Discover a soothing tonic in your yard

McClatchy Newspapers

Wild food is free food, so take advantage of its availability and healthy flavors, even now during frigid temperatures.

A comforting cup of hot tea made from fresh pine needles may be the soothing tonic your raspy throat needs.

“Wild plants haven’t been tampered with genetically,” says Vickie Shufer, 58, an expert in wild edibles in Virginia Beach, Va.

“Wild food is not just food, it’s also food medicine. Wild plants are concentrated in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that can help keep you healthy. Instead of buying food supplements, it’s more fun to grow and harvest your own, or find a wild patch where it’s permissible to harvest.”

Editor and publisher of The Wild Foods Forum newsletter since 1994, Shufer recently completed “The Everything Guide to Foraging,” which publishes soon.

If you know what to eat and when to gather it, you discover that plants grow in cycles, according to Shufer, who regularly sponsors workshops that teach you how to forage for wild edibles.

“In late winter and early spring, there are greens that are cleansing,” she says.

“Sweet juicy berries begin ripening in late spring and into summer. In the fall are the starchy roots, followed by the nuts and seeds.

“It’s not just the food that’s special, it’s the whole process of getting outdoors, developing a relationship with the plant world, knowing what to eat and what not to eat, and then tasting it.

“It’s a way of connecting with nature using all the senses.”

To help your senses enjoy the pleasure and good health of edibles in the winter, Shufer encourages you to try these palate-pleasing teas, all made with plants that may be in your own yard.