Resources:

http://www.wildflower.org/expert/show.php?id=4438

www.houstonwildedibles.blogspot.com
Edible
Plants of
Edible and Useful Plants of Texas and the Southwest by Delena Tull (2008,
University of Texas Press: Austin)

The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing

Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thayer (2006, Forager's Harvest Press)

Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and central North America (Peterson Field Guide)
by L.A. Peterson and R.T. Peterson (1999, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Austin: a
brief guide

Compiled (for educational purposes) by

Jen Weiss & Shelley O’Grady for Skillshare Austin June 2010

www.skillshareaustin.org/

for questions/comments about this document: madfigs9@gmail.com

do not reproduce for commercial purpose

THE FIRST RULE OF FORAGING… FORAGING NECESSITIES

DO NOT EAT ANYTHING YOU HAVEN’T POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED AS EDIBLE! 1. Common sense.
2. Bug repellent. For you, not the plants.
3. Appropriate clothing: long pants, long shirt, hat, close-toed shoes,
gloves.
FORAGING ETIQUETTE 4. Clippers. Avoid ripping branches, tearing off fruit. This will damage
the plant. Use small clippers to help retrieve plants.
1. Do not strip the plant or over pick; leave some food for animals 5. Something to collect plants in.
(this is their food source too!), other people and for propagation. 6. A way to wash plants before eating.
2. Do not water, add pesticide, or prune bushes and trees unless you
know what you’re doing and you have permission to do so. There
are good and bad times to care for plants. For example, pruning at
the wrong time of year can lead to plant disease.
3. Foraging on private property is against the law and you can be
arrested for stealing. When in doubt, ask for permission. More often
than not, someone with a fruit/nut tree will be more than happy to
have you pick it instead of it falling and rotting in their lawn.
4. Foraging can be dangerous to your health.
 Always make sure you positively identify a plant before
eating. In addition, some people can be sensitive to edible
plants, so eat sparingly while you determine your body’s
tolerance for a particular plant.
 Don’t forage by old abandoned houses – stay 3 feet back
due to lead paint and asbestos contamination.
 If you know an area has been pesticide treated, wait at least
a year before foraging leafy greens and fruit and at least 3
year for harvesting tubers.
 Know your foraging site history – some may have been used
for sewage treatment, oil mining, brown sites, drainage
sites etc. A lot of this information can be found on line.
5. Don’t leave a trace. Pack in, pack out. Be gentle on the plants and
kind to the wildlife sharing their food with you. Don’t slash your way
through a wildlife area to get at a plant.
PUBLIC ACCESS LANDSCAPE & NATIVE EDIBLE PLANTS NATIVE ‘PUBLIC’ ACCESS (“from the sidewalk – not trespassing”)

Once you start recognizing plants, you’ll start to see them everywhere! Here
is a list to get you started. Keep in mind that foraging on private property
without permission is considered stealing. Keep in mind safety Wild plants – look along fence lines for berry trees/bushes especially and
considerations on foraging in unknown history land plots. anyplace that does not get mowed

