Harvest & process

Ginger

Zingiber officinale

When

Baby ginger at 4–5 months; mature knobs when leaves yellow.

Part

Rhizome

In the field

A pot you can dump. Wash, don’t peel until you use it.

Cure

Fresh in the fridge; or slice and dry at low heat until it snaps.

Store

Fresh weeks; dried coins a year in a tin.

Turmeric

Curcuma longa

When

When the leaves die back, late season.

Part

Rhizome

In the field

Fingers snap from the mother. Gloves — it stains.

Cure

Boil briefly if you want the traditional yellow, then slice and dry — or freeze fresh.

Store

Dried coins or frozen knobs. Always with fat in the kitchen cup.

Purple coneflower

Echinacea purpurea

When

Flowering tops in bloom; root in autumn of year 3–4 from a plant you grew.

Part

Root · Flowering tops

In the field

Do not dig wild stands. Garden root only.

Cure

Slice root. Dry until snap. Tops can hang.

Store

Root tin or a folk jar. Short courses are the old use.

Valerian

Valeriana officinalis

When

Lift roots in the second autumn after frost blackens the tops.

Part

Root

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Wash, slice thin, dry until the center snaps.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Ashwagandha

Withania somnifera

When

Dig roots after berries form, before frost, about 150–180 days.

Part

Root · Occasionally berry (traditional)

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Wash, slice thin, dry until the center snaps.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Dandelion

Taraxacum officinale

When

Young leaf in spring; root in autumn of a known unsprayed plant.

Part

Leaf · Root

In the field

A long taproot. Wash well. Leaf for bitter greens; root for a dark roast.

Cure

Slice root thin. Dry until snap. Leaf as a green or a dry tin.

Store

Root a year; leaf less.

Lawns that were sprayed are not a harvest.

White willow

Salix alba

When

Young twigs in spring; peel bark from prunings, never girdle a trunk.

Part

Young bark

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Licorice

Glycyrrhiza glabra

When

Autumn of year three or four. Leave plenty to regrow.

Part

Root

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Wash, slice thin, dry until the center snaps.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Kava

Piper methysticum

When

Rhizomes after 3–5 years in the tropics.

Part

Peeled rhizome of noble cultivars

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Wash, slice thin, dry until the center snaps.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Grow only noble cultivars. Do not prepare solvent extracts. Check your country's food-safety rules before serving others.

Goldenseal

Hydrastis canadensis

When

After 5–7 years, and only from a planted bed.

Part

Root and rhizome (cultivated only)

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Wash, slice thin, dry until the center snaps.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Wild collection is restricted or illegal in many states. Grow from nursery stock; leave wild populations alone.

Marshmallow

Althaea officinalis

When

Leaf in summer; root in autumn of year two.

Part

Root · Leaf · Flower

In the field

A deep, mucilaginous taproot. Wash, slice.

Cure

Cold infusion wants dried chopped root. Dry until snap.

Store

Root tin. Cold water, not a rolling boil, for the slime.

Rhodiola

Rhodiola rosea

When

Roots after year 3–4.

Part

Root

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Wash, slice thin, dry until the center snaps.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Witch hazel

Hamamelis virginiana

When

Leaf in summer; bark from prunings in autumn — never girdle.

Part

Bark · Leaf · Twig

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Burdock

Arctium lappa

When

Root in autumn of year 1, before the frost heaves it.

Part

First-year root · Young leaf (food, bitter) · Seed (traditional, stronger)

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Wash, slice thin, dry until the center snaps.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Astragalus

Astragalus mongholicus

When

Roots in autumn of year 3–4.

Part

Root

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Wash, slice thin, dry until the center snaps.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Black cohosh

Actaea racemosa

When

Rhizome after year 3–4 from cultivated plants only.

Part

Rhizome

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Wash, slice thin, dry until the center snaps.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Evening primrose

Oenothera biennis

When

Seed in year 2 when capsules dry; root in year 1 if you eat it.

Part

Seed oil · Young root as food

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Wash, slice thin, dry until the center snaps.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Oregon grape

Mahonia aquifolium

When

Root from a mature cultivated clump in autumn — never strip a wild hillside.

Part

Root and rhizome · Berry as food

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Wash, slice thin, dry until the center snaps.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Cinnamon

Cinnamomum verum

When

Bark from coppiced stems in the tropics after several years — not a first-season crop.

Part

Inner bark

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Asian ginseng

Panax ginseng

When

Autumn of year 4–6 from a bed you planted. Never wild-dig.

Part

Root

In the field

Shade, leaf mold, patience. Mice vote first.

Cure

Wash, slice, dry until the center snaps — or steam red in the traditional way.

