As Gas Prices Rise, Anti-Gouging Watchdogs Pounce 9/1/05 “Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue signed an executive order Wednesday authorizing state sanctions against gas stations that gouge consumers.” (Washington Post, Thursday) Horror! The law of supply and demand works. FEE Timely Classic “Anti-Price-Gouging Laws Harm Consumers” by Sheldon Richman

Another Round of Government Conservation Looms 9/1/05 “If you were already worried about a looming energy crisis, yesterday's briefing on Hurricane Katrina by the American Petroleum Institute was enough to make you buy a bicycle and a wood-burning stove.” (Washington Post, Thursday) As if the price system didn't encourage economizing. FEE Timely Classic “Wasting Energy on Energy Efficiency” by Ben Lieberman

===========

Shots fired at Superdome

• Energy costs cut into manufacturing growth
• Consumer spending rises, savings rate dips
• Mourners flock to funerals of victims of Iraq's...
• NBC leads off hurricane benefits

• Poll: Public divided on evolution Male chromosome has a future after all, study says Taiwanese researchers use fluorescent fish Novartis offers $4.5B to finish takeover Seven-Eleven Japan offers $1.2 billion for U.S.... ============== FDA Approves Growth Drug for Short Children  Drug approved for children with stunted growth  MSNBC - Sep 01 The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug to treat children who suffer from a condition that prevents them from growing, the drug’s manufacturer says. --FDA Approves Drug to Treat Children With Short Stature Caused by Hormone Deficiency   ===================== DID I ALREADY POST THIS ARTICE?--'Cheyenne Cin'

 

 

======================================

 

Your September 1 Eco-logic Powerhouse is now available at:
 
        http://eco.freedom.org/el/
 
In this issue...
 
Celebrate the Constitution!  Constitution Day is September 17.                                               
A new study by Tom McDonnell that reveals that 46 of the 47 Biosphere Reserves in the U.S. are no longer in compliance with U.N. requirements.  This is a very important read.
 
A progress report on the (proposed)  Freedom21 Federal Credit Union.
 
Kelo and the 14th Amendment
 
Wolves on the Horizon
 
Your child's education comes at a high cost
 
The "animal rights" movement's cruelty to humans
 
and more than two-dozen more great articles, along with a new “Lighter Side,” “Politickle,” and another ton of letters, all at:
 
        http://eco.freedom.org/el/

 

==============================

School Districts Feeling Pinch Of High Gas Prices
 
by Associated Press
 
 
High gas prices are tapping into school districts' cash reserves.
 
http://www.kgwn.tv/home/headlines/1712106.html

===============

 

 

http://www.NewsWithViews.com
September 1, 2005
New Articles

NewsWithViews.com is proud to announce our newest contributing writer, Mr. Patrick Wood, Here is his first article.

Global Cities For Global Corporations
http://www.newswithviews.com/Wood/patrick.htm
by Patrick Wood

Perpetual War For Perpetual Evolution, Part 2
http://www.newswithviews.com/Collins/phillip4.htm
by Phillip Collins

Debt For Trees
http://www.newswithviews.com/Ryter/jon98.htm
by Jon Christian Ryter

 

==============================

In more advanced countries however, seventy five percent of the population already lived in urbana in the year 2000. This is expected to increase to eighty-four percent by the year 2030.

"World cities are defined in this study as ‘global service centers’ that provide international financial and business services through specific labor market processes. The advanced producer firms (e.g. in accountancy and in law) provide these services through their worldwide networks of offices. It is through intra-firm connections in devising ‘seamless’ global services for clients that ‘global service firms’ link cities together in a world city network. Specifically this is an ‘interlocking network’ in which the service firms and their labor market practices are the ‘interlockers’ creating a worldwide network of global service centers (Taylor 2001). The world city network is an amalgam of the worldwide office networks of financial and business service firms."

"The Global Cities Dialogue is a new initiative proposing an open framework for action for all cities interested in working together to realize the potential of an information society free from social exclusion and based on sustainable development. It builds on the premise that cities have a key role to play in the information society. They are the geographical, political, socio-economic and cultural entities where millions live, work and directly exercise their rights as citizens and consumers. They are close to grassroots processes and directly face a number of information-society issues, changes and opportunities from local democracy to more cost-effective services."

"One way of thinking about the political implications of this strategic transnational space anchored in global cities is in terms of the formation of new claims on that space. The global city particularly has emerged as a site for new claims: by global capital, which uses the global city as an 'organizational commodity,' but also by disadvantaged sectors of the urban population, frequently as internationalized a presence in global cities as capital. The 'de-nationalizing' of urban space and the formation of new claims by transnational actors, raise the question: Whose city is it?" (emphasis added)

"Residual rural attitudes and institutions are major reasons why cities do not work well for all residents, marginalizing some and excluding others. Transferring into an urban context long-held prejudices and a natural fear of strangers - a fear that is intimately connected to rural settlements - provides the basis for dysfunctional social relationships. Prejudice and fear slow the wheels of both commerce and government..."

Patrick M. Wood is editor of The August Review, which builds on his original research with the late Dr. Antony C. Sutton, who was formerly a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution for War, Peace and Revolution at Stanford University. Their 1977-1982 newsletter, Trilateral Observer, was the original authoritative critique on the New International Economic Order spearheaded by members of the Trilateral Commission.

Their highly regarded two-volume book, Trilaterals Over Washington, became a standard reference on global elitism. Wood's ongoing work is to build a knowledge center that provides a comprehensive and scholarly source of information on globalism in all its related forms: political, economic and religious.

E-Mail: pwood@...

Web Site: www.AugustReview.com

====================================

How did World War I tangibly enact the power elites’ evolutionary script? As I stated in the first installment of this series, wars actually represent incremental phases in a process of coalitional integration. The end of that integration is to be a world government.

Other
Collins
Articles:

Darwinism and the Rise of Gnosticism

Engineering Evolution: The Alchemy of Eugenics

 

 

We are at the year 1908, which was the year that the Carnegie began operations, and in that year, the trustees meeting for the first time, raised a specific question, which they discussed throughout the balance of the year in a very learned fashion. And the question is, Is there any means known more effective than war, assuming you wish to alter the life of an entire people? They conclude that no more effective means than war, to that end, is known to humanity. (Qutd. in Zahner 86)

Grey: What will America do if the Germans sink an ocean liner with American passengers on board?

House: I believe that a flame of indignation would sweep the United States and that by itself would be sufficient to carry us into war. (Simpson 134)

One of the planks of the Treaty called for large amounts of war reparations to be paid to the victorious nations by the German government. This plank of the Treaty alone caused more grief in the German nation than any other and precipitated three events:

1. The “hyperinflation” of the German mark between 1920 and 1923;
2. The destruction of the middle class in Germany; and
3. The bringing to power of someone who could end inflation; a dictator like Adolf Hitler. (261)

E-Mail: collins.58@...

 

=====================================

From the time the dual actions were filed by the FDIC and the OTM, Hurwitz's lawyer, Richard Keeton, was approached by various environmental groups suggesting that the government would entertain a "debt-for-trees" swap.

Other
Ryter
Articles:

State Dept. Still Promoting Islam

George's CIA Filly

U.S. Is Preparing To Print 'Colorful' Money For The Western Hemisphere

 

========================

Redhead Joke

Football FINALLY makes sense.......... A redhead went with her boyfriend to her first football game. They had great seats right behind their team's bench. After the game, he asked her how she liked the experience.

"Oh, I really liked it," she replied, "especially the tight pants and all the big muscles, but I just couldn't understand why they were killing each other over 25 cents."

Dumbfounded, her date asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well, they flipped a coin, one team got it and then for the rest of the game, all they kept screaming was: 'Get the quarterback! Get the quarterback!' I'm like...Helloooooo? It's only 25 cents!!!!

=========================

SOCIAL SECURITY

WHY WAIT UNTIL 2008?  THERE IS AN ELECTION IN 2006.  I HEREWITH FIRMLY STATE THAT I WILL NOT VOTE FOR ANY POLITICIAN, REGARDLESS OF THE OTHER ISSUES, IF SHE DOES NOT SPONSOR AND SUPPORT THE FOLLOWING LEGISLATION. THAT INCLUDES EVERYONE STANDING FOR ELECTION IN 2006.

LET US SHOW OUR LEADERS IN WASHINGTON "PEOPLE POWER" AND THE POWER OF THE INTERNET.  LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE WITH ME ON THIS BY FORWARDING TO EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK.

 

IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT! KEEP IT GOING!!!! 2008 Election Issue!! GET A BILL STARTED TO PLACE ALL POLITICIANS ON SOC. SEC. This must be an issue in "2008" Please! Keep it going. ---------------------------------- SOCIAL SECURITY: (This is worth reading. It is short and to the point.) Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years. Our Senators and Congresswomen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect from it. You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of their rare elevation in society.They felt they should have a special plan for themselves. So, many years ago they voted in their own benefit plan. In more recent years, no congressperson has felt the need to change it. After all, it is a great plan. For all practical purposes their plan works like this: When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until! they die. Except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments.. For example, Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7,800,000.00 (that's Seven Million, Eight-Hundred Thousand Dollars), with their wives drawing $275,000.00 during the last years of their lives. This is calculated on an average life span for each of those two Dignitaries. Younger Dignitaries who retire at an early age, will receive much more during the rest of their lives. Their cost for this excellent plan is $0.00. NADA....ZILCH.... This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General Funds; "OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK"! From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into,-every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our employer)-we can expect to get an average of $1,000 per month after retirement. Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one (1) month to equal Senator! Bill Bradley's benefits! Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made. That change! would be to: Jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congresswomen. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us then sit back..... and see how fast they would fix it. If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of awareness will be planted and maybe good changes will evolve. How many people CAN you send this to? Better yet..... How many people WILL you send this to ?   ====== From: NewsWithViews news@... To: newsforyou-list@... Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 Subject: NewsWithViews Alert

http://www.NewsWithViews.com
August 31, 2005
New Articles

NewsWithViews.com is proud to announce our newest contributing writer, Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, DO. Here is her first article.

The Flu Season Campaign Begins
http://www.newswithviews.com/Tenpenny/sherri.htm
Dr. Sherri Tenpenny

The Food Police Finally get Their Smoking Gun
http://www.newswithviews.com/DeWeese/tom34.htm
by Tom DeWeese

Empirical 9/11
http://www.newswithviews.com/metcalf/metcalf148.htm
by Geoff Metcalf

FBI Blocks BATF Raid to Stop OKC Bombing
http://www.newswithviews.com/Briley/Patrick14.htm
by Partick Briley

Is Border Security an Inconvenience?
http://www.newswithviews.com/Kouri/jim12.htm
by Jim Kouri

Bolton Resists UN Push For Global Taxes
http://www.newswithviews.com/Kincaid/cliff58.htm
by Cliff Kincaid

 

========================

 

 

 

Posters, fliers and media campaign materials are generally mailed to the public health departments and healthcare provider offices in mid-August, “planting the seeds” to request the flu vaccine when it arrives.

Right on cue, the government announced on August 25, that it is “preparing for world's next big flu outbreak. ” A report released to the Associated Press suggests that a bad flu season could kill up to 207,000 Americans. To fuel the hysteria, the CDC and the Department of Human Services announced that they are jointly issuing a “The Pandemic Influenza Response and Preparedness Plan” which will stress “ways to speed up vaccine production, limit the spread of a super-flu, and care for the ill.”[2]

Here’s one example:
"We know we're going to have a pandemic because, historically, we're overdue for one," said Neil Pascoe, epidemiologist in the infectious disease division of the Texas Department of Health. "When it happens, it's going to be huge. It will be global, and everyone is going to be affected…it could be terribly fatal. Imagine 4 million Texans are infected, and 20 percent of them die."[4]

Be prepared for many similar statements in major newspapers and on national TV stations as the weeks progress.

Last year, there were 1026 messages sent through the media between September 21-28. Phrases used included, “this could be the worst flu season ever,” “the flu kills 36,000 people per year” and “the flu shot is the best way to prevent the flu.”[6] Anticipate even a greater number of messages pushed through a wider network of media outlets this year.

The language reported here for Steps 5, 6, and 7 is taken directly from Nowak’s presentation.[7] This should leave little doubt that the government intends to use the media to create hysteria that will increase the demand for a pharmaceutical product. 

Dr. Tenpenny has lectured at Cleveland State University and Case Western Reserve Medical School on topics related to alternative health. Nationally, she is a regular guest on many different radio and television talk shows, including "Your Health" aired on the Family Network. She has published articles in magazines, newspapers and internet sites, including, Redflagsdaily.com, Mercola.com and Mothering.com. She has presented at the National Vaccine Information Center's annual meeting and at several international conferences on autism.

Dr. Tenpenny is respected as one of the country's most knowledgeable and outspoken physicians regarding the impact of vaccines on health. As a member of the prestigious National Speaker's Association, Dr. Tenpenny is an outspoken advocate for free choice in healthcare, including the right to refuse vaccination. As an internationally known speaker, she is highly sought after for her ability to present scientifically sound information regarding vaccination hazard and warnings that are rarely portrayed by conventional medicine. Most importantly, she offers hope through her unique treatments offered at OsteoMed II for those who have been vaccine-injured.

Dr. Tenpenny is a graduate of the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio. She received her medical training at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri. Dr. Tenpenny is Board Certified in Emergency Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. Prior to her career in alternative medicine, Dr. Tenpenny served as Director of the Emergency Department at Blanchard Valley Regional Hospital Center in Findlay, Ohio, from 1987 to 1995. In 1994, she and a partner opened OsteoMed, a medical practice in Findlay limited to the specialty of osteopathic manipulative medicine. In 1996, Dr. Tenpenny moved to Strongsville, Ohio, and founded OsteoMed II, expanding her practice and her vision of combining the best of conventional and alternative medicine.

Website: www.nmaseminars.com

E-Mail: nmaseminars@...

 

==============================

It’s kind of a new Eminent Domain scheme where government just grabs a company’s profits when it wants to. First the warning labels, then the suits in the name of the poor victims of the potato chip profit mongers.

 

Related
Article:

UN Agenda 21
and Sustainable
Development

 

Other
DeWeese
Articles:

UN Wants Control of The Seas With US Senate's Help

Return of The CARA Monster

Total Surveillance Equals Total Tyranny

Loosing Your Liberty in The Name of Fighting Terrorism

 

 

 

THE FOOD POLICE FINALLY

 

GET THEIR SMOKING GUN

 

 

 

By Tom DeWeese
August 31, 2005
NewsWithViews.com

We have been warning for years that they were using the exact same play book used to destroy the smoking industry. Now the food police have what they’ve been looking for. A special report that says french fries cause cancer. There’s no proof to the claim, of course. Just a Swiss study done three years ago that said Acrylamide, a by product of chemicals and high heat found in deep fried foods might have a link to cancer. In fact, since that study first came out, there have been several more issued to dispute it. There is no peer-reviewed, sound science to prove the statement. But one disputed article is all it took.

Suddenly, after three years, the food police decided it was in their interest to resurrect the study and make an issue of it. Now, true to the play book, the attorney general of the State of California, Bill Lockyer, is calling for warning labels on potato chips and fries. The attorney General lost no time in filing law suits against nine food chains and snack-food makers, including McDonalds, Wendy’s, and Frito Lay.

However, as Frank Muir of the Idaho Potato Industry pointed out, “We’ve been eating Acrylamide since man invented fire. Ever since we started cooking foods, there’s been Acrylamide that we’ve been consuming.”

Why then, is the California Attorney General in such a haste to force the heavy hand of the law into the market place yet again? Do you know how much money states have made through class action suits against cigarette manufacturers? This is a new way to raise state revenue without having to raise taxes. It’s kind of a new Eminent Domain scheme where government just grabs a company’s profits when it wants to. First the warning labels, then the suits in the name of the poor victims of the potato chip profit mongers.  

