Thistles

[Luci_ferson]

I remember as a child my uncle used to take me for walks in the woods and show me things that were edible and things that were antiseptics etc.
sadly I was too young and forgotten most of it, and since hes been inaccessable since 1982 its highly unlikely il get access to that knowledge again.
one thing I do remember was being given the nuts from a thistles to eat and told they were highly nutritious.
I remember them as being quite pleasant (compared to other stuff he gave me).

I was wondering if anyone here has any experience of thistles , maybe ideas of ways to use them instead of just eating the nuts.

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thisltes grow allover here so they are pretty plentiful.
be a shame not to use them for more than a few nuts.

[MaryN]

Luci, I don't think thistles have got much in the way of nutritional value for humans. The seeds are edible, and I think young stalks if peeled can be eaten, but to be honest, I don't think they are worth the cultivation for human food. The birds enjoy eating the seeds - if you like wildlife in your garden - but thistle plants spread to a large size and are space wasters.

I have read that milk thistle has been used to reduce toxicity in the liver, but have never tried it.

[Luci_ferson]

hmmn what I was given was like a small nut a bit larger than a sunflower seed and a bit smaller than a hazelnut.
If that wasn't a thistle then ive no idea what it was.

thanks for the tip on milk thistle that could come in usefull sometime.

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oh and I wasn't planning on planting thistles, just harvesting the nuts from the ones that surround some areas around here.

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ive just found something on thistles.
theres more than one type and not all are edible.
and not all have a nut.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/archive...14069.html

looks like a lot more research needed.

[Highlander]

I dont know of any thistle that has an inside like you describe Luci, if you find it I would be interested

Like you, my dad used to do the same, and I have also forgotten it all,... I remember that he showed us something in a hedge that he called the `bread and butter plant`,.. that sort of tasted of bread and butter,... I seem to remember it was quiet a bright green, very small leafed plant,.... sadly it has gone from my mind though

[Luci_ferson]

mankind has probably forgotten more in the last 30 years than it has learned lol

[MaryN]

We used to nibble hawthorn and elm leaves when we were kids. I think the hawthorn leaves were known as bread and butter.

[Highlander]

(3 April 2013, 21:15)MaryN Wrote: We used to nibble hawthorn and elm leaves when we were kids. I think the hawthorn leaves were known as bread and butter.

ARRHH Hawthorn,.. now thats a possibility, sounds right

[Metroyeti]

Theres plenty of hawthorn trees/bushes. Its a shame how much knowledge is being lost my gran was taught the names of every plant and tree in the local area

[MaryN]

(3 April 2013, 21:40)Metroyeti Wrote: Theres plenty of hawthorn trees/bushes. Its a shame how much knowledge is being lost my gran was taught the names of every plant and tree in the local area

No, the knowledge hasn't been lost, Metroyeti, it has just been mislaid. What's stopping you from researching and starting the chain again?

[Luci_ferson]

excellent point MaryN. forgotten isn't necessarily lost. what was once known can be found again.

this article seems to be referring to the nuts im remembering. but there no picture

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/archive...14069.html

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it describes the nut being below the seed head in a bulb. which is pretty much how I remember

but I need a picture.