To eat or not to eat that is the question:

The Universal Edibility Test

Getting lost in the wilderness and knowing what to eat will save you. People can live without food for several weeks, even up to a month, but just because you can push your body to that limit, it does not mean you have to deprive yourself of food. When stranded or lost you need to make intelligent decision quickly because your life and that of others may depends on it! You have to make sure you have enough energy to fulfill your tasks such as shelter, fire making, hunting, getting water and so forth. If you do not have the nutrients to keep your strength, each survival task will seem brutally harder, leave you feeling week, you will make bad decisions, and ultimately endanger lives.

Knowing what you can eat is a crucial skill to have but you have your work cut out for you. Good news, we have done part of that work for you! It is very difficult to learn what to eat because there are over 700 varieties of poisonous plans in the United States and Canada alone.

Having a book that clearly identifies edible species is essential when traveling outdoors. Whenever you travel outdoors make sure you have the appropriate local plant life identification pamphlets or book, it is always best to starve a bit then to poison yourself and die.

Very important!

It is easy to make mistakes:

        · Some poisonous plants look similar to edible ones, but make sure you use your guide to identify the subtle difference

        · Some plants have parts that are edible and others that are toxic.

        · Other plants are edible for certain periods during the year.

What can you do?

Do not despair! There is a test you can perform called the Universal Edibility Test.

Universal Edibility Test: Separate-Contact- Taste-Cook The Universal Edibility Test requires you to break down parts of the plant and test them individually over a period of 24 hours. Save yourself lots of time by finding something that is growing in abundance. Do not eat or drink anything but water for at least 8 hours before attempting the test.

Separate: Clean the plant and make sure it does not have any unwanted parasites on or in it. The presence of parasites or worms is a sign that whatever you have collected is rotting. Simply discard the plant and get another one. If you cannot find the same plant, begin a new search.

Remember, some parts of the plant may not be edible so we recommend you separate them it into five basic parts.

         · Leaves

         · Roots

         · Stems

         · Buds

         · Flowers

Contact 

“If it's not good for your skin, it's not good for your belly.”

Crush only one of the plant parts and rub it on the inside of your wrist or elbow for 15 minutes. Wait 8 hours. If you have a reaction, for example, burning , redness, welts and bumps immediately or soon after contact, then you obviously do not want to eat this plant.  You can drink water while you wait but no not eat anything else. If there is no reaction after 8 hours, proceed to the next step.

Taste

You can also take the plant part and hold it to your lip for 3 minutes. If you feel any kind of burning or tingling sensation, remove from your lip and start over with a new plant. You can also put the same part in your mouth and hold it on your tongue for another 15 minutes. If you experience anything similar to the previous sensations, spit it out and wash your mouth with water. It may not taste amazing, but that doesn't mean it's not edible!

Cook

Great news! Some toxic plants become edible after they're boiled. Once you've boiled it, you can eat it. Consult your manuals or pamphlets for guidance.

And there you have it! A few simple steps to safe and happy eating! The trick with all of this edible plant knowledge is learning it in small segments because there is a lot to learn and it is very easy to feel overwhelmed. Simply get in the habit of bringing your guide with you because you never know, it might end up saving you time and your life!