This is how we do things in America now. An unsubstantiated report (perhaps even just a news release) from a group or individual that has a political agenda. The perpetrators know it’s coming. They prepare behind the scenes and, suddenly, we have an instant nationwide outcry for “something to be done.” Government officials puff up to the microphone to tell us how they are protecting us all. The lawyers just want to get “justice” for the pre selected, ready-made clients. And another American right disappears – for the common good, of course. As Attorney General Lockyer says, “I’m not telling them to stop eating potato chips and french fires…” The arrogance of that thought should speak volumes about how this guy thinks. He certainly does think he has the power to tell us to stop doing things in our everyday lives – if he can find the right excuse to scare people and stampede them in the right direction.  

By the way, just for the record, there never was a peer-reviewed scientific report that proved second hand smoke ever existed, either. It was just an internal report at the EPA, put out in a press release. That’s how easy it is to destroy any industry. Guilt by innuendo. And they’ll keep doing it to industry after industry as long as ignorant, gullible, hateful Americans think it’s OK to take the profits of those evil corporations. Just be careful. Something you like may be next on the list. Perfume and household pets have been mentioned. All it takes is a smoking gun – real or made up. It really doesn’t matter.

© 2005 Tom DeWeese - All Rights Reserved

Tom DeWeese is the publisher/editor of The DeWeese Report and president of the American Policy Center, an activist, grassroots think tank headquartered in Warrenton, VA. The Center maintains an Internet site at www.americanpolicy.org.

Tom DeWeese American Policy Center 50-A South Third St. (Suite #1) Warrenton, VA 20186
(540) 342-8911

 

=============================

The horrific deaths of thousands of innocent Americans rip the fabric of the republic, yet remarkably… bureaucratic territorial imperatives, politics and careerism have become impediments to the truth?

 

EMPIRICAL 9/11

 

By Geoff Metcalf

August 30, 2005

NewsWithViews.com

“What is right but what we prove to be right? What is truth but what we believe to be truth?” -- Gorgias the Sophist

Rep Curt Weldon has become a spark on the tinder in outing the malfeasance of the 9/11 Commission. However, he is still only half right.

He is correct in saying the 9/11 Commission will have "egg all over their face" when the truth is eventually revealed. He is right they are in major CYA mode because of embarrassment of a public epiphany. However, he is frankly wrong when he says "In two weeks with two staffers, I've uncovered more in this regard than they did with 80 staffers and $15-Million in taxpayers' money!"

The 9/11 Commission uncovered all that Weldon has…and more. However (and herein lies the real tragic flaw and sin) they specifically, judiciously CHOSE not to share the details of what they found.

William Penn once observed, “Equivocation is half way to Lying, as Lying, the whole way to Hell.” I would add that the road to Hell is not paved with good intentions as suggested, but by self serving, manipulative and duplicitous lies.

Peter Lance has written two books about 9/11 (Cover Up/What the Government is Still Hiding About the War on Terrorism and 1,000 Years for Revenge) and has done a lot of the heavy lifting on what led to the epic tragedy. Lance is not the Lone Ranger; Google will give you about 4,000 links to 9/11 books (I've only ready about 20 of them). The information is available. The 9/11 Commission did an incomplete, edited and sanitized report that was designed from the jump not to reveal the truth but to spin.

Once upon a time, 'the official government story' would have been accepted as the end. As I have frequently observed the 'official government story of", the sinking of the Lusitania, Pearl Harbor, JFK, James Forestalls alleged suicide, Vince Foster, the Branch Davidians and more all fail to bear scrutiny.

However, today we have 'new media', 24/7 cable news, talk radio, the Internet, and a plethora of information venues. Frankly, the influx of information is both a blessing and a curse. We all suffer from information overload and lack of adequate triage to separate the wheat from the chaff, and the fact from the fiction.

The 9/11 Commission was doomed from the jump. Their efforts to ‘not cast blame’ beg the questions of how we can correct errors if we do not acknowledge the errors. It was a fool’s errand and it has both tainted the work product and bit them in the butt.

Weldon claims the truth will come out in hearings. Don't hold your breath! 'Some' of the truth may come out...most will be obfuscated and sandbagged.

This is not (and should not) be a partisan issue. Sure, the Clinton administration monumentally soiled the sheets. However, there is more than enough fault and blame to spread around all partisan corners. Bush 41 AND Bush 43 also are culpable for the environment in which the 9/11 failures resulted. Metcalf bromide #1: "It is not a question of WHO is right or wrong but WHAT is right or wrong that counts..."

The presence of Jamie Gorelick and Dietrich Dieter Snell on the wrong side of the witness table remains a huge "WHAT the &*%!?"

Weldon reportedly is p.o.-ed. GOOD! Welcome to the club Curt.

The horrific deaths of thousands of innocent Americans rip the fabric of the republic, yet remarkably… bureaucratic territorial imperatives, politics and careerism have become impediments to the truth? Talk about gagging maggots....

Perhaps instead of Congress Critters conducting the hearings we should call on a selection of authors and investigative reporters? Give subpoena power to Peter Lance, Dave Bossie, and even Seymour Hersh...then 'Katie Bar the Door'.

Remember that great scene at the end of ‘A Few Good Men’? Navy LT Kaffe (Tom Cruise) is questioning Marine Colonel Jessep (Jack Nicholson):
Col. Jessep: You want answers?
Kaffe: I think I'm entitled.
Col. Jessep: You want answers?
Kaffee: I want the truth.
Col. Jessep: You can't handle the truth.

Most American's (most honest Americans) don't give a rat’s derriere about WHO mucked things up to enable 9/11.

• We want (and need) to know HOW it happened.
  
• What could have/should have been done?
  
• And most important, how to preclude the repetition of a FUBAR subsequent disaster.  

We try to teach our children that there are consequences in life…good acts are rewarded, bad acts are punished. A dog gets a pat on the head and a hearty “good dog” when they perform well and a rolled up newspaper wack on the nose when they are a ‘bad dog’.  

Hey, it works with kids and pets…why not try it with those allegedly representing our best interests and entrusted with our national security?

© 2005 Geoff Metcalf - All Rights Reserved

 E-mail: geoff@...

 

========================

Hollway also gave McVeigh advice on how to rent a Ryder truck without detection and on where to park the explosives laden Ryder truck for optimum blast damage to Murrah.

 

Other
Briley
Articles:

Chertoff Created Terror Pretexts for US Police State

Missile Defense, Nuclear Technologies Transferred to Russia, China

Forces at Work to Build a US Police State

 

More
Briley
Articles

 

 

FBI BLOCKS BATF RAID

 

TO STOP OKC BOMBING

 

 

Patrick Briley
August 30, 2005
NewsWithViews.com

In February 1995 the BATF started planning a raid against Elohim City in far eastern Oklahoma to block plans of members of Elohim City from attacking Federal buildings including the Murrah Federal building in OKC that was bombed on April 19, 1995. The planning was based on the intelligence provided by BATF informant Carol Howe to her BATF handler, Angela Findley Graham.

The individuals at Elohim City that Howe had identified as planning to attack federal buildings including Murrah included FBI informants and provocateurs Dennis Mahon (white supremacist informant), German National Andreas Strassmeyer and US Army member Sean Kenny who helped McVeigh rob banks in the Midwest, and Special Forces, CIA and FBI operative David Hollaway. Hollaway had brought Strassmeyer to Elohim City in 1989 (for the CIA, FBI and State Department) and Mahon brought McVeigh later to Elohim City in November 1993.

Hollway also gave McVeigh advice on how to rent a Ryder truck without detection and on where to park the explosives laden Ryder truck for optimum blast damage to Murrah. Hollaway also helped Strassmeyer escape INS arrest after the OKC bombing by escorting him to Germany via Mexico.

Other FBI informants at Elohim City before the OKC bombing were the (Peter) Ward brothers, Kevin McCarthy and the spiritual head, Reverend Millar.

Mahon, Strassmeyer, Hollaway and Kenny have also been identified in FBI teletypes and FBI 302 reports, and legal briefs by Salt Lake City attorney Jesse Trentadue based on FOIA requests and court ordered document turnovers by Federal judge Dale Kimbal.

By March 1995 the SAC of the OKC FBI office Bob Ricks met with his BATF counterpart, Mr Roberts to have the BATF call off the BATF raid at Elohim City WITHOUT informing Roberts that those identified by Howe to bomb federal buildings and Murrah included the FBI informants and provocateurs helping McVeigh plan and carry out the OKC bombing. Ricks and FBI Director Louis Freeh were fully aware of McVeigh being at Elohim City and of the FBI provocateurs encouraging and helping McVeigh at the time Ricks had BATF official Roberts call off the raid at Elohim City.

THE OKC BOMBING WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF THE FBI HAD NOT HAD THE BATF CALL OFF THE RAID AGAINST FBI PROVOCATEURS AT ELOHIM CITY IN MARCH 1995.

The Bob Ricks and the FBI foreknowledge and encouragement of the OKC bombing is consistent with Ricks being seen and talked with in front of Murrah 15 minutes after the bombing by victim family member Janie Coverdale. It is also consistent with court documents and FBI wives telling my wife that the FBI was told to not have FBI agents go inside the Murrah building on the morning of the bombing even though on every other day 3-4 FBI agents were in Murrah by 9 am, just before the approximate time of the bombing, 9:02 am.

The BATF reports of the Rick’s and Robert’s meeting in March 1995 have been publicly and lawfully available since 1998 and I have personally viewed them. They are in the hands of former OK State Representative Charles Key, investigator JD Cash, and William Jasper of the New American magazine, who posted them on the New American website in 1998.

I told Jesse Trentadue of the BATF documents on a KTOK radio magazine program (in OKC) with Gwin Faulconer Lippert and Mr. Trentadue on Sunday, August 21, 2005.

On August 2, 2005, I wrote US Senators James Inhofe and Tom Coburn and formally requested that they attempt to have full Senate Judiciary hearings on the OKC bombing and federal prosecutions for criminal misconduct by certain individual FBI and DOJ officials. In my request to Senators Inhofe and Coburn, I provided over 500 pages of court documents, FBI teletypes and FBI 302 reports as well as well sourced news articles written by Jerry Bohnen of KTOK radio in OKC as well as my own articles posted on http://libertypost.org and http://freerepublic.com. My letter and documents were sent to and fully discussed with Jane Grisham for Senator Coburn and Stephani Carlton for Senator Inhofe.

I also communicated the BATF document information to the DC offices of US Senators (OK), James Inhofe and Tom Coburn, as well as the DC office of California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher.

FBI officials like Bob Ricks, Louis Freeh and others like FBI senior case agent Jon Hersely, through the use of 19 bombing provocateurs (identified in earlier articles by this author) and for failure to stop the bombing, may well have become accessories to the murder of 168 people killed in the Murrah bombing. The statute of limitations on murder never expires. Some of these FBI officials (as well as US prosecutors) also appear to have given knowingly false testimony before Federal trials, a Federal grand jury, an OK State trials and an OK state grand jury. The statute of limitation for perjury before the OK state trial of Nichols has not expired. Although the statute of limitations for the Federal trials and grand juries may have expired, these officials can lose their pensions for their criminal conduct and are subject to civil litigation and damages brought by bombing victim family members.

Today, Hollaway, Strasmeyer, Mahon and Kenny are free men walking the streets and FBI officials Ricks, Freeh and Hersely get to enjoy their pensions in retirement while many OKC bombing victims struggle to pay their medical bills and barely survive economically.

It was a violation of the law for the FBI to use the German national Andreas Strassmeyer who was being sought by the INS for being in the US. It was a violation of the law for the FBI to use FBI agent John Hippard and Dave Hollaway to help Strassmeyer avoid arrest by the INS and escape to Germany via Mexico (Hollaway escorted Strassmeyer out of the country and this was known to Louis Freeh). It was a violation of the law for the FBI to use a US military man, Sean Kenny, to help rob Midwest banks and help McVeigh get the proceeds to finance the OKC bombing.

Furthermore, DOJ officials have recently come forward to tell of their knowledge of official DOJ cover up of the OKC bombing before, during and after the Federal trials. This is consistent with reports that Senator Inhofe’s chief of staff, Herb Johnson, wrote a letter in September 1998, describing that the DOJ and FBI started an official cover up the first week of the OKC bombing based on what an FBI official told Herb Johnson then.

So far there has been no response from Inhofe or Coburn although the call for Congressional hearings from me and OKC bombing victim family members was discussed in the KTOK radio program with Trentadue on August 21, 2005 referred to above.

The OKC bombing was used as a pretext by Democrats and Republicans as well as Louis Freeh, Janet Reno, Clinton, Senator Arlan Specter, Senator Don Nickles, Senator Orin Hatch, Congressman Ernest Istook and others in May 1995 to finally force through Congress dubious anti- terror legislation (precursor to Patriot Act) that had been rejected and languishing in Congress before the OKC bombing.

Jesse Trentadue has also said publicly on KTOK radio that documents Trentadue has obtained show that US Senator Don Nickles worked closely to help the FBI cover up the OKC bombing and the death of his brother Kenny Trentadue, killed for his close resemblance to an OKC bombing participant and Midwest bank robber, Richard Guthrie

About 4 months ago the FBI and DOJ officially formally acknowledged closing the OKC bombing case but have refused to turn over FBI confiscated surveillance tapes and answer the questions of OKC bombing victim family members as promised once the case was closed.

Will the FBI try to use the sham ruse of reopening the OKC bombing case to avoid court orders by Judge Kimbal in Salt Lake City to turn over to Judge Kimbal the FBI’s un-redacted OKC bombing documents by October 12, 2005?  

Will FBI Director Robert Mueller continue to ignore the public calls by US Congressmen like Dana Rohrabacher, or the threat of possible Senate Judiciary hearings, to avoid turning over the surveillance tapes and the un-redacted FBI documents? The withheld surveillance tapes may well reveal some of the 19 FBI provocateurs who helped McVeigh. It is already known from a detailed analysis (by this author and Trentadue) of the available redacted FBI documents and teletypes that the un-redacted FBI documents will further implicate the FBI in the deaths of 168 people murdered in Murrah on April 19, 1995.  

Please contact the offices of US Senators Coburn and Inhofe and of Congressman Dana Rohrabacher and urge them to respond to my letters and evidence, to have full Senate Judiciary Hearings, to press for prosecutions for the criminal misconduct of certain FBI and DOJ officials complicit in the OKC bombing, and to demand that the FBI and DOJ publiclly turn over all un-redacted FBI documents and surveillance tapes relevant to the OKC bombing.

© 2005 Patrick Briley - All Rights Reserved

Patrick Briley is a Navy Viet Nam era veteran who served on a Polaris ballistic missile nuclear submarine patrol in the Pacific." My Polaris submarine patrol in the Pacific was in far East Asia near China but I can not elaborate any more than that other than to say it was a very special, historically significant and exceptionally dangerous.

Briley was chosen to work under Admiral Rickover at Naval Reactors. He volunteered for Naval service from 1968 to 1976 during the Viet Nam era including being in Naval ROTC, a batallion commander of my ROTC unit and a Midshipman on board the ballistic missile submarine, SSBN 624, the Woodrow Wilson, as well as serving at Naval Reactors in DC for Admiral Rickover.

Patrick started research and investigation into terrorist attacks after the Oklahoma City bombing. Pat submitted his findings concerning the OKC bombing and the 9-11 attacks in briefings to high-level staff for the Senate Judiciary and Senate and House Intelligence committees, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, and the 9-11 Commission.

 

E-Mail: pbriley@...

================

The data suggest that the performance of the Tucson sector interior checkpoints dropped starting in FY 2002, and more in FY 2003, after the Border Patrol began relocating or closing them on a regular basis.

