GMP on Nostr: I generally avoid eating any milkweed due to the potential for the plant’s sap to ...
I generally avoid eating any milkweed due to the potential for the plant’s sap to hijack the pace of the heartbeat.
Foragers have a history of pointing to Asclepias syriaca as a wild food source. Preparation of the pod is very important. As I understand it the immature pods are collected when aprox1-1.5” and are boiled or steamed. Then blanched with cool water. Then boiled or steamed a second time. Then often braised in butter or prepared in other culinary ways, similar to broccoli.
That process *should* dilute the effects of the cardiac glycosides in the sap. I say *should* because I have no personal experience in the process.
Milkweeds like Asclepias subverticillata and Asclepias labriformis have been named as species with the highest concentrations of cardiac glycosides and great care should be taken with those plants.
There is some folks saying Asclepias speciosa can be treated like Asclepias syriaca and I don’t know if I trust them. I certainly don’t want to become ill by experimenting. That said, I have licked the sap from my fingers to prevent accidental exposure to my eyes (no sink nearby). A slight increase in the heart rate did occur.
Foragers have a history of pointing to Asclepias syriaca as a wild food source. Preparation of the pod is very important. As I understand it the immature pods are collected when aprox1-1.5” and are boiled or steamed. Then blanched with cool water. Then boiled or steamed a second time. Then often braised in butter or prepared in other culinary ways, similar to broccoli.
That process *should* dilute the effects of the cardiac glycosides in the sap. I say *should* because I have no personal experience in the process.
Milkweeds like Asclepias subverticillata and Asclepias labriformis have been named as species with the highest concentrations of cardiac glycosides and great care should be taken with those plants.
There is some folks saying Asclepias speciosa can be treated like Asclepias syriaca and I don’t know if I trust them. I certainly don’t want to become ill by experimenting. That said, I have licked the sap from my fingers to prevent accidental exposure to my eyes (no sink nearby). A slight increase in the heart rate did occur.