What Are You Foraging This Spring?

Are you wondering what you can do outside in early spring? Go foraging! It’s a great way to reconnect with nature after a long winter. Spring is the season of new beginnings and new growth and my favorite season.

As the temperature starts to warm up and everything begins to thaw from the winter, spring foraging options increase! This is the time of year for fresh salad greens, tasty spring flowers and shoots, medicinal plants and a few edible mushrooms.

What to forage

Chickweed (Stellaria media) is one of the first spring weeds to appear. Chickweed grows in lawns, meadows, gardens and disturbed areas, in full sunlight and partial shade. Collect where it’s thriving, young and bright green, before it begins to go to seed.

Eaten raw, it tastes like corn-on-the-cob. Cooked, it tastes more like spinach. Always chop the entire plant, except the roots, into bite-sized pieces before using it. Use like sprouts in sandwiches or with hummus in a pita.

Chickweed has powerful anti-inflammatory compounds that help ease discomfort and pain. This is good for people who suffer from chronic inflammatory conditions, such as osteoarthritis or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). An herbal salve is useful on rashes, bug bites and dry or itchy skin.