 

Other
Kouri
Articles:

Battle at The Border: The War Few Discuss in Washington

Illegal Alien Killers, Rapists and Robbers

 

More
Kouri
Articles:

 

 

IS BORDER SECURITY AN

 

INCONVENIENCE?

 

 

 

Jim Kouri, CPP
August 30, 2005
NewsWithViews.com

Believe it or not: Border Patrol checkpoints have been reduced because of complaints about "traffic congestion" and "quality of life issues." Yet, many of the same people who complained are calling for more action to be taken against the onslaught of illegal aliens.

The US Border Patrol, a part of the Department of Homeland Security, aims to apprehend persons who illegally enter the United States between official ports of entry, including potential terrorists, aliens, and contraband smugglers, thereby deterring or stopping illegal activity. The Patrol operates permanent and tactical (temporary) interior traffic checkpoints on major and secondary US roads, mainly in the Southwest border states where most illegal entries occur, as part of a multilayer strategy to maximize detection and apprehension of illegal entrants.

The Border Patrol operates 33 permanent traffic checkpoints in 8 of its 9 sectors in the Southwest border states, supported by tactical checkpoints. While permanent checkpoints have the advantage of physical infrastructure, tactical ones have the mobility to block routes used to evade permanent ones and to respond to intelligence on illegal activity.

A third type of checkpoint operates in the Tucson, Ariz. sector, where the Patrol has been legislatively prohibited from funding construction of checkpoints since fiscal year 1999. This restriction has prevented checkpoint construction. The Patrol also began closing or relocating checkpoints in the sector every 7 days at the instruction of congressional staff in June 2002, and was legislatively required to relocate checkpoints on the same schedule in FY 2003 and 2004, and an average of once every 14 days in FY 2005.

Three of six checkpoints in the sector had to close for 7 to 14 days, as safety considerations made it too hazardous to relocate them. Local law enforcement and business and community leaders interviewed from communities near interior traffic checkpoints said that benefits resulting from checkpoint operations included reductions in crime and vandalism. Although a few cited traffic delays, most were supportive of checkpoint operations.

However, some others were concerned about the impact of the checkpoints on traffic congestion and quality of life in their communities. The Border Patrol does not routinely evaluate the effectiveness of checkpoint operations, or their costs. The Patrol includes limited traditional performance measures in its Performance and Annual Report, such as apprehensions and contraband seized.  

The Government Accounting Office developed an apprehension per agent work year measure to assess performance. The data suggest that the performance of the Tucson sector interior checkpoints dropped starting in FY 2002, and more in FY 2003, after the Border Patrol began relocating or closing them on a regular basis. Three other sectors the GAO visited that did not have to relocate or close checkpoints experienced no comparable decrease in apprehensions per agent work year during the same time period. In other words, closing checkpoints results in fewer apprehensions.  

Other factors not measured or accounted for might also have contributed to these outcomes, but the Border Patrol's limited measures do not capture or assess them. A broader range of performance measures, when considered with other indicators, could be useful to Customs and Border Protection and the Congress as they consider ways to improve the effectiveness of interior traffic checkpoints and border security efforts.

Sources:

US Border Patrol,
US Customs and Border Protection,
US Department of Homeland Security,
Government Accounting Office,
National Association of Chiefs of Police

© 2005 Jim Kouri- All Rights Reserved

Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police. He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country.

He writes for many police and crime magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer, Campus Law Enforcement Journal, and others. He's appeared as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox News, etc. His book Assume The Position is available at Amazon.Com, Booksamillion.com, and can be ordered at local bookstores.

E-Mail: COPmagazine@...

============

(I DON'T CARE WHAT BOLTON DOES- this global tax threat is looming, and the ONLY RECOURSE WE HAVE is to get BOLTON and ALL AMERICANS OUT OF THE UNITED NATIONS- easily done. CUT OFF ALL AMERICAN MONEY SIPHONED TO THEM VIA PASSSAGE of HR 1146.-"Cheyenne Cin"-- P.S. Congress has had MULTIPLE chances to do this, and have defeated it EVERY TIME! )

In seeking a global tax, the U.N. is demanding that the U.S. spend 0.7 percent of our gross national income on foreign aid. According to Jeffrey D. Sachs, Annan’s special advisor, the U.S. is short by $65 billion each year.

 

 

BOLTON RESISTS U.N. PUSH FOR

 

GLOBAL TAXES

 

 

 

By Cliff Kincaid

August 30, 2005
NewsWithViews.com

We are in the midst of an orchestrated campaign by U.N. supporters to force the Bush administration to go along with a pro-world government agenda at next month’s “World Summit” at the world body in New York. The script is a familiar one—depict John Bolton, the new U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., as someone obstructing the progress of the international community. The main players in the campaign are the World Federalists, the Open Society Policy Center of billionaire George Soros, and Ted Turner’s Better World Campaign. In terms of the media, Reuters news service, the New York Times and the Washington Post have already opened fire on Bolton. Most recently, Arianna Huffington and Steven Clemons of the New America Foundation have joined the campaign, urging the State Department to bypass Bolton and acquiesce to U.N. demands that the U.S. commit to hundreds of billions of dollars in new foreign aid spending.

What the media have carefully concealed is the fact the summit’s “draft outcome document,” as it’s currently called, would put the U.S. on record in support of global taxes on the American people. Bolton wants those and other parts of the document eliminated.

Two new developments are expected in this propaganda campaign. First, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will release a letter to President Bush urging the U.S. to play a “positive role” in the negotiations on a final document. Second, liberal members of Congress will release a similar letter. The major media will fawn over these developments, leading to more anti-Bolton stories.

The media campaign began on August 17 when Reuters news agency falsely accused Bolton of trying to “scrap” U.N. reform by challenging the document. The very next day, the Citizens for Global Solutions, previously known as the World Federalist Association, Ted Turner’s Better World Campaign, and the Open Society Policy Center announced they were going to send a letter to Bush on this matter and wanted other groups to add their names to it. “A similar congressional sign on letter will be circulated shortly,” they said. They only want Bush to “cooperate” with the U.N., they insist.

Then, on August 25, the Washington Post and the New York Times ran stories by their U.N. correspondents raising alarms about the changes Bolton is seeking in the document. Colum Lynch of the Post accused Bolton of throwing the proceedings of the U.N. into “turmoil.” Warren Hoge of the Times quoted William R. Pace, general secretary of the World Federalist Movement, “which promotes a strong United Nations,” as saying, “It would be very unfortunate and not in the interest of the United States or the international community for the new U.S. ambassador to barge in and undermine an important summit negotiation process.”

Notice use of the loaded words and phrases “barge in” and “undermine,” designed to convey the impression of Bolton as obstructionist.

But also notice the misleading description of the World Federalists promoting “a strong United Nations.” The group openly favors world government, financed by global taxes, and Bolton stands in its way.

It’s unfortunate that the major media have reporters at the U.N. who are either too lazy or too liberal to inform the American people that the draft supports “a solidarity contribution on plane tickets to finance development projects.” This is a euphemism for a French proposal for an international tax on airline travel. The document goes on to say that the nations of the world will “agree to consider further other solidarity contributions that would be nationally applied and internationally coordinated…”

If the idea of global taxes is shocking, it’s only because the Big Media have failed to report that the U.N. issued a 17-page August 17, 2004, report under the title of “Innovative sources of financing for development.” The phrase “innovative sources” is another euphemism for global taxes. The report was approved by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, made explicit references to global taxes, and carried the endorsement of the U.N. General Assembly. This kind of thinking is reflected in the summit document that Bolton wants to change.

The U.N. also prepared a book, New Sources of Development Finance, advocating global environmental taxes and a global currency tax that would affect the international investments of ordinary Americans. One contributor to the book suggests that taxes be collected by national governments and then provided through a “World Tax Authority” under the U.N. system.  

In seeking a global tax, the U.N. is demanding that the U.S. spend 0.7 percent of our gross national income on foreign aid. According to Jeffrey D. Sachs, Annan’s special advisor, the U.S. is short by $65 billion each year. Over the 13-year period of time when the U.S. is expected to meet its own “Millennium Development Goal,” this amounts to $845 billion over and above what the U.S. already spends on foreign aid. Sachs favors a global tax to force the U.S. to pay up.  

All signs point to a propaganda blitz on behalf of the U.N. over the next several days as negotiations on the summit document intensify. Bolton, who will be depicted by the media as the villain, has been standing firm. The question is whether the U.S. State Department will buckle under the pressure. American sovereignty hangs in the balance.

© 2005 Cliff Kincaid - All Rights Reserved

Web Site: www.AIM.org

E-Mail: kincaid@...

 

The Incredible Health Benefits to   You of Traditionally Fermented Foods

Dr. Mercola's Comment: The following article on the very important topic of the benefit of traditionally fermented foods to your diet is by Nancy Lee Bentley. Nancy is the co-author of my new book, "Dr. Mercola's TOTAL HEALTH Program" who created the more than 150 brand new delicious and nutritious grain-free, low-carb recipes that you'll find there. By Nancy Lee Bentley Self-serve olive bars are becoming so popular in many Washington supermarkets that storeowners are now offering expanded "antipasto" bars, heaped high with pickles, pickled peppers, mushrooms, artichokes and other tangy pickled and marinated foods, according to The Seattle Times. This growing trend in both health/natural and regular commercial supermarkets across the country is theoretically good news for health-conscious consumers looking to increase their digestive, cardiovascular and immune health, since these traditionally lacto-fermented foods are some of the oldest and healthiest on the planet. Yet, the key phrase you absolutely must watch for if you want to achieve the amazing health benefits is traditionally lacto-fermented, as not all of these tasty condiments are created equal. The Wonderful Health Benefits of Traditionally Lacto-Fermented Foods Olives, pickles, grass-fed cheese, wine, yogurt, sauerkraut and the seasoned, aged sausages the French call "charcuterie" are some of this category’s most popular delicacies. Though the term "fermented" sounds vaguely distasteful, the results of this ancient preparation and preservation technique -- produced through the breakdown of carbohydrates and proteins by microorganisms such as bacteria, yeasts and molds -- are actually delicious. Even more so, they are so beneficial to overall health that some of these "functional foods" are now considered to be "probiotics," increasing your overall nutrition, promoting the growth of friendly intestinal bacteria, and aiding digestion and supporting immune function, including an increase in B vitamins (even Vitamin B12), omega-3 fatty acids, digestive enzymes, lactase and lactic acid, and other immune chemicals that fight off harmful bacteria and even cancer cells. Beware the BIG Difference Between Healthy Fermented Foods Versus Commercially Processed Fermentation is an inconsistent process --almost more of an art than a science -- so commercial food processors developed techniques to help standardize more consistent yields. Technically, anything that is "brined" in a salt stock is fermented, but that’s where the similarity ends, as each type of fermented food has specific, unique requirements and production methods. Refrigeration, high-heat pasteurization and vinegar’s acidic pH all slow or halt the fermentation and enzymatic processes. "If you leave a jar of pickles that is still fermenting at room temperature on the kitchen counter, they will continue to ferment and produce CO2, possibly blowing off the lid or exploding the jar," explains Richard Henschel of Pickle Packers International, which is why, of course, all "shelf-stable" pickles are pasteurized. It’s probably not surprising that our culture has traded many of the benefits of these healthy foods for the convenience of mass-produced pickles and other cultured foods. Some olives, such as most canned California-style black olives, for instance, are not generally fermented, but are simply treated with lye to remove the bitterness, packed in salt and canned. Olive producers can now hold olives in salt-free brines by using an acidic solution of lactic acid, acetic acid, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate, a long way off from the old time natural lactic-acid fermenting method of salt alone. Some pickles are simply packed in salt, vinegar and pasteurized. Many yogurts are so laden with sugar that they are little more than puddings. Unfortunately, these modern techniques effectively kill off all the lactic acid producing bacteria and short-circuit their important and traditional contribution to intestinal and overall health. How to Make Sure You are Getting the Incredible Health Benefits of Lacto-Fermented Foods As fermented foods expert Sally Fallon asks in Nourishing Traditions, with the proliferation of all these new mysterious viruses, intestinal parasites and chronic health problems, despite ubiquitous sanitation, "Could it be that by abandoning the ancient practice of lacto-fermentation, and insisting on a diet in which everything has been pasteurized, we have compromised the health of our intestinal flora and made ourselves vulnerable to legions of pathogenic microorganisims?" Like the $2.97 gallon jars of dill pickles Vlasic sells at a loss at Walmart, are we undermining our health and even economic well-being by our insistence on "more, faster and cheaper?" You can still find some healthy traditional varieties. The stronger-flavored, traditional Greek olives you are most likely to find on olive bars are not lye-treated and are still alive with active cultures. So are "overnights," the locally-crocked fresh pickling cukes made in local delis every few days, as well as the pickles, sauekraut and other fermented foods you make yourself at home. Generally, the more tangy and stronger the flavor (not counting any added jalapeño or other hot pepper flavorings), the more likely that the food will still have active and beneficial lactobacteria. So how can you be sure if you are getting the benefits of these active, fermentation cultures? For one thing, you can make your own. Olives, sauerkraut, miso, crème fraîche -- these are some of the recipes and ingredients I created to be right in line with Dr. Mercola’s dietary program that you will find in his new book, "Dr. Mercola’s Total Health Program." In addition to being good for individual metabolic types, reducing carbohydrates and cholesterol, strengthening digestion and immune systems, and even proactively helping us fight off and prevent disease, these foods are a lot simpler, easier to prepare and enjoy than you might think. So in "Dr. Mercola’s TOTAL HEALTH Program," we’ve demystified the process for you, providing an entire chapter, in fact, devoted to simple, health-enhancing "Raw, Sprouted and Fermented Foods." This means double dividends for you: foods that taste good and are actually incredibly good for you, as well. Check out "Dr. Mercola’s TOTAL HEALTH Program," including the Table of Contents and List of Recipes, as it is a sure way to make your New Year a happy and healthy one. Dr. Mercola guarantees the book or your money back for the rest of your life for a reason -- it WILL improve your health while pleasing your taste buds. Now, please pass that relish tray!

Also see: http://www.mercola.com/display/PrintPage.aspx?docid=28648&PrintPage=yes

 

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What is tempeh? Why tempeh?

Tempeh is one of the most nutrionally dense foods and its benefits are many and varied. Gaining popularity - Tempeh has been a favorite food and staple source of protein in Indonesia for several hundred year. But tempeh is now rapidly becoming more popular all over the world as people look for ways to increase their intake of soybeans, and they discover tempeh's versatility and delicious taste. Especially vegetarians and vegans find tempeh an interesting food because of its structure and high protein content. For many years it was only possible to find tempeh in natural foods and Asian stores, but tempeh is becoming more available in supermarkets. Also it's easy and rewarding to make your own tempeh at home. Tempeh is a versatile product - Tempeh has a firm texture and a nutty mushroom flavour. Tempeh can be used in different ways. Normally tempeh is sliced and fried until the surface is crisp and golden brown or tempeh can be used as ingredient in soups, spreads, salads and sandwiches. Basically, any recipe which works with mushrooms will work with tempeh as the flavour type is the same. Tempeh is healthy - Tempeh is very nutritive and contains many health promoting ingredients, including soy phytochemicals. Tempeh is a complete protein food that contains all the essential amino acids. The proteins and isoflavones have many health promoting effects. Isoflavones strengthen bones, helps to ease menopause symptoms, reduce risk of coronary hearth disease and some cancers. Tempeh maintains all of the fiber of the beans and gains some digestive benefits from the enzymes created during the fermentation process. Fermented food - Tempeh is a fermented food made by the controlled fermentation of cooked soybeans with a Rhizopus mold (tempeh starter). The tempeh fermentation by the Rhizopus mold binds the soybeans into a compact white cake. Tempeh fermentation also produces natural antibiotic agents which are thought to increase the body's resistance to intestinal infections. Fermentation leaves the desirable soy isoflavones intact.

