Wild Asparagus
Each year I
look forward to the April showers. Good moisture content in the soils means a
good crop of spring edibles. Something makes the wild foods you pick yourself
seem so much tastier than the store brought varieties. Well for the most part
any way. We will in the future talk about some survival foods that do take some
getting used to.
Asparagus,
while apparently not a native plant (at least not mentioned in books on edible
plants of the Native North American Peoples), has spread into the hills and
trails in some areas of British Columbia. The dikes and old railway beds of the
Okanagan and Similkameen are good examples of their spreading range.
Now that we’ve
had the moisture the warm spring days will soon see them sprouting. Generally
the time span is from the middle of April until well into June, all dependent
on the weather of course. With this wild edible as with all wild edibles care
must be taken not to pick the crop too heavily. I’m always happy to see some
plants left to frond out and go to seed. It is the seed that unexpected joy of
suddenly finding a hidden patch which no one else has yet discovered.
I like the
asparagus gentle steamed, just enough so that it retains a hint of crispness.
The butt ends I chop into small pieces and boil briefly in boiling water before
adding cream of mushroom soup for a quick cream of asparagus soup.
Welcome to
my new reader in China. I hope you enjoy these glimpses into the life styles of
a slightly elder mountain man. Let me
know which ones you enjoy the most and I’ll do more like them if I am able.
If picking near a road or old railway line, though, it's a good idea to check if you can if there has been any herbicide or pesticide sprayed in the area ... remember that year they sprayed along the old railway track? Even with the asparagus being washed before-hand, you certainly seemed to have an allergic reaction.
ReplyDeleteI totally remember doing this every spring when I was a kid in the Kelowna area (back when it was a lot more rural!) Have to start keeping an eye peeled again :-)
ReplyDelete