On Eating the American Mandrake

I'm very much a novice at herbalism, foraging, and wildcrafting.     I take my time learning and experimenting because I understand that it can be dangerous if you don't do your homework.  But even if you do a lot of research, you still have to be careful.  You never know what you'll be allergic to, for example.  You have to try a small sample first.  That way, if you are allergic or if your resources left out an important detail - you're more likely to be okay.  Hopefully.

One of my favorite blogs to read is 66 Square Feet.  The author,  Marie Viljoen, is passionate about food and plants.  She decided to experiment with the May Apple - aka American Mandrake (pictured at left - photo by Ms. Viljoen).

I love her most recent entry.  What an adventure!  It's very unfortunate that the authors of the books she was consulting didn't include the detail about the seeds being toxic!  I'm glad she's okay and lived to tell us the tale!



( For My LJ Friends: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/ )