My freshman year
at BYU brought a number of things. Having only recently acquired a job, I had
difficulty understanding what a dollar was worth. I began avoiding the purchase
of food as much as I could. What began
as initial stinginess in my first weeks turned into a lifestyle of searching
out food I had decided must theoretically exist on campus. I was not mistaken
in my assumptions. I was able to spend no more than eight dollars on food for
both Fall and Winter semesters. While
much of the food I acquired was simply from other people, I began paying
attention to the huge profusion of plant life on BYU campus and was astounded
at its volume and variety. Since my freshman year of college in 2007 I have
continued to learn about foraging on BYU campus, adding to my knowledge and
trying new plants as opportunities present themselves. I have largely kept this
information to myself until now, when I realized my interest in foraging has
been expanded by the principles I have learned in Environmental Law and Policy.
Let me explain...
BYU Foraging:
From Fringe to Food
As
human beings, it is easy to forget our choices have consequences. This is
especially true of our food. In a time where overproduction, outsourcing and
international food imports are the norm,
considering where our food comes from can be a difficult task. Many of
the things we consume hail from distant sources-- corn from Iowa, quinoa from
Bolivia, cane sugar from Brazil, bananas from Ecuador, mangoes from the Philippines,
rice from Thailand, green peppers from Mexico, avocadoes and grapes from
Chile. These all require energy to grow
and transport. Are we aware of what it
costs—financially and environmentally—to create these foods? Do we still
connect with our food? Do we understand how it came to be on our table? As
fewer and fewer people are involved in the production of the food they eat each
year, food increasingly becomes more of an abstract concept and less a tangible
reality.
This need not be the case. Countless edible species of plants grow
worldwide, just a few of which are represented in the supermarket. Instead,
numbers of these plants are to be found growing literally in our midst. Whether
growing wild or used in landscaping, the volume and variety of food grown on
BYU campus is something to consider—a quick count reveals over thirty.
Unfortunately, with no knowledge of what they are and where to find them, they
remain nameless and inaccessible. In an
effort to bring them to public knowledge, I
have created a Google map showing types and locations of edible plants on campus. I have also created an introductory guide to
accompany this online tool. To create these tools, I have drawn upon the BYU
Tree Tour pamphlet, various internet sources, Dr. Tom Smith of the PWS
department, and my own experience foraging at BYU since 2007.
It is my hope that this information will provoke
questions about the food we eat. Why do we eat the foods we do, and what
societal, political and cultural factors influence these decisions? What does
it mean to eat? Additionally, I invite you to try a new plant or recipe here.
BYU Foraging—An Introductory
Guide
In an effort to provide
a usable amount of relevant information, I have chosen to include basic
information about each plant while providing links to recipes and additional
information as is desired.
SAFETY NOTE: Do not consume plants
you cannot positively identify.
Oak: Quercus robur, Q. rubra, Q. macrocarpa.
Acorns from oak trees
have been utilized as a staple food by humans for thousands of years.
Oaks are abundant on BYU campus and yield huge numbers of acorns in the fall.
Acorns contain bitter chemicals called tannins that inhibit edibility.
These can, however, be removed by soaking crushed acorns in water and changing
the water daily until the water becomes clear.
At this point they can be ground into flour, dried, and used to make
pancakes, bread, cookies, etc. As these do not contain gluten, anticipate baked
goods will be not hold together as well as products made with high gluten
materials like wheat and rye.
Availability: Fall
Plums
(Prunus domestica)
Plums are incredibly
abundant on the hill south of the JSB. Pay attention to flowering trees
in spring to better locate fruiting trees later. Many different varieties are
found south of campus and all are edible. These are excellent fresh or used to
make pies, tarts, puddings, or really
anything with fresh fruit.
Availability:
August—October
Purple Leaf Plum Prunus cerasifera ‘Thundercloud’
A burgundy-leafed
variety of flowering plum is a common landscaping plant on campus. Lining
sidewalks and roads, it is easy to find and identify. Plums are the same color as the foliage, so
they are easier to spot by looking for the shape of the fruit rather than the
color.
Availability: June,
July
Prickly,
holly-like leaves with bluish-purple fruits that exude a dark crimson juice
when crushed. Edible raw, tart fruit
juice ideal for jelly-making.
Availability: July—October Recipes
Beech Trees—Fagus
sylvatica; F. grandifolia
Beech trees are readily identified by
their smooth, grayish bark and spreading, climbable branches. Their seeds
can be consumed raw, roasted or ground and pressed to make a high-quality
cooking oil. Beech nuts contain some of the same chemical compounds as walnuts,
so those with walnut sensitivities or allergies may wish to avoid them.
Availability: Fall
Hicks Yew—Taxus baccata ‘Hicks’
One of the most
delicious fruits on campus, this is also the plant that requires the most
caution when eating. All parts of the plant besides the fleshy, red seed
covering are toxic. Don’t let this frighten you—these are an excellent
source of food. BYU professor Tom Smith enjoys making pies with them.
Availability—Fall
Gingko
Gingko Biloba
Readily identified by its smooth bark and fan-shaped leaves, this ancient
plant yields smelly fruit with edible seeds that can be roasted and eaten.
Availability: Fall
Flowering Pear—Pyrus
calleryana ‘Bradford,’ ‘chanticlear’
Easily one of the most
numerous trees on campus, Bradford and Chanticlear flowering pears bear white
blossoms whose scent is often found objectionable. They do, however, bear hard,
marble-sized fruits that can be consumed after they have bletted—that is, been
frozen and rethawed to soften and sweeten the flesh. Utah winters address this
quite adequately, and while Pyrus species
bear fruit in fall, it is best consumed in winter. Pyrus tastes somewhat like the tropical fruit tamarind.
Availability: Winter
Pyrus fruit could be used successfully as part of a granola
mixture.
Firethorn—Pyracantha
Generally formed into large hedges and covered
with dense clusters of orange berries, firethorn berries are easy to spot. True
to its name, firethorn branches have an abundance of (easily avoided) spines.
Firethorn berries are edible but admittedly bland and mealy, but are apparently
good in jelly. Let’s be honest, here—what isn’t?
Availability: Fall-Midwinter
Hawthorn Craetaegus spp.
Hard, red fruits soften and shrivel in winter
in cold, dry conditions, yielding a fruit reminiscent of Craisins.
Availability: Winter, Early Spring
Much maligned by gardeners, landscapers, and
homeowners, this invasive species is edible in its entirety—in fact, it was
brought to the Americas by European migrants as a food source. Be careful to
collect dandelions in areas not treated with pesticides.
I have used dandelions in salads and stir
fries, and recipes for them abound online.
Availability: Spring, Summer
Recipes (included in
hyperlinks):
http://www.eattheweeds.com/acorns-the-inside-story/
http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2012/06/make-jelly-from-fruit-of-your.html
http://www.eattheweeds.com/dandelions-hear-them-roar/
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