Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Wild Cabbage


A mature cabbage patch with leaves much too old to eat
The name Skunk Cabbage (Lysichiton americanus) will never conjure up epicurean images of greatness but given my recent experiments with the young leaf stalks, I am encouraged enough to emphasize the vegetable epithet and leave out the “skunk.”  In the Bellingham area, the young leaves are just emerging out of saturated soils, standing water, and slow moving streams.  Within the next couple weeks, their yellow spathes will unfurl and add color to the wetlands.

A long Skunk Cabbage leaf stalk
I have been curious about the edibility of this plant ever since 1994 when my friend Owen fed me some Skunk Cabbage roots that badly burned my tongue and left me with sores for a week.  I learned the hard way that raw Skunk Cabbage is NOT edible.  However, Erna Gunther wrote in "Ethnobotany of Western WA" that the Skokomish steamed and ate the young leaves and the Quinault roasted the white part of the [leaf] stalks.  The Quileute and Chinook also ate the roots (although I am inclined to believe that the white leaf stalks, which extend through the soil for several inches, may have been mistaken by ethnographers for the roots).

Some leaf stalks are amazingly large!
Using my hands to scoop away the soft wet muck around the young rosettes of Skunk Cabbage leaves, I was able to follow the emerging shoots 4-6 inches down to the root crown.  The shoots that I dug up ranged from about ½ inch to 1 ½ inches in diameter and were as white as a leak stalk.





The roots don't look nearly as good as the leaf stalks
I have experimented with both steaming and boiling the leaf stalks and found that boiling does a better job of rendering the stalks harmless.  All parts of Skunk Cabbage contain crystals of calcium oxalate called raphide that painfully embed in mucous tissues.  Boiling cannot destroy raphides but it may fix the crystals into a starch matrix that prevent the sharp points from damaging our soft tissues.  Leslie Haskin wrote in her 1934 publication, “Wild Flowers of the Pacific,” that Native Americans in Western Washington cooked Skunk Cabbage roots with hemlock cambium and it is interesting to speculate if the starchy cambium provided additional substrate for binding raphides.  Another matter of speculatation is that raphides are most concentrated in the perennial roots and least concentrated in the new leaf growth, which may explain why the young leaf shoots were traditionally eaten.  After boiling for about ½ hour in two changes of water, I only noticed a slight tingle on the sides of my tongue.  The leaves have a mild flavor and substantial quality that is very similar to cabbage.

Chopped and ready for boiling
While I am still too inexperienced with this plant to give it my full endorsement, I am posting this account with the hope that other people who have eaten our western  Skunk Cabbage (which is different from the Easter Skunk Cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus) will share their impressions with me.  If you are curious about experimenting with this plant, BE SURE TO COOK IT, only use the leaf stalks, and try a very small serving to see how you react to it before mixing it with other foods.

Warning: In some parts of the continent, the deadly poisonous False Green Helebore (Veratrum viride) also goes by the common name Skunk Cabbage. All parts of this plant are poisonous both raw and cooked.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Earthen Pit Oven



Earthen pit ovens have been used throughout the world for cooking feast foods and efficiently baking or steaming numerous foods that were dried and stored for later use.  Here on the coast the variety of foods that were prepared in earthen ovens ranged from small sea mammals to crabs and shellfish, to roots, and berries.  On Friday, I led a workshop for the Muckleshoot Tribal College on pit cooking. 


Rock lined pit
A hot fire
Removing the unburned wood
Layer of Salal
Layer of Sword Fern
The root vegetables
I arrived early and with the help of Miguel—a particularly keen student—dug a pit that was about three feet in diameter and one foot deep with shallowly sloping walls.  We lined the pit with fist sized basalt rocks that I brought with me from Bellingham and kindled a hot fire on top of them.   

The final layer of Sword Fern
Add water
The rest of the students arrived at 10:00 am and we divided into groups to collect Salal (Gaultheria shallon) branches and Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum) fronds, which are critical ingredients in pit cooking.  

