Cattails

[Nyboy]

I have a large area of cattails, I know their roots are edible. Are they any good or more like survival food? I have never seen them for sale in market so guessing they don't taste good. Anyone ever eat them?

 

[thistlebloom]

We lived in a little cabin by a pond when we were newlyweds.
There were lots of cattails, but I never tried them. At that point in our lives my husband thought everything I served him was survival food.

A friend used the heads to fill a quilt. I think that's what kapok is. ??

 

[ninnymary]

Thistle, I would think your husband would have thought it was gormet food since he was still on the "honeymoon".

Mary

 

[thistlebloom]

Right. Lets just say food wasn't one of his priorities back then.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

Kapok comes from an African tree, the Kapok tree. Nothing that you could grow in the U.S. The cattail heads still make great stuffing for quilts, pillows, and all of that though.

I have never tried eaten cattails myself, but from what I have read they are one of those "choice" wild foods (good eating eating compared to some of the other wild foods). The leaves can be used for weaving mats and even baskets - just cut into strips while still green and wet and weave away! (There are youtube videos out there). I could probably do a little bit of a tutorial for you, but don't want to be wasteful with the cattail leaves (I only have a small patch, not enough to make much).

Although I still want to make a huge cattail basket to throw dried bean pods in...

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

Kapok link if anybody's curious...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceiba_pentandra

 

[thistlebloom]

See? Seedo has enlightened me again!

I had no idea kapok was a tree product. The quilt filler friend misled me!

 

[Nyboy]

When your ready to make your basket I will send you all you want

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

Might just have to take you up on that one Nyboy.

Don't know if I'll be able to get to that before winter, possibly in the spring. Although I don't know, if I want a goat skin belt so I can sling it across my back while working in the field I'd better get to it soon.

 

[bobm]

Since you will be farming the extra acre ... you will also have to weave a cat tail winnow basket to separate seeds from the chaff. We have one that is 24" wide and has 2" high sides made with pliable wood branches hanging in our DR wall as a decoration as well as a 3 ft. long broom made from a stick with cat tail leaves woven over the handle and small diameter brush/ bush stems 12" long fan shaped as the business end of the broom. Also, 3 ( about 12" tall and wide ) various shaped baskets made from small diameter reeds.