 Agarita
 Mulberry
PUBLIC ACCESS FRUIT/NUT TREES:  Mustang grape
 Wild onion (make sure they smell like onion!)
There are many orchards and singular trees planted around the Austin area  Prickly pear cactus
for the purpose of public access and consumption. Here is a list of some  Horsemint
 Greenbriar
1. ACC Eastview Campus :  Purslane
 Mexican Plum trees (Fall)– all over – small-size, can have  Hackberries
thick skins - some trees are better than others  Honey mesquite
2. Mueller Park:  Henbit
 Pecan Trees – In the native plant sect ion (south side by  Sunchoke
restored prairie land, along the giant red metal art). There is  Chile pequin
a mixture of very young and very old pecan trees.  Field pennycress
 Peaches, Pears, Figs (all around lake area with fountain, also
around shopping area)
 Salvia, prickly pear cactus, agarita, etc. are used in Others listed here are mostly common landscaping plants/trees
landscaping throughout
3. Richard Moya Park: Others (not mentioned here, but can be found in the area):
 Located just south of the airport, off 183. Very old pecan
orchard. Soooo many large and older pecan trees!  Asiatic dayflower
4. Southeastern Metropolitan Park:  Red clover
 Relatively young orchard.  Dandelion
 6 large mulberry trees, large fig trees, several pear trees,  Curly Dock (common weed)
loquats, pomegranates, and a couple of small, sad  Elderberry
peach/plum trees and some blackberry bushes.  Shepherd’s purse
5. Seton Ave, between 25th and 26th  Etc…
 Loquat on the sidewalk/street
 Many throughout the city – some on UT campus (like the
GIANT persimmon tree @ 24th & San Jacinto – but a ladder
is needed to reach most of them..), and along sidewalks in
the residential area.
Loquat
Eriobotrya japonica(Rosaceae family)
What: fruits
When: spring
Where: landscaping
Identifying Features: evergreen large shrub or small tree with woolly
new twigs; dark green leaves are alternate and simple, are about 5-10
inches long, and are leathery looking; fruits grow in clusters and turn
from yellow to orange as they ripen and are about 1-2 inches long
Notes: each fruit contains one or more large seeds which are inedible
and contain small amounts of toxic compounds; fruit contains high
acid, pectin, and sugar.
Persimmon
Diospyros virginiana (Ebenaceae family)
What: fruits
When: late fall, early winter (some say after first frost)
Where: landscaping; wild
Identifying Features: medium-to-tall tree with large oblong leaves
(about 6 inches long and 3 inches wide) that are simple and alternate
with dark green, shiny upper surfaces
Notes: eat fruits when soft and mushy; unripe fruit is astringent. Fruit
can be gathered when unripe and left in a sunny indoor spot to ripen
Pomegranate
Punica granatum (Lythraceae family) Fig
Ficus carica (Ficus family)
What: fruits
When: fall, winter What: fruits
Where: landscaping When: spring, summer
Identifying Features: deciduous shrub or small tree; narrow, glossy oblong Where: landscaping
leaves that are opposite on stems and are around 1-3 inches in length and Identifying Features: large, deciduous shrub or small tree; leaves are 5-
up to 1 inch wide; most easily identified by the bright orange/red flowers in 10 inches long and 4-7 inches across and are deeply lobed with three
spring or five lobes; fruits are 1-2 inches long with a green skin, sometimes
Notes: many pomegranate trees are fruitless varieties; fruits will split when ripening towards brown.
over ripe Notes: fruits can be eaten fresh, dried, or made into jams; most
common fig tree in Central Texas are Texas Everbearing trees (Ficus
carica) which bear medium-large, mahogany to brown fruit, with
strawberry colored pulp; the early crop ripens in May; the main crop
ripens in late June and continues to ripen into August
Cautions: sap from leaves/stems can irritate skin
Pear (Kieffer) Turk’s Cap
Pyrus communis Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii (Malvaceae family)