Cover with burlap
Seal with soil
By 11:30, the rocks were nearly red hot and we scooped the unburned coals from the cooking pit and packed in our root vegetables.  Salal, which has amazingly fireproof leaves, was placed directly on the hot rocks and then covered with a mattress of sword ferns.  We placed carrots, onions, yams, and potatoes on top of the sword ferns, and then placed more sword ferns on top.  Then we poured water over the entire thing and quickly covered it with burlap and a couple inches of soil to seal in the steam. 

Carefully remove soil
Carefully roll up burlap
Remove vegetation
Baked vegetables
Three and a half hours later we carefully uncovered the food and feasted on root veggies.  It is hard to beat the flavor combination of onions and yams that have been roasted underground with Salal!





Monday, March 12, 2012

Rules for foraging on public land in the Pacific Northwest

Pertaining to harvesting mushrooms, berries, greens, roots, seaweeds, fish, shellfish, and game in Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Northern California

Photo courtesy of pudgyindian2.blogspot.com
This is only intended to be a summary of harvesting rules for major jurisdictions (federal, state, and provincial lands and waters).  Please follow the links that I provided to review the exact wording of the regulations.  Smaller jurisdictions such as counties, townships, municipalities, or district lands are (mostly) not included in this guide but represent other potential foraging areas.  Under no circumstances is it okay to harvest on private lands without permission or on public land, when it is against the rules.  Where information is not provided or is insufficient, calling or writing the regulatory office of the land manager may be necessary.  Please be aware that every jurisdiction may have specially designated areas where all foraging is prohibited, and that the protection status of some species changes dramatically between state and federal jurisdictions.  Before you harvest, you are responsible for knowing the rules regulating every location and item that you intend to collect.  Regulations are listed from north (Alaska) to south (California)

Compiled by T. Abe Lloyd on March 12, 2012

 


Alaska

-Maps:  The Public Lands Information Center has an online map that identifies the many types of public lands in Alaska.
-All State Lands:  Harvesting a small number of wild plants, mushrooms, berries, and other plant materials (excluding seaweeds) for personal, non-commercial use is generally allowed on all Alaska State Lands.  Commercial harvest of non-timber forest products is allowed by a permit issued by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mining, Land & Water.  You can purchase licenses to fish, collect shellfish, seaweed, and hunt game online.
-National Forests (US Forest Service):  In general harvesting “incidental amounts” of mushrooms and berries for personal use is allowed without a permit in National Forests.  This is often limited to 1 gallon of berries or mushrooms.  Check your specific National Forest for details (see below for links).  In some cases, calling or visiting the district headquarters may be necessary.  Harvesting from wilderness areas is prohibited.
Personal and Subsistence Use:  No permit is required for the personal and subsistence harvest of mushrooms, bark, ferns, moss, berries, cones, herbs, roots, and wildflowers.
Commercial Use: A permit is required.
-National Parks:
Denali:  Gathering fruit, berries, mushrooms, and other plan materials for subsistence uses is allowed in the ANILCA additions to the Park and in the Preserve.  No permit required.
Glacier Bay National Park:  Regulations unclear.  See Superintendent’s Compendium.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park:  The collection or gathering of mushrooms for personal consumption is limited to two 5-gallon containers of whole, fresh mushrooms per person per day.  Unclear on berry harvest restrictions.  See Superintendent’s Compendium.
-National Wildlife Refuges: According to Federal Code, the noncommercial gathering by local rural residents of fruits, berries, mushrooms, and other plant materials for subsistence uses, and the noncommercial gathering of dead or downed timber for firewood, shall be allowed without a permit.  Hunting and fishing are allowed in National Wildlife Refuges in accordance with federal and state regulations.
-Bureau of Land Management: ????
 
For information on rare and threatened plants, see the UAA Alaska Natural Heritage Program website.
 

