How to Identify, Harvest, and Prepare Wild Lettuce

[Watchman]

Foraging is as much an art as it is a science. You must know and understand the plants in your area that are safe and nutritious to eat. Making a mistake about which plants are edible can, at best, leave you with an inedible mess. At worst, you can jeopardize your life. Fortunately, the abundance of wild lettuces and edible greens gives you plenty of options from which to choose while foraging.

True wild lettuce (Lactuca Virosa) is a biennial plant that occurs in various parts of North America and coastal Britain. Wild lettuce is widespread across central and southern Europe as well. Other common wild lettuce varieties in the U.S. include Lactuca Canadensis, Lactuca Ludoviciana, and Lactuca Floridana. In Europe, you can also find Lactuca Serriola. Lactuca Quercina is found in Eurasia.

In general, wild lettuce varieties have been used more as medicinal herbs than as staple food sources. Wild lettuces are sometimes used to treat various medical ailments, such as analgesics, and as a sleep aid.

However, before you start foraging wild lettuce, you should study examples, photos, and understand the possible side effects wild lettuce may produce when ingested. Many wild lettuce lookalikes can cause mis-identifications. READ FULL ARTICLE HERE