===========================

 

Discover the Incredible Health Benefits of Kefir

 

===========================

 

Old-Fashioned, Healthy, Lacto-Fermented Soft Drinks:

 

The Real “Real Thing”

By Charles Eisenstein

My brother John and I share a hobby of brewing lacto-fermented sodas—root beers and ginger ales—which we share among family and friends and occasionally sell at health food conventions. Often we are asked, “Where can I buy this?” Our answer is “Nowhere.” Unless you are lucky enough to run into us at the Weston A. Price Foundation yearly conference, chances are you will never see lacto-fermented soda for sale anywhere.

Our personal reasons for not “expanding our operation” are deeply relevant to the conflict between craft and commerce in food production. Usually I make soda in 5-gallon batches. The process is fairly time-consuming, but it fits in well with other chores and there is no obligation to brew a certain amount at a certain time. Since I enjoy brewing several times a week, I produce a surplus—far more than our own family can drink. To expand to a commercial level, though, would mean changes in the way I brew, because as it stands I can only net about $20 per hour of labor. To be commercially viable, I would need to exploit efficiencies of scale by buying better equipment: a bottle-washing machine, bottler, larger fermentation vessels, etc. Then it is no longer a kitchen hobby; it is a business that must consider shipping, legal licensing, labeling laws, sanitation regulations, accounting and so forth.

The Compromises of Commerce

So far so good. Some people are naturally inclined towards business. There are more and more small foodcrafting businesses these days, and I am happy to pay a premium for their products. But it is more than a matter of hobby versus business—there are certain compromises one must make to bring production past a certain critical volume. The critical volume for fermented foods is especially low, because the product is alive and working. Lacto-fermented soda keeps fermenting in the bottle, for instance, leading to foaming and spraying when you open it, or even dangerous exploding bottles if you leave them out long enough. There is a good reason that mass-marketed soft drinks are dead. In fact it is a necessity in the context of national brands, centralized production and mass distribution. To change the way food is produced and processed inescapably demands changes in the way it is distributed and sold.

The compromises one would have to make to sell fermented soda on an economically viable scale are constant refrigeration and scary warning labels, or pasteurization, or plastic bottles. None is acceptable to us, for ecological and health reasons.

Similar compromises apply to most of the fermented foods that have survived the last century of food industrialization. Pickles and relish are no longer fermented at all, but preserved in vinegar and sterilized with heat in the canning process. Wine is treated with sodium metabisulfite before fermentation to destroy wild bacteria and yeasts that make the results less predictable. Beer is usually pasteurized or microfiltered to kill or remove living yeast. Yogurt survives, but it just isn’t as good after the first day; the same is true of bread. Sauerkraut is usually pasteurized. To be sure there are niche brands, which are still living foods, available in health food stores, but then freezing or refrigeration is necessary. This is rather ironic, since a major motivation for fermenting foods in the first place was to preserve them, in the days before refrigeration.

To make our soda with pleasure and without compromise limits us to a production level of ten to twenty gallons a week. This is sufficient to supply perhaps five or ten households. From this realization, a new (or rather very old) economic model of food production suggests itself.

When Money Reigns Supreme

Anyone who has tried to incorporate all the principles of traditional foods into their diet will find that it is almost a full-time job. If you want to grind your own flour, bake your own bread, make your own yogurt, your own soaked-and-slow-dried nuts, your own relishes and chutneys, your own bone stock, your own sprouts, your own kombucha and ginger beer. . . this is more than the typical beleaguered house husband can handle. One wonders how they did it in the old days. The answer is, they didn’t! For one thing, before the age of the suburbs and the automobile, extended families lived together in the same house, and as often as not, next door to cousins and uncles. Four people cooking for 16 people is a lot easier than one person cooking for four. Moreover, communities were small and close-knit, and there was probably some degree of specialization and sharing among households.

I don’t want to make ginger beer for hundreds of people, most of them strangers, but I would be delighted to make it for a handful of other families whom I know well. Maybe one of them would make fresh-ground slow-rise sourdough bread for me (I never could get that to work). Maybe another would supply me with chutney and fish sauce. Maybe another makes soy sauce. Another brews beer; another wine from their own grapes. Maybe another neighbor has a 30-gallon cauldron for making beef stock; another, a 30-gallon pickling crock. For most traditional foods, the optimum level of production is more than for the nuclear family, but less than what is considered economically viable in today’s money economy.

Money can facilitate exchange among friends and neighbors, but in essence money is an anonymous form of energy—almost by its definition as a universal medium of exchange. Among friends and neighbors, the usual laws of market economics do not apply. You don’t seek to maximize profit. You don’t raise your prices to the maximum just because you can. You are not doing it for the money; you are doing it for your family and for the neighbors. In an economy of reciprocation and social exchange—that is, in an economy that is not primarily a money economy—“economic efficiency” takes on a different meaning.

The more anonymous the customer, the more money stands as the sole motivating force. In today’s multi-level, automated and standardized food production & distribution system, the consumer is almost totally anonymous to the farmer, the commodity buyer, the processing factory and even the grocer. There is no reason to care about the wholesomeness of the product, except to the extent necessary to conform to whatever regulations are enforced, and whatever the public might find out about. No reason? Oh pardon me, I forgot about altruism. Yes, of course, a company might make products better than they need to be out of an abstract altruism, but when the very real pressures of market competition come to bear, such altruism quickly degenerates into sloganeering and PR. Some version of “caring about the health of the consumer” surely appears in the mission statements of all the major food corporations, including the most egregious violators of the public trust. In other words, it is hard to genuinely care about someone you don’t even know. Compassion in the abstract is almost always a self-deception. Much more reliable is the goodwill and mutual sense of responsibility that exists among neighbors who are bound together into a community, their good intentions enforced by social pressure and the intimacy of long association.

In many areas of life, social mechanisms of enforcing responsible behavior have atrophied as communities have disintegrated. These have been replaced by legal mechanisms. The old mechanisms of social pressure, reputation, etc., have lost their power. No matter how much your neighbors dislike you, your money is still good at Wal-Mart. In today’s anonymous society, we are little dependent on our communities, which have become mere collections of buildings. More and more, we are connected to our neighbors by proximity only. The increasing legalism and litigiousness of America is a symptom of unraveling communities, weakening connections. On a most basic level, we no longer make food for each other. All phases of food production, from the farm to the kitchen, are increasingly the province of strangers who are paid to do it.

You cannot pay someone to care. You can pay someone to act as though they care; you can pay them to follow meticulous guidelines; but you can’t make them really care.

Wholesomeness of food is more than a matter of which methods and processes are used to bring it from soil to table. When caring is codified, the code loses much of its meaning, especially under the influence of powerful corporations. The letter persists while the spirit departs. Many of the best, most conscientious farmers I know eschew the organic certification, because they know that food produced according to the letter of the organic code need not be consonant with the spirit that gave birth to organic farming in the first place.

An alternative path exists: food should not be primarily a commodity. Food is a gift of God’s Good Earth, for which all religious traditions teach gratitude. To subject it to the economic regime of the lowest bidder is to desecrate the gift and insult the Giver. For most of human history, the sharing of food was a significant social act, cementing ties between friends and kin, showing welcome to strangers. Today it has become an anonymous act of commerce.
Other people in other times would no doubt have thought it exceedingly strange, if not downright obscene, for total strangers to grow, process, and even cook nearly all one’s food.

The Proper Role of Money

That is not to say that food should never be bought. Money has its rightful role, even among friends, as an aid to fairness and a means of support. What I am saying, rather, is that the sharing of food should be part of a personal relationship. Money may be involved, but the profit motive should be secondary. In my economic relationships with the local farmers I know, I am happy to pay them a fair price, in hopes that they will be prosperous. My sentiment is partly selfish, because I know that if they are prosperous, they will continue to provide me with good food. But also I simply don’t feel good about eating food that comes through the devaluing of another human being’s labor, especially when I know that human being personally. When a personal relationship exists between food supplier and food consumer, then bargaining becomes a process of each party coming to understand the other’s circumstances to find a mutually fair price, rather than a heartless and shameless exercise of getting the best possible price, which in economics is called “maximizing utility” and in commonsense language is called greed.

In working with my bacterial soda culture, I sometimes get the feeling that the bacteria themselves don’t want to be sold. Similarly, I feel that sauerkraut wants to live in a barrel in the basement. Before you dismiss this as a flight of fancy, consider the uncanny resistance of truly wholesome food to mass production and mass distribution. Most fresh foods, for example, have a limited shelf life, which can only be extended by killing the food through processing, or putting it in suspended animation by refrigeration or freezing. The former response diminishes its healthfulness; the latter has environmental costs. (Also I never have believed that freezing fully preserves the healthfulness of food. It tastes less vibrant, even if all the enzymes are supposedly intact.) Other preservation methods, namely dehydration and fermentation, might arguably work for mass production and distribution, but even here there are problems with storage and shelf life—the food companies’ use of preservatives and pasteurization is not entirely gratuitous. Besides, such foods cannot account for the bulk of one’s year-round diet.

Foods of the Future

When people ask whether they can buy our soda in the future, we usually say, “No, but we’ll teach you how to make it.” We envision a society where every household has a speciality, be it soda or sauerkraut, soap or stock, bread or soy sauce, that they make in quantities sufficient for five or ten households—precisely the quantity that maximizes efficiency without compromising quality. (It is not much more work to make ten gallons of soda than it is to make one, but to make fifty gallons is an enterprise of an entirely different order.)

We envision a society also where farmers are personally acquainted with the people who eat their produce, or perhaps, for certain products, linked through one degree of separation. This is workable, because almost as if by design, the ideal size for a sustainably operated mixed family farm is sufficient to meet the food needs of 20 or 30 families. Of course, farms might specialize to some degree, so each family might patronize three or four farms; even so, this calculates out to a manageable number of people per farm, few enough that the farmer can know each personally. Personally I believe that true sustainability requires even smaller farms, and more farmers. Maybe almost everyone not living in a city should be a part-time farmer, at least to the extent of tending a vegetable garden or keeping a few chickens.

In such a society, money alone would not guarantee good food. Moving into a new community, you would need to get to know people, build connections, find your niche. Moving to a new community would be a big deal, as indeed it was in yesterday’s small towns and neighborhoods, more demanding than simply finding where the supermarkets and superstores are located. There would be more sharing in life. We would be more dependent on our neighbors, less dependent on strangers living thousands of miles away, and less dependent on corporations governed by the profit motive. Food would recapture its ancient role of social bonding. This would, I believe, be a much happier society than our current one, with its alienation, loneliness and rootlessness.

Artisanal Home Soda Fermentation

So let’s get down to making lacto-fermented soda—the real thing. The first step is simply to realize that it is very easy. The minimum equipment is a glass fermentation vessel and the minimum ingredients are sugar, water and the culture. Mix them together and fermentation happens. To make it really delicious, though, some pointers are in order.

Step 1: Bring approximately 50 percent of your water to a boil and dissolve 1.5 cups of sugar in it for each gallon of soda you plan to make. If you are boiling roots in the water (see below), remove them before adding sugar. The sweet, somewhat viscous liquid you have now is called “syrup.”

Step 2: Pour the syrup and the remaining water into your fermentation vessel. I like to use the scalding hot syrup to sterilize my vessel, but be careful not to pour it in too fast or it could crack. The resulting diluted syrup is still too hot for the culture. You can either wait, or cool the syrup first by letting the pot sit in a sinkful of cold water before adding it to the vessel.

Step 3: Add any other flavorings, such as lemon juice (see below) to the diluted syrup.

Step 4: Making sure the syrup has cooled to body temperature, add about a cupful of culture for each gallon of water. You could add less culture, but the more you add, the greater the head start your beneficial bacteria have over any opportunistic invaders, such as alcohol-producing yeasts.

Step 5: Cover the vessel (it need not be completely airtight, but it can be) and let it ferment. Fermentation rate is highly variable. If you like a sweeter soda, four or five days might be sufficient. If you want to ferment out most of the sugar, allow at least 10 days. Some additives such as mint and honey tend to inhibit bacteria and drastically slow fermentation.

Step 6: Time to bottle! Brewing supply stores carry siphon tubes to siphon the soda directly from carboy to bottle, but if you are fermenting in a jar you can simply pour it into bottles or scoop it in with a glass measuring cup. You must have some way to seal the bottles, either with a bottle capper or stoppered bottles (both available at brewing supply stores). Do not bottle the thick layer of sediment at the bottom of the fermentation vessel.

Step 7: Carbonation. The soda continues to ferment in the bottles, giving off carbon dioxide gas. Since the bottles are sealed, the gas has nowhere to go. In stays in the bottle and makes the soda fizzy. Depending on how fast it is fermenting, 2-5 days is usually enough time to create the optimum level of carbonation. You can always open a bottle and check.

Step 8: Stopping fermentation. Now we have a problem, because if the soda continues to ferment the bottles will foam over or spray when opened. The bottles might even explode if left out long enough. So when carbonation is sufficient, it is time to stop fermentation by putting the bottles in the refrigerator. Not enough room? A cold basement will work too, slowing down fermentation but not quite stopping it. Usually soda will keep just fine in the basement for a month or more.

Step 9: Drink it! Lacto-fermented soda is an excellent thirst quencher and contains beneficial lactic acid, vitamins, enzymes and beneficial lactobacilli that can inhabit your gut, where they protect you against pathogenic bacteria and yeast.

Sidebar Articles

Lacto-fermented sodas can be made commercially on a small scale. Illustrated here are two examples from Down Under. Phoenix Ginger Beer from New Zealand (left) is brewed from water, honey, ginger, lemon juice and yeast. Bundaberg Ginger Beer from Australia (right) is brewed from water, sugar, ginger and yeast but contains “food acid” and “preservatives.” The Phoenix Ginger Beer wins the taste test and proves that quality soft drinks can be made on a commercial scale.

HOMEMADE SODA BASICS

The Vessel: A one- or two-gallon glass jar is fine, but if you want to make larger quantities you’ll need a glass carboy, readily available at brewing supply stores for under $20. The five-gallon size works best. For a few cents you can also purchase a water lock, which bubbles merrily away as your soda ferments. All utensils should be clean, but antiseptic cleanliness is unnecessary. Usually we rinse the vessel a few times with water and sterilize it with the hot syrup for next batch.

Other Equipment: You will need bottles with good stoppers—a strong, tight cork, a beer bottle top, or a stopper held down with a wire. These are available at brewing stores and also at places like the Container Store. You will also need a funnel or siphon for transfering the soda from the vessel into bottles.

The Water: Do not use chlorinated tap water, as this will inhibit fermentation. Most filtered or bottled water works fine. If you must use straight tap water, boil it to evaporate off the chlorine.

The Sugar: We have gotten good results with sucanat, rice malt, maple sugar, jaggery, honey, and apple cider. The flavor from rapadura or molasses is too strong for most people. Honey is delicious but is best used as a flavoring rather than the main sugar source, because apparently honey inhibits bacterial growth. Even at half strength, honey soda can take months to finish. You can use fruit juice, but for some reason commercial canned fruit juice, even organic brands, produce noxious results. Fresh-pressed apple cider produces delicious soda, although it will probably be slightly alcoholic (1-2%) due to natural yeasts on the apples. Remember that most of the sugar will be converted into lactic acid in the fermentation process. Use about 1.5 cups of sugar per gallon of water.

The Culture: You can use a bottle of soda from the last batch as culture, or you can make your own from scratch. Dice fresh ginger root into tiny cubes and put a tablespoon of it into a mason jar 3/4 full of water, along with 2 teaspoons white sugar. Add another 2 teaspoons each sugar and ginger every day for a week, at which time it should become bubbly with a pleasant odor. If it gets moldy, dump it and start over. Even a small amount of culture will start a batch of soda going, but it’s best to use at least a cup per gallon so that these beneficial lactobacilli can dominate before less desirable microorganisms have a chance.

