Foraging for favorites

[heidih]

22 minutes ago, johnnyd said:

Some old pals came to visit from Virginia and brought me a ripe pawpaw.  Apparently they were George Washington's favorite dessert. They don't come to market, they said, because they ripen too fast to stay on the shelf.  They have several stones in each fruit. They remind me of custard apples (fruta de conde) I had in Brazil - tastes like banana/mango but smelled like pears. Delicious!

 

 

 

 

 

"Beyond the Paw Paw Trees" was a childhood favorite I give young readers now.  A native North American fruit. Never personally tasted- jealous 

https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Pawpaw-Trees-Anna-Lavinia/dp/1590174615

[gfweb]

45 minutes ago, heidih said:

 

  A native North American fruit. Never personally tasted- jealous 

 

I planted two paw paw this year.

So in 8 or so years, if I live that long, I'll give you one. 😉

[TicTac]

I have been on the look-out for paw-paw trees near streams/rivers but have yet to locate one (Southern Ontario!)

 

 

[Alex]

2 hours ago, johnnyd said:

Some old pals came to visit from Virginia and brought me a ripe pawpaw.  Apparently they were George Washington's favorite dessert. They don't come to market, they said, because they ripen too fast to stay on the shelf.  They have several stones in each fruit. They remind me of custard apples (fruta de conde) I had in Brazil - tastes like banana/mango but smelled like pears. Delicious!

 

Earthy Delights, here in Michigan, sells pawpaws and pawpaw products. Not cheap, unfortunately.

[dcarch]

1 hour ago, gfweb said:

I planted two paw paw this year.

So in 8 or so years, if I live that long, I'll give you one. 😉

 

Important,  if you want to plant paw paw. You will need two for pollination.

 

dcarch

[IowaDee]

In other words, a paw paw and a maw maw?

[TicTac]

Question to those who forage for mushrooms...

 

When you find mushrooms with little worms in them, what do you do with them?

 

I am wondering, in situations where I find ones with just a few wigglies, whether the worms themselves pose any health danger.  I am past the point of caring if I eat a few bugs that have been fried up to crispy golden deliciousness, but am more curious/concerned about any potential health risks.

 

 

[chefmd]

My cousin and her husband (pictured here) are mushroom hunting somewhere in OR or CA.  I forgot to ask where

[Okanagancook]

WOW

lobster mushroom?

[chefmd]

1 hour ago, Okanagancook said:

WOW

lobster mushroom?

Porcini, I think

[Shelby]

Really??? WOW

[dcarch]

2 hours ago, chefmd said:

Porcini, I think

 

Looks more like a Baorangia to me.

 

dcarch

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Makes me wonder who is going to eat whom.

 

[liamsaunt]

I am definitely not foraging these at all, but today while out in my yard I noticed I have strange mushrooms growing in what is often my tomato patch. I did not plant anything in it this year.  Does anyone recognize these and know if they are poisonous? They smell like dirty feet.  There is another kind I have never seen before out there too, but it started to rain before I could take a picture. 

 

 

 

[nonblonde007]

You have the Stinkhorn, I was infested with them myself this year.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phallus_impudicus

[liamsaunt]

15 minutes ago, nonblonde007 said:

You have the Stinkhorn, I was infested with them myself this year.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phallus_impudicus

 

Thank you!   I did mulch that plot this year since I was not planting it. Since they are not poisonous I will tell the landscapers to dig them up when they do the fall clean up. 

[liuzhou]

3 hours ago, liamsaunt said:

Since they are not poisonous I will tell the landscapers to dig them up when they do the fall clean up. 

 

As noted in the  Wikipedia article @nonblonde007linked to, very closely related species grow here in China. We eat them, but when younger than your example.

 

 

 

Edited October 31, 2019 by liuzhou (log)

[liamsaunt]

10 hours ago, liuzhou said:

 

As noted in the  Wikipedia article @nonblonde007linked to, very closely related species grow here in China. We eat them, but when younger than your example.

 

Those look tasty, unlike the ugly ones in my yard!

[liuzhou]

1 hour ago, liamsaunt said:

 

Those look tasty, unlike the ugly ones in my yard!

 

Yes, but they  age rapidly and become inedible before deliquescing. You got to catch them at the right moment when they first pop up.

[Smithy]

I found a patch of prickly pear cactus loaded with fruit (tunas) and have harvested some for the juice.

 

 

 

I picked about 30 and froze them, with the intent of following instructions given me on the Camping, Princess Style topic here and here. Now they're rinsed and draining for the second step.

 

 

@lemniscate chimed in with a steaming operation for the juice instead, here. Next time I'll try that for comparison purposes.

 

So far, the things I've learned are:

1. use metal tongs, not silicone, to harvest the tunas if possible; otherwise you'll spend precious time removing glochids (very, very fine small spines from the fruit) from the silicone when you're done;

2. immediately discard the plastic bag (or box, if you use that instead) into which you collected the tunas, instead of reusing it for something else; otherwise, you'll spend precious time removing those glochids from your fingers.

[heidih]

I see the local Hispanic workers on the hillsides and in the canyons picking them often. 

Edited November 13, 2019 by heidih (log)

[lemniscate]

4 hours ago, Smithy said:

immediately discard the plastic bag (or box, if you use that instead) into which you collected the tunas,

 

also, never set down the collection bag or box anywhere near the plant.  The glochids are also on the ground around the plant and will ride along on the bottom of the bag/box.   You will hold the bag/box by the bottom and grab glochids.   Ask me how I know, LOL.   Also a good practice to wash the bottoms of the shoes you wore to collect before entering a living space, to avoid future barefoot surprises.

 

Prickly pear is not designed to make harvest and consuming easy for humans.

 

edit, I am related to someone not local who decided on a hike to try "these desert pears" growing out there.   Apparently picking glochids out of your tongue is a memorable experience.

 

If you do get them in your finger, Preparation H will ease the skin inflammation around the glochid and help it out faster.   Who knew Prep H was so versatile.   Every serious mountain biker in the area carries some due to run-ins with cholla and all other spiky things.

Edited November 13, 2019 by lemniscate (log)

[Paul Bacino]

1 hour ago, lemniscate said:

 

 

If you do get them in your finger, Preparation H will ease the skin inflammation around the glochid and help it out faster.   Who knew Prep H was so versatile.   Every serious mountain biker in the area carries some due to run-ins with cholla and all other spiky things.

 

  wish I knew that last yr    I even knew they had em too.  I thought for sure I could grab in between them.  Those things hurt so bad,  I was in New Mexico.. I found an artist that had sand paper that I used on my finger tips.. gave me some relief

[gfron1]

I use tongs, toss in cardboard box that I can shake them in, then hit them with a blow torch to burn the stickers.

[Smithy]

OK, so after a day of weighted pressing I haven't got much juice out of the frozen, now thawed, tunas. Should I squeeze harder? (I don't know what I can do, if so.) Should I refreeze and rethaw, on the possibility of more cell breakdown? Or should I steam in the Instant Pot? Or pressure cook in the IP? Or boil, or, or, ...?