AA #18: Ouch! but . . . OmNomNom!
The cache, a small, camo-taped plastic pot, is hidden in a hedgerow just off the trail as it descends through the fields back down towards the East Beck bridge on West Lane.
From #17, look out for the footpath sign a little higher up the lane on your left and head into the patch of woodland which exits back into fields and down to the cache location.
As you descend, note the clearing on your left where the alternative trail signposted at Crow Trees farm crosses over East Beck which is culverted there providing a dry route across the beck which could be of interest during or for some time after very wet conditions until beck levels fall.
Continuing on from the subject of AA #5, the identification and features of two common thistles, this cache will focus on their medicinal uses and . . . edibility!
Foraging: although with their sharp spines thistles interactions can be painful, you can get your own back - by eating them!
Generally, plants with spines for protection against predators, have no real need for bitterness and one of the great things about thistles is that - once you get past the prickles - every part of every species is edible - great news for foraging beginners! However, it takes a lot of effort for relatively little reward!
Even the closest lookalikes are edible – the sow thistles (Sonchus spp.) and sea holly (Eryngium maritimum) - so with thistles, they can be quickly identified and used with complete confidence.
When handling thistles you will need stiff gloves and a sharp knife. Harvest the best leaf mid-ribs in spring when growth is plentiful and quick - then your specimens will be tender and sweeter.
Later, from late spring through into autumn, you can harvest from plants whose flower buds are not yet unfurled. Flower buds (chokes) are available all summer.
Scientific studies have highlighted their nutritional value. In Portugal, some thistle species are still collected in spring and bunches of stripped mid-ribs sold at local markets. Researchers analysed levels of certain nutrients and compared these to some commonly consumed vegetables. Findings showed that thistles contained consistently higher levels of important major nutrients than some of our commonly consumed cultivated vegetables.
Weight for weight, they had higher fibre, protein, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, copper, zinc and other nutrients.
Preparation: Choose the most tender specimens, if using the petioles (leaf stalks) cut and strip all the spines off, then peel off the outer, fibrous layer from the stalk. The inner flesh can then be used as crudités, pickled, or chopped into salads and served with a tangy vinaigrette. Preparation and use of the hollow stems is similar, and they can also be stuffed, roasted or braised.
As relatives of the globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus), thistles produce edible, if smaller, ‘chokes’ - the crunchy, immature bases, or capitulum, of the composite flower-head. As with globe artichokes, peel away the bracts to get to the edible part. However, to get a reasonable size, only the largest species should be used for this. Preparation is the same as for artichokes.
See here for The Thistles - Forgotten Food and Medicine (harvesting, culture and . . . stir-fry!), here (foraging, prep. and cooking)
Medicinal Uses: renowned herbalist Maud Grieve in her 1931 book A Modern Herbal recorded that Pliny and medieval writers had thought thistle could return hair to bald heads and that in the early modern period (1500-1800 or the Middle Ages) it had been believed to be a remedy for headaches, plague, canker, sores, vertigo, and jaundice.
Thistle is also known for its ability to treat swelling of joints and tendons. A 2014 paper in the journal of the American Herbalists Guild describes its use for joint issues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, especially in children. It has also been used to treat other inflammatory conditions, such as inflammatory bowel syndrome.
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) has a long tradition and solid reputation for helping liver problems, confirmed in many scientific papers. The Greek physician Dioscorides (40-90 AD) mentions its healing properties. Hildegard von Bingen, the first woman to write a herbal in 1152, includes it and describes its uses, while the great 18th century herbalist Culpepper noted that it can be used ‘to open the obstructions of the liver and spleen, and thereby is good against the jaundice.’
In his 1597 Anatomie of Plants John Gerard says it is ‘the best remedy against melancholy diseases’. In the middle ages the leaves and stalks were used in salads, soups and pies, with the leaves said to surpass the finest cabbage. The heads were also eaten, usually boiled and treated like artichoke.
Research continues into its healing powers, especially for treating liver and blood problems, and for intestinal cleaning.
Registered herbal medicines containing it are used to relieve indigestion and upset stomach. See short video here for its medicinal properties.