What: fruit What: fruit, flowers, young leaves

When: summer, fall When: spring and fall
Where: landscaping Where: landscaping, wild
Identifying Features: tall deciduous tree; white flowers in spring Identifying Features: Perennial shrub is usually around 3-4 feet but can
Notes: keiffer pears don’t get soft as they ripen as bartlett’s do, instead they grow up to 10 feet; leaves are 2-3 inches long and have a heart-
stay crisp shaped base and are about as broad as they are long; leaves are
simple and alternate with toothed margins and three shallow lobes
and have a velvety texture; bright red flowers produce mealy red
fruits about ¾ inch
in diameter.
Notes: Fruits
contain several
seeds and can be
cooked down to a
jelly or syrup.
Flowers can be
used in tea (similar
to hibiscus tea) and
dried for later use.
Young leaves can
be eaten raw, in
salads.
Rose
Rosa Species (Rosaceae Family)
What: Rose hips (raw, cooked, jelly, tea); rose petals (salads, teas)
When: when available
Where: landscaping
Identifying Features: thorny stems; leaves are alternate and pinnately
compound, with sharply toothed oval-shaped leaflets; rose hips ripen
in late summer to fall and resemble small pomegranates
Notes: rose hips are very high in vitamin C and can be eaten raw or
cooked for a better taste
Pecan
Carya illinoinensis (Juglandaceae (Walnut) family)
What: nuts
When: late fall, winter
Where: landscaping; wild; riverbanks
Identifying Features: large, pinnately compound leaves that alternate
on the stem; each leaf has many oblong leaflets arranged opposite
each other on the leaf stalk; oblong shell of the pecan nut is smooth
Notes: best gathered after a norther, which will help knock them out of
the trees
Plum/Wild Plum
Prunus species (Rosaceae (Rose) family)
What: fruit
When: summer, fall
Where: landscaping; wild- stream banks and fencerows
Identifying Features: wild plums are shrubs or small trees; simple,
alternate leaves are ovate to elliptic and have finely serrated margins;
in early spring the trees are covered in fragrant white flowers; wild
plum fruits are about ½- 1.5 inches
Notes: wild plums tend to be sour but make good jellies and jams;
Mexican plum (Prunus mexicana) is the most common wild plum.
Redbud
Cercis Canadensis (Legume family)
What: flowers, young seed pods
When: late winter, early spring for flowers; late spring for pods
Where: landscaping, wild
Identifying Features: small sized deciduous tree with simple heart-
shaped leaves with smooth margins. Pink flowers cluster along the
branches and seed pods are flattened and grow to about 2-4 inches
long.
Notes: flowers can be eaten raw or cooked and are high in vitamin C;
young green seed pods can be eaten raw, boiled, or sautéed. By the
end of spring seed pods turn dry and papery and are no longer edible.
Canna Lily Mustang Grape
Canna species (Cannaceae family) Vitis mustangensis (Vitaceae family)

What: tubers What: grapes; young leaves

When: year round When: spring, summer for grapes
Where: landscaping Where: edges of woods, everywhere
Identifying Features: very large flat, alternate leaves; bright flowers; Identifying Features: grapes have simple, alternate, heart-shaped or
grows up to 5 feet tall broadly ovate leaves; leaf margins are lined with teeth and may be
Notes: rhizomes of the canna plants are some of the riches starch lobed; underside of mustang grape leaves are whitish and covered in
sources available; tubers can be dug up and consumed as you would woolly hairs almost like Velcro; grape vines are prolific growers and do
potatoes; may also be consumed raw not have spines
Notes: green grapes in spring, before seeds have fully grown, can be
used in baking; ripe grapes (purplish black in color) can be eaten raw
but have a tough, sour skin and large seeds. The ripe grapes can be
washed and cooked into jellies and syrups. Leaves can be used for
dolmas, or sautéed and eaten.
Agarita
Berberis trifoliolata (Berberidaceae family)
What: berries; young tender leaves
When: berries in spring; young growth in spring and fall
Where: forest edges
Identifying Features: holly-like evergreen shrub produces bright yellow
blooms in late winter/early spring and small berries (about 1 cm)
ripen to a bright shiny red in spring; mature leaves are stiff and sharp
Notes: berries can be collected in larger quantities by laying out a sheet
underneath and threshing the branches with a stick
Hackberry
Celtis species
What: berries (seeds are edible but vary in chew-ability by tree)
When: late summer to late fall when berries are ripe
Identifying Features: trees have simple, alternate leaves and can
develop a rough wart-y bark as they age
Where: hackberries grow nearly everywhere in the area and many
consider them “trash trees” because they grow fast, weak, and have
relatively short lives
Notes: sweetness of berries varies by tree- try many to find the
sweetest; many trees have hard seeds, but some have seeds that are
chewable. Berries with chewable seeds can be ground up (pulp and
seed together) for eating. Berries with non-chewable seeds can be
cooked and strained into a juice then cooked with sugar and a little
lemon juice to make a syrup.
Blackberry/Dewberry Mulberry
Rubus species (Rosaceae family) Morus species (Mulberry family)