British Columbia

-Maps:  The iMapBC website offers an online map of British Columbia with layers for administrative boundaries for public lands and many other features relevant to foragers trying to identify appropriate places to harvest. 
-Provincial Forest Lands: Commercial and personal use harvesting of mushrooms, berries, fern fiddleheads, and greens is freely allowed.
-Indian Reserves: Mushroom and berry picking requires permission.
-Tree Farm Licences: Mushroom and berry picking requires permission.
-Regional Parks: Mushroom and berry picking requires permission.
-Leased Crown Land, and Private Land: Mushroom and berry picking requires permission.
-National Parks: Mushroom picking is not allowed.
-Defense Lands: Mushroom picking is not allowed.
-Provincial Parks, Ecological or Special Reserves, and Recreation Areas: Mushroom picking is not allowed.  Hand-to-mouth picking of berries is overlooked but no picking into containers.
-Capital Regional District (Victoria):  Berries can be hand-to-mouth picked in regional parks, but not collected in bucketfuls. (www.crd.bc.ca/parks/beinvolved/documents/SUM06VIP.pdf)
-Provincial Tidelands:  Seaweed harvesting for personal, non-commercial use is freely allowed without a permit on crown lands except specially managed areas such as Ecological Reserves, Marine Reserves, Provincial Parks, and Federal Parks.  Commercial harvest is allowed with a permit and several special restrictions apply.  See here for more details.

Licenses for fresh water fishing, trapping, and hunting can be purchased from the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations online.
Licenses for fishing in saltwater (including crabs, shellfish, and more) and Salmon fishing in freshwater can be purchased from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans online.
British Columbia has a consolidated source of information for edible mushroom harvesting.

For information on species and ecosystems at risk in BC, see the Ministry of Environment Website.

