Wood Ears

To Eat or Not to Eat. Food and Medicine from the Elder.

So it's true, the trees are listening.

wood ears

Wood Ears grow on Elder trees. They're a dusty brown colour, shaped like a human ear and are gooey jelly inside. After a walk with a friend who told me they're great cooked in a stew I've been keeping an eye out for them, so when i saw loads today i gathered a few, not too many as I was pretty sure i wouldn't want to eat more than a handful. I wasn't overly excited about eating them with their unusual texture. They're really good for you though-- full of powerful antioxidants and immune boosting.. and they grow locally throughout the winter unaffected by frost.

I love that Wood Ears grow on Elder Trees - a tree of spiritual significance with strong connections to the faery world.... it makes them mysterious. 

How to prepare:

Wash. Slice into strips and marinade. I used bouillon, but i think soy sauce mixed with ginger and garlic would work well if you're adding to a stirfry.

Cooking: I fried in a little oil and added to the rest of rice and veg. BECAREFUL!! The Wood Ears have a tendency to explode out of the pan! I used a bread board as a shield!

Result:

Well--- they're edible and took on the flavour of the bouillon. A crunchy texture, some more slimy than others, mushroom-like a little. Once I got the idea that they looked and felt like slugs it was hard not to think I was chomping on a slimy mollusc - gah! Maybe they're one of those delicacy kind of foods, a bit gross like oysters and caviar... once you're used to the idea + texture you might get a craving for them!? 

I'd definitely recommend trying them at least once ---- you might love Wood Ears!! And if ever I'm lost in the woods with a fire strike and a pan, I'm pretty sure you can find these all year round.

Eating wild food makes me feel connected to the landscape and I'm grateful for the gift, i'm sure my body will be too. But I wont be offering this to my friends for dinner if they can ever come and visit --- hashtag lockdown. 

So get out there and keep your eyes peeled for wood ears. 

cleavers are arriving 

pennywort

EAT WILD

and it will transform you 

I believe the plants that grow wild in their perfect habitat hold an energy that is more powerful than agriculturally grown food. When we consume the wild, the energy of the land releases into our cells and profoundly connects us to the earth in a most natural and healthy way. Eat Wild and see how your body awakens to the land 
I've been foraging and collecting wild herbs and food for a few years and grew up with parents who would take us collecting mushrooms, making nettle soup and skinning rabbits on the kitchen table. I've been a vegetarian since I was 11 because I disagree with the way animals are treated and farmed. Seeing where my food came from when I was growing up gave me an appreciation and an understanding of how nature provides for us without always going to the supermarket. It also gave me a respect for the exchange of life for food and how being part of and witnessing the process of killing the animal really makes you grateful for the food on your table, and for the life that has been sacrificed in a gift of energy. I don't need to eat animals for my survival, but sometimes i will eat fish, very rarely and with prayers.  
 Consciously gathering the wild roots, leaves, berries, seaweeds, mushrooms and flowers is a gentle way of mapping your landscape and connecting with the plants. 
 Eat Wild has grown out of a love to share a little of what I have learned . It's a simple guide to get the curious out there, gathering and making your own wild food.

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