Store

Slices in a tin. Morning decoction.

Wild ginseng is a conservation problem in a bottle.

Eleuthero

Eleutherococcus senticosus

When

Root in autumn of year 4+ from a shrub you planted. Leave wild taiga stands.

Part

Root · Stem bark

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Wash, slice thin, dry until the center snaps.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Galangal

Alpinia galanga

When

After a long warm season, lift a piece, leave the rest.

Part

Rhizome

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Wash, slice thin, dry until the center snaps.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Lovage

Levisticum officinale

When

Leaf through the season; seed when umbels tan.

Part

Leaf · Stem · Seed · Root in old kitchens

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Wash, slice thin, dry until the center snaps.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Cramp bark

Viburnum opulus

When

Bark in autumn from a pruning you were doing anyway — never girdle a stem.

Part

Dried bark

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Wild cherry

Prunus serotina

When

Fruit when black; bark only from prunings. Do not strip a standing wild cherry.

Part

Inner bark · Fruit (pits out)

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Potato

Solanum tuberosum

When

New potatoes when flowers open; maincrop when haulms yellow.

Part

Mature tuber, cooked

In the field

Pick from a plant you grew or a market you trust. Leave wild stands of rare fruit alone.

Cure

Cure in shade if the plate says so; else store cool and dark, or cook soon.

Store

Cool and dark for keepers; the fridge for tender fruit. Label the year on a winter squash or a cured tuber.

Sweet potato

Ipomoea batatas

When

Before frost. A nicked root does not store.

Part

Storage root, cooked

In the field

Pick from a plant you grew or a market you trust. Leave wild stands of rare fruit alone.

Cure

Cure in shade if the plate says so; else store cool and dark, or cook soon.

Store

Cool and dark for keepers; the fridge for tender fruit. Label the year on a winter squash or a cured tuber.

Onion

Allium cepa

When

When tops fall. Cure until wrappers rustle.

Part

Bulb · Green top

In the field

Pick from a plant you grew or a market you trust. Leave wild stands of rare fruit alone.

Cure

Cure in shade if the plate says so; else store cool and dark, or cook soon.

Store

Cool and dark for keepers; the fridge for tender fruit. Label the year on a winter squash or a cured tuber.

Carrot

Daucus carota subsp. sativus

When

When shoulders are the size you want. A frost sweetens them.

Part

Root · Young leaf (kitchen, modest)

In the field

Pick from a plant you grew or a market you trust. Leave wild stands of rare fruit alone.

Cure

Cure in shade if the plate says so; else store cool and dark, or cook soon.

Store

Cool and dark for keepers; the fridge for tender fruit. Label the year on a winter squash or a cured tuber.

Beet

Beta vulgaris

When

Golf-ball to tennis-ball. Giants get woody.

Part

Root · Leaf

In the field

Pick from a plant you grew or a market you trust. Leave wild stands of rare fruit alone.

Cure

Cure in shade if the plate says so; else store cool and dark, or cook soon.

Store

Cool and dark for keepers; the fridge for tender fruit. Label the year on a winter squash or a cured tuber.

Jackfruit

Artocarpus heterophyllus

When

Ripe when it smells sweet from a distance and the skin yields. Young for savory, much earlier.

Part

Ripe bulbs · Young fruit (cooked)

In the field

Pick from a plant you grew or a market you trust. Leave wild stands of rare fruit alone.

Cure

Cure in shade if the plate says so; else store cool and dark, or cook soon.

Store

Cool and dark for keepers; the fridge for tender fruit. Label the year on a winter squash or a cured tuber.

Taro

Colocasia esculenta

When

When leaves yellow in the cool season, or as needed. Cook the same day you peel if possible.

Part

Corm, cooked · Leaf, cooked

In the field

Pick from a plant you grew or a market you trust. Leave wild stands of rare fruit alone.

Cure

Cure in shade if the plate says so; else store cool and dark, or cook soon.

Store

Cool and dark for keepers; the fridge for tender fruit. Label the year on a winter squash or a cured tuber.

Cassava

Manihot esculenta

When

8–18 months, before the root lignifies. Cook soon after digging — the root does not keep like a potato.

Part

Prepared root, cooked

In the field

Pick from a plant you grew or a market you trust. Leave wild stands of rare fruit alone.

Cure

Cure in shade if the plate says so; else store cool and dark, or cook soon.

Store

Cool and dark for keepers; the fridge for tender fruit. Label the year on a winter squash or a cured tuber.

Dahlia

Dahlia × pinnata

When

Flowers all summer. Tubers after the tops blacken from frost.

Part

Tuber · Petal

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Single layer on a screen, dark, until crisp.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.