Red's Bush Tucker thread

[RedPhoenix]

Found a good bush tucker forum for anyone who's interested:
http://www.bushfood.net/

Some very good stuff on there!

Red.

[Milt]

Such a wealth of information Red, thanks for that mate.

Milt,

[keza]

fantastic thread Red.
For someone who isn't familiar with a lot of these plants, is there any particular dangers if you pick the wrong plant ? ie: poisonous look a likes.

It sort of goes against the grain to discover so many native edible plants when you grew up being told "don't eat that it may be poisonous".

cheers
Kerry

[RedPhoenix]

Good question Kerry. Yes and no. Depends on the plant in question.

Good example is mushrooms - there's a yellow mushroom that tends to grow in pine forests, that is apparently really nice. There's another mushie that looks practically identical, that will make you sick.

Most of the plants I've put in this thread though, are pretty easy to spot once you have your eye in, and don't seem to have any significant doppelgängers - or at least ones that I'm aware of, that are likely to cause a problem... eg: The native cherry is vaguely similar to a juvenile bribie island pine in terms of foliage. However, the pine doesn't have the fruit, so it's pretty hard to mix them up.

There are a few plants I've specifically avoided adding to this thread, because they're easy to confuse, they're too damaging to collect, there are potential health problems, or they're dangerous if not prepared correctly.

Couple of examples:
* Tree fern, rock orchids, and most palms (you can eat the heart out of these, but it generally kills the plant)
* Native ginger is a bit hard to pick sometimes.
* There's a bit of uncertainty as to how safe one of our native hibiscuses is to eat - there has been one report of kidney problems after drinking tea made from the leaves of one of the plants ( http://www.hibiscus.org/species/hheterophyllus.php )
* A couple of our native nuts have really nasty hairs inside the shell, which require particular preparation to get rid of.

Red.

[ELM]

I grew up in the bush and as Terry said, was always told not to eat anything it could kill you. When I was about 28 I was given the opportunity to go on a 3 day bow hunt (deer) with someone I had admired as a traditional archer and bowyer. What I didn't know about him was, he looked at the forest like a garden of Eden and thrived in this wild garden.

What an experience, We left the car park me with great big back pack full of dehydrated food stuffs etc etc and him with what appeared to be not much bigger than a day pack. For the three days I don't believe he ate one thing from that pack, I used a small amount my own supply and carried the rest for exercise.

We lived on Grubs, Bugs, Leaves, Berries, small fish (which were trapped in rock pool traps) and birds every eveining a new shelter/bed was made from branches, bark, grass and fern fronds. Just an amazing experience.

The following year the poor bugger fell to his death collecting Bromeliads from a rain forest tree somewhere near Guatemala Mexico.

Ow yes, Forgot to say, great work Red.

[RedPhoenix]

Just a quick update; Native Cherries should now be out and about in QLD, and northern NSW.

Southern NSW/Victorians might have to wait for a month or two; around xmas is prime season.

On coochie, we have two varieties, the thin leafed, and the broad leafed.
The fruit on the broad leafed is a little larger, but dryer, than the thin leafed.

Pig face fruit should also be around at the moment (see page 1 in this thread).

Red.

[pescado]

Heres one for ya Leigh, found these growing along the murrumbidgee last weekend (recon mission).....thought they were wild watermelons or something. Cracked one open, white pulpy inside, black seeds, any ideas?? Had a little "taste" but the outer part i had seemed quite bitter

[L3GACY]

I think I know about these Pescado a friends property has them growing wild in a few patches. I think they're just called wild melons or something.

The mature spherical fruit is up to 15cm across, hairy, with mottled green stripes at first, but becoming yellow and hairless with age. The dense, fleshy fruit is usually bitter and unpalatable.

http://www.bushfood.net/viewtopic.php?t=709
Third post down.

[RedPhoenix]

Yep - Jon's picked it.

I spotted them growing around the edges of wivenhoe a few weekends back; I did something similar - cracked one open, and had a good sniff - very similar smell to watermelon, but as to taste... yeah, bleuch.

Red.

[granpop]

Look like what we used to call 'paddy melons' - as Red says taste is yuck.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddy_melon
Dave

[noeskimo]

hi red.

we share a passion..

i wrote a highly forgettable article on bush tucker for a national mag once..

good thread, good idea...


cheers...

edit...and yes, paddy melons. great sport shooting them with a .22 when we were kids. considered inedible by the locals (country nsw). thats not to say there isnt a way to prepare them...




.

[noeskimo]

what bush tucker books do others here own...?

i have a few (in storage) but the one i prefer to carry and keep on the book shelf is; 'wild food plants, of australia'. by tim low. (angus and robertson).

the book is only 7x5 inches of 240 pages.



.

[RedPhoenix]

i have a few (in storage)

Yeah, similar deal for me NE. All in boxes in the shed at the moment, awaiting the move to the new house.

Indigiscapes down near capalaba has a couple of good ones in their bookshop.. and also a vaguely regular bush tucker workshop that I've been tempted to attend.

Feel free to add to this thread by the way!

Red.

[noeskimo]

i would...but im having trouble posting photos here. cant manage to get them small enough...



.

[RedPhoenix]

i would...but im having trouble posting photos here. cant manage to get them small enough....

http://www.akff.net/wiki/index.php?title=Forum:Images
http://www.akff.net/wiki/index.php?titl ... :PicasaWeb

Couple of options for ya.

Red.