Written by: Breanne Brazeale
Medically Reviewed by: Dr. Frannie Koe, MD
It’s no secret that we here at AgroshareMD are big fans of gardening and food self-sufficiency. But not everyone has the time, land or opportunity to grow their own. Foraging can be a great way to add healthy food to your diet, even if you are short on time or finances. We are so lucky that in the state of AL, food is all around us. Not only can a walk through the woods help keep your body moving, you can work up an appetite for some wonderful wild-harvested meals!
Correct plant identification is essential, however. If you have any doubts about the identity of the plant, it is safer to leave it alone. There are many plant look-alikes, so it is crucial that you consume nothing you cannot be certain about. That is why we will only discuss plants and wild foods which are both very safe and easy to identify. It is also important that you never harvest any plants you plan to use for food or health support from the side of the road or public areas that are known to be sprayed as chemicals can contaminate them. We also suggest only foraging for plants that are not at risk or endangered. With finances becoming tighter and a growing worldwide interest in slow food and herbalism, certain plants (such as ginseng, trillium, and others) have been harvested to the brink. If you would like to learn more about ethically wild-harvesting plants or to see an extensive list of at-risk plants and find out what you can do to help, we suggest checking out United Plant Savers here: https://unitedplantsavers.org/
One of my favorite things to harvest is chicken of the woods mushrooms. These delicious fungi are easy to identify and are beautiful! Even my picky children will eat them, sauteed or pan fried in butter with salt, pepper, and thyme.
Laetiporus sulphureus, or chicken of the woods, are yellow, cream, and bright orange fungi that grow on decaying hardwood trees (oak and cherry trees, although they can occasionally can grow on some types of conifer trees) and can be found across much of North America. You can most commonly find chicken of the woods during the late summer into the fall, and the fungi grows on both the trunks and from the decaying or damaged roots of trees. Their colors vary from vibrant yellow to orange (which fades to tan or white as they age), and their pore layer underneath is white to lemon yellow. They typically grow aboveground in fan shaped clusters. (Source: University of Florida IFAS Extension https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/PP358)
Chicken of the woods mushrooms are high in antioxidants and are edible (and quite delicious) when prepared properly. They get their common name from the similar taste and texture they have to chicken after being cooked. It is best to use the outer, more tender pieces rather than the woody stems and centers, and it is imperative that you cook them thoroughly before consuming them. Eating raw or undercooked chicken of the woods, or consuming the cooked fungi in large quantities, can cause gastrointestinal distress, so it is best to cook well and go slow. The mushrooms can also be dehydrated or frozen and saved for later.
I harvested a huge specimen (the photos in this article) a few weeks ago. It was so large it filled up a grocery bag! I sauteed a few pieces in butter and de-glazed the pan with a small amount of chicken broth and balsamic vinegar and then served them with fresh thyme, salt and pepper alongside a pork roast for supper. I chopped the remaining chicken of the woods and dried the pieces using my food dehydrator. I stored them in a vacuum-sealed bag in my freezer. I will add these pieces (in small quantities) to soups and stews this fall. I discarded all the tough or woody bits.
As always, the information contained both in this article and on AgroshareMD.com is for informational purposes only and not to be considered medical advice. Please consult your own care provider before trying any new foods, especially those you have gathered in the wild, because not all foods are right for everyone.
If you have any food you like to harvest from the woods, fields, or other wild spaces, we’d love to hear about it!
