A practical guide to all aspects of edible wild plants: finding and identifying them, their seasons of harvest, and their methods of collection and preparation. Each plant is discussed in great detail and accompanied by excellent color photographs. Includes an index, illustrated glossary, bibliography, and harvest calendar. The perfect guide for all experience levels.
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553 of 555 people found the following review helpful
By Washu-chan
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I am a botanist and I'm in love with this book. Admittedly, it treats only a few dozen plants, but each is described in detail, with methods of distinguishing it in the field from similar species, harvesting, and preparing it. Numerous color photos are very useful. There are good general discussions of plant identification, harvesting, and preservation. The author complains about previous edible plant references, which exhaustively list hundreds of plants but give inadequate information on each, and frequently recycle information from previous literature, allowing misinformation to creep in (an undeniable problem). Thayer proposes that writers on edible plants should provide only information from their own experience or else specifically referenced information, a praiseworthy code of conduct and one that really makes this book shine. When he gives you detailed instructions for when and how to gather and prepare a plant, you know that he's actually done it himself and it worked. I like his standards for the plants as well: Food should taste good! If it doesn't taste good, he says, don't eat it! So, while other books provide long lists of "survival foods" that would gag a goat, Thayer discusses only the plants that he actually enjoys eating. He tells you what sort of quality to expect in the final products, and whether they will be worth the work you put into them. The only volume I can recall seeing of remotely similar quality was Steve Brill's book, which dealt with a different set of plants (emphasizing the common "weedy" species that Thayer is not particularly interested in), so if you already have Brill, you can buy this too. Otherwise, if you want to start learning to use edible wild plants, start with this volume.
314 of 315 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have 3 books on wild food foraging, including Angier's Wild Edibles and Gibbons Stalking the Wild Asparagus. Both those books are very good for plant details except they rely on hand drawn depictions for the plants, which it makes them close to useless for accurate identification. Forager's Harvest is the BEST book of the three for getting a beginner started. Lots and lots of nice color photographs of the plants. When choosing a book in getting started in foraging, you must have color photographs, there is no substitute.
Forager's Harvest, unlike Gibbons and Angier books, does not overwhelm the reader with large numbers of edible plants, choosing to focus on a lower but still fairly good number of readily found and easily identitified plants for foraging. This increases the reader confidence and starts them off gradually.
If you are starting out in foraging, this is the book you should get. If you are botanist and have no problems identifying plants them Gibbons or Angier books might suit you better. As I am a beginner, I can say that of the three books, Forager's Harvest if the book that I will be using in my plant foraging expeditions. I wish I had gotten this book first.
Forager's Harvest, unlike Gibbons and Angier books, does not overwhelm the reader with large numbers of edible plants, choosing to focus on a lower but still fairly good number of readily found and easily identitified plants for foraging. This increases the reader confidence and starts them off gradually.
If you are starting out in foraging, this is the book you should get. If you are botanist and have no problems identifying plants them Gibbons or Angier books might suit you better. As I am a beginner, I can say that of the three books, Forager's Harvest if the book that I will be using in my plant foraging expeditions. I wish I had gotten this book first.
199 of 199 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book offers an excellent introducion to the practice of wild plant harvesting. Not only are the plants discussed (in great detail), but the author includes many personal experiences and additional information (the first 75 pages - timing, storage, etc.) - including recomendations on further book resources. The descriptions of the two dozen or so plants are extensive. The book gives information on ID, range, harvesting, and preparation. I live in Washington State, though, and I have only found about 11 of the plant species readily available here (Choke Cherry, Wapato, Butternut(in urban settings), Black Locust, Cattail, Stinging Nettle, Serviceberry, Sumac (Staghorn), Linden (urban ornamental), Burdock, and Thistle). The book is still a wealth of inforomation and a very valuable resource.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great resource for wild food harvesters
Excellent pictures of the plants to be used. Great information on how to gather or harvest the different plants and there parts. Can't wait to put this to practical use.
Published 2 days ago by Lora L Stone
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great book for great lakes region.
This book is very helpful for how to gather and prepare...what parts of the plant are useful and tasty. But, really only for Wisconsin and other areas of the Great Lakes. Read more
Published 3 days ago by postmiss
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Forager's book out there
So much wonderful information all in one book. Written by someone who actually goes out and forages on a regular basis. Read more
Published 5 days ago by Dawn
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lots of helpful pictures and tips.
This book is helpful for identifying and steering you away from look-alike plants you can eat in the wild or even in your yard. Read more
Published 10 days ago by TROY HURST
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book!
Lots of color photo's and accurate descriptions. Far more info on harvesting and preparation than I've seen in similar books.
Great for some new to this (like myself). Read more
Great for some new to this (like myself). Read more
Published 12 days ago by Theresa
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good guide
I found that this book like others leave me wondering if I am truely looking at the same plant. Maybe if I put more time into it.
Published 14 days ago by Armando
5.0 out of 5 stars
great product
I bought the book as used and it was practically new, Amazons standards are the best. I use them for all my research text.
Published 16 days ago by Scott Macklin
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome book
Awesome book very informational and useful! Very handy for my bug out bag! Will buy more like it! Love it!
Published 17 days ago by robyn cleary
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good one
Good book for wild edibles. Lots of pictures, drawings, and descriptions. Would be nice to see a book with berries, and mushrooms too in one compilation, which I havent found... Read more
Published 18 days ago by Steven K DeBord
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing reference book!
It pays to be prepared, and this book will definitely help you do that. Emergencies happen - you could be stranded in the woods, there could be a catastrophe,.... Read more
Published 19 days ago by Shirley Mckay
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 27
books:
See all 27 books this book cites
- Stalking The Wild Asparagus by Euell Gibbons on 7 pages
- Stalking The Healthful Herbs by Euell Gibbons on 4 pages
- Stalking The Blue-Eyed Scallop by Euell Gibbons on page 11, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants by Thomas S. Elias on page 178, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants by Bradford Angier on page 8, and Back Matter
See all 27 books this book cites
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