Iarwain
05-03-2005, 08:35 AM
Well some sort of creativity must have hit because yesterday we started a new project. We are experimenting with wild foods. We have a field guide to edible wild plants and I suggested that we start trying some of these plants. The kids absolutely jumped on the idea! (I should note that this isn't a first for us in that we have eaten dandelions, both fried blossoms and greens in our salad, for years.)
So yesterday we decided to try burdock. There is tons of it in our yard and it is an obnoxious weed that I was happy to dig up. We dug, washed, peeled and cooked the roots. They were quite bitter and in re-reading the book I realized that it is a bienniel and it is the first year roots that were recommended for eating. I think we had a mix but mostly second year ones which would explain them being so yucky. Apparently the greens are edible as well but we didn't get that far. Maybe we'll try that next.
The kids learned so much! We examined the plants and compared the characteristics to the picture and description in the book and identified it as the source of the annoying burs that plague our yard. It was so much fun! I think this is going to be a fun summer doing this with the various plants native to our area. I've always wanted to be able to identify local plants, but never learned. So this is cool. I love unschooling. :smile
So yesterday we decided to try burdock. There is tons of it in our yard and it is an obnoxious weed that I was happy to dig up. We dug, washed, peeled and cooked the roots. They were quite bitter and in re-reading the book I realized that it is a bienniel and it is the first year roots that were recommended for eating. I think we had a mix but mostly second year ones which would explain them being so yucky. Apparently the greens are edible as well but we didn't get that far. Maybe we'll try that next.
The kids learned so much! We examined the plants and compared the characteristics to the picture and description in the book and identified it as the source of the annoying burs that plague our yard. It was so much fun! I think this is going to be a fun summer doing this with the various plants native to our area. I've always wanted to be able to identify local plants, but never learned. So this is cool. I love unschooling. :smile