036/?tag=survivalmonke-20 Top Reviews The Librarian 5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent info from a master gatherer January 5, 2014 Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase Euell Gibbons became famous in the 70's for his Grape Nuts commercial, where he asked, "Have you ever et a pine tree? Many parts are edible!" Pretty good for a guy who was once a hobo, living off the land once! This book is the real deal. The plant drawings are good, the recipes are great, and if there were only one plant book I would carry into a survival scene, it would be this one. You don't have to be into survivalist stuff to use it however, try some of these recipes, you'll find rich, full flavors and it's all free from Mother Nature! It's a god idea to learn these things anyway, just in case, so why not practice gathering and preparing wild foods now, you'll be glad you did one day, and you may find you love the natural flavors better than hybridized, genetically created foods big business has created so they "transport well." Enjoy! 11 people found this helpful Helpful Comment Report abuse lanahi 5.0 out of 5 starsGibbons not only gives great information on a few plants March 7, 2016 Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase Gibbons not only gives great information on a few plants, but he does it with a wit that can't be found in other wild plant food books. He always gives directions on how to cook the wild edible and often the trials he went through in learning the best way to make it. Gibbons is entertaining and even inspiring...this book is the first I ever read on the topic and was enough for me to want to go out right away to find plants...and I did...a long time ago. Since then wild plant foraging has become a fascinating hobby that I've shared with several friends and relatives, including those who beg me to make more acorn bread for them every year. Gibbons is rightfully called "The father of the foraging movement". 2 people found this helpful Helpful Comment Report abuse lanahi 5.0 out of 5 starsBest book to begin with! October 13, 2009 Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase "Stalking the Wild Asparagus" is both inspiring and educational. This, I believe, was the first book on wild edibles to be written, and Euell Gibbons earns his right to declare himself the father of the foraging movement, although he never did claim that. He just shared what he loved, and his excitement shines throughout the book. There are no photos in this book, just line drawings, as it isn't meant to be a guide to identifying the plants. After you ID them, Euell Gibbons tells you what to do with them, along with all his favorite recipes and something about his experience with the plant he is writing about. There is no question that he speaks through his own experience, often very humerous. He definitely has a great sense of humor, and the book is a good straight read. He tells you about the plant itself and the seasons you harvest the edible parts, tells you some of his experimenting to come up with the best ways to prepare it, sometimes the nutritional value of the plant, and lots more. I've used his recipes on many of the plants and they are all delicious. The book covers over 45 plants that can be found most places and even some of the wild meat course to go with it! I've owned dozens of this book over the years but keep giving mine away to those who are just beginning to be interested in the topic of wild edible plants. It's still the best there is to provide the inspiration to learn more. Now I have whole shelves of wild edible plant books, mostly for identifying purposes, but this one is still my all-time favorite and still very useful. If you get this book, be sure to try the acorn bread! Read more 17 people found this helpful Helpful Comment Report abuse Randy J. Mercurio 4.0 out of 5 starsValuable foraging reference! December 6, 2009 Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase I agree with many of the reviewers (Joanna Daneman, Timothy Ritter, Small Chief & Bret Hall) that explain who Gibbons was and how the book became what it is today. I will elaborate more on the actual contents of the book. Each plant entry gives the common and scientific name, some lore & history, a general description of the plant accompanied by very raw sketches, general habitat and range, flowering and gathering times, recipes, medicinal uses (if aplicable) and will usually have entertaining stories associated with the plant from Euell's past experiences. Keep in mind this information is found in various places in the text so I find it helpful to underline/highlight the important information to me so when I go back to reference it I can find it easily. This is not a field guide as one reviewer said and should not be relied on to go to your local abandoned lot to find and identify edible plants. With all of the edible plant guides out there with color plates and easier formats to use I suggest you'll need a supplement to this book if you are an amateur botanist. Otherwise, this book is highly recommended to anyone that has an interest in wild edibles. 