Author Mike Krebill has spent many years teaching middle school science and leading scout troops. But The Scout’s Guide to Wild Edibles isn’t just for kids. This delightful, pocket-sized guide helps beginners of all ages to identify 40 wild edibles. Recipes and activities included!
Most of the plants in the guide are found throughout the U.S. and Canada’s lower provinces. For each of the 33 plants and 7 mushrooms included, the reader is taught to identify, harvest and prepare.
Each entry in the book contains the Latin name, range, habitat, and how to positively identify the plant or fungi. In addition, tips for preparing and preserving the plant, when to harvest, and very importantly – how to harvest sustainably are all included.
There are some fun projects and activities, too – a backpacking make lunch challenge, foraging fruit and making fruit leather, processing acorns and black walnuts and several more.
The last section of The Scout’s Guide to Wild Edibles is a collection of recipes, several of which I’m looking forward to trying. These include Cinnamon Black Walnut Ice Cream, Dandelion Donuts, Blueberry pie, Weed Quiche, and Mulberry Taffy.
If I have one criticism of the book, it is that several of the recipes include ingredients like Bisquick or bread mixes. The amazing scouts featured in the book are going into woods and field to gather wild edibles. Surely they are capable of learning to cook from scratch with high quality ingredients. Of course, it would be easy enough for the reader to adjust the recipes with real food ingredients.
I highly recommend The Scout’s Guide to Wild Edibles.
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Mike Krebill says
Thanks for your positive comments in reviewing “The Scout’s Guide to Wild Edibles,” Susan. I was delighted to read your review on Learning and Yearning.
Your one criticism – of including packaged ingredients in recipes – is understandable. Over the years, I have found and tweaked “from scratch” alternatives that I might have substituted in the book. However, what was simpler and quicker for the user won out. When I was a middle school science teacher, I truly appreciated shortcuts when preparing food for 150 students. Being able to use Bisquick™ or Jiffy Mix™ when making dandelion donuts saved time and insured consistent results. Adding shelled black walnuts, leached acorn meal, and grated apple to the Pillsbury Banana quick bread mix, then stirring 50 to 75 strokes, was a wonderful time saver when making 2 dozen loaves of BABWA(Banana-Acorn-Black Walnut-Apple) bread.
Susan Vinskofski says
How wonderful to hear from you, Mike! What an inspiration you are to so many; I honor people like you who work with youth. The thought of cooking with so many never crossed my mind – thank you so much for stopping by and for your explanation.