Harvest and Prep Wild Edibles: Spring Beauty Roots

Harvesting Spring Beauty
The first step in harvesting spring beauty is to identify the plant. Spring beauty is a small, low-growing plant with a white flower that has five petals. The leaves of the plant are long and narrow and can be found in clusters near the base of the plant. Once you have identified the spring beauty, the next step is to find the corms. The corms are small, round, and white and can be found at the base of the plant. To harvest them, carefully dig around the base of the plant with a trowel or your hands until you can see the corms. Then gently remove them from the soil.

Preparing Spring Beauty
Once you have harvested the corms, it is time to prepare them for eating. The first step is to clean them. Rinse them off in cold water and then scrub them with a brush to remove any dirt or debris. Once they are clean, you can either cook them or eat them raw. To cook them, boil them in salted water for about 10 minutes until they are tender. Then drain them and season with butter, salt, and pepper. To eat them raw, simply slice them into thin slices and add them to salads or other dishes.

Garlic Mustard Wrap
To go along with our spring beauty corms, we decided to make a garlic mustard wrap. Garlic mustard is a wild edible that is easy to identify and can be found in early spring. To make the wrap, start by heating a pan over medium heat and adding some oil. Then add some chopped garlic mustard leaves and cook for about two minutes until they are wilted. Next, add some cooked spring beauty corms to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Finally, wrap everything up in a tortilla or wrap of your choice and enjoy!

Comparing Spring Beauty to Trout Lily
Finally, we compare the corm of spring beauty to the bulb of trout lily. Both of these wild edibles can be harvested in early spring and have similar flavors. The main difference is that trout lily bulbs are larger than spring beauty corms and have a slightly sweeter flavor. They can be cooked in the same way as spring beauty corms, but they will take a bit longer to cook since they are larger.

Harvesting and preparing spring beauty roots for food is an easy process if you know what you are doing. With just a few simple steps you can have a delicious wild edible meal that is both nutritious and flavorful. From harvesting the corms to making a garlic mustard wrap, this video has everything you need to know about harvesting and preparing spring beauty roots for food.