What: berries What: berries

When: June/July
Where: ditches, wastelands
Identifying Features: perennial plants with biennial (two-year) stems-
the first year stems grow vigorously and can get up to 9 ft in length,
the second year stems flower and produce blackberries; stems are
very thorny; leaves are large palmately compound leaves with 5-7
leaflets
Notes: blackberries are those that grow upright canes while dewberries
are those that trail along the ground
When: spring
Where: landscaping; wild, particularly along streams
Identifying Features: oblong berries resemble raspberries or
blackberries; small-to-medium sized trees with alternate simple leaves
with toothed margin; leaves may be unlobed, or lobed on one or both
sides
Notes: berries can be white, black, or red when ripe depending on the
variety; eating too many unripe berries can upset stomach
Honey Mesquite
Prosopis glandulosa (Legume family)
What: bean pods
When: summer/fall
Where: dry grasslands
Identifying Features: deciduous shrub/small tree; leaves are bipinnately
compound with long narrow leaflets; long puffs of light yellow flowers
in spring and slender yellowish bean pods (about 8 inches long) in late
summer and fall; tree branches have long (about 1-2 inch) thorns
Notes: pods contain protein and up to twice as much sugar as sugar
cane; pods can be chewed on raw and then spit out the fiberous pulp.
Pods from different trees vary in sweetness and some can even be
bitter, so sample several trees to find the sweetest
Yaupon Holly
Ilex vomitoria (Aquifoliaceae Family)
What: leaves, twigs (NOT berries)- roasted or dried and made as tea
When: all year
Where: landscaping; wild
Identifying Features: evergreen shrub/small tree with small, simple
leaves that alternate on the stems; leaf margins are lined with
rounded teeth and are rather brittle – if you bend a leaf it will crack
before it is bent in half; red berries (not edible) are present in fall
Notes: Yaupon holly is a relative of the South American mate and the
leaves contain caffeine! Gather a mixture of newer and older leaves
and roast or dry them before brewing as tea.
Wild Onion Sage
Allium species (Liliaceae family) Salvia species (Lamiacea family)
What: bulbs, leaves, just as you would a cultivated onion
When: spring What: flowers, leaves
Where: river banks, wild When: spring, summer, fall
Identifying Features: leaves are basal and linear, like tall blades of grass; Where: landscaping, wild
blooms from top of the flower stalk in the spring Identifying Features: the tubular flowers vary in color from white to red
Notes: Wild onions can be stronger than the cultivated varieties to blue and are about 1.5 inches long
Cautions: Do not confuse with Crow Poison (Nothoscordum bivalve), Notes: any fragrant wild sage leaves can be used just like culinary sage;
which looks nearly the same- however, only wild onion smells like flowers can be eaten raw
onion, so smell before you eat! (Crow Poison smells like grass – do
not eat)
Prickly Pear Cactus Purslane aka Stone crop aka Sedum
Opuntia engelmannii and others (Cactaceae family) Portulaca oleracea (Portulacaceae family)

What: fruits (tunas); young pads (nopalitos)- before long spines have What: stems and leaves
formed When: spring, summer, fall
When: spring, summer, fall Where: lawns, cracks in sidewalks
Where: wild; landscaping Identifying Features: a low-growing succulent annual weed; fleshy
Identifying Features: flat, round pads; spineless varieties can be found simple leaves are alternate on the stems and are about ¼ to 1 inch
but both spined and spineless will have areoles with glochids (tiny, long
hooked spines) on the pads and the fruits, so use thick gloves when Notes: stems and leaves can be chopped up and eaten raw; contains 9%
handling oxalic acid, which can tie up calcium, so eat limited amounts
Notes: fruit and pads can be eaten raw, or cooked; contain oxalic acid
so eat limited amounts; best to gather by holding fruit/pad and slicing
it off the parent plant at the base- twisting the fruit/pads off can
cause unnecessary damage to the plant
Cautions: glochids must be removed prior to consuming and there are
several different methods of removing them- personally I run them
under water and
brush off the glochids
with a clean sponge
then I carve off the
edges and scrape off
the areoles with a
sharp knife
Sunchoke aka Jerusalem Artichoke Henbit
Helianthus tuberosus (Asteraceae Family) Lamium amplexicaule (Lamiaceae (Mint) family)

