Wilderness Survival Handbook by Michael Pewtherer

Author:Michael Pewtherer [Pewtherer, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Published: 2010-03-19T03:00:00+00:00

Stinging nettle

CATTAIL. The swordlike leaves of the cattail are rather stiff and erect. At the top of a nonbranching, stiff stem, clusters of tiny flowers form the familiar cylindrical female head above which the male or pollen head rises. The pollen head is gold in color when it is full of pollen but quickly turns brown and rather ragged, leaving only the spike-like top of the stem.

Cattail

Use: The cattail plant is one worth becoming acquainted with, as it can provide some sort of food year-round. In the spring, the young shoots are easily broken off of the roots (some roots can be pulled to the surface with a stout stick, while others may require you to wade in). They are then peeled and can be eaten raw, steamed, or added to a soup. Young stalks less than thirty inches in length can be steamed and eaten. In the late spring, the young flower heads can be boiled or steamed and eaten. The flower heads can be tricky to spot when they are still young enough to eat, because they are still in the sheath created by the leaves; therefore, you must carefully look and feel through the cattails. If you miss the flower heads, wait until early summer for the pollen spikes that will rise golden above the flower head. The pollen can be gathered by placing a bag over the head, bending it over, and shaking it vigorously. On a windless day, an open container with high sides can also do the job. Much can be gathered in a short time in this way. Dry the pollen thoroughly before you store it or you will lose it to mold or rot. Pollen can be used as a flour additive or stew thickener. In the late summer, as the roots prepare to spread, the tips produce pointy sprouts that can be peeled and eaten raw or boiled. From fall through early spring, the roots can be pulled up, washed, and skinned. The remaining root can be squeezed, kneaded, and generally manhandled in a container of cold water. You will see clouds of white spread out into the water as the starch is released, and in short order the water will become slick and viscous as the starch concentration increases. Once the water becomes syrupy, I suggest that you start a new container, because the ability of the water to remove starch seems to decrease as it becomes supersaturated. Remove the fibers left from the roots as you proceed. I simply run my fingers through the solution, although if you happen to have a wire mesh strainer in your pocket, by all means use it! The starch will slowly settle to the bottom of the container, making it possible to pour off the water and leaving the starch on the bottom. Dry the starch on a flat rock near the fire by spreading it out. Once it is dry, it can be stored indefinitely as long as it is kept dry. The cattail starch can be used as flour or yet another stew thickener.

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