Flavorings: The water used to dissolve the sugar need not be just water! You can use any herbal decoction to make soda with the flavor or medicinal qualities you are seeking. For example, to make ginger beer, boil sliced ginger root in the water, about one thumb’s-length per gallon of soda, for twenty minutes. Peppermint, spearmint, or other mint can also be used to flavor soda. Put the mint in boiling water, turn off the heat immediately, cover and steep. Lemon juice is a good addition to almost any soda flavor and seems to help preserve the syrup before fermentation gets going. Use approximately two lemons per gallon of soda, depending on juiciness. One of the favorite beverages in colonial America was root beer. Any roots can go into root beer, but the essential ones for flavor are sassafras and sarsaparilla. Sassafras in particular lends a pungent aroma and beautiful reddish color to soda, and is readily available throughout the Eastern US. Common medicinal roots like burdock, chicory, dandelion, and so forth tend to impart a strong mediciney “herbal” flavor to the soda. It’s the sassafras or sarsaparilla that make people say “Yum!”

 

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http://www.drdavidwilliams.com/nc/dispatch_sample092704.asp

Digestive Comfort Food

Dear Reader,

For many, fall brings to mind cozy days at home, with "comfort food" readily at hand. That's somewhat the way I think, too. I'd bet my idea of comfort food is somewhat different from most people's, though. I prefer fermented foods.

I've dedicated numerous issues of Alternatives to the importance of getting fresh, unprocessed fermented foods in your diet. These foods balance the bacteria levels in your gastrointestinal tract, aid digestion, promote healthy bowel habits, and boost your immunity. I particularly like yogurt and fermented vegetables, especially sauerkraut.

True Yogurt is Most Friendly


By definition, yogurt is milk that has been fermented with a culture that contains the lactic acid producing bacteria streptococcus thermophillus and lactobacillus bulgaricus. Your body needs these friendly bacteria for proper digestion and a healthy gastrointestinal system.

True yogurt, meaning yogurt that hasn't been heat-treated, contains an abundance of the friendly bacteria your body needs. These bacteria stay in your gastrointestinal tract for about 5 to 7 days after you eat yogurt—and while they're taking up residence in your body, they work extremely hard to keep your digestive system, and your entire body, healthy.

If you've ever tried to make your own yogurt, you already know how difficult it can be. You have to boil the milk, without letting it curdle or burn. Stir in the cultures. Then, cool it while monitoring the temperature with a thermometer.

A better, far easier way to make yogurt is with a specially designed yogurt maker. I've tried many of them over the years, and one of the best I've found comes from a company called Euro-Cuisine. The Euro-Cuisine Yogurt Maker is extremely easy to use and makes healthy and delicious yogurt.

If you don't want to make your own yogurt, there are some good options on the market, but you have to be careful and read the labels. Most of the yogurt products available here in America are laden with too much sugar and artificial ingredients. Plus, even if the package says it contains "live and active cultures," some of the potency of these beneficial bacteria is lost over time. By the time the yogurt is packaged and shipped to the store, and then stored on the shelf, some of the effectiveness of the cultures is diminished.

I recommend Stonyfield Farm organic yogurt (available in health food stores) or White Mountain Bulgarian yogurt, which is sold primarily in Texas, with sporadic distribution throughout the Midwest and East Coast regions. Both of these brands are likely to contain beneficial bacteria that are still alive and kicking.

Make Your Own Sauerkraut

If yogurt isn't for you, eating sauerkraut is another great way to protect the balance of bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract. Sauerkraut is one of the few foods that contain the bacterium Lactobacilli plantarum. L. planatarum is a very dominant strain of healthful bacteria our ancestors consumed regularly.

Don't think, however, that canned or commercially-prepared products (like sauerkraut) provide anywhere near the same health benefits as the raw product you can make at home. The FDA requires commercial sauerkraut to be pasteurized, which effectively destroys all the beneficial bacteria. That's why I make my own sauerkraut.

In the box below, I've explained how to make your own sauerkraut. But undeniably, making your own sauerkraut, as well as fermenting your own cabbage and other vegetables takes some time and energy. To ferment cabbage and other vegetables I use a crock pot from the Grain and Salt Society (800- 867-7258).

Sauerkraut (Makes 1 quart)

4 cups shredded cabbage, loosely packed 1 tsp. juniper berries 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds 2 tsp. sea salt 2 Tbsp. liquid whey (if not available, add an additional 1 teaspoon salt)* 1 cup filtered water** In a bowl, mix cabbage, juniper berries, cumin, and mustard seeds. Mash or pound with a wooden mallet for several minutes to release juices. Place in a quart-sized wide-mouth Mason jar and pack down. Mix water with salt and whey and pour into jar. Add more water, if needed, to cover cabbage. There should be about one inch of space between the top of the cabbage and the top of the jar. Place a lid on the jar and close tightly. (Lacto-fermentation is an anaerobic [without oxygen] process and the presence of oxygen, once fermentation has begun, will ruin the final product.) Keep at room temperature for three days. Transfer to a root cellar or the top shelf of your refrigerator. The sauerkraut can be eaten immediately, but it improves with age. Note: It's normal for white spots or a white film to form on the surface of the liquid covering the sauerkraut. This is a form of yeast called kahm. Although it's totally harmless, it can impart a bad taste to the cabbage. I would recommend removing it gently with a spoon before using the sauerkraut. * If you use whey, it must be in the liquid form, not powdered. You can make your own whey by pouring yogurt into a cheesecloth, coffee filter, or clean kitchen towel. Capture the whey liquid as it drips into another container. Using whey allows you to decrease the amount of salt needed and improves consistency. It is naturally rich in both lactic acid and lactic acid–producing bacteria. **Don't use chlorinated tap water. Chlorine can destroy lactic microbial organisms and prevent fermentation.   Keeping your gastrointestinal system healthy is critical for maintaining a vibrant life. You'll feel the difference in your digestion, the regularity of your bowel movements, and your overall good health.

Powerful Probiotics

Ideally, we should include a small amount of naturally fermented food in our diet each day. When I'm home that's exactly what I do. But when I'm away, that isn't always convenient or possible. That's when a probiotic supplement becomes important. Stress, changes in diet, contaminated food, chlorinated water, prescription drugs or over-the-counter medications, and numerous other factors can alter the bacterial flora in the intestinal tract. To play it safe, and to stay in the habit, I now take a probiotic every day, even on the days when fermented foods are readily available.

Keeping your gastrointestinal system healthy is critical for maintaining a vibrant life. You'll feel the difference in your digestion, the regularity of your bowel movements, and your overall good health.

Till next time,

Dr. David Williams

 

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http://www.deliciousorganics.com/Controversies/fermentedfoods.htm

 

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	Fermented Foods
	Lacto-fermented foods have been around for a very long time.  Common in Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and North and Central European cuisine, fermentation has been used to enhance the flavor of food, create food, and help food having a longer shelf life.  Fermented foods are delicious and nutritious.  These traditional foods are key to our health. Fermentation allows the bacteria, yeasts and molds to "predigest" and therefore break down the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to create "Probiotics" which offer friendly bacteria into our digestive tract.  This helps keep our immune system strong and supports our overall digestive health.  Probiotics are particularly important when we are sick and are taking antibiotics.  Antibiotics kill off all the bacteria, the bad that are making you sick and also the good bacteria.  That's why many people get yeast infections when they take antibiotics.  Probiotics reintroduce good helpful bacteria into our digestive tract so that while the bad bug is being fought by the antibiotics, we won't get other sickness on top of that.  Acidophilus pills are a Probiotic which many of us take when we are taking antibiotics.  Look for pills that have billions of live flora.  Look for pills that must be refrigerated.  Jarrow is a good brand.  They make some just for kids too that taste good and are cute shapes.  Delicious Organics will soon be carrying some of the best probiotics.  Best yet, keep your digestive flora healthy and strong by regularly eating fermented foods. Fermented foods are enzyme rich foods that are alive with micro-organisms.  These foods allow beneficial microflora to "colonize" in our intestines (and for moms-to-be, also in the birth canal) to keep us healthy.  Our "inner ecosystem" helps support our health and fight infection.   A healthy gastrointestinal tract (GI) is critical to a strong immune system.  Diets rich in fermented foods, as well as fruits and vegetables, are best for us to in order to maintain a strong healthy body. Fermented foods aid in digestion, promote healthy flora in our digestive tract, produce beneficial enzymes, offer us better nutrition and allow our bodies to absorb vitamins (in particular C, and B12), minerals, nutritional value and omega 3s more effectively from foods.  They regulate the level of acidity in the digestive tract and act as anti-oxidants.  Fermented foods contain the same isothiocyanates found in cruciferous vegetables and therefore fight and prevent cancer.  Many fermented foods on the market today are not true fermented foods because they are created to maximize profits and shelf life instead of our health.  They are not as beneficial.  It's important that we eat foods that are fermented with "Active" or "Live" Cultures.  Pasteurization kills off the living bacteria so look for unpasteurized and fresh fermented foods (in the grocery refrigerator section).  Since fermentation is a way to keep the living enzymes alive, it goes against the theory to use pasteurized (or dead) milk, for example, but you can make yogurt and kefir with pasteurized milk, it just won't be as robust and beneficial.
	Fermented Foods include:
	Acidophilus Milk Amasake Beer Bleu Cheese Bread Cheese, Aged Chocolate Cider Coffee Cultured Vegetables Kefir Kimchi Kombucha Kumiss (Kefir from goat's milk) Marinated Artichokes Mahewu Marinated Mushrooms Miso Nuoc Mam Olives Pickles Quorn Sauerkraut (caution: salt content) Sourdough Bread Soy Sauce Tea Tempeh Umeboshi Plums Vinegar Wine Yogurt
	Lactobacillus Acidophilus is a micro-flora commonly found in dairy products.  It is also in fermented vegetables.  Lactobacillus Planatarum and Lactobacillus Brevis are also helpful micro-flora found in Fermented or Cultured vegetables.  These bacteria are destroyed when heated.  Fermented foods are alive with micro-flora to aid our digestive system.  For a healthy gut, and therefore a healthy body, consume fermented foods regularly.  You can purchase them or make them yourself. With B12, Vitamin K, B1 and calcium that is more readily absorbed into the body, Kefir is good food.  How to use it?  Many people like to mix Kefir with some orange juice or make a smoothie by adding some fruit.  Kefir means "feel good" in Turkish.  And it's no wonder because it does make us feel good! Both Kefir and Yogurt have live beneficial bacteria but Kefir has more strains (including Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter, and Strepococcus).  Yogurt is traditionally firmer while Kefir is more liquidy and Kefir is therefore easier to digest.  The bacteria of Yogurt cleans the digestive system and feeds good bacteria in the gut while the bacteria of Kefir can actually colonize and grow there and can therefore continue to be beneficial after being eaten.  Kefir also contains beneficial yeasts (that's what gives it it's zing and may make the bottle bloat) which seek out and destroy unhealthy yeasts in the body and therefore create a stronger immune system.  Kefir keeps the colon clean and supports a healthy digestive system.  While Kefir is more nutritious than Yogurt, Yogurt is still a very healthy food.  Read more at Kefir versus Yogurt  or Mercola on Kefir. Buy Kefir Now Please note that many yogurts today contain the FOS and Inulin.  These occur naturally in Garlic, Sunchokes, and Asparagus but is not a natural occurrence in Yogurt.  FOS and Inulin are both "sugars" and the claim is that it assists the body to absorb calcium from the yogurt.  However, some research indicates that FOS and Inulin are difficult or impossible to digest and can affect some people negatively (heartburn, gas, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea) after eating yogurt with these additions.  Inulin and FOS promote fermentation in the body which does feed good bacteria but may also feed bad bacteria at the same time. Rejuvenative Products can be purchased at Delicious Organics or you can make your own cultured vegetables.  This is from Rejuvenative web site: Use fresh, well-cleaned cabbage either on its own or as the primary ingredient along with beets, carrots, garlic, celery, kelp, herbs or any other vegetable you enjoy. You may add a high quality sea salt if desired. A five-gallon container will hold about 35 pounds of vegetables and it is best to use at least 25 pounds per recipe. You can either grind the vegetables using a Champion Juicer (without the screen) or cut and shred them with a food processor. If you use the latter process, pound the vegetables to make them juicier. Put the prepared vegetables in a stainless steel, ceramic or a glass crock. Don't fill the crock to the brim because the fermenting vegetables are likely to expand and may overflow. Put lots of fresh cabbage leaves on top of the ground up vegetables and using your hands and a little body weight, gently and firmly compress the leaves. Put a plate that is as wide as possible in the crock and then add some weight to the plate, such as a lidded glass jar filled with two-thirds of a pint of water. A little weight will be sufficient, as too much will force the vegetable juice above the fermenting vegetables. Check the fermenting vegetables a few times over the next day and a half to ensure that the plate is sitting evenly on the vegetables and is not lopsided. Let the fermenting vegetables sit in a well-ventilated space at room temperature (between 59-71º) for five to seven days. The longer it sits the stronger it gets. After five to seven days (6-7 days at 62ºand 5-6 days at 70º), throw away the old cabbage leaves and the moldy and discolored vegetables on the top. Put the remaining delicious fermented vegetables in glass jars and refrigerate. The Raw Cultured Vegetables will last from four to eight months when kept at 34º and opened minimally. Do not freeze them.
	Bio-K Plus is a good probiotic and is also available in Dairy-free formula (although, even lactose intolerant people can normally eat fermented dairy products without any trouble.)  Scientific literature states 4 necessary  conditions for an effective probiotic with Lb. acidophilus:   Needs to contain a special and powerful strain. (not all strains generate results)   The bacteria Must be, live & active at consumption to deliver the best results.   Needs to deliver a minimum of 50 billion of bacteria at consumption. The high number of bacteria is essential to have a positive impact on the 2 pounds of bacteria present in the G.I. tract.   A carrier of enriched dairy ingredients is necessary to give the bacteria the energy they need to rapidly multiply in the body and to protect them through the stomach allowing them to reach the intestine. Frequently Asked Questions about Bio-K Health Benefits of Bio-K
	Recipes: Sauerkraut on the market today can have a very high salt content and not taste nearly as fresh as the real thing.  Make your own! Kuzu Sauce Authentic Misawa Mirin Marinade Corn Muffins with Amasake Rice Pudding with Amasake Turkey Meatloaf Quinoa Porridge Raw Cultured Food by Rhio
	Links: Wild Fermentation Body Ecology Fermentation & Food Internet Resources Scientists Use Beneficial Bacteria to Battle Germs on Fresh Produce Natren, The Probiotic Specialist, History of Yogurt Curd Yogurt: The Curds and Whey to Health? FDA Consumer magazine Yogurt's History and Folklore, Stonyfield Farm On Fermented Foods, Living And Raw Foods

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Related: go to: food safety go to: water safety go to: commensal bacteria

Good Bacteria in Food

Most people would think bacteria in or on food can only be harmful. True, food poisoning caused by bacteria and their products is a serious problem, and how to ensure food safety is treated in a different exhibit. However, certain bacteria are safe in food, and are required for the desired taste and texture. This exhibit describes some of the applications of bacteria and their products in the food industry.