What: tubers What: leaves, stems, flowers

When: fall (wait at least 2 When: year round but most abundant in fall and winter
weeks after flowers have Where: lawns, fields, sides of roads
faded) Identifying Features: square stems, opposite leaves, and tiny pink-
Where: wild, disturbed purple two-lipped flowers; usually only a few inches tall, it can grow
fields up to 18 inches high
Identifying Features: Notes: can be eaten raw as in salads or added to soups
large (up to 10 feet), gangly,
multibranched perennial with
rough, sandpapery leaves and
stems, and numerous yellow
flowerheads; leaves are ovate
and 5-10 inches long. The
flowerheads are 3-4 inches
across and have 10-20 bright
yellow rays; It is distinguished
by its tall, erect stems
producing numerous, fleshy
tuberous roots like slender
potatoes, its medium to large
leaves broad near the base
and harsh on the upper
surface, and its bright yellow,
sunflower-like flower heads.
Notes: tubers can be
eaten raw or cooked as you
would potatoes; skins do not
need to be peeled but should
be cleaned/scrubbed; one
plant can create 2-5 pounds
of tubers
Greenbriar aka Saw Greenbriar aka Catbriar
Smilax bona-nox Monarda species (Lamiaceae family)
What: tender, thin vines; tendrils; tubers
When: all year
Where: shady areas- greenbriar is notoriously hard to get rid of due to
the massive tubers
Identifying Features: vine with BOTH thorns and tendrils; light green
splotches may be on leaves
Notes: new shoots and leaves can be eaten raw; tubers are a good
source of starch but are time consuming to dig up and prepare (see
other sources for information on eating the tubers)
Horsemint aka Lemonmint aka Beebalm
What: purple/white leaves; flowers- raw or in tea
When: spring, summer
Where: wild; side of roads
Identifying Features: grows up to three feet tall with dense clusters of
flowers at the leaf axils, surrounding the stem
Notes: very strong minty flavor (like an altoid), especially when raw
purple/white leaves are chewed
Field Pennycress aka Poor Man’s Pepper
Lepidium species (Brassicaceae family)
What: seeds
When: spring, winter
Where: wild, sides of roads
Identifying Features: stalks grow up to about 1 foot and form a rounded
mass of seeding stalks at the top; seeds are circular and flattened
Notes: seeds can be used as a peppery spice; closely related is
Shepherd’s Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) which has triangular
flattened seeds that can also be used as a pepper spice
Chile Pequín
Capsicum Annuum
What: berries, used fresh or can be dried for later use
When: summer and fall, when berries ripen
Where: landscaping; wild
Identifying features: small, delicately branching shrub with zigzagging
branches and small, simple, alternate leaves. Small white flowers in
spring. The small berries go from bright green to yellow or bright red
as they ripen and are about ½ inch long.
Notes: Only one or two berries need to be used in cooking as they are
hotter than jalapeños
Caution: Don’t confuse with Jerusalem-cherry (Solanum
pseudocapsicum) which has toxic red or yellow fruit. Jerusalem cherry
has round berries and larger leaves (up to 4 inches) whereas chile
pequin berries are generally oval or tapered and the plant has smaller
leaves.
RECIPES Jelly test:

Scoop out a teaspoonful and allow to cool for a few seconds. Pour back into
the pot. If the last few drops run together to form a sheet as they slid off the
PRESERVING FOOD spoon, the jelly is ready.

Preserved food not properly prepared can make you sick. Please see this
website for more details on canning and preserving food:
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/ and for the complete guide to home canning: Standard Jam Recipe:
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html
4 cups prepared fruit
1 pkg sure-jell pectin (amount varies with different fruit)
4 cups sugar (amount varies)
STANDARD JELLY AND JAM RECIPES 2-3 tbsp of lemon juice