Washington State

-Maps:  The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has an interactive mapping website called GoHunt, which can be useful to foragers (including those that don’t hunt).  Zoom into the area of interest, check “WDFW/Public Lands” on the left hand sidebar, click on the “I” next to the check box, and then select “Major Public Lands.”  Using the identify tool (found in the upper left hand mapping toolbar) click on a parcel of public land to identify who it is managed by. 
Many Counties in Washington State have online plat maps for identifying private landowners.
The Public Lands Information Center also has an online map that identifies many types of public land in Washington.
-State Forests:  The non-commercial harvest of mushrooms, berries, fiddleheads, and other Special Forest Products for personal consumption is allowed on lands managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (state forests).  Limits include up to 5 gallons of mushrooms per person per year, and three gallons of a single species of berry per person per year.  Harvest from DNR-managed campgrounds and picnic sites, Natural Area Preserves, and Natural Resource Conservation Areas is prohibited.  For details see the DNR website.
-State Fish and Wildlife Areas:  A few Wildlife Areas managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife allow personal use mushroom and berry picking.  Check before you pick.  Any commercial collection on WDFW public land requires a permit from the department (WAC 232-13-080).  You can purchase licenses to fish, collect shellfish, and hunt game online.
-State Tidelands:  Over 60% of Washington’s intertidal lands are owned privately.  A Shellfish and Seaweed license is required to harvest seaweed for personal (RCW 79.96.210) use for all persons over 15 years old.  Up to 10 pounds per person may be harvested.  Seaweed harvest is open on National Park beaches but closed on all State Park beaches except Fort Flagler, Fort Ebey, and Fort Worden State Parks, where special conditions apply.  All kelps must be cut 1' above the holdfast.  For more information see here.
-State Parks:  The non-commercial harvest of nonmarine edible plants and mushrooms for personal consumption is allowed on all land managed by Washington State Parks except natural area preserves.  For more details see WAC 352-28-030 Harvest of Edibles and the Parks Service Natural Resources Management Policy (page 12).
-National Forests (US Forest Service)In general harvesting “incidental amounts” of mushrooms and berries for personal use is allowed without a permit.  This is often limited to 1 gallon of berries or mushrooms.  Check your specific National Forest for details (see below for links).  In some cases, calling or visiting the district headquarters may be necessary.  Harvesting from wilderness areas is prohibited.
Personal use: No permit is needed for "incidental" amounts of some products, for personal use: such as up to 20 pounds (2 large armloads) of greenery (boughs, ferns, salal, etc.); 8 gallons (1 bushel) or less of cones, up to 60 mushrooms or 3 gallons (whichever is less volume) of mushrooms or up to 3 gallons of Huckleberries.  Harvest of any Matsutake (Pine) mushrooms requires a commercial use permit.  If you are removing more than “incidental amounts of a product for personal use, you must get a "personal use" permit.
Commercial use: If you are pursuing a commercial venture, you must obtain a "commercial use" permit. Please check with the District Office nearest you for information on where to obtain the permit you need.
Personal use: No permit is needed for up to three gallons of berries in a year.  But these berries may not be sold or bartered.  A free use permit is required for harvesting mushrooms, conks, cones, green, but these products must not be sold or bartered.
Commercial use: Commercial harvest of beargrass, berries, mushrooms, and Salal is allowed with a permit.  See the above link for prices and restrictions.
Personal use: Permits required.  Special Forest Products permits are available for harvesting non-timber vegetative materials including seeds, roots, bark, berries, mosses, ferns, and edible mushrooms.  Permits for predetermined personal use levels are available free of charge.  Contact the nearest Forest Service offices to check availability or for more information.
Personal use: A permit is required for personal use mushroom picking.  Rates are $5 per day between April 15 - July 31, and $10/day between August 1 - December 31.
Commercial use: A permit is required for commercial mushroom picking.  Rates are $100 per season, Spring or Fall.
Personal use: No permit is required for personal use picking of mushrooms. Daily limit per person is one gallon of a single species of mushrooms, and three gallons of three separate species. There is also a state hauling limit per vehicles of three gallons of a single species, and nine gallons of three separate species.
Commercial use: A permit is required for commercial mushroom picking.  Rates are $50.00 for 14 days, $80.00 for 30 days, or $120.00 for a calendar year permit. Make an appointment to buy a permit at your nearest district office
Foraging prohibited (as of March 9, 2012)
-National Parks:
North Cascades National Park and Ross Lake Recreation Area:  Edible fruits, nuts, and berries may be gathered by hand for personal use or consumption with some restrictions.  1.1 quarts per person per day.  Mushroom collected is prohibited.  See Superintendent’s Compendium for more details.
Mt. Rainier National Park:  Edible fruits, nuts, mushrooms, and berries may be gathered by hand for personal use or consumption with some restrictions.  1 gallon per person per day may be gathered.  See Park Regulations Compendium for more details.
Olympic National Park: Edible fruits, nuts, mushrooms, and berries may be gathered by hand for personal use or consumption with some restrictions.  1 quart person per day with the exception of cranberries, which have a special allowance and exotic species, which have no restrictions.  See link to the Superintendent’s Compendium for details.
-National Wildlife Refuges:  Generally, hunting and fishing when done in accordance with State and Federal regulations is allowed in National Wildlife refuges.  The harvesting of berries and mushrooms regulated by the specific wildlife refuge, so ask before you pick.
-Bureau of Land Management: ????
-Bellingham City Parks: “You are welcome to pick berries as long as you are careful not to damage the plant life in the area that you are picking.”  Bellingham Parks and Recreation, personal communication March 12, 2012.
-Whatcom County Parks:  Fishing and collecting shellfish are allowed (with the appropriate State and Federal licenses) in County Parks unless otherwise posted.  8,000 acres of Stewart, Lookout & Anderson Mountains were proposed with berry picking, and fishing included as acceptable uses.

For more information on mushroom collecting in Washington State, click here.
For information on rare plants and animals see the Washington Natural Heritage Program website.

