The Digester

So-called weeds can be useful salad leaves or cooked greens that provide fresh food in early spring, but correct identification and careful harvesting are essential.

Many common garden weeds such as hairy bittercress, chickweed, fat hen and dandelion are edible when picked young.
Stinging nettles are highly nutritious and can be used like spinach after steaming or boiling, with gloves recommended for harvesting.
Foragers can use weeds to bridge the hungry gap between winter stores and spring crops.
Only harvest plants you can positively identify and avoid polluted or chemically treated areas.

Common garden weeds make a free, nutritious crop

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