Bacteria are commonly used in dairy products. Sour cream and Creme fresh (make your own! Creme fresh (Source: Splendid Table) are both the products of cream after bacteria were allowed to grow in it. The difference in flavour, texture, and behavior (sour cream will curdle when heated, creme fresh will not) all result from the differences in bacteria required to produce the two products. Buttermilk (Source: DB Frankhauser) is low in fat, cheese comes many variations (Source: Franceway.com). Yogurt (Source: Life.ca) is probably one of the oldest forms of fermented milk.
        Is it not dangerous to eat food containing bacteria? Certainly not, as long as they are the right kind of bugs. It may even be benificial to eat diary products with living cultures, although the evidence is still controversial (Source: NewYork Times Sciene Q&A). True or not, fermented milk products are often suitable for people with a lactose intolerance (Source: Regional Health Science Center) though the product should not be heated after fermentation.
        Fermented milk products are not completely fluid because casein, the major protein in milk, is insoluble in acid (Source: DB Frankhauser). Casein is also the protein that makes cheese solid. Fermented diary products taste different due to the bacteria used to make them. So what kind of bacteria are used for these different diary products (Source: IDFA)? Most manufacturers will not release their magical strain of bacteria, producing just the right flavour, but here are their general characteristics:

• Table on diary bacteria and their products (Source: Science-projects.com)
• What makes Limburger cheese so smelly? Isolate Brevibacterium linens (Source: Indiana Lab).
• How Propionibacter shermanii makes the holes in Swiss cheese (Source: NewYork Times Science Q&A)
• View the yogurt bacteria Lactobacillus delbrueckii bulgaricus and Streptococcus salivarius thermophilus (Source: SCIMAT)
• More images of L. bulgaricus (Source: Minnesota Microscopy Society Web Pages).

Vegetables can be fermented too. Read about an ancient tradition (Source: FAO). For instance, bacteria are the working lot to produce sauerkraut. The word 'sauerkraut' is German and means sour cabbage. And that is what it is: finely cut white cabbage leaves, left fermenting by lactic acid bacteria. Believe it or not: kraut only contains cabbage and salt. It doesn't taste salt because of the acid produced by the lactic acid bacteria, and the salt prevents fouling bacteria to grow. The bacteria used for sauerkraut is Leuconostoc mesenteroides (Source: FAO). The same principle is used with  pickling other foods, such as onions, olives, or meat. Almost always do lactic acid bacteria their little jobs to 'pickle to perfection' (Source: FoodProductDesign).
 

Have you ever thought that bacteria were used to produce chocolate and coffee? Although bacteria are not present in the final products containing chocolate (Source: ScienceNews online), yeasts and bacteria degrade the pulp that covers fresh choclolate beans. (Source: International Cocoa Org.) Did you know that chocolate may not be bad for you in contrast to what your mother made you believe? (Source: Manbir-Online).

Another example of bacteria helping to produce food products is vinegar. Whether good or bad depends on what the product should be. Wine makers will do their best to inhibit Acetobacter ferminting their grape juice: in order to produce wine, yeast should grow but not bacteria. However, if the desired product is vinegar, bacteria have their chance. Read more about wine and vinegar making in our special feature file.

Fermenting bacteria are used in the production of sausage. Again, lactic acid bacteria do their job. All you want to know about sausage (Source: L. Poli). Don't worry, you can still enjoy your meat snacks (Source:FoodProductDesign) since bacteria used in sausages are not at all related to E. coli or Salmonella, the enemy of every butcher. In fact, lactic acid bacteria are able to kill Listeria, a newly discovered ability that supports the safety of cured meats (Source: INRA).

And, finally, if you want to be active yourself, get started!

• Make your own cheese (Source: DB Frankhauser).
• Make your own yoghurt (Source: NebGuide).
• Observing Bacteria cultures in Yoghurt (Source: GreatScopes)
• Make your own kraut (this is a PDF) (Source: ME Mennes)

The content of this page is copyright of the Virtual Museum of Bacteria and was written by Dr. T. M. Wassenaar (curator), with support of the Foundation for Bacteriology.

Choose another exhibit in this catagory or go to another catagory from the menue at the top of this page

Page last modified: 08 Mar 2005

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How to make your own Kombucha-Tea

www.kombu.de/anleit-e.htm  - 21k

 

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http://www.healingcrow.com/ferfun/ferfun.html

"Support bacteria - they're the only culture some people have." -Stephen Wright "Oh Lord annointed with the yogurt of the milk-maids worship (Krishna), Oh savior of the fallen, Oh Master of Shiva, please protect me." -Sanscrit Poem

Fermenting is Fun Fermenting your own foods can be a healthy, fun, and nutritious hobby.  We feel that anything you can make at home is much better than commercialized foods.  We have put together a summary of fermented foods followed by a few recipes.  Enjoy. The Power of Microbes: We live in a world dominated by microbes.  The Earth’s microorganisms are able to adapt to almost any environment and thrive.  Bacteria have been found in the icy regions of Antarctica, near the surface of volcanic vents in the Atlantic, and even in our digestive tracts. Our civilization is but a pale comparison to the invisible world of microbes that surrounds us. It is likely that these microbes will adapt and survive beyond human existence.  It is not surprising that microbes have become experts of adaptation when you consider the evolutionary pressures of their world. They are constantly disrupted by changes in environment, competition from other species, attacks from specialized viruses (i.e. bacteriophages), and a shifting  food supply. Imagine trying to survive in a world filled with rampant diseases, famines, hurricanes, and floods, and you’ll begin to appreciate the world of the microbe. Some microbes have colluded with the competition to form symbiotic relationships. For example, the bacterial strains Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacilllus bulgaricus, work together and transform milk into tasty yogurt. The thirty or so strains of bacteria and yeast found in Kefir, a traditional fermented drink of the Caucasians, band together to form complex ecology capable of digesting almost any food source and staving off harmful pathogens. The microbes of Kefir even provide themselves with homes in the form of Kefir grains that are composed of a polysaccharide matrix. Our ancient ancestors did not live in a sterile environment. It is likely that they ingested various microbes found naturally in their foods. Some of these microbes were beneficial to their life while others caused infections and disease. Somewhere along the way in their struggle for survival, our ancestors allied themselves with certain species of microbes. Our intestines have evolved into a perfect microbial farm. We provide these microbes with furnished home and plenty of food, in return, they produce beneficial nutrients and help defend us from pathogens. About a thousand years ago, our ancestors began to experimenting with fermenting their own foods with beneficial strains to prevent spoilage, fight infections, and increase absorption of nutrients. This action further allied our bodies with the microbial world. Benefits of Fermented Foods: Nobel Prize winner Dr. Elie Metchnikoff was one of the first scientists to recognize the benefits of eating fermented foods. His research in the early 1900’s focused on the Bulgarians. He believed the daily ingestion of yogurt was a major contribution to their superior health and longevity. Today, if you search the Internet on probiotics, you will find an almost endless supply of reasons why “good bacteria” are good for you. We hope to convince you that fermenting your own foods is cheaper, more fun, and better for you than just popping a pill of freeze dried bacteria. Detoxify and Preserve: If there’s anything that the microbial world does well, it is detoxifying things. Today, Bacteriologists periodically visit old military facilities in search of new strains of bacteria living off of contaminants in the soil. If you put it in the ground and give them enough time to mutate and evolve, these microbes will find a way to break it down. This probably holds true for any organic chemical. These earthly microbes purify the world. Not only have we been able to use the detoxifying properties of microbes to breakdown nasty substances, such as oil spills, military dumps, and sewer plants, we also use them to detoxify our food and water and increase shelf lives. For centuries, Europeans used wine as a source of clean, durable water. Bulgarians perfected the art of detoxifying and preserving milk (removing the lactose and predigesting the proteins) and transforming it into yogurt and cheese. The Caucasians used Kefir grains for the same purpose: detoxify milk products to make Kefir.  Vegetables were also fermented to preserve them from spoilage.  Most of the pickled products found on our grocery shelves were at one time a fermented product: pickles, saurkraut, and even catsup (a Chinese word for pickled fish brine). However, since fermentation isn’t always a uniform process, manufacturers found another way to make these products. Fight Off Infections: Competition between microbes can be fierce. The good bacteria that are normal inhabitants of our intestinal tracts will fight off many foreign intruders. They can be seen as our first line of defense in the war of infection.  Scientists have documented many different substances produced by lactobacilli (lactic acid bacteria) that have been found to inhibit harmful microorganisms. For example, lactobacillus acidophilus produces several substances while fermenting milk, including acidolin, acidophillin, lactobacillan, and lactocidin. These substances have been shown to inhibit pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella, while leaving other lactobacilli and human cells unharmed  These antibiotic agents are found in fermented milk, but not always in a probiotic pill.  A 2000 study led by Dr. Chitra N. Wendakoon of the University of Alberta, Edmonton, found that fermented milk products, like yogurt, can kill Helicobacter pylori (the ulcer causing bacteria) but that the beneficial bacteria alone cannot. This means that probiotics in pill form would have no effect on H. pylori but that homemade yogurt and Kefir would. Nutritious to Boot: Fermented products are a great source of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.  The process of fermentation increases the amounts of some vitamins.  Fermented milk is a great source of energetic B vitamins while fermented vegetables are a great source of Vitamin C.  Sauerkraut often served as military rations in ancient armies, most notably the Mongolians, and was used to prevent scurvy. The process of fermentation also increases the bioavailability of these foods. Harnessing the Power of Microbes: Pills versus Food: We have already mentioned earlier that dairy products fermented with lactobacilli have been shown to kill pathogenic bacteria, such as H. pylori, while the lactobacilli alone did not. This means that some of the antibiotic properties of these good bacteria may be missing in the probiotic pills you see on the shelves. Also, you have no way of verifying the potency or vitality of these products. Bacteria are living organisms and must be alive when you eat them in order to reap their benefits. It does no good to ingest dead, good bacteria. Furthermore, good quality probiotics are often very expensive. For instance, a month’s supply from a popular vendor may cost as much as $80 to $100 per month. With a budget of $100 per month, you can make all the sauerkraut, kefir, and yogurt you’ll need. Not only will you be getting the benefits of these beneficial bacteria, you will be making delicious and healthy meals as well. The only benefit store probiotics offer is convenience. However, once you get started, fermenting your own foods is very easy. Please Use Caution: Before we get too far into fermenting your own foods, we want to emphasize two caveats of fermentation. First, the process of fermentation is only good for you if it occurs outside of your body. What does this mean? It means that if you ingest foods that provide an abundance of sugar and growth media for bacteria, they will ferment those foods inside of you. An overgrowth of fermentative bacteria in your body can cause all kinds of medical problems, including Crohn’s Disease, Ankylosing Spondylitis, candidiasis , and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. So the key is to pre-ferment your foods, that is to say, ferment your milk before you eat it. Secondly, please do not eat spoiled fermented foods. In some rare instances, fermented foods can be overtaken by mold or become spoiled. In these cases, throw out the result and start anew. Commercial versus Homemade:  In our opinion homemade products are better all around. For one, you do not have to trust a manufacturer with your health. You have total control over what you are eating.  You can purchase the best milk and/or vegetables to use.  Commercial products are usually geared for taste and not health. In the case of yogurt, this means that commercial yogurt usually has a high lactose content and is usually loaded with sugar.  Homemade yogurt can be made to eliminate virtually all of the lactose and will be much fresher than anything you can buy in a store.  If the taste isn’t to your liking, you can add in fresh fruit and/or honey to sweeten it up. Store bought Kefir has the same problems, you have no control over the lactose content in the end product. Another thing to consider is, real Kefir is difficult to find in the store.  Quite often a manufacturer will label a product as Kefir when in fact it is not the real thing. In order for Kefir to be real, it needs to made from Kefir grains and not a powdered starter. As for fermented vegetables, such as sauerkraut, most commercial products have been pasteurized and do not contain live cultures.  The pasteurization process not only kills the beneficial bacteria, but may also destroy many of the enzymes and nutrients.  Commercial sauerkraut may also contain a fair amount of unnatural preservatives.  We know that you will find fermenting your own foods at home more rewarding, healthier, cheaper than probiotics, and more enjoying than anything you could purchase in the store. Getting Started So you want to start fermenting your own foods, eh? Glad we could convince you. To get you started we’ve listed a few easy at home products you can make. 1. Yogurt: Making yogurt is very easy, especially if you own a yogurt maker.  We recommend purchasing a Yogourmet Multi – they are cheap, easy to use, and can make 2 quarts per batch.  You can get a yogurt maker and yogurt starter from a trusted friend at Lucy’s Kitchen Shop.  Once you have a starter and a yogurt maker, all you need is some milk (we recommend using Half-n-Half) and some patience.  The directions that come with the maker provide a fermentation of 6 hours. However, we recommend you ferment your yogurt for 24 hours to eliminate all lactose in the yogurt.  Any residual lactose could be used as food for bacteria already found in your GI-tract and result in fermentation in your intestines. CAUTION: Those of you following the SC Diet MUST ferment your yogurt for 24 hours in order to stay on the diet. Please refer to page 131 of “Breaking the Vicious Cycle” for more instructions on making SCD legal yogurt. 2. Kefir: Kefir is a fermented milk product made from Kefir grains. Unlike yogurt, Kefir is made from lactobacillus bacteria and several different yeast organisms and is fermented at room temperature.  The most difficult step in making Kefir is getting someone to sell/give you some Kefir grains.  It would be impossible for us to give Kefir any justice when there is a website out there that will describe everything and anything you need to know about Kefir. The web site is called Dom’s Kefir In-site. Dom also sponsors an egroups list you can join to find someone to share Kefir grains with you and to answer any question you may have about Kefir.  For those of you on the SC Diet, here are some directions from the wise Dominic about eliminating the lactose in the Kefir: “I find a good way to eliminate lactose even further is to ferment the kefir per usual (24 hours), strain, then keep the strained kefir in a bottle (at room temperature) for a further 2 -3 days before consuming (ongoing fermentation). I don't keep my strained kefir in the fridge any more, but keep it like this in a cupboard. The kefir is still good even after 6-7 days. One must give the bottle which the kefir is continuously fermenting in, a shake at least once daily. This is so that the microbes (mainly the yeasts) are mixed in well. Other wise one may find a film or colonies of yeast or the acetic acid forming bacteria on top of the kefir. This is safe, but some lactose digesting yeasts may be flourishing mainly in this top layer, shaking will help to distribute them into the kefir, where you want them to do their work (breaking down lactose).  This continuous fermentation can also be done in the fridge, but I find that a more pleasant tasting kefir, with markedly reduced lactose is achieved this way, (at room temp.). One can also keep fermenting the kefir, like above, in an air tight bottle. After the second day or so, an effervescent kefir will be produced. But i must point out that the bottle must not be filled more that 3/4 full. Of course, one could also ferment the original kefir for 48 hours, then follow on with the suggestions above. This may further make sure that the lactose content would be eliminated to a greater extent, and possibly in a smaller amount of time.” 3. Sauerkraut: Sauerkraut can be made in several different ways. The traditional recipe involves shredding and pounding fresh cabbage, adding salt, and submerging it under water for several days. The natural bacteria in the cabbage, such as lactobacillus plantarum, will natural begin to ferment the cabbage while the salt inhibits other microbes.  You can eliminate the use of salt altogether by innoculating the shredded cabbage and water solution with yogurt starter or Kefir grains. A superior recipe can be found on Aquaman’s Website.  A traditional recipe follows: Ingredients: 1 Fresh Medium Cabbage (red or green) 2 Tablespoons Pickling Salt (Please no iodine, it will kill the bacteria) Distilled Water (or filtered and non-chlorinated) Shred the cabbage. In a large bowl, mix shredded cabbage and salt together. Pound the cabbage mixture to expel the juices. Place pounded cabbage and juices in a medium sized glass jar (1 Quart Sized).  Press down firmly on the cabbage. Add distilled water until cabbage is fully submerged.  Solution should be at least one inch from the top of the jar. Cover the jar and let sit for 3 to 7 days at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator. Alternatively, one can use Kefir grains to ferment the cabbage, just eliminate the use of salt. 4. Pickled Ginger: Ingredients: 4 lbs fresh ginger root 1 tablespoon pickling salt (no iodine) ½ package of yogurt starter 1 cup Distilled Water (or filtered and non-chlorinated) Peel and cut ginger into very thin slices. Pound ginger slices to expel juices. Place juices and pounded ginger into a glass jar. Mix with salt and water. Add yogurt starter and seal. Let sit at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. Store in the refrigerator. For more information: Websites: Dom’s Kefir In-site: How to Make Kefir (The best source for Kefir anywhere). Sauerkraut Fermentation - from the Bacteriology Dept of UW-Wisconsin Weston A Price Org - Lacto-Fermentation Article Lucy’s Kitchen Shop: A trusted source for yogurt makers and starters. SCD Notes on Yogurt Aquaman’s Sauerkraut Recipe A Sauerkraut Crock Recipe Kim Chi Recipe   Books: Probiotics: Nature's Internal Healers, by Natash Trenev Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health through Diet by Elaine Gottschall. Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats by Sally Fallon, Mary G. Enig, and Kim Waters. Beyond Probiotics, by Ann Gittleman. Acidophilus and Colon Health: How to Prevent Illness, Build Immunity, and Live a Longer, Healthier Life, by David Webster.

