Monday, May 10, 2010

Thinking About Harvesting Yucca Root On The Pristine Texas Prairie.

As you can sort of see, we are having ourselves a hazy, semi-overcast Monday here in Fort Worth. And very very windy.

One would think all this wind would blow the pollution across the border to Oklahoma, like the Texas anti air pollution system is supposed to do.

And it's borderline chilly. Only 81 right now, coming up on 3 in the afternoon.

Last week a couple Fort Worth Botanists identified the white stalk wildflowers, you see in the picture, as being Yuccas.

The root of the Yucca is edible and very nutritious. I like it mashed with garlic and butter. Yucca Root has a very high iron content.

I had an impulse to harvest myself some fresh Yucca Root today on the Tandy Hills, but then I remembered it is a Natural Area, thus somewhat protected, and so I let the impulse to forage pass. I've no idea how easy or difficult it may be to extract a Yucca Root. They likely do not pull easily out of the ground like a carrot.

Now that I'm back in the pool, early in the morning, I've cut back on overly endorphinizing myself on the Tandy Hills.

I've been getting messages the past couple days from a Kent, Washington Beauty Queen that have somehow managed to cheer me up. I find people being rational to be a cheering type thing.

On my other screen I see Comache Appliances is now following me on Twitter. No good can come of this development.

3 comments:

  1. I think, as a man, your requirements for iron are minimal. That's why if you buy vitamins, you should try to get the iron free variety. That is unless a physician has run tests and determined the above as false. Women have different requirements when it comes to iron. Course I may be wrong about all this, too.

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  2. I'm glad to read that you resisted the urge to dig up anything at THNA. God and Mother Nature are watching you.

    On the other hand, I've tasted the very young flower buds of Yucca and they are delish. BYOButter.

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  3. Yikes! Yucca roots (as in Yucca filamentosa) are NOT edible. They contain high amounts of saponins or compounds that produce soap. Some people eat the flowers, though these also contain saponins and explains why people complain of the aftertaste and recommend that they be cooked.

    The Yuca (pronounced Yew-Ka and Manihot esculenta) that are sold in grocery stores are a type of cassava. With proper prep, it is edible.

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