some-therian-wreck

[some-therian-wreck]

i am not trying to fearmonger as there is already enough anxiety and tension going on in everyone's lives, but with the election results food in the US is likely going to get a lot more expensive. i don't recommend foraging as a sole means of sustenance but it can be useful to know in case of a dire situation.

- always make sure you know *exactly* what plant you are about to consume, know the lookalikes and how to tell them apart

- learn what plants grow around you and try to find local experts

- know what nutrients the plants provide (fats, proteins, vitamins, medicinal uses, etc) and how they can supplement what you don't have access to in your normal diet

- learn if foraging is *legal* where you are and where safe spots to forage are (places without pesticides, high foot traffic, waste dumping, etcetera)

stay safe and stay fed, we will all make it through this. tooth and nail if necessary.

[some-therian-wreck]

[some-therian-wreck]

mushrooms!

I'm not the best at identifying mushrooms, but this looks like a lions mane mushroom :]

[some-therian-wreck]

Shymbulak, Kazakhstan

[some-therian-wreck]

Plateau, acrylic on 12" x 12" canvas

[some-therian-wreck]

mushrooms!

[some-therian-wreck]

[some-therian-wreck]

“Here is what the sea smells like. It is more texture than scent, because the sea is primarily made of two substances that have no smell of their own: water and salt. Salt has no smell, but makes the air sting, and so all of the other smells of the sea are layered upon the pang of salt. Water has no smell but instead a comfort. We feel moisture as life and so the smells of the ocean are layered upon the contentment of the water. Salt is treble and water is bass. I don’t know how I know this is true, but I know it is true. The sea smells like old wood and wet leaves. Like cold mud and warm stone. Like every creature who has ever lived in it, a churning graveyard and nursery. Like winds from the inland carrying the hot circulation of life and winds from the ocean carrying the distant froth of waves against ships and islands. Like gray, only more so. Like blue, only less so.”

— The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home, Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor

[some-therian-wreck]

gods above... why do acorns have to be so difficult? I collected about half a kilo of them and only a few grams are actually usable (no holes, didn't float, etc) but they're still green so they *still* are not usable and need to mature

[some-therian-wreck]

[some-therian-wreck]

Art by Essi Välimäki

[some-therian-wreck]

[some-therian-wreck]

cheese buns!

[some-therian-wreck]

Live foraging from one of my favorite parks that’s a mix of cedar barrens and more traditional forest!

One of my favorite things to collect this time of year is sweet goldenrod (solidago odora), which has a delightful licorice/anise scent in the leaves and flowers.

It’s most commonly used to make teas or infused in honey, but I also use it to make a wild version of sambuca, an Italian anise liqueur. My dad has it in his espresso every night but i like it over ice! ☕️🌾

[some-therian-wreck]

[some-therian-wreck]

The wild grapes around my home are starting to turn. While they are small and sour on their own, today I decided to experiment with using them in a jelly. The jam is nice too, but the wild grapes where I live have large solid seeds in the middle. They have a nutty flavor but are too big/hard to work well in a jam. After straining them out, I mixed the jelly into scones and I'm quite excited to see how they'll turn out.

Wild Grape Jelly

Ingredients:

Wild grapes

Sugar

Water

Instructions;

This recipe will depend on how much fruit you are able to gather. I collected about 1 cup of fruit, so I added 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup water. The general rule of thumb is a 1:1 ratio, but I prefer less sugar in mine. Wild grapes have a lot of pectin, so you likely won't need to add any unless you are looking for a really thick jelly.

Simply mix together the water and sugar until the sugar is mostly dissolved, then add in the grapes (without the stems!) and simmer until reduced in volume and thick.

Allow to cool, then push through a fine mesh sieve to strain out the seeds and any large pieces of skin.

please excuse the ugly photo.. the colors are much more pretty in person, but I wanted to show the finished product anyway.

[some-therian-wreck]

Lotr.