Pacific Northwest Foraging Starter Handbook: A Beginner's Guide with 6 Step-by-Step Methods to Identify, Harvest, Prepare, Preserve and Cook Wild Foods

By Stephen Fleming

Earth was not built for six billion people, all running around and being passionate about things. The world was built for about two million people foraging for roots and grubs.

— Doug Coupland

Foraging is the earliest and most natural way of gathering edibles in human evolution.

Given the extensive natural gift in the PNW (Pacific Northwest), foraging wild edible fruits, berries, and plants become the most satisfying experience.

Humans have been foraging since the dawn of civilization. It was the primary means of sustenance for our prehistoric ancestors. Chances are, even you have foraged and probably did not realize that you were doing it.

Have you ever picked wild berries from a nearby park or plucked herbs from a neighborhood garden? Well, these are both instances of Foraging.

This book is a visual journey with:

★ Colored Interior

★ 75 + images

★ 18 edible plants in PNW

★ Recipes

If you are looking for a short, crisp, and visually pleasing account of all Foraging steps concerning the PNW states, this is where you land!

The topics covered are:

The introduction & history of Foraging

Why Foraging- The Benefits

6 Steps of Foraging

Identifying, Double Checking & Harvesting

Preparing, Preservation & Healthy Recipes

You can't simply head out right into the woods without proper guidance and someone's experience. With the direction, support, and experience, you can quickly become a Pacific Northwest foraging pro.

So what are you waiting for?

"Add to cart" this concise, crisp, and to-the-point book to start your journey towards PNW Foraging!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stephen Fleming
• Release date: Jul 24, 2022
• ISBN: 9798405037417

Book preview

Introduction

I want to thank you for choosing this book, Pacific Northwest Foraging Starter Handbook: A Beginner's guide with 6 Step-by Step Methods to Identify, Harvest, Prepare, Preserve and Cook Wild Foods .

The act of foraging is a part of human history starting from the dawn of civilization. Whether you have plucked berries from bushes at a neighborhood park or fruits from nearby forests, these are instances of foraging.

Foraging collectively refers to the act of identifying, gathering, and harvesting edible plants, flowers, mushrooms, and weeds found in the wild. It used to be a source of sustenance for our ancestors before the advent of agriculture.

These days, foraging is regaining its lost importance, and rightly so as foraging is a wonderful activity with diverse benefits. It is not only enjoyable and exciting but is relaxing as well. It is a great physical exercise, helps reconnect with nature, learn about the ecosystem, and allows spending more time outdoors in nature.

If you reside in the states of Idaho, Washington, or Oregon in the United States or the region of British Columbia in Canada, you belong to the Pacific Northwest. A broader interpretation of the Pacific Northwest region includes Yukon, Alaska, and northern California too. Depending on the geographical conditions and regions, the flora that grows also differs.

If you want to start foraging in the Pacific Northwest, this is the perfect book for you. This book will act as a guide every step of the way and transform you into an ethical forager.

In this book, you will discover the six basic steps to be followed to start foraging, simple practices to forage and harvest sustainably, and all the benefits of foraging.

You will also learn about the most common wild edibles found in the Pacific Northwest, simple tips to identify edibles and distinguish them from poisonous plants, and common poisonous plants native to this region.

After this, you will learn about harvesting, preparing, and enjoying the ingredients foraged. This book also contains a variety of easy and delicious recipes that will help make the most of the ingredients foraged in the Pacific Northwest.

So, are you eager to start foraging? Do you want to learn more about all this? If yes, let’s get started immediately!

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Pacific North West

Foraging Basics

Earth was not built for six billion people all running around and being passionate about things. The world was built for about two million people foraging for roots and grubs.

— Doug Coupland

The act of foraging is steadily gaining popularity in recent times. Humans have been foraging since the dawn of civilization. It was the primary means of sustenance for our prehistoric ancestors. Chances are, even you have foraged and probably did not realize that you were doing it. Have you ever picked wild berries from a nearby park or plucked herbs from a neighborhood garden? Well, these are both instances of foraging.

What is Foraging?

Foraging is an activity that involves the search, identification, and harvesting of edibles found in the wild. Whether it's herbs and plants or fruits and mushrooms, anything that grows outdoors without being cultivated is a part of this activity. If you are picking berries from a bush or fruits from a nearby tree, you are essentially foraging. Urbanization coupled with the steadily growing urban culture has distanced us from foraging. That said, it is steadily gaining its lost popularity due to the variety of benefits it offers. Whether you want to become environmentally conscious or learn more about the local ecosystem, the benefits it offers are endless.

Man Enjoying Foraging in the Wild

Foraging Harvest in Oregon

Photo by

utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText>Nick Grappone on https://unsplash.com/collections/1701161/foraging-wild-mushroom---oregon? utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash

An important aspect of foraging is to understand what wild food means. Anything that grows in the wild and is fit for consumption is known as wild food. As you go through the different information given in this book, you will realize that there are plenty of common plant species commonly overlooked but are nutritious and fit for consumption. All you need to do is learn about the wild edibles found across the Pacific Northwest.

Before getting started, it is important to learn about the geographical areas that fall under the Pacific Northwest. Even though there is no official boundary demarcating the geographical region, the Pacific Northwest includes certain parts of Canada and the United States. The British Columbia region of Canada and three US states (Washington, Oregon, and Idaho) are collectively termed the Pacific Northwest. A broader interpretation includes the regions of northern California, Alaska, and Yukon too. On the other hand, a limited interpretation of the Pacific Northwest is limited to the western parts of the Coast and the Cascade

Reviews for Pacific Northwest Foraging Starter Handbook

[fireformed · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Overall I think this book delivers on exactly what it's premise is. It has really detailed instructions on the foraging process as well as several descriptions of things that can be harvested in the PacNW as well as their typical growing locations and conditions. And there is a really nice addition at the end of recipes to try using your foraged bounty!The only thing that I would have liked to see is in the "Common Wild Edible Plants" section of the book is a note on how to differentiate these plants from similar looking possibly poisonous plants. There is a section on "Common Poisonous Plants" but I would have liked it a bit more tailored to the edible plants section, but that's really my only complaint.