Oregon State

-Maps:  The Oregon Map website has online taxlot base maps for the entire state of Oregon and is useful for identifying both public and private landowners.
Many Counties in Oregon have online plat maps for identifying private landowners.
The Public Lands Information Center also has an online map that identifies many types of public land in Oregon.
-State Forests:  The harvest of mushrooms and berries is allowed on all lands managed by the Oregon Department of Forestry up to 1 gallon of mushrooms per vehicle.  More information can be found online.
-State Parks and Recreation Areas:  Oregon state law (Division 10: General Park Rules, 736-010-0055 Cultural, Historic, Natural and Wildlife Resources, section 5) dictates, “A person may gather for personal consumption berries, fruits, mushrooms, or similar edibles.”
-State Wildlife Areas:  A few Wildlife Areas managed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife allow berry picking.  Check before you pick.  You can purchase licenses to fish, collect shellfish, and hunt game online.
-State Tidelands:  All coastal lands between the vegetation line and the mean low water are part of Oregon’s Ocean Shore Recreation Area (with some specially designated Marine Reserves) and are thus held in trust for the public.  Persons collecting less than 2,000 pounds of kelp per year from submerged lands for personal consumption do not require a lease from the Department of State Lands (ORS 274.865).  For more information see about seaweed harvest in Oregon click here. For information about shellfish information go to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife website.
-National Forests (US Forest Service):  In general harvesting “incidental amounts” of mushrooms and berries for personal use is allowed with a free permit.  This is often limited to 1 gallon of berries or mushrooms.  Check your specific National Forest for details (see below for links).  In some cases, calling or visiting the district headquarters may be necessary.  Harvesting from wilderness areas is prohibited.
Deschutes National Forest Permits required.  A free permit is required for small quantities of personal use products.  For large quantities and commercial use a minimum fee of $20 is required.
Fremont-Winema National Forest Permits required.  Free use and commercial use permits are available at all forest offices.
Malheur National Forest No permit required for personal use collection of mushrooms (less than a gallon in OR and 3 gallons in WA).  A minimum $20 permit is required for commercial use.
Mt. Hood National Forest Small amounts of berries and mushrooms may be harvested and eaten within the park without a permit.  Collecting greater amounts for personal use and commercial harvesting require a permit.
Ochoco National Forest Permits required.  A free use permit is available for small quantities.  A $20 (min) personal use permit is required for large quantities.  A $20 (min) permit is available is required for products that will be sold, bartered, or traded.
Siuslaw National Forest Permit required.
Umatilla National Forest No permit required for personal use collection of mushrooms (less than a gallon in OR and 5 gallons in WA).  A minimum $20 permit is required for commercial use.
Umpqua National Forest Permits required.  Free use and commercial use permits are available at all forest offices.
Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Permits requiredFree use and commercial permits are available
Crooked River National Grassland Permits required.  For small quantities of personal use products, permits may be free. For large quantities, or commercial use, a fee is charged. When a fee is charged, there is a minimum fee of $20.
Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (Can’t find any info)
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area *Foraging prohibited (as of March 9, 2012)
-National Parks:
Crater Lake National Park.  Blueberries, Huckleberries, Serviceberries, and Thimbleberries may be harvested in all areas of the park.  There is a possession limit of 1 quart per person and they must be consumed within the park.  See Superintendent’s Compendium for more details.
-National Wildlife Refuges:  Generally, hunting and fishing when done in accordance with State and Federal regulations is allowed in National Wildlife refuges.  The harvesting of berries and mushrooms regulated by the specific wildlife refuge, so ask before you pick.
-Bureau of Land Management:  Collecting berries and mushrooms for non-commercial personal use is allowed in areas not under special conservation protection.
Salem District 5 gallons of each berry species per person per year.  1 gallon of mushrooms per person per day for a total of 5 gallons of each species per person per year.  Several restrictions apply.
Cascade Siskiyou National Monument 1 gallon per day of all allowed species.

