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Survival Foraging: Beach Greens
Beach Greens
Honckenya peploides, Arenaria peploides
Other Names: Sea Chickweed, Seabeach sandwort, Sea purslane
Habitat: Common along the coasts from The extreme northern Arctic waters to the Aleutian chain and south to the Oregon Coast. On the East Coast it is found in Arctic Canada South to Virginia.
Description: Found in patches or bunches, 2-12 inches in height, small white flowers.
Edible Uses: Beach Greens are sometimes refered to as “Scurvy Grass” due to its high Vitamin C content and was eaten by sailors to ward off Scurvy.
Late Spring: Leaves and Shoots
Summer: Leaves (can be gathered until August)
Late Summer: Seeds
The plant thrives on sandy beaches, so you must clean well to remove gritty sand and particles (unless you need the roughage!). You can add the young shoots and leaves to tossed salads or steam them for a short time (2-3 minutes) and then mix with garlic and butter. You can use them in Asian stir-fry dishes or simmer them in soups as well as pickle them! They are a wonderful all around useful plant if you are near the coast. Near Kotzebue Natives will ferment the cooked greens and add berries to the mixture, while others blend the greens and cabbage when making sauerkraut.
If you plan ahead you can collect the new spring greens, blanch for 1 minute and then freeze them, for year round use as well as a vitamin A and C supplement (They are high in both). The seeds can be collected (however they are small and it is very time-consuming) and you can add them as garnish or to flour to extend your supplies.
2012-11-18 06:02:07
Source: http://www.greatnorthernprepper.com/survival-foraging-beach-greens/
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