edible stuff from the bush

[samh]

As I went to the Walls last weekend I saw alot of mushrooms and was wondering if any of them are edible as it would be a nice addition for dinner. So I would like to know if anyone is into that kind of stuff and would have some more information for me. Apart from mushrooms there is maybe other stuff you can eat too.
So let me know if you have tried some stuff

thanks
Sam

[JohnM]

I went mushrooming once with a guy who's been collecting and selling wild mushrooms for half his lifetime. He pointed out to me mushrooms that were perfectly edible, and mushrooms that could do you serious damage. There's no way I'd trust myself to tell the difference.

I'd suggest that unless you were an expert, I'd steer WELL CLEAR of eating wild mushies. Get it wrong and the consequences could be far worse than a night on the bog.

ps - If you're genuinely interested in harvesting food from the bush, I'd look at getting first-hand instruction from someone who knows what they're doing. Personally, I wouldn't rely on advice from websites, pictures from books, etc. But I'm cautious like that.

[kramster]

I took part in an Adult Ed course a couple of years back on "Bush Food", taken by plant guru Kris Schaffer, which was really informative and interesting (would highly reccomend giving it a go if you get the chance). In terms of getting a good feed, it would be pretty hard work to scrounge enough to live off without spending much of your day in "hunter-gatherer" mode. (excluding feathered, furred or finned anamalia of course).

One thing the course did mention was that unless you know exactly what you are looking at - then don't even try to eat said foodstuffs (be it berries, leaves, nuts, or mushies) - there is plenty of stuff that is great to eat, but about as much that is poisionous too. Alas as there was so much covered in the two day course, I can't really remember clearly which bits were in the "good" box and which were in the "bad" end of the spectrum.

There are an increasing number of native food-plants becoming available for people to grow in their own gardens too, which is encouraging.

http://www.ausbushfoods.com/oldmag/news/Kris_Schaffer.htm

[the_camera_poser]

I've seen what can happen from eating the wrong mushroom. Imagine massive acid burns inside your mouth, on your face and all down your chest from the massive amount of caustic saliva your mouth will produce. Not a good idea.

[tasadam]

Wallaby stew, Possum Pie.
Walking in the Huon area you can sometimes find an apple (orchard)
Down the road there's a few blackberries you are welcome to...

Sorry...

I have seen people doing the Overland Track with a fishing rod strapped to their pack.
I have heard of people (overseas visitors) assuming they can do the South Coast track by living off the bush, only to have to be "rescued" by other walkers supplying them food.
Friends of mine helped out by providing food, that's where I heard it.

[Son of a Beach]

I have heard of people (overseas visitors) assuming they can do the South Coast track by living off the bush, only to have to be "rescued" by other walkers supplying them food.
Friends of mine helped out by providing food, that's where I heard it.

You certainly wouldn't want to rely on it, but I know somebody who packed their snorkel and mask for the South Coast track (nor sure if he took fins) and ate exceptionally well along the way, with abalone and crayfish at several camp sites.

[samh]

Thanks all for your respond, as I see it's maybe not a very good suggestion to eat stuff from the bush unless I exactly know what I'm looking at. I just got that idea when I went trough a forest a couple of weeks ago, and I saw so many mushies.
Well I suppose I will have to bring them from at home than. Maybe I should plant some fruit trees and berries along the Overland Track next time I walk it

[ILUVSWTAS]

Mask and Snorkel is a GREAT idea for anywhere on the south coast! Abs and Crays are quite easy to get IF you know what your doing! Ive eaten both in various places in the SW

[Cocksy_86]

Jew's Ear is another edible fungai. But just make sure you know what you're eating. You kinda have to build up experience of bushtucker overtime. And you start by testing that you got the right idea the first time and that you don't get sick with that small amount. And then you try it again in larger portions. However, toxiocity can occur in large amounts so even that's not a foolproof plan.

Candle Nut is used in cooking and was on Master Chef recently, but if not roasted it can be toxic.

[RayTheWanderer]

You can test ANYTHING what so ever in the wild by taking a small amount, rubbing it on your wrist, inner elbow and then waiting. If there is any irratation, redness... STAY AWAY!, do not eat! wash your hands and arm.
If there is no sign, take a small amount to you lip gently touching your lip with it, wait 24 hours.
No sign of irritation, sickness, eat a little bit, wait 24 hours.
If your fine, its perfectly edible and safe
Its that simple.

[Liamy77]

that is a dangerous thing to do.... natrural selection in action!

[RayTheWanderer]

that is a dangerous thing to do.... natrural selection in action!

I do it all the time, with everything I find...
So im LIVING proof haha, its not dangerous

[highercountry]

No sign of irritation, sickness, eat a little bit, wait 24 hours.
If your fine, its perfectly edible and safe
Its that simple.

That is just plain stupid, very stupid.

Not only are many native plants and fungi extremey toxic some are also carcinogenic. You may not feel the effects untill 20 years later

[Liamy77]

I do it all the time, with everything I find...
So im LIVING proof haha, its not dangerous

.... so far.......



well good luck with it (i hope you never go through this) TOUCH WOOD!- i hope your still around to tell about the one that slips through the testing

if a toxin packs up your liver for example it can take a few days to kill a person and can be painful and irreversible. I have travelled around with many bush tucker collectors too and i would advise against consuming any item that you dont KNOW is safe, there can be other effects that you wont feel and is it really worth the risk?

if you were stuck and starving it would be ok as a guide but thats a VERY rare situation to be in....
this link is Tas specific, but interesting

[Liamy77]

also bear in mind that MANY mushrooms are NOT safe to eat and the ones that are have minimal nutrient value compared with other bush foods....

