Plastic packaging is a big deal for the produce industry. Taking a trip to the supermarket with the intention of avoiding plastic can be very frustrating if you want to eat healthy, delicious food. You can probably grab a watermelon or a potato from the bulk section, but salad greens or berries are most likely sequestered in sturdy, well engineered plastic containers.
One option open to many people is to forage for edible plants in their local environment. I grew up in a family that foraged for several seasonal wild plants. Here in rough order of when they become available are the foods that I can think of off the top of my head:
- Dandelion
- Lamb’s Quarters
- Mint
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Mushrooms
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Choke Cherries
- Apples
- Cranberries
- Rose Hips
The cardinal rule of foraging for edible plants is to be 100% sure about what you are picking. If you do not have experienced family or friends to provide guidance, borrow or buy the best possible reference books. When I was younger, we only ate one kind of fungus; the common meadow mushroom. As a teenager with a burgeoning interest in cooking, I decided that I wanted to try picking and eating Chanterelles. It was easy to find a basketful of what I was 99% sure were chanterelles. Reference material that described their prime growing locations, their exact structure and even their distinct aroma helped get me to 100%. After a few years of harvesting in different spots, I noticed a situation where a similar but mildly toxic mushroom was taking the place of the chanterelles.
I never consciously went foraging in order to reduce plastic waste. I just did it because of the opportunity for free food.
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