
Which white, frilly, (edible) flower makes an amazing wine? Queen Anne’s Lace*, of course. And, yes, it’s a wild-growing plant that some would consider a “weed”.
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Which white, frilly, (edible) flower makes an amazing wine? Queen Anne’s Lace*, of course. And, yes, it’s a wild-growing plant that some would consider a “weed”.

With a stretch of sunny weather, I decided to harvest the Smooth Sumac berries. They had deepened in color, and touching a finger to a berry (and tasting it) indicated that they were definitely ripe – and pucker you up sour!

I’m always delighted to discover new wild-growing, useful plants on our property. I still remember the first time I spied small green spheres growing in the trees and wondered what in the world those pungent, citrus-scented globes were – hedge apples? It turns out that they were black walnuts! Lesson learned: never assume that a plant is “just a weed”.

The Queen Anne’s Lace was so good in jelly – and those lacy flower heads keep springing up along the fencelines – I had to try making wine!

Making food and drink from edible wild-growing plants is truly a gift that brings us closer to the land and its bounty. It illustrates, in a very practical way, the benefits of not using chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers): we don’t have to worry about what’s been sprayed on our property…because nothing has been. And that means I can collect the frilly white flower heads of wild-growing Queen Anne’s Lace for jelly and know that I’m getting exactly what I think I am and nothing extra.
Continue reading “Farm Foraging: Queen Anne’s Lace Jelly and Syrup”

The daylilies are looking like they’re nearly finished for the season, but I have several bottles of gorgeous wine (Daylily Wine #1 and Daylily Wine #2) to remind me of their early summer beauty. Curious about this wine? Read on!
Continue reading “Wildcrafted Wine Update: Two Daylily Batches”