The Contemporary Hunter/Gatherer

[gobarbless]

I want to start a topic concerning "the contemporary hunter/gatherer" and am not sure where this topic belongs.  I want more knowledge about seasonal foods I can hunt and gather and how to eat/preserve these foods in a Whole 30 compliant manner.  For instance, I hunt and gather huckleberries which I freeze, dry, and preserve in balsamic vinegar.  One question I have about about dried fruit, "Why do these fall into the "limited use" category?"  Another question I have, "Has anyone ever used dandelion greens and how do you hunt and gather these?"  Which part of this forum would be the best place to start a topic about "The Contemporary Hunter/Gatherer" or should I take it to a different website?

[Tom Denham]

The focus of this forum is doing a Whole30. It is okay to discuss seasonal foods and preparing them, but expertise is not certain to be found here. You may get more of what you are looking for by exploring other sites.

 

Drying fruit concentrates the natural sugar. Eating some is okay, but eating it regularly or in volume will keep problematic sugar dragons strong and dangerous. Commercial dried fruit often has problematic additives too. 

[MeadowLily]

 

 

Dandelion greens are probably seasonal in your neck of the woods..

 

 

 

 

 

Rinse them well in a couple of changes of water to make sure all the dirt & bugs are off (tip-it’s better to put items in a big bowl of water and then lift them out, leaving the dirt & sediment behind rather than trying to rinse or spray it off).

 

Boiling the dandelion greens first in salted water for 5 minutes to reduce the bitterness.  

http://www.frugalupstate.com/frugal-food/free-food-foraging-dandelion-greens/

 

[missmary]

I want more knowledge about seasonal foods I can hunt and gather and how to eat/preserve these foods in a Whole 30 compliant manner.  For instance, I hunt and gather huckleberries which I freeze, dry, and preserve in balsamic vinegar.  One question I have about about dried fruit, "Why do these fall into the "limited use" category?"

 

Here is an example of why I think it is good the Hartwigs steer clear of the "paleo" label. Just because a food can be hunted or gathered does not automatically mean it is good to be consumed in large quantities. The fact that you gathered it in nature is only a little relevant (it does tell me this is not mass-produced, industrial "food", so chances are better that it will be fit for human consumption). That said, even if you did want to emulate the way that hunter-gatherers would have eaten, you would still be eating fruit in moderation; limited quantities, mostly in season. True hunter gatherers would not be able to gather so much, nor to freeze it.

 

The young leaves of dandelion are said to be mildest. Some people pickle them, or prepare them like any other dark leafy green. If you want to gather them, I would suggest finding someplace off the beaten path. Dandelion greens that pop up in a residential neighborhood are likely to be contaminated with lawn chemicals.

[gobarbless]

Here is an example of why I think it is good the Hartwigs steer clear of the "paleo" label. Just because a food can be hunted or gathered does not automatically mean it is good to be consumed in large quantities. The fact that you gathered it in nature is only a little relevant (it does tell me this is not mass-produced, industrial "food", so chances are better that it will be fit for human consumption). That said, even if you did want to emulate the way that hunter-gatherers would have eaten, you would still be eating fruit in moderation; limited quantities, mostly in season. True hunter gatherers would not be able to gather so much, nor to freeze it.

 

The young leaves of dandelion are said to be mildest. Some people pickle them, or prepare them like any other dark leafy green. If you want to gather them, I would suggest finding someplace off the beaten path. Dandelion greens that pop up in a residential neighborhood are likely to be contaminated with lawn chemicals.

I seem to have "hit a nerve" with this post and am sincerely sorry if I upset the moderators.  It is not my intent to be a "true hunter gatherer" as you have stated.  My intent is to employ all strategies available to me to eat clean, which includes going to the local farmer's market, the local food coop, the supermarkets, the big box stores, gardening, hunting/gathering and employing simple preservation techniques.  I sometimes drive 75 miles each way to buy raw, unsalted nut butters, because this is what I prefer to eat and am unable to buy locally.  Maybe all this "trolling" I do for food is the epitome of the contemporary hunter/gatherer.   I am merely curious if anyone else on this forum has interest in the posted topic and if there are ideas/techniques to share.  I am sorry I did not know that "paleo" and Whole 30 are mutually exclusive.  In fact, some of the products listed on this Whole 30 sight as compliant are also labeled "paleo".  So if the Hartwigs' intent is to "steer clear of the paleo label" as you have stated, they have not done so on this site.

 

You and I definitely have a difference of opinion on what hunter/gatherers may or may not have done.  You have stated, "True hunter gathers would not be able to gather so much nor to freeze it".  In the Pacific Northwest, Native Americans caught and smoked salmon to preserve it for later use.  Pacific Northwest Native Americans also traveled, set-up encampments and gathered huckleberries.  In Minnesota, Native Americans, located and harvested wild rice for later use.  None of these food items was cultivated and in many cases preservation of some sort was used.

 

I am aware that most hunter/gatherers were not able to freeze food items for later use, except maybe in the Arctic.  Freezing is a convenience of modern society that I am more than willing to except.  I find your comment about freezing to be insincere at best and if your intent was to patronize me, then you have succeeded.  I am new to the Whole 30 forum and only received my ISWF book yesterday.  My doctor recommended this program, but maybe this is not the right place for me to learn about Whole 30.  For your information, I do possess a M.S. in Geology and have some knowledge of the evolution of the human species.

 

It is also relevant to note many food items (even some of those labeled organic) purchased in supermarkets are also likely to "be contaminate" with agricultural and production chemicals.  It is far less likely that the food I hunt and gather in the wild, grow myself or purchase directly from a local grower will be contaminated in this manner.  These are the foods I have an interest in preserving for later use.   

[gobarbless]

Dandelion greens are probably seasonal in your neck of the woods..

 

Rinse them well in a couple of changes of water to make sure all the dirt & bugs are off (tip-it’s better to put items in a big bowl of water and then lift them out, leaving the dirt & sediment behind rather than trying to rinse or spray it off).

Boiling the dandelion greens first in salted water for 5 minutes to reduce the bitterness.  

http://www.frugalupstate.com/frugal-food/free-food-foraging-dandelion-greens/

What a great reference MeadowLilly...I will definitely use this when the time is right in here in northern Idaho!

[missmary]

what? No nerves hit here, just a logical conversation about ideas and food. 

 

When I mentioned that hunter gatherers did not have access freezers I was actually not patronizing you, but pointing out a logical fallacy in your argument. I stand by it. I was not suggesting that you didn't know that hunter-gatherers did not have freezers.

 

Here's the thing: natural, foraged food is good. home-preserved food is good, but the content and composition of the nutrition you take in will also impact your health. You say you came here to learn about the whole30. GREAT! What questions do you have about the whole30? 

[Sleeve]

I use a u-pick CSA, a small chain clone of Whole Foods, and my local mega market in that priority.  Gathering can happen in the produce department and if the goods are origin marked, it can also tread lightly.  The CSA is about the best option in my area.  Farmer's markets here are useless, half the vendors buy and resell their goods, not even locally, especially at the one that attracts all the foodies.