“Hey Rod.......I was driving by a wet area today and noticed a lot of cat-tails around there. What can I do with them? Are they good to eat?”
“Actually, these are called the 'grocery store of the swamp' (and a hell of a lot cheaper) as the whole plant including the roots can be used …....year round. In the spring, the young shoots can be eaten like asparagus. The young cattail leaves can be eaten in salads or sandwiches while they are still tender. In the summer, the top (where the pollen is) is easy to collect. Place a plastic bag over the spike and shack the pollen off. It can be added to salads, yogurt, fruit smoothies, on cereal or use it to thicken stews, soups and gravy. The underground stems are called rhizomes (we just call them roots) are best harvested in the late fall till early spring, although they can be eaten anytime of the year. Cattails contain 10 times the starch of equal weight of potatoes. This starch is sweet and tasty, you'll need to clean the root with clean water and then peel the outer layer off, let it dry and then pound the white meat into a powder and use it like flour. (you'll have to remove the long stringy fibers, maybe knit a pair a socks with it.)”