12 people found this helpful Helpful Comment Report abuse M. Smith 5.0 out of 5 starsOne of the bibles of edible plants October 22, 2013 Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase I lost my old copy of it and was delighted to see it is still in print. Euell Gibbons lived and breathed what he wrote about. This book is written by a man who practiced what he preached and tells you how to prepare wild plants for consumption from first hand knowledge. It is also a fun book to read. He explains ways to do things like clean and cook Bluegill, something every woodswoman or woodsman should know how to do. This book will make you want to go out and forage on nature's bounty. It is infectious and inspires you to incorporate this way of life into your everyday practice, not simply do it on a rare occasion as a special kind of experiment. Great book! 4 people found this helpful Helpful Comment Report abuse Cynthia Hall 5.0 out of 5 starsA must have for foragers! May 6, 2016 Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase I've recently gotten into foraging and found this book to be essential. Not only did I learn about common edible plants (where they are found, identifying them, how to harvest, etc.), I learned how to prepare them for meals. And, of course, Euell Gibbons' stories are wonderful. This is a great resource for anyone who loves to forage for food. 3 people found this helpful Helpful Comment Report abuse Velma B. Lindner 5.0 out of 5 starsI love this book April 9, 2018 Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase I have owned Two copies of this book. I found it most useful when I lived in Hawaii in the 70s and 80s. My family went gathering almost every week end using the information in this book as a guide. I was excited to find this copy as I wanted to gift it to my Grandson. He will be spending the next year at least, working in Hawaii, and I hope he finds this book as useful as I did. Helpful Comment Report abuse See all 122 reviews Write a customer review
knowing you can eat a plant and being able to identify it without someone showing you are two different things. Some plants are obvious... like dandelioins, edible and easily identifiable, others like mushrooms, you better know what you are doing. these books are great identifier books with clear pictures Amazon.com: weeds of the west: Books
An Interim Update: Three days ago I contacted The Lone Survivalist with a question about S&H on one of their endless free gifts. (Yes--it was ploy to get in contact with someone--anyone--at the site.) I got an answer the next day, from a live human. I thanked him for the information he provided, and passed on the information about the error in the "Down & Dirty Survival Hacks" ebook. Today I received a message of thanks, and was told the error has been corrected. Unfortunately, when I made a fresh download from the original link, no correction had been made. Maybe they are just a little slow in Department of Links. I'll check one more time in a few days.
Checked again today: ebook still uncorrected. Apparently the scumbags at Lone Survivalist are interested only in selling stuff baited with the word "FREE!". They don't even remotely care if their misinformation harms someone. Under the law, that kind of callous indifference is the same as active malice. No waiver of liability will save them if someone gets hurt and and sues them. To monkeys on more than one board: Please spread the word that Lone Survivalist should be actively shunned, and mention the potentially lethal misinformation in their e-book.
The owner of Lone Survivalist contacted me today. He seems genuinely interested in fixing the problem with the eBook. Will update as things progress.
It is 4:47 in the am, and (since I'm up) here is what will probably be the last update on this thread . The owner of Lone Survivalist has kindly removed all references to elephant ear from his listing. What is now written about Burdock is essentially correct. Burdock (aside from being a pernicious weed) is what I would call troublesome edible plant. It is sometimes a little hard to correctly identify, and there are some problems that can arise from eating it. It is (for example) a powerful diuretic. It is also easy to confuse with "Rhubarb"--of which there are two kinds: "Wild Rhubarb" and "Edible Rhubarb". Burdock can be also mistaken for "Elephant Ear" (AKA taro), and "Rhubarb Elephant Ear" (a red-stemmed variety)--which just makes matters worse. So, here are some links to (hopefully) help clear up some of the confusion: Difference Between Burdock & Rhubarb | Livestrong.com and What is Wild Rhubarb? Is it Edible? Burdock is an edible plant, but not as edible as, say, an apple. It's important to know which parts to eat, when to pick them, and how to cook them. So, here's another link: Foraging Burdock for Food and Medicine Burdock is one of those plants you should probably learn about from a live instructor, rather than a book or video. In the meantime, be cautious. Better yet, look for cattails. Just to mention, I have invited the owner of Lone Survivalist to join the Monkey Board. As a vendor, he may have products of interest to some Monkeys, and as a participant, knowledge may be shared advantageously by all. Ahhh! Breakfast calls. Looks like it's fried bananas. Again.
Hunted many a mushroom with my parents when I was in HS. What I can recommend that you do is not only go with him, but also read up on them. Also, first few times you hunt, only taste a small sliver of whatever you gather. Within a few hours you'll know whether you did OK, or got something bad. Much better to have a small problem, than a large one. My mom hunted mushrooms in MO strip pits until she was ~70 and COPD started driving her life.
LS is actually a good friend of mine. Many years of service is varying capacities. Tons of skills and heavy comms experience to. I actually was responsible for him starting LS by showing him WP publishing techniques. I dont interact much on his site as trying to make a living has priorities but did talk to him for about an hour 2 weeks ago, We live a few hours from each other. Not that all of this means anything