Kudzu Survival Food
Ah Kudzu... the most hated plant where it occurs. Kudzu is an invasive vine that is originally from Japan but has spread in numerous places throughout the Southeastern parts of the USA. It is hated more than any other plant because it simply takes over an area killing everything in its path. It climbs up even the tallest trees and shades them out and kills them. On the ground the grass does not fare any better. Acre after acre is slowly engulfed by this plant. It is straight out of the old black and white movie the blob but this one is for real.
Kudzu can be found from Massachusetts to Nebraska and anywhere south of there. It is also found in Washington and Oregon as well.
The only reason it isn't more widespread than it already is, is because the government spends thousands of dollars each year killing it.
So for now it is trash... but after the SHTF it just might save your life. Pretty much the entire Kudzu plant is edible, not good but edible if in a pinch. The leaves can be eaten raw, steam or boiled. The young leaves can be consumed as a greens and taste better than the older leaves. The leaves can also be dried and used to make tea. The shoots can be eaten like asparagus. The blossom can be used to make pickles or a jelly and the root is full of edible starch.
Even the roots CAN be used if you are in a bind. Cut a piece of root roughly a 1/2 inch (1.27 cm)in diameter and strip off all of the bark. Wash it and the suck on the root but do not eat it. Just swallow any liquids you get out. The root is wood and is not digestible. Like I said the roots are only for survival situations and will not be of much use in sustaining you by themselves.
The seeds are not edible so don't bother with them.
The Kudzu vine is easy to identify. Each leaf that you see at first glance is actually a leaflet and not an entire leaf. The leaves always come with three leaflets. The leaves look sort of like poison-ivy but the leaves will be significantly larger than poison-ivy leaves. The outer leading leaflet will always have two side lobes and one in the center and the two side leaflets will each consist of two lobes. This is a very distinctive characteristic. Kudzu leaves are also fuzzy to the touch.
Kudzu vines produce two inch long seed pods and produce reddish purple flowers.
Kudzu can be found from Massachusetts to Nebraska and anywhere south of there. It is also found in Washington and Oregon as well.
The only reason it isn't more widespread than it already is, is because the government spends thousands of dollars each year killing it.
So for now it is trash... but after the SHTF it just might save your life. Pretty much the entire Kudzu plant is edible, not good but edible if in a pinch. The leaves can be eaten raw, steam or boiled. The young leaves can be consumed as a greens and taste better than the older leaves. The leaves can also be dried and used to make tea. The shoots can be eaten like asparagus. The blossom can be used to make pickles or a jelly and the root is full of edible starch.
The seeds are not edible so don't bother with them.
The Kudzu vine is easy to identify. Each leaf that you see at first glance is actually a leaflet and not an entire leaf. The leaves always come with three leaflets. The leaves look sort of like poison-ivy but the leaves will be significantly larger than poison-ivy leaves. The outer leading leaflet will always have two side lobes and one in the center and the two side leaflets will each consist of two lobes. This is a very distinctive characteristic. Kudzu leaves are also fuzzy to the touch.
Kudzu vines produce two inch long seed pods and produce reddish purple flowers.
