For the same reasons I advise against all those interminable meals, which I call interrupted sacrificial feasts
What is the universal edibility test?
Getting lost or stranded in the wilderness is serious business, and you need to make sound decisions to give yourself the best chance at survival. (…) Going without food will leave you weak and apt to make poor decisions, which could endanger your life. Being able to identify edible plants in the wilderness is a good skill to have under your belt.
The problem is, there are more than 700 varieties of poisonous plant in the United States and Canada alone, so unless you have a book that clearly identifies edible species, it’s nearly impossible to determine whether or not a plant will make you sick with absolute certainty. (…)
The universal edibility test requires breaking down the parts of a plant and testing them individually over a period of 24 hours. (…)
Find something near you that’s growing in abundance. To prepare for the test, don’t eat or drink anything but water for at least eight hours beforehand.
Separate - Because only some parts of the plant may be edible, separate it into its five basic parts. These are the leaves, roots, stems, buds and flowers. There may not be buds or flowers. Check out the parts for worms or insects — you want a clean and fresh plant. Evidence of parasites or worms is a good sign that it’s rotting. If you find them, discard the plant and get another of the same variety or choose a different one.
Contact - First you need to perform a contact test. If it’s not good for your skin, it’s not good for your belly. Crush only one of the plant parts and rub it on the inside of your wrist or elbow for 15 minutes. Now wait for eight hours. If you have a reaction at the point of contact, then you don’t want to continue with this part of the plant. A burning sensation, redness, welts and bumps are all bad signs. While you wait, you can drink water, but don’t eat anything. If there is no topical reaction after eight hours, move along to the next step.
Cook - Some toxic plants become edible after they’re boiled. (…) Once you’ve boiled it, or if you’re going raw, take the plant part and hold it to your lip for three minutes. (…)
Taste - Pop the same part in your mouth and hold it on your tongue for another 15 minutes. If you experience anything unpleasant, spit it out and wash your mouth with water. (…)
If you’ve made it this far through the test, then you’re well on your way to determining if part of the plant is edible. But before you can start wolfing down that root, stem or flower, there are a few more steps to the universal edibility test: Chew, Swallow and Chow.