For information on rare and threatened plants, see the Oregon Department of Agriculture Plant Division, Plant Conservation website.

Idaho

-Maps: The Public Lands Information Center also has an online map that identifies many types of public land in Idaho.
Many Counties in Idaho have online plat maps for identifying private landowners.
-Department of Lands: ??
-State Parks: ??
-Wildlife Management AreasIt is illegal to cut, dig, or remove any grasses, forbes, or trees from Wildlife Management Areas managed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.  Berry picking is not specified and mushroom picking is mentioned in at least one Wildlife management area brochure.  Be sure to ask.  Licensed hunting and fishing are allowed in most areas if done in accordance with state regulations.  Contact the regional office for more information.
-National Forests (US Forest Service):  In general harvesting “incidental amounts” of mushrooms and berries for personal use is allowed without a permit in National Forests.  This is often limited to 1 gallon of berries or mushrooms.  Check your specific National Forest for details (see below for links).  In some cases, calling or visiting the district headquarters may be necessary.  Harvesting from wilderness areas is prohibited.
Boise National Forest no information on berries or mushrooms
Caribou National Forest no information on berries or mushrooms
Challis National Forest no information on berries or mushrooms
Curlew National Grassland no information on berries or mushrooms
Nez Perce National Forest no information on berries or mushrooms
Salmon National Forest no information on berries or mushrooms
Targhee National Forest no information on berries or mushrooms
-National Parks:
Craters of the Moon:  Not specified.
-National Wildlife Refuges:  Generally, hunting and fishing when done in accordance with State and Federal regulations is allowed in National Wildlife refuges.  The harvesting of berries and mushrooms regulated by the specific wildlife refuge, so ask before you pick.
-Bureau of Land Management: ????

For information on rare and endangered plants and animals see the Idaho Governor’s Office of Species Conservation website.