Many others foods that are safe to eat need special preparation to be safe...

Of the ones that are left might taste so "different" that it might have been better to sit on em and absorb them in reverse?!

but every now n then you can get some truely magical foods that make it worthwhile!

Ray Mears is an easy-to-find source of info here as is Les Stroud, but for a more specifically Aussy menue the best way i have found is to contact your local aboriginal community and gradually build up relations with a friendly old fella/lady and go for a wander with them... i was lucky to have friends and rellies to take me out n show me stuff but it took many generations of hit and misses over MANY years to refine this sort of knowledge and unfortunately a LOT has now been lost. Dont go it alone if you dont have to - this knowledge NEEDS to be shared and passed on to survive!

this is by no means in depth with how to prepare these, etc however some Tasmanian ones are:
common name(s) (Species name, Family name) - which bit - how

1. snowberries (Gaultheria hispida, Ericaceae) - white parts of berries - as is
2. Mountain Pepper (Tasmannia lanceolata, Winteraceae) - berries - as pepper
3. Potato Orchid (Gastrodia sesamoides, Orchidaceae) - tuber - roasted
4. Cutting Grass / Saw-toothed Sedge (Gahnia grandis, Cyperaceae) - seeds - toasted, husked, as flour
5. Dock (Rumex crispus, Polygonaceae) - leaves - little raw/blanched OR lot boiled with water change

[Drifting]

Well- it worked for the guy in "Into the Wild"

For a while, at least.....lol

Just don't go shooting any moose.

[highercountry]

I do it all the time, with everything I find...
So im LIVING proof haha, its not dangerous

Traditional Aboriginal Australians have around 40,000 years of combined knowledge and experience on bush tucker, you don't.
Don't act like a fool, leave the bush tucker to the experts.

[rowan]

I take people on bush tucker weekends and point out native foods that are safe, or not, to eat. I have 20 years of practical experience and there are still a few plants that I am not knowlegable enough to experiment with.
I can tell you that the old put a bit on your skin and on your tongue bit is not going to protect you from some plant and insect poisons that take many hours to take affect, nasty effects. There are heaps of great bush foods but take a walk with someone who has a lot of experience before you go off testing by yourself and not only will you find more edible foods than you think, but you will be safer too.

[pazzar]

Check out this site on edible plants, put together by a NW coast man. I'm not sure how much local stuff is in his work, as it was largely compiled in Papua New Guinea, but I know that he has put basically his whole life into this work, so I would not be surprised to see some endemic species in there.

http://www.foodplantsinternational.com/ ... =resources

[ahmondjai]

I once read the a section in 'SAS Survival Guide', it suggested that while most food can be find out whether they are edible or not by doing the ' rub under arm' and rubbing on the lip' test, some food especially mushrooms, cannot be identified with the above method. In another word, unless you are 100% positive on which mushroom you can eat, I'd stay away from them~

[bushwalker zane]

The most interesting thing I've come accross latey is ground Acacia seeds, they make a great replacement for coffee. If you had the time and could be bothered to crush up the little buggers though!

[gayet]

I think the acacia seeds have to be roasted first though don't they? Or am I thinking of Bunya nuts??

[bushwalker zane]

Ah yes, that is true! Whoops!

[stepbystep]

I think the acacia seeds have to be roasted first though don't they? Or am I thinking of Bunya nuts??

It's best roasted as there are low levels of toxins in them, not all acacia seeds can be used as the toxin levels are higher in some species. We have used it in cakes, muffins for a nutty/coffee type flavour.

[bushwalker zane]

Yeah, it smelt amazing! Silver Wattle is a pretty safe bet for trees to use or so I was told. I really want to try some as I only got to have a smell of it!

[gayet]

You can buy wattle seed from various places - spice /herb/ upmarket grocers etc as well as providors and such like. Not sure if the local supermarket would stock it or not. If you want to take the easy way out anyway....

[MartyGwynne]

If you are by the coast you can obtain a lot of edible food such as some (if not most - best check though) sea weeds, oysters, clams, muscles, fish and some select coastal vegetation (I'm not going to say which ones - search a few good resources).
Mushrooms are so easy to carry dried ones from the supermaket, why bother!

Great subject and it would be great if more can be done on it so we can confidently give people advice on what is a no-brainer edible choice. I should start an app for it for your iPhone.
There so thats a challenge for someone to steal my idea......
Marty

[damon_james]

Hi,

We did 36km last weekend on the Bibbulmun track out of Mundaring in Perth WA.

Saw lots of mouth watering-looking mushies. Pics attached.

Does anyone know what these are and can you eat them?

[John Sheridan]

How about snareing rabbits, I would think there would be rabbits in the blue mountians Coxs river area, would they be safe to eat ?

Also I would think their would be yabbies, clams in the river too, Would they be safe to eat ?


Thanks for any info.

[gayet]

rabbits - you need to be careful of myxi and calici (?) virus. Myxomatosis can be seen around the eyes, but not sure how advanced it is at that stage. I don't know the signs of calicivirus so no comment on that one.

yabbies - more easily found in dams than rivers from my limited experience and dams are on private property.