The winter season is no time to forgo foraging. Plenty of food can be harvested from the winter landscape – for example, these crabapples (Malus sp.).

Sure, they may not look as exquisite as they once did a few moons ago, nor are they as large and unblemished as the variants of Malus we find in the grocery store. These, however, have character – a disposition uniquely carved by wind, ice, and snow.

To enjoy these fruits, I decided to create a crabapple jelly. Cinnamon, cardamom, and a splash of maple syrup were all that I added to the recipe, and the natural pectin was enough to produce the desired thickness.

Beyond edibility, crabapples are packed with nutrition and medicine. The deep red and purple pigments found within their fruits, leaves, and flowers owe their colors to antioxidants known as anthocyanins. Necessary for the plant’s survival, these antioxidants are essential for optimal functioning within our bodies as well.

Quercetin, a flavonoid in crabapples, has been shown to possess anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and muscle-relaxing properties (Jan et al., 2010). Additionally, pectin – the gelling polysaccharide – has been shown to demonstrate cholesterol and triglyceride lowering activities (Boyer et al., 2004).

No need to lament the changing season … enjoy the winter harvest for all that is offered! Crabapples and other fruits can still be gathered this time of year in western Pennsylvania, offering – in addition to their nutrition and medicine – tenacity and resilience built from their wild environments.

It’s not too difficult to find a member of the mustard family (Brassicaceae) in the grocery store (kale, broccoli, radish, canola oil, horseradish, etc.). It’s not too difficult to find one in lawns, parks, woods, swamps, farmlands, meadows, and backyards either.

Hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) is one of those cruciferous vegetables we can find with ease in Pennsylvania … even this time of the year. True to its name, the stems, petioles, and upper surfaces of its leaves are sparsely hairy (look closely, you’ll see it).

Many cruciferous organisms provide a nice kick to the palate when eaten. This bitter taste (very apparent in the wild mustards) is created by certain sulfur-containing chemicals within the plants themselves, known as glucosinolates.

These compounds, along with their metabolites, help to facilitate detoxification within our bodies, especially in the processing and removal of xenobiotics (chemicals that are foreign to our bodies). Glucosinolates and their metabolites also act as anti-tumor agents (Johnson 2002).

Members of the Brassicaceae family are ubiquitous in nature (over 3,000 species worldwide). It may be a wise strategy to include some of these edible and medicinal allies into our diets, as studies have shown that increased intakes of cruciferous vegetables are associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer (Kolonel et al., 2000), colon cancer (Voorrips et al., 2000), lung cancer (Feskanich et al., 2000), and breast cancer (Terry et al., 2001).

And of course, studies routinely show that wild plants generally contain higher levels of nutritional and medicinal compounds than cultivated plants.

Meaning, in addition to kale and broccoli, get out there and harvest bittercress and other wild mustards!

In a world with 84,000+ synthetic chemicals released into the atmosphere since 1975; in a world where the risk of a man and woman developing cancer in their lifetime is 1 in 2 and 1 in 3 respectively (stop and think about that for a moment)…

…it is the wild crucifer who acts as protector.

High blood pressure? Elevated cholesterol? Are you consuming rose hips? If you answered Yes, Yes, and No … read on.

Research from the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2012) analyzed the effects of rose hip consumption on cardiovascular risk markers. Compared to the control group (no treatment), the participants who received ground rose hips as part of a drink demonstrated significant reductions in plasma levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol). Systolic blood pressure (the top number) was also significantly lower than that in the control group. Overall, and this is a key takeaway … the data demonstrated a significant reduction in 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease.

To receive these particular benefits of rose hips at home, here are some important pieces of information taken from the study. 80 grams of rose hips were used, which is approximately 3 ounces, and blended into a drink that was consumed daily for 6 weeks. Rosa canina, the dog rose, was the species chosen for this study (this image is the multiflora rose, or Rosa multiflora). Seeds were removed and discarded, and the remaining flesh was ground to a powder.

The last bit of information is important, as the study’s researchers attributed both the cholesterol and blood pressure lowering effects primarily to the fiber content of rose hips, which is preserved in the ground powder. Teas and tinctures, while still immensely valuable, will not contain the same fiber content (if any at all) as that found in the flesh itself.

Autumn and winter are great seasons to harvest rose hips (meaning right now), and they are quite visible amongst the naked branches and snow-covered vegetation. It goes without mention that they’re free in the wild, and sometimes in your backyard (I’ve never seen a free prescription drug in either of these places).

Of course, there is no replacement for high-quality diet and lifestyle habits, and rose hip powder alone may not save the world from cardiovascular disease. However, as part of an intentional and deliberate strategy to improve cholesterol and blood pressure levels, roses may be just the thing you’re looking for (yes, I did end this sentence with a preposition).

Thanks for reading this far!

(Photo taken in Allison Park, Pennsylvania)

Autumn is in full force, and while this season is typically associated with the senescing of flora, if we look closely we will also notice a yang to this season’s yin: the blossoming of autumn wild flowers.

This is yarrow (Achillea millefolium), an herbaceous perennial that can be found flowering typically from June through September in Pennsylvania. If you look carefully, and if the conditions are right, you can still find yarrow in flower amongst the autumn foliage through November.  This photograph was taken in western Pennsylvania in late October.

Several traditional uses have been attributed to yarrow by cultures from all over the world, the most common including the treatment of skin issues, respiratory illnesses, digestive problems, tooth aches, and eye problems. Most of the studies on yarrow have been either animal or in vitro (think petri dish/test tube) experiments, and in these studies yarrow has been shown to demonstrate antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, gastroprotective, and blood coagulation inducing effects (Applequist et al., 2011).

Few, if any, human clinical trials have been conducted on yarrow, though this current reality does not render the herb’s medicine ineffective. Contemporary advice is best viewed through multiple channels, traditional use and modern research being two of them. Too often, we rely on the latter at the expense of the former (low fat diets anyone?), and are left with an unbalanced projection of reality.

But anyway, look for yarrow in fields and roadsides, from now until who really knows when … (I’m not the creator, just a messenger).