Northern California

-Maps: The Public Lands Information Center also has an online map that identifies many types of public land in California.
Many Counties in California have online plat maps for identifying private landowners.
-State Parks:  Harvesting of wild foods is severely restricted in California State Parks, “No person shall willfully or negligently pick, dig up, cut… any tree or plant or portion thereof, including but not limited… flowers, foliage, berries, fruit, grass… shrubs, cones, and dead wood, except in specific units when authorization by the District Superintendent or Deputy Director of Off-Highway Motor Vehicles to take berries, or gather mushrooms, or gather pine cones, or collect driftwood is posted at the headquarters of the unit to which the authorization applies.”  Some parks do have special allowances, so be sure to ask.
-State Forests:  Harvesting mushrooms requires a permit in the Jackson Demonstration State Forest. No information could be found on other lands managed by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.  Call your local ranger station.  California Penal Code Section 384A states that all harvesting of vegetation on state lands without a permit is illegal with stiff fines (up to 6 months in jail or a $1000 fine).
-State Tidelands:  The State Lands Commission owns title to the intertidal and subtidal lands below the mean high tide line.  The personal collection of marine aquatic plants, for which take is authorized is allowed without a permit for up to a total of 10 pounds wet weight.  Harvesting is prohibited in marine life refuges, marine reserves, ecological reserves, national parks, and state underwater parks.  No eel grass (Zostera sp.), surf grass (Phyllospadix sp.), or sea palm (Postelsia sp.) may be cut or disturbed.  Commercial harvest of seaweed is allowed by permit and several additional regulations apply.  For more information see here.
-National Forests (US Forest Service):  In general harvesting “incidental amounts” of mushrooms and berries for personal use is allowed without a permit in National Forests.  This is often limited to 1 gallon of berries or mushrooms.  Check your specific National Forest for details (see below for links).  In some cases, calling or visiting the district headquarters may be necessary.  Harvesting from wilderness areas is prohibited.
Six Rivers National Forest no information on berries or mushrooms
Shasta-Trinity National Forest no information on berries or mushrooms
Plumas National Forest no information on berries or mushrooms
-National Parks:
Redwood National Park:  Fruits, nuts, and berries can be gathered by hand for personal use and consumption with some restrictions.  All species of berries and hazelnuts can be harvested with a limit of 1 gallon per person per day.  Tanoak acorns can be harvested with a limit of 10 gallons per person per day.  See Superintendent’s Compendium for more details. 
Lava Beds National Monument:  Fruits, nuts, and berries can be gathered by hand for personal use and consumption up to 2 pounds per day.  Collection of mushrooms is prohibited.  See Superintendent’s Compendium for more details.
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area:  Fruits, nuts, and berries can be gathered by hand for personal use and consumption with some restrictions.  See Superintendent’s Compendium for more details.
Lassen Volcanic National Park:  A permit is required for the collection or consumption of any fruits, nuts, or berries of locally grown plants in quantities greater than on pint with some restrictions as to the species.  See Superintendent’s Compendium for more details.
Point Reyes National Seashore:  The following fruits and mushrooms may be gathered by hand for personal use or consumption: Blackberries, Raspberries, Thimbelberries, Salmonberries, Huckleberries, or apples (up to 2 quarts per person per day).  Mushrooms (up to 2 gallons and 1 mushroom per adult per day).  See Superintendent’s Compendium for more details.
Yosemite National Park:  The following fruits and mushrooms may be gathered by hand for personal consumption up to 1 pint per person per day for immediate consumption: Blackberries, Raspberries, Elderberries, Strawberries, Thimbleberries, Huckleberries.  Himalayan Blackberries can be gathered in unlimited quantity.  See Superintendent’s Compendium for more details.
-National Wildlife Refuges:  Generally, hunting and fishing when done in accordance with State and Federal regulations is allowed in National Wildlife refuges.  The harvesting of berries and mushrooms regulated by the specific wildlife refuge, so ask before you pick.
-Bureau of Land Management: ????

For information on rare and threatened plants, see the California Department of Fish and Game’s Rare Plant Program website.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Pacific Waterleaf, our first spring veggie


Long rhizomes like this are near the surface and don't really require a digging stick.
The Pacific Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum tenuipes) is flourishing and, as promised earlier this week, I set out to experiment with this little know wild green.  In the Bellingham area, I find Pacific Waterleaf growing on the north slopes of the Chuckanut Mountains in loose wet soil under Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum), Red Alder (Alnus rubra) and Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis).   Waterleaf is our first wild green of the season and rapidly grows from perennial roots and rhizomes when the temperatures are warm enough to grow, during the period after the dark of winter and before the deciduous trees and shrubs above it leaf out.  I suspect Waterleaf may grow in areas with near surface groundwater flow, which may provide a thermal buffer against the effect of freezing weather on the early growth of the plants.  Erna Gunther reported that the Cowlitz broke up Waterleaf rhizomes and ate them so Katrina and I set to out harvest and eat some.

Radial rhizome growth around a perennial Waterleaf root stalk
We found a healthy population of Waterleaf growing under Bigleaf Maple with some 2” tall Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica).  Pealing back the Maple leaf litter and detritus revealed the rhizomatous nature of Waterleaf colonies.  Clumpy knots of long tapered roots send radial rhizomes outward in search of new ground to colonize.  We found that we could easily snap the rhizomes away from the root clusters.  Rhizome growth appeared to be the longest on the colony edges, and some individuals near the center had no discernible rhizome at all, which leads me to suspect that a little disturbance of the colony matrix may actually stimulate rhizome growth.  We picked several dozen rhizomes (with leaves) and rinsed them in a nearby stream.  Back home, I noticed that the residual water in my collecting bag had been stained red.  Perhaps the rhizomes could also be used as a dye plant.


