There is a wealth of food and other resources to be found in our region,
starting in our own yards!
You don’t have to be a homesteader, nor own acres of land.
We share ways to harvest and prepare both native and introduced products.
We urge you to harvest in a sustainable fashion.
It’s a Way of Life
Forage or foraging is the simple act of gathering food. As we post foraging articles or videos the links will also be shared here. Check out the MANY seasonal forages linked below.
Mind you, sometimes the “wild” food is weeds that came up under the rosebushes – like the peppergrass in this YouTube Video.
Although it’s gained far greater popularity in recent years, for our distant ancestors foraging would simply have been a way of life – a necessity in fact.
Foraging Topics Covered
We offer many foraging tips both here – on this website – and on our YouTube Channel.
The links to the ones on our site are in blue. The links to our YouTube are in red – because that is “their” color, not because they are dangerous or anything like that! (Not political affiliations either!) Then there are links in green – to Dr. Jacqueline Soule’s Gardening With Soule (.net) website. This is where she will help you grow plants in your own yard for future harvesting (edible landscaping).
Anytime
Easily Drying Herbs – on this site
Barrel Cactus Fruit – Part I – forage/use – on this site
Harvest & Process Barrel Cactus Fruit – on our YouTube
Creosote – medicinal herb – on this site
Some additional ways to Use Creosote – on this site
Desert Broom – medicinal herb – on this site
Tea from Desert Broom can be tasty too – on this site.
Desert Goji – edible fruit – on this site
Grow your own Desert Goji – for future harvest – on Gardening With Soule
Mammalaria Cactus – fruit – on YouTube
Mesquite – for use as a medicinal plant – on this site
Oreganillo – a shrub used for an herb – and tastes like Old World oregano!
Oxalis – also called Shamrocks – a tasty green. Some cautions about the oxalates found in the plants
Pine – medicinal herb – on this site
Vinegar from Pine Needles – for salads and more
Tea, herbal teas or traditional tea flavoring – forage/use – on this site
Wormwood – herb and for a beverage – on this site
Spring
Agarita Berries – forage/use – on this site
Brittlebush – forage/use – on this site
Creosote Capers – forage – on our YouTube
Cactus Flowers – forage/use – on this site
Desert Mistletoe Berries – on Gardening With Soule
Desert Mistletoe berries – forage/use – on this site
Globe Mallow – forage/use – on this site
Jewel Flower Pods – forage and saute the pods
Palo Verde Beans – on our YouTube
Palo Verde Capers – flower buds/use – on our YouTube
Flowers from Palo Verde – a light and tasty treat! – on our site
Peppergrass – recipe/cook with – on this site
Rose Petals – forage/use – on this site
Rhubarb – Wild Rhubarb that is – on this site.
Violets – grow/use – on this site
Wild Spinach – a traditional Native green
Summer Forage
Be Safe as you forage with our – Summer Survival Tips
Amaranth – forage/use on this site
Devil’s Claw – how to grow so you can eat – on Gardening With Soule
Limoncillo – forage a lemony wildflower as an herb for cooking & tea – on this site
Mesquite Beans – Forage Safely – on this site
Mesquite Beans – quick gluten-free muffin – on this site
drink made from Mesquite Beans – on this site
Mesquite Beans – gluten free apple muffin (yum) – on this site
forage Mesquite Beans for mesquite pancakes
start your own Mesquite orchard – on Gardening With Soule
Palo Verde Beans – forage – on our YouTube
Poreleaf (a flavorful herb) – forage/use – on this site
Prickly Pear Fruit – and if you get glochids – how to remove glochids
Purslane – a summer green
Rose Petals – forage/use – on this site
Squash Blossoms – cook with – on this site
Squash Blossoms – cook with – on our YouTube
Sunflowers – there are some wild species to forage and enjoy
Grow your own Sunflowers for an edible landscape in your yard – on Gardening With Soule
Verdolagas, the Mexican name for purslane – a tasty summer green
Fall
Acorns – forage – on our site
Recipes for Acorns – on our site
Acorns – oaks to grow for future harvest – on Gardening With Soule
Palm Fruit – forage/use – on this site
Palm Fruit – forage – on our YouTube
Palo Verde Beans – forage – on our YouTube
Winter
Cheeseweed – overview – on this site
Forage Cheeseweed – forage/use – on this site
Cheeseweed – sauteed greens recipe – on this site
Jewel Flower Pods – forage and saute the pods
Palo Verde Beans – forage – on our YouTube
Peppergrass – forage/use – on our YouTube
Violets – grow/use – on this site
Wild Spinach – a traditional Native green
Herbs and More
The last few copies of this out-of-print award winning Southwestern book are now for sale. Father Kino’s Herbs: Growing and Using Them Today The review says:
“Award-winning garden writer Dr. Jacqueline A. Soule has pulled together a fascinating book on the life of Father Eusebio Francisco Kino and some of the plants that he brought to Southern Arizona and northwestern Sonora, and area called the Pimeria Alta.”
This link is to our sales site. The profits from the sale go to the local Horticulture Therapy non-profit Tierra del Sol Institute. We hope you will help support this great Southwest non-profit!
And Here’s Our Cookbook!
May we suggest our dandy little cookbook? Using Honey in New and Savory Ways offers 36 pages of tips for using honey in your cooking, as well as in all manner of dishes. From the review:
“Honey is for more than desserts and this book can help! Using honey in cooking savory dishes helps engage all your taste buds and adds a layer of added flavor to everyday dishes – plus holiday fare.”
Beekeeper? We offer volume discounts – because if you sell honey in local markets you might want to offer some of these books as well. Use the Special Orders tab.
Legal Note
© Copyright Savor the Southwest // Jacqueline A. Soule. All rights reserved. You must ask permission to republish an entire blog post or article. Okay to use a short excerpt but you must give proper credit. You must include a link back to the original post on our site. No stealing photos.
Disclaimer
The authors of this website have researched the edibility of the materials we discuss, however, humans vary in their ability to tolerate different foods, drinks, and herbs. Individuals consuming flowers, plants, animals or derivatives mentioned in this blog do so entirely at their own risk. The authors on this site cannot be held responsible for any adverse reaction. In case of doubt please consult your medical practitioner.