Ref: Delena Tull. “Edible and Useful Plants of Texas & the Southwest”
Wash fruit and remove large stems, hard seeds, blossom ends. If it is very
pulpy, you may want to run it through a pulp grinder. Crush soft fruit.
Measure prepared pulp and place into a pot. Barely cover with water (if the
Standard Jelly recipe: fruit isn’t already very watery). Add pectin and lemon juice (if needed).
Bring to a rolling boil. Add sugar all at once and bring to a boil again. Boil
4 cups prepared fruit
1 pkg sure-jell pectin (amount varies with natural pectin content different mixture for 1 minute and pour into jars. Preserve.
fruit)
Equal volumes of sugar (1 cup juice = 1 cup sugar) NOTE: It may take a few days or few weeks for jams/jellies to set. Leave
2-3 tbsp lemon juice (amount varies with acidity of fruit) undisturbed. If it does not set you can repeat the pectin process. There are
directions in your pectin box.
Remove large seeds, large stems, and flowers. Wash thoroughly and remove
bad fruit, leaves, and insects. Place fruit in pot, barely cover with water.
Crush soft fruit. Heat and simmer 10 min for soft fruit, 20 min for harder
fruits. Mash fruits and strain to remove seeds and skins. Strain the liquid
through a jelly bad and squeeze to extract more juice.

Measure liquid and pour into clean pot. Add pectin and lemon juice (for low
acid fruits such as loquat). Bring to rolling boil then add in sugar all at once.
Bring to rolling boil again and boil for 5-10 minutes, until the jelly pasts the
jelly test. Pour into jars and preserve.
 1. MULBERRIES
A few notes about mulberries: Pick fresh and wash very well before
using. They are frequently covered in tiny bugs you can barely see.
Birds love them and frequently hang out in mulberry trees.
Mulberries don’t keep very well in the fridge; I recommend picking
and using within 24 hrs or freezing them back. They are great
frozen, in smoothies!
MULBERRY PANCAKES
2. MUSTANG GRAPES
MUSTANG GRAPE JELLY
Pick very purple grapes. Add just enough water to cover grapes and boil
until skins pop on most of the grapes. Strain and squeeze through a jelly
bag. Add equal volume of sugar and a package of pectin. Boil until jelly
tests done.

¾ cup flour MUSTANG GREEN GRAPE PIE

½ cup cornmeal
Early in the grape season (sometime in late April early May) the
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt mustang grapes will be small and green with no visible seeds. This is the
best time to pick the grapes for this recipe. The grapes taste and have a
1 ¼ cup soy (almond) milk texture of tangy crab apples.
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp canola oil Vegan Pie Crust:
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp lemon zest (or 1 tsp lemon juice) 1.5 cups flour
Add up to 1/3 cup of water to desired consistency 1tbsp sugar
Fold in 1 cup of fresh mulberries (you can use frozen as well) ½ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking powder
1/3 cup nonhydrogenated vegan shortening
Sift dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. Add to dry ¼ cup cold water, plus 2 tbsp if needed
ingredients and mix. Add water to the desired consistency and fold in 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
mulberries last.
Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and mix. Cut in shortening.
MULBERRY JAM Combine vinegar with water and add to dough. Mix into a ball and
knead gently until it holds together. If you want to put a top on the pie,
Mulberry jam is easy, but it also makes great jelly if you like jelly better. double the recipe. If you want to do a lattice on the top, I just roll
Follow typical jam and jelly recipe above. You can make a small batch of thinner to get a bit extra crust for the lattice.
jam to keep in your fridge or you can preserve it for use later. Note, you
do not have to remove stems. Pie Ingredients:

