Phil C. > wrote:

> On Mon, 19 Dec 2005 22:18:06 GMT, "graham" > wrote:
>
> >I don't recall ever reacting to "Sheep's parsley" as a kid. Until these
> >posts, I didn't know of these complaints/reactions and the Umbellifera are
> >such an important source of food, herbs and spices.
>
> As I recall, water parsley is deadly poisonous and hemlock is also one
> of the family. Don't try this at home. I wonder if our distant
> ancestors had to treat parsnips to detoxify them and gradually bred
> the poisons out. Perhaps they were used for "medicinal" properties
> before they became ordinary vegetables. But then all sorts of foods
> are poisonous if we eat enough, don't prepare them properly or are
> unlucky enough to be susceptible. Some beans are well known for
> containing arsenic and even potatoes are poisonous if we eat an
> unfeasibly large amount. Others may know more.

I have some books on the topic, and if I spend any longer working on
*that* document I'll be quite, quite mad...

**NOTE: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. I AM NOT ADVISING ANYONE TO TRY ANY OF
THIS. ANY PLANT CAN BE HARMFUL WHEN INGESTED. Some EXTREMELY POISONOUS
plants (such as Fool's Parsley) can be easily confused with the
following interesting plants**

Launert (Edible and Medicinal Plants of Britain and Northern Europe)
declares Wild Parsnip to be edible: the root (best collected in late
autumn or winter[1], when it's at its sweetest) should be blanched in
boiling salted water to remove its 'sharp flavour', as should the older
leaves. Young leaves and shoots can be added to soups, roots treated as
carrots (after blanching). Both he and de Rougemont (Crops of Britain
and Europe) place Wild Parsnip in the same Genus and spp as cultivated,
although apparently some people put Wild Parsnip in a separate
subspecies. DR says Parsnip has been cultivated since Roman times, but
'superior forms' probably developed after the Middle Ages.

Interestingly, Launert gives only medicinal uses for Wild Carrot (juice
of the root for nervous or physical exhaustion, dropsy and internal
inflammation; must be taken for long periods), freshly grated roots good
against worms in children, dried powdered root to treat diarrhoea in
babi... excuse me a moment: READ THE NOTE AT THE TOP AGAIN! I have in
fact nibbled on roots of wild carrot without ill effect, but not much
pleasure either. I should try some wild parsnip sometime, but I'd want
to mark the plants in high summer to avoid confusion with the really
nasty relatives.

regards
sarah



[1] Makes sense. Winter/early spring is when people were hungriest, too.


--
Think of it as evolution in action.