Prepare yourself for wilderness outings by learning about the local flora and fauna, and carry a guidebook or taxonomic key to help you identify plants. Even if you are unprepared and cannot find food you know to be safe remember that, depending on your activity level, the human body can go for days without food, and you’re better off being hungry than being poisoned.

After you have separated the plant into parts, inspect each part you are preparing for parasites. If you encounter worms or small insects inside the plant, discontinue the test with that sample and consider seeking a different sample of the same plant. Evidence of worms, parasites or insects indicates that the plant is rotten, especially if the organism has vacated the plant. Many parts of plants are only edible during certain seasons (for example, acorns collected after the fall are usually rotten). If you find grubs inside the plant, the plant is rotting, but the grubs are edible and contain high amounts of protein (although they taste sour and are gritty).

Do this with each part of the plant until you find a part that isn’t contact-poisonous.

Hold a small portion of the prepared plant part against your lip for 3 minutes. Do not put the plant in your mouth. If you notice any burning, tingling, or other reaction, discontinue testing. [3] X Research source Place another small portion of the plant part on your tongue. Hold the plant on your tongue without chewing for 15 minutes. Discontinue testing if you notice any reaction. [4] X Research source Chew the plant and hold it in your mouth for 15 minutes. Chew the plant well, and do not swallow. Discontinue testing if you notice any reaction. Swallow the small portion of the plant. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/0/06/Test-if-a-Plant-Is-Edible-Step-7Bullet4. jpg/v4-460px-Test-if-a-Plant-Is-Edible-Step-7Bullet4. jpg”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/0/06/Test-if-a-Plant-Is-Edible-Step-7Bullet4. jpg/aid47282-v4-728px-Test-if-a-Plant-Is-Edible-Step-7Bullet4. jpg",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:259,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:410,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

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Wake up and do the contact-poisonous part of the test. After 8 hours, eat a normal meal (not of the plant under test). Next morning, complete the test up to swallowing a single piece. After 8 hours, assuming you are still alive and well, eat a normal meal again. Eat the full sample of the plant under test on the 3rd morning. After 8 hours, celebrate life and the adding of a new edible plant to your experience by eating a nice meal. Don’t disregard any other steps, or tips, or warnings; this alternative method is only to save your body from the stress of 24 hours of fasting. This method also enables you to continually test new plants in your area without going hungry for more than 16 hours a day, and only 8 hours on the final day, assuming 1/4 cup of the food can sustain you.

White berries. Milky sap. An almond scent. Seeds, beans or bulbs inside pods. Thorns, spines or hairs. A bitter taste. Grain heads with pink or black spurs. Groups of three leaves.

Blueberries Blackberries Dandelion Asparagus Strawberries Wild onion Persimmon Chestnut Bananas Mangos Coconuts Papaya Taro Cactus

Kelp Green seaweed Irish moss Dulse Laver