©2001 The Healing Crow, Inc. All rights reserved. Please direct site commentary or questions to: crow@...   ============ Life Time Fitness Most store-bought sauerkraut is processed with heat, which kills the naturally occurring enzymes and microflora, so check the label carefully. Yogurt. ... www.lifetimefitness.com/magazine/index. cfm?strWebAction=article_detail&intArticleId=370 - 64k

chisandra adaptogen= schizandra chinensis & acanthopanax

 

 

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Magnesium  Supplements Susan Spinasanta Medical Writer SpineUniverse Desert Hot Springs, CA, USA

Magnesium is a mineral that is essential in many of the body's vital functions. This mineral helps uptake of calcium and potassium, prevents soft tissue calcification (calcium deposits in arteries, kidneys, and other tissues), reduces blood pressure, the effects of stress, anxiety and depression, lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels, reduces cramps and water retention associated with menstruation, and may improve sleep.   The Basics It may also prevent osteoporosis, some forms of cancer, and complications of pregnancy (preeclampsia and eclampsia). Preeclampsia and eclampsia are both serious conditions involving hypertension during pregnancy. A deficiency in magnesium may cause the following symptoms: Insomnia, confusion, rapid heartbeat, and poor digestion. Magnesium's balance in the body may be disrupted from vomiting, diarrhea, diabetes, stomach or bowel disease, diuretics, and pancreatitis. A deficiency in magnesium may worsen disease. There is a test for magnesium deficiency called intracellular magnesium screen. This is a sensitive test that may be more accurate than a standard serum magnesium screen. Sources Some of the richest food sources include nuts (Brazil nuts, cashews, black walnuts), green leafy vegetables, wheat bran, soybean flour, and blackstrap molasses. Other sources for magnesium are apples, apricots, bananas, avocados, garlic, lima beans, and salmon. Even many herbs/spices contain magnesium (sage, basil, lemongrass, peppermint, parsley, paprika, and many more). Magnesium is also available as magnesium citrate, magnesium gluconate, and magnesium lactate. Look for supplements that are soluble - it is easier for the body to absorb. These come in capsule and tablet forms. Other sources include Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) and milk of magnesia. These are used as laxatives.   Guidelines and Cautions The recommended daily doses are:  Age Group (Age in Years) Dose  Children 1 to 3  80-mg  Children 4 to 8  130-mg  Children 9 to 13  240-mg  Girls 14 to 18  360-mg  Boys 14 to 18  410-mg  Women 19 to 30  310-mg  Women 30 plus  320-mg  Men 19 to 30  400-mg  Men 30 plus  420-mg To avoid diarrhea, take magnesium throughout the day with a full glass of water. Do not take magnesium supplements if heart or kidney disease is present. Too much magnesium can cause serious problems or death. Seek the advice of a medical professional prior to taking magnesium. Calcium (Vitamin D), manganese, phosphorus, zinc, iron, fat, certain medicine, and some foods/drinks can increase the body's need for magnesium. Diuretics, digitalis, alcohol, caffeine, salt, and sugar can cause the body to lose magnesium. Do not overuse milk of magnesia or Epsom salts as laxatives. Serious health problems may result. If taking medication on a daily basis, consult a medical professional before taking magnesium.

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magnesiumchloride (Epsom salts are also called bitter salts)
Calcium deposits in the walls of the arteries contribute to the ... Epsom salt
is magnesium sulphate. It is soluble but not well absorbed and acts mainly as ...
www.mrbean.net.au/~wlast/magnesiumchloride.html - 36k -

 

 

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8/29/2005

 

Bush hits road to promote prescription-drug plan

 

 

		President Bush meets with senior citizens in Arizona on a tour to promote a Medicare-prescription plan.
		By Jim Watson, AFP/Getty Images

 

 

Physalis_longifolia.jpg

Physalis philadelphica Lamarck var. immaculate Waterfall
Mexican ground- cherry, tomatillo 

Physalis pubescens Linnaeus
Husk-tomato, hairy ground-cherry, tomatillo, tomate fresadilla

Physalis_pubescens.jpg

 

Solanum | nightshade, horse-nettle

Solanum americanum P. Miller ( sys., Solanum Snodiforum Jacquin; Solanum nigrum Linnaeus var. americanum [P. Miller] O. Schultz; Solanum nigrum Linnaeus var. virginicum Linnaeus; and Solanum nigrum of various authers, not Linnaeus)
American black nigktshade, march nightshade, chichiquelite, quelite, chuchilitas, manioche, pitoxe, mambia, hierba mora

Solanum_americanum.jpg

Solanum americanum grows in site where moisture accumulates, such as along field margins and stream banks in the southern and western United States and Mexico.

Solanum douglasii Dunal
Green-spot nightshade

Solanum_douglasii.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Solanum douglasii is found in similar habitats from central California south throughout Baja, east into Arizona and northeastern Mexico. With favorable moisture, both species flower most of the year.

Some of this family are potentially toxic! So don’t eat them unless you are sure!
___________________________________________________

Sterculiaceae | Chocolate or Caco Fimily

Guazuma | bastard-cedar

The fruits and seeds of the pricklenut supplied a food source. Plants bloom from June to July, and fruit mature by the following spring, from March to May in south-central Sonora. The green, immature fruit of the pricklenut is fleshy, sweet when eaten raw or cooked. The pricklenut is a large tree that bears fruit like mulberries and the leaves are like those of mulberry but are smaller. Indians make a beverage by mashing the fruit and put it in water. The Tarahumaras used the inner portion of the immature fruit for making a small cake.

Eating too many immature fruits causes diarrhea.

People ground the hard mature seed and fruits into a meal used for making tortillas. They also roasted and ground the seeds for coffee when coffee beans were unavailable.

The wide distribution of pricklenut may be due in part, to human activities. Besides the fruits, usefulness as a food item, other parts of the tree are used for various purposes. Its strong wood has been used for making ribs for small boats and furniture. Young stems provide a strong fiber for rope. The bark is used to treat malaria, leprosy, elephantiasis, and other problems.

Plants were successfully cultivated at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix

Guazuma ulmifolia Lamarck
Pricklenut, guásima, aquiche, cuahilote, palotw negro, tapaculo, vacima, ajiyá, agiá, jijá, majagua de toro, tablote

Guazuma_ulmifolia.jpg

 

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Theophrastaceae | Theopharsta Family

Jacquinia | braceletwood

The fruits of San Juanic are globes with a greenish red, hard “shell” on the outside when mature from late summer thought the following spring. Inside are a few seed embedded in yellow pulp that is sweet, but with a bitter aftertaste. Eating too much of the fruits caused dizziness and possible intestinal disorders. To cure the dizziness, one washed the face using an infusion of the flowers. Pimas made a tea from the flowers to treat stomach disorders.
The leaves and fruits were extensively used as a fish poison along the west coast of Mexico.

Jacquinia macrocarpa Cavanilles ssp. Pungens (A. Gray) Stahl (syn., Jacquinia pungens A. Gray)
San Juanico, palo San Juan, pinicua, San Juan, flor de niño, palo de las animas, rosadilla, mata-peje, sacaté

Jacquinia_macrocarpa.jpg

Ulmaceae | Elm Family

Celtis | hackberry

Celtis_hackberry.jpg

Celtis iguanaea (Jacquin) Sargent
Garabato, cumaro, granjeno, palo de arco, chaparro blanco, bainoro, vainoro

Celtis_iguanaea.jpg

 

 

The fruits of the hackberries ate small, fleshy fruits, with large stones.

Celtis iguanaea Fruits which mature in the summer and fall, are the largest of the three species and are juicy, sweet, and the best tasting. Yaqis ate the fruits raw.

Celtis laevigata Willdenow var. brevipes (S. Watson) Sargent ( syn., Celtis brevipes S. Watson); var. reticulate (Torrey) L. Benson (syn., Celtis reticulate Torrey)
Netlef hackberry, sugar-berry, cumaro, combro, uchica, garabato blabco, palo blanco

Celtis_laevigata.jpg

Yavapais gathered red fruits of Celtis laevigata var. bravipesin June, then boiled and ground them on a metate into a meal.

Celtis pallida Torrey
Desert hackberry, spiny hackberry, shiny hackberry, granjeno, huasteco, capul, capui, garabato, barumbullo, gumbro, granjeno, bainoro, palo de águila, acebuche, rompecapa, vainoro

Celtis_pallida.jpg

 

 

 

 

Celtis pallida fruits are sweet, and juicy. Its fruits ripen throughout the summer and fall. Pima ate the fruits.

 

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Lantana | shrub- verbenaLantana horrida Kunth
Calico bush, confiturilla, sarza mora

Lantana_horrida.jpg

Lantana horriba grows from Mississippi west to New Mexico and south to Sonora and San Luis Potosi. Its ripe, black, juice fruits are edible and sweet. Pimas ate the fruits.

Lantana velutina Martius & Galeotti
Velvet shrub-verbena, sarza mora, confite, confiturilla, confiturilla blanca, tarepe

Lantana_velutina.jpg

 

Lantana velutina are found from central Sonora southward to Panams and central Baja California. Tarahumaras ate the mature, pink, juicy fruits

Lippia | lippia, mat-grass

Lippia palmeri S. Watsom
Orégano

Lippia_palmeri.jpg

 

Orégano grows on islands in the Gulf of California, and in Baja and Sonora southward into Sinaloa. Its herbage is important to inhabitants of northern Mexico  for flavoring meats and fish. Cattle  or deer that ate the leaves of the Orégano were reported to have an especially flavorful meat. Seris collected, dried, and crushed the leaves. They collect the plants after a heavy rain and before the plants flowered. If Orégano was harvested when in flower, the inflorescences were removed because of their bitter taste.When Seris dried meat, they used the crushed leaves of Orégano as a substitute for salt.

 

 

Lippia_palmeri-2.jpg

Vitex | chastetree

Vitex mollis Kunth
Igualama, uvalama, torete, atuto, jujuhuali

Vitex_mollis.jpg

 

Vitex mollis grows at the upper lavational limits of the Sonoran Desert in Central Baja California and Sonora. People that ate its black fruits found it to be refreshing, although rather bitter. The fruits Ripen in September.  People ate the fruits raw or cooked with sugar. The fruits were used to make wine in Meresichic, Sonora, in the Río Miguel watershed.
Vitex pyramidata grows from Sonora to Yucatan. Mature fruits are also black and were eaten raw or cooked.

Vitex pyramidata Robinson
Uvalama, toscalama

No Photo

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Viscaceae | mistletoe or Christmas Mistletoe

Phoradendron | mistletoe

Phoradendron californicum Nuttall
Mistletoe, mesquite mistletoe, tojí, chile de espino

Phoradendron_californicum.jpg

Phoradendron diguetianum Van Tieghen Mistletoe

Mistletoe.jpg

Although the fruits of various species of this family are often considered potentially toxic, the pinkish red or white fruits of Phoradendron californicum and its varies are edible. The white fruits of Phoradendron tomentosum (de Candolle) Encelm ex Gray have a very bitter taste and should not be confused with the edible species. Pimas gathered and boiled the fruits without stripping them from the stem.
 

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Vitaceae | Grape Family

*** End of 101

Vitis | grape

Vitis Arizonica enters the Sonoran Desert in canyons and along streams in Pinal, Cila, and Pima Counties, Arizona and marginally Sonora

Vitis arizonica Engelmann
Arizona grape, canyon grape, parra, uva, uva cimarróna, vid

Vitis_arizonica-2.jpg

Vitis girdiana grows in San Bernardino and Inyo Counties, California, extending into northern Baja California alomg desert mountain slopes.

Vitis girdiana Munson
Valley grape

Vitis_girdiana.jpg

Vitis peninsularis grows along stream and in canyons in the mountains of the cape region of Baja California.

Vitis peninsularis M. E. Jones
Parras cimarrónas, narras

No Photo

Like the cultivated grapes the small berries are edible. But the Berries are small and somewhat sour.

 

 

 

Room Lights May Boost Health Room Lights May Boost Health By Malcolm Ritter Associated Press posted: 29 August 2005 12:04 pm ET NEW YORK (AP) -- Scientists have been taking a closer look at the lighting in our homes, offices and vehicles, and they're seeing potential for a way to improve health and a new means of electronic communication. None of this will happen tomorrow. But if you want a glimpse of where the field might be heading, listen to some experts at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., an academic home for lighting research. Start with engineer E. Fred Schubert, talking about a new era of “smartâ€� light sources. “We are looking at lighting systems that provide more than lighting,â€� he says. He's talking about light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. Most people know them as being quite small, like the lights that form numbers on digital clocks or blink on answering machines. But recent technological advances have made them much more powerful, able to illuminate swimming pools and serve as traffic signals, for example. LEDs offer energy savings when compared to standard lighting, but Schubert is more excited about some other properties. One is that LEDs can be made to blink so fast that a person doesn't notice, but a receiving device can. And that, Schubert says, opens the door to using lights for electronic communication as well as illumination. Of course, fiberoptic cables already transmit lots of data with light signals. But Schubert is talking about things like: -brake lights that tell a closely following car to stop, even if the driver doesn't notice. -headlights that tell a red stop light to turn green, if it's safe. -road signs that communicate warnings to specific cars. -room lights that link your computer to the Internet, avoiding Wi-Fi signals that can be pirated. -room lights that transmit messages to devices worn by only certain people, like particular doctors or nurses in a hospital, rather than speakers that spew announcements for everybody to hear. Schubert said such uses depend on overcoming some basic technical barriers, like making LEDs more powerful and energy-efficient. “I think we're looking at maybe a timeframe of the next five to 20 years,â€� he said. Meanwhile, his Rensselaer colleague Mariana Figueiro believes that lighting in offices and schools could be improved to help people stay healthy and productive, by acting on their internal body clocks. “Light isn't just for vision any more,â€� says Figueiro, program director at Rensselaer's Lighting Research Center and head of a committee on light and human health for the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. The 24-hour internal body clock is best known for governing cycles of alertness and sleep, and for producing jet lag when people travel across time zones. Light cues, especially blue light, help keep the clock on its daily cycle. “We're pretty much blue-sky detectorsâ€� whose clocks count on bright days and dark nights, said Figueiro. But that's not necessarily what modern life delivers. During the winter in the northeast, for example, a person can commute roundtrip in the dark and sit all day in electric light that's fine for vision, but may be too dim to stimulate the body clock. That's called biological darkness. “We don't have this sharp signal of a bright light during the day and a dark night,â€� Figuerio said. How that affects people has been hard to document in the general population, she said, but studies suggest such possibilities as seasonal depression, fatigue, sleep disturbances and maybe even cancer, especially breast cancer. Some studies suggest reduced productivity on the job. To counter that, architects and lighting engineers might someday take body clocks into account when they design lighting schemes, she said. They may be encouraged to take steps like providing plenty of natural light through windows and skylights, and installing bright blue LEDs near computer screens to give a dose of clock-adjusting light, she said. David Sliney, a medical physicist who studies light-related issues at the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, said research into how room lighting affects health is exciting but still in its early phases. It's not yet clear how it will affect lighting strategies, he said, but he believes it will. George Brainard of Thomas Jefferson University, who studies the effect of light on the body clock, agrees. Over the next two decades it will inspire engineers to look at “the redesign of virtually all human environments for lighting,â€� he said. “There's no question in my mind about that.â€�   May God Bless You Jesus is Our Savior http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProphecyRNews/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EarthquakeAndOtherPhenomena/?yguid=176843762