If not preserving, pour into clean, hot jars, screw on lid and allow to cool 3 cups green grapes
on counter top. Keep refrigerated. 3 cups sugar
water
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
Fresh nutmeg to taste
Mix green grapes and sugar, add just enough water to dissolve the
sugar. Cook for 10 min, turn off heat and add vanilla, cinnamon and
nutmeg if desired and mix. Pour into premade pie crust. Add pastry
crust on top. A cross top works nicely, or just a full pie crust cover (don’t
forget to poke holes!).
Bake 375 deg for 50 minutes. Cool 15 min at least before serving to
allow to set and to not scald your mouth!
3. PRICKLY PEAR
PRICKLY PEAR FRUIT:
There are many prickly pear recipes on-line. The fruit is best picked
when deep purple. Remember to use tongs and gloves when handling,
there are many spines and glochids on the fruit. It isn’t called prickly
pear for no reason! 
Use tongs to remove from plant. Glochdis can be airborne, don’t put
face too close. Rinse in cold water, brush off with a sponge. This will
remove most the spines. Slice off the thicker skin at both ends. Peel the
fruit by slicing from top to bottom and peeling away the skin. Be careful
of the spines! Alternatively, some websites say you can process directly
in a food processor without removing spines or skin.
Fruit can be used to make, juice, jam, jelly.
Prickly Pear Lemonade:
Mix a 12 oz. can of frozen lemonade, one 12 oz. can of water, 1/4
to ½ cup of prickly pear juice and 2 cans (24 oz. more to taste) of
any lemon/lime soda.
CACTUS PADS (nopales) RECIPES (Ref http://www.erowid.org/)
Harvest young, small pads (spring). Even spineless cactus has very
painful glochids! Handle with tongs and gloves. When harvesting
avoid being too close (glochids can become airborne and you can
get them in your eyes), use tongs and cut off pad with a knife.
Breaking them off can stress and damage the plant. Remove
spines and glochids by rubbing with a sponge. Use a paring knife
or peeler to remove skin. Make sure you get the areas with the
spines and/or glochids. Cut around the pad and the bottom, rinse
in cold water. Slice or dice. Nopales are very goopy when cut,
somewhat like okra.
*crudites st. pierre*
slice raw, peeled cactus into sticks. add salt, lime-juice and
chopped cilantro to taste.
*ensalada de nopalitos*
to each 4 oz of peeled, chopped raw cactus add 2 Tbs good-
quality cider vinegar, and let stand in the refrigerator for at least
an hour. add chopped parsely to taste.
*nopales al vapor*
to 1 2/3 C peeled, trimmed, and chopped fresh cactus add 1 Tbs
chopped scallions, a minced clove of garlic and salt to taste. fry in
1 Tbs olive oil, covered, over low-medium heat for 10 min. shake
the pan from time to keep the cactus from sticking. when the
juice has started to flow, uncover the pan and cook for another 15
minutes, until the juice has evaporated some, the residue has
begun to resorb, and the cactus is lightly browned. scrape the pan
with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. yield 1/2 C.
CACTUS JERKY

Marinade 2 hrs to overnight in fridge: 2/3 cup soy sauce, 1/3 cup
Worcestershire sauce, 2 tsp liquid smoke, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1
tsp onion powder. Dry in a dehydrator or oven.

4. AGARITA JELLY
NOTE: Chiggers and other insects love hanging around berry plants.
Spray your shoes/feet/legs with appropriate bug spray so while you are
collecting berries they are not crawling up your legs!

Harvest when the berries are deep red, plump and juicy. Place sheet
under agarita bush. Thresh bush (hold branch end and knock gently
midway with a stick or ruler) or tickle berries off with gloved fingers.
Threshing gets you lots of bugs, tickling takes a bit longer. Collect
berries from sheet and WASH REALLY WELL in a strainer. You WILL get a
lot of spiders, possibly chiggers and other small insects. Pick out dead
berries and leaves, twigs, debris. Keep some yellow berries, they help
with acidity and pectin content of your jelly.

Barely cover with water, boil until skins pop on almost all of them. The
water will turn bright red. Strain in cheese cloth, or preferably through a
jelly bag. Add equal volumes of sugar. Boil until jelly tests done. Follow
instructions on preserving in pectin box for jellies.

5. LOQUOT JELLY
Harvest loquats when bright yellow, with a slightly shiny coat. The older
the fruit, the less shiny. Older fruit has a more apple taste and texture,
the younger fruit is more juicy, fleshy but quite tart. Remove pits (these
pits are poisonous) and place flesh with skin in a small pot. Just cover
with water and boil for 10 minutes minimum until the fruit has softened
and has released most the juice. Strain and squeeze through a strainer
with cheese cloth or a jelly bag (preferred).
Add equal parts juice to sugar and 3 tbsp of lemon juice (see the recipe
book that comes with your pectin) and pectin. Boil until jelly tests done.