Safe Foraging

Everything looks good when you’re starving. Let Den Mother tell you what’s really on the menu.

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If I don’t have a field guide with me, how can I tell if a plant is safe to eat?

- Caleb Gordon, via email

Plan A: Stick with what you know. Odds are, you’re familiar with yard plants— clover, dandelions, and chickweed—and other common edibles. (See page 23 for the August harvest.)

Plan B is a song and dance we call the Universal Edibility Test. If you’re an impatient eater, beware: this is not a quick process.