The raw rhizomes and a single leaf of Pacific Waterleaf
Green vegetables!  Steamed rhizomes (left) and leaves (right)
Raw, Waterleaf rhizomes have a nice juicy crunch with a bland flavor reminiscent of soil.  I set out to separate the leaves from the rhizomes while nibbling along the way, and discovered that the white petioles are even better.  They share the same refreshing crunch as the rhizomes but have a cleaner flavor.  The rest of the leaf is mild tasting and makes an acceptable addition to a salad, if you don’t mind the fuzzy texture.  We steamed Waterleaf greens for 5 minutes and served them with smoked sea salt and were delighted to find the texture and flavor to be strikingly similar to Stinging Nettles.  The steamed rhizomes also have a nice flavor and a texture like bok choy.  The best flavor is near the growing end of the rhizome where the scales are still white.  Towards the base of the rhizome, where the scales and stem are brown, the rhizome assumes a strong flavor and tough, stringy texture.  We have eaten Pacific Waterleaf for the last two nights and thoroughly enjoyed the chance to jump-start our wild green season with a passable alternative to Stinging Nettles.

Note: Pacific Waterleaf is Red Listed in British Columbia.


Thursday, March 1, 2012

Pacific Rain Saltworks


If you have been following my blog for long, you probably have gathered that my sweetie is actually a bit of a salty… in the kindest of ways of course.  She has been obsessed with eating salt for years and over the last several months, has been cultivating a dream of producing her very own sea salt.  This dream carried us to some of the salted lakes in the Desert SW (see posts Death Valley and Joshua Tree ) over the holidays, through some interesting books about the history and diversity of salt production, and finally, last weekend, to the nearby shores of the Salish Sea to “forage” for our very own.

Our closest access to the sea is in Bellingham Bay, but the industrial history of the bay and large amount of freshwater brought in from the Nooksack River caused us to broaden our scope.  We decided on the Northwest side of Lummi Island because of its deep clear waters and exposure to the Strait of Georgia.  The “Whatcom Chief,” a small ferry, carried us safely from Gooseberry Point to Lummi Island and we found a pleasant landowner that allowed us to cross her property to get to the beach. 

The saltworks
Filling buckets with seawater is certainly the easiest part of the process.  It must then be boiled to evaporate the water away from the salt.  The seawater from Lummi Island is about 27-31 parts per thousand salt.  At this concentration, every gallon of our seawater should contain about ¼ pound (1/2 cup) of salt.


The improved saltworks
We needed a saltworks, so we stopped by Dad’s house and picked up a small rusty wood stove that Christian and Ric salvaged from a shipwrecked boat a few years ago.  We used a 4 gallon enameled steel pot to boil our sea water in.  The stove is a little underpowered for heating up more than a gallon at a time, but thin layers of water evaporate more efficiently (due to the high surface area to volume ratio) so that wasn’t too big an issue.  The alder smoke from the fire infused the saltwater and gave the brine a nice smoky flavor.  The little wood stove wasn’t burning very efficiently without a stovepipe, so I put a couple lengths of pipe on it for our second batch.

Salt crystals precipitating
As soon as salt crystals began to precipitate, we moved the kettle to our kitchen stove top where we could more precisely control the temperature.  Salt crystals began forming more rapidly and coated the bottom in a thick layer that required occasional stirring to keep from being scorched.  Eventually almost all the water was gone.  We scooped out the salt slurry and spread it onto glass panes that we put in a food dehydrator to drive off the last bit of moisture.

We have a number of ideas for improving the efficiency of our saltworks, but all things considered, it wasn’t too laborious a project.  The fire did most of the work and all we had to do was stoke it up every couple hours.  I think we only burned about 3 armloads of wood to boil about 5 gallons of water, and now we have a year’s worth of salt to show for it.  During a cold snap half way through the project, I noticed that ice formed on the top of the salt water and I wonder how effectively we could take advantage of this  phenomenon to increase the salinity of our seawater.


Finished Salt