Oct
29
2009
Foraging
On the subject of Foraging, as mentioned from time to time by TB people, what’s the general opinion on Yew Berries? Are they a useful food source or a deadly poison?
If I look on the World Wide Web, I can find both points of view. Most sites say that every part of the tree is brim full of cyanide, one of the most deadly poisons around. Other websites say that while the pips are deadly, the flesh of the berries are edible.
Has anyone on Team TB ever investigated the matter of Yew Trees?
In Oxford I had a friend called Heather who was a yew-loving tree-dwelling protester (Newbury By-Pass) and she was always popping yew-berries. Said they tasted like jelly-tots. I didn’t feel quite the same about them (am more of an elderberry snacker), but neither of us died! Best wishes from Transition East, Charlotte