The News by The Lamb Cafe   Coffee 'gives more antioxidants than fruit and veggies (Filed: 29/08/2005) Coffee is likely to contribute far more antioxidants to the British diet than fruit and vegetables. The evidence comes from the United States where scientists measured the antioxidant content of more than 100 different food items, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, oils and beverages. The information was combined with US Department of Agriculture data on the contribution of each item to the average American's diet. Coffee - caffeinated and decaffeinated - emerged as easily the biggest source of antioxidants, taking account of the amount per serving and level of consumption. Black tea came second, followed by bananas. "Americans get more of their antioxidants from coffee than any other dietary source - nothing else comes close," said study leader Professor Joe Vinson, from Scranton University in Pennsylvania. He was presenting his findings at the American Chemical Society's annual meeting in Washington DC. The findings in the US probably reflect a similar trend in the UK, where people drink about 70 million cups of coffee each day. Antioxidants help to rid the body of harmful free radicals, destructive molecules that damage cells and DNA. They have been linked to health benefits, including protection against heart disease and cancer. Studies have associated coffee drinking with a reduced risk of liver and colon cancer, type two diabetes, and Parkinson's disease. But Prof Vinson recommended that people drink only one or two cups a day. He said it was important not to ignore the benefits of fresh fruit and vegetables. "Unfortunately, consumers are still not eating enough fruits and vegetables, which are better for you from an overall nutritional point of view due to their higher content of vitamins, minerals and fibre," said Prof Vinson. Dates were found to be the richest source of antioxidants, but since so few were eaten by Americans, they only contributed a small amount of antioxidants to the average diet. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?x-m-l=/news/2005/08/29/wcoffee29.x May God Bless You Jesus is Our Savior http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProphecyRNews/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EarthquakeAndOtherPhenomena/?yguid=176843762

Stenocereus thurberi (Engelmann) Buxbaum
Organ pipe cactus, pitahaya dulce, pitahaya, mehuele, mevuele

 

Stenocereus_thurberi.jpg

Organ Pipe Cactus-fruit.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fruits of the Stenocereus thurberi (Organ-pipe cactus) were a favorite food to those who had access to them. The fruits mature from June through August. The fruits are eaten raw or dried or made into jam, jelly or syrup.

The seeds were toasted an ground into flour.

 

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Capparaceae | Caper Family

Cleome | spiderflower, beeplant


Cleome isomeris Green (syn., Isomeris arborea Nuttall)
bladderpod

Cleome_isomeris-2.jpg

Cleome iaomeris (bladderpod)
is restricted to the desert of California, although it has been found along the Salt River, Tempe, Maricopa County. Plants flower throughout the year.
The Tipai of northern Baja California enjoy eating these plants. Tipais prefer mature flowering plants. They gather and boil the yellow flowers with the leaves form three to four hours to remove the bitter compounds present in the flowers. The food is “similar in texture to any greens like spinach very deeply green in color from the leaves, which overpower the yellow of the flowers”.

Cleome lutea Hooker var. jonesii J. F. Macbride
Yellow spiderwort, yellow beeplant

Cleome_lutea.jpg

 

 

Cleome lutea is native to central and south-central Arizona and northern Baja California.

Cleome serrulata Pursh
Rocky Mountain beeplant, guaco

Cleome_serrulata.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Cleome serrulata has been introduced in the Mohave Desert and is expected to be found in the northwestern part of the Sonoran Desert.
Western Apache used the flowers, leaves, and whole young plant of Cleome serrulata (Rocky Mountain beeplant) as food. (Some what bitter tasting). They sometimes removed the stems and boiled the liquids down to a thick, blackish residue then dried it on a board. The harden cakes could be stored indefinitely. This dried mass was soaked in hot water for use as paint or dye or soaked and then fried in grease for use as food. The pods and seeds also provided a food source. Plants flower from June to September.
 

 

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Caprifoliaceae | Honeysuckle Family

Sambucus | elderberry, elder

Sambucus nigra Linnaeus ssp. Canadensis (Linnaeus) R. Bolli (syn., S. mexicana Presl ex de Candolle)
Elderberry, black elder, Mexican elderberry, tapiro, sauco, condumbo, dixhumi

Mexican_elderberry.jpg

 

 

 

Mature fruits of Mexican elderberry or tapiro have whitish covering and are blue black, juicy, very good tasting, and generally safe to eat. They can be collected and dried in the sun, then stewed with sugar or lemon and served as a sauce. They can be made in jam or jelly. The Tohono O’odham often grow this tree. The fruits ripen in July and August.
Wine was made from elderberry fruits. It is said that the Pima “made a beverage so potent that those who drank it to excess get so drunk that it takes two or three days to sober up.”

 

 

 

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Celastraceae | stafftree or bittersweet Family
Maytenus | maytem

Maytenus phyllanthoides Bentham (syn., Tricerma phyllanthoides [Bentham] Lundel)
Flordia mayten, mangle dulce, mangle, palo blanco, aguabola mangle aguabola, granadilla

Maytenus_phyllanthoides -1.jpg

Maytenus phyllanthoides is mainly a costal plant, although it grows inland near saline lakes. It is one of the most widely distributed species above the tidal zone in Sonoran Desert salt marshes. Plants produce read capsules with seed enclosed by a fleshy, red aril. Seris ate these Arils, which they considered sweet when fully ripe. The Seri often raided packrat nest to get the arils that the animals tightly cached.

Schaefferia | desert-yaupon
 

Schaefferia shervei Lundel
Desert Yaupon, Capul, Panalero

Schaefferia_shervei-1.jpg

Pimas ate the drupes of the desert-yaupon. This plant grows in central Baja California and Texas. It produces fruits from September to November. The orange fruits are small and have little pulp.

Schaefferia_shervei-2.jpg

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Chenopodiaceae | Goosefoot Family

Allenrolfea | pivkleweed, iodonebush

(S. Watson) Kuntxe
Pickelweed, iodinebush, chio, hierba del burro

Allenrolfea-occidentalis.jpg

Allenrolfea occidentalis is a dominant succulent shrub along tide lines in many Sonoran Desert salt marches. The minute seeds were primarily a famine food. River Pimas gathered the seeds during the summer. They winnowed the seeds, roasted them and ground them on a met ate, then added water and cooked the flower. The Maricopa gathered the seeds in December, toasted and ground them. They made “cookies” by dampening the flour, then shaping and drying them..

Atriplex | saltbush, orache, chamizo

Atriplex California Moquin-Tandon
California salt bush

Atriplex_californica.jpg

 

 

Atriplex elegqns (Moquin-Tandon) D. Dietrich
Wheel-scale saltbush, chamizo cenizo
No photo

Atriplex lentiformis (Torrey) S. Watson
Quailbush, lens-scale, chamizo, saladillo, Sea scale

Atriplex_lentiformis.jpg

Atriplex polycarpa (Torrey) S. Watson
Cattle-spinach, saladillo, chamizo cenizo

Atriplex_polycarpa.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Atriplex wrightii S. Watson
Wright’s saltbush

Atriplex_wrightii.jpg

 

 

Of the 14 or so species of Atripx that grow in the Sonoran Desert, the listed above were used for food, supplying edible seeds and herbage. Atriplex seeds were used as famine food. The seeds were roasted, ground into meal, mixed with water, and drunk or mixed with some other meal and used as flour. The leaves and young shoots of Atripex were also used as edible greens. The Pima boiled the young seams and leaves with other food such as wheat, or used the herbage as stuffing for roasted rabbit. The uppermost leaves and stem tips were picked so that new leaves would develop for later harvesting. They fried the boiled leaves and stems, or cooked the greens with cholla buds.
 

 

 

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Chenopodium | goosefoot, quelite,
Pigweed, lamb’s-qrarter

Chenopodium album Linnaeus
Lamb’s-quarter

Chenopodium_album.jpg

Chenopodium ambrosioides Linneaus
Mexican-tea, Spanish-tea, pazote, epazote, epazote de comer

Chenopodium_ambrosioides.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Chenopodium berlandieri Mpquin-Tandon
Common lamb’s-qrarter, pit-seed goosefoot, quelite salado, quelite cenizo, ashecani, huauzontle, chual, cual

Chenopodium californicum (S. Watson) S. Watson
California goosefoot, Indian lettuce, Soap plant

Chenopodium_californicum.jpg

Chenopodium fremontii S. Watson (including C. incanum S. Watson)
Fremont’s goosefoot

Chenopodium_fremontii-1.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chenopodium leptophyllum (Moquin) Nuttall ex S. Watson
Slinleaf goosefoot, quenopodia, chual, cual

Chenopodium_leptophyllum.jpg

Chenopodium murale Linnaeus
Nettle-leaf goosefoot, quelite de puerco, quelite de perro

Chenopodium_murale.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chenopodium neomexicanum Standley ver. Palmeri (Standley) T. Walters (syn., C. palmeri Standley
New Mexico goosefoot

Chenopodium_neomexicanum.jpg

 

 

The young herbage and mature seeds of Chenopodium provided a food source to desert people, with C. berlandieri and C. fermontii probably being the most important. The young herbage was gathered and boiled alone or with other foods. The greens are high in calcium, and vitamin “A”. The San Carlos Apache ate the leaves raw or chopped and mixed with fat and salt, and then boiled. Pimas boiled the leaves of a goosefoot in salted water, drained them, and then fried the leaves in grease.
The seeds of various goosefoots also were eaten after being parched and ground into flour.

 

 

 

 

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Cycloloma | winged-pigweed

Cycloloma atriplicifolium (Sprengel) Coulter
Winged-pigweed, tumbleweed
 

Cycloloma_atriplicifolium.jpg

Cycloloma atriplicifolium has been collected for seeds by the Zunie, who made gruel or cakes from its ground seeds.

Monolepis | poverty-weed

Monolepis nuttalliana (Schultes) Green
Indian-spinach, Nuttall’s poverty-weed, patata, patota

Monolepis_nuttalliana-1.jpg
Monolepis nuttalliana or patota grows throughout the Sonoran Desert and produces flowers from February to October. Patota was an important food source to the O’odham, supplying them with edible greens and seeds. Like amaranths, the iron and calcium content is quite high. A 100-gram portion of young plants contributes almost 50 percent of the recommended daily allowance of iron while supplying 10 to 15 percent of the recommended daily allowance of calcium for an adult male.
The greens are harvested from October to April. The young plants were eaten raw, boiled as is, or boiled drained and fried. People also harvested the top portions of more mature plants and slightly sweet-tasting roots. They boiled the roots squeezed out the water and cooked them with fat or lard and salt, them served them with tortillas. They dried, parches the seeds then ground them ans ate the meal as pinole.

Monolepis_nuttalliana-2.jpg

Salicornia | grasswort, saltwort, pickelweed

Salicornia europes Linnaeus
Pickleweed, saltwort, Glasswort

Salicornia_europes.jpg

 

 

Salicornia pacifica Standley

Pickleweed

No photo

Both these plant have edible seeds. The Cahuilla crushed the seeds in to a meal. The seeds are high in unsaturated fatty acids, thus ranking it as a highly desirable vegetable oil.

 

 

 

 

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Convolvulaceae | Morning-glory Family

Ipomoea | morning-glory

Ipomoea arborescens (Humboldt & Bonpland) G. Don
Tree morning-glory, palo blanco, palo santo, palo bobo, palo santo Amarillo, palo del muerto, casahuate, casahuate blanco, ozote, palo cabra

Ipomoea_arborescens.jpg

Ipomoea arborescens (Tree morning glory) is a strikingly beautiful tree when it produces flowers during the winter and spring, before the emergence of its leaves. Yaquis once ate its roots. The Tarahumaras ate the “small tender,” but leathery fruits.

Ipomoea_arborescens_flower.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ipomoea bracteata Cavanilles (syn., Exogonium bracteatum [Cavanilles] Choisy)
Jicama, zicana, cocantain, bejuco de candlai

 

Ipomoea_bracteata.jpg

Ipomoea bracteata is a perennial vine found in southern Baja California and mainland Mexico that produces large, juicy roots, which are considered to be as sweet as yams.

Ipomoea jicama Brandegee
Jicama, Yam Bean

Ipomoea_jicama-2.jpg

 

 

Ipomoea jicama has eatable roots and lentil like seed.
These round tubers are eaten raw, and resemble in taste like a turnip somewhat sweetened. The leaves and flowers can be boiled and eaten.

Merremia | wood-rose

Merremia aurea (Kellogg) O’Donell
yuca

Merremia_aurea.jpg

 

 

Merremia aurea is a yellow- flowered vine that is found in southern Baja California. Its large, tuberous roots are edible.

 

 

 

 

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Crassulaceae | Stonecrop Family

Dudleya | live-forever

Dudleya arizonica Rose (syn., D. pulverlenta [Nuttall] Britton & Rose ssp. Arizonica [Rose} Horan)
Arizona live-forever

Dudleya_arizonica.jpg

Dudleya attenuata (S. Watson) Moran
Taper-tip live-forever

Dudleya_attenuata.jpg

 

Dudleya pulverulenta (Nuttall) Britton & Rose
Chalk live- forever

Dudleya_pulverulenta.jpg

 

 

Dudleya saxosa (M. E. Jones) Britton & Rose
Rock-echeveria, live-forever

Dudleya_saxosa.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Cucurbitaceae | Gourd Family

Apodanthera |melon loco

Apodanthera palmeri S. Watson
Melon loco, Palmer’s melon loco

Apodanthera_palmeri-1.jpg

Apodanthera undulata A. Gray
Melon de coyote, melon loco, coyote melon

Apodanthera_undulata.jpg

 

The seed fruits are edible but not very good!

Cucurbita | gourd, calabaza

Cucurbita digitata A. Gray
Finger-leaved gourd, coyote gourd, calabacilla, chichi coyote

Cucurbita_digitata.jpg

 

 

 

 

Cucurbita foetidissima Kunth
Buffalo gourd, Missouri Gourd, calabazilla, calabazilla loco, calabaza de coyote, calabaza amargosa

Cucurbita_foetidissima.jpg

 

 

 

Cucurbita palmate S. Watson
Coyote melon, coyote gourd

Cucurbita_palmata.jpg

The foul-smelling substance responsible for the bitterness is a triterpenoid glycoside called cucurbitacin that is found in all parts of the plants except the seeds. Consumption could cause nausea, cramps, and diarrhea. Seeds of wild gourds were used as food.

Tumamoca | Tumamoc-globeberry

Tumamoca macdougalii Rose
Tumamoca-globeberry

 

Tumamoca-globeberry.jpg

 

The Seri described this plant that produced a large under-ground root, leaves like a watermelon plant, and red fruits, which they ate fresh. Its fruits normally mature from August through October. Fruits quickly turn from being dark green, malodorous, and dry within to becoming red and juicy.

 

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Ebenaceae | Persimmom or Ebony Family

Diospyros | persimmon

Diospyros californica (Brandegee) I. M. Johnston
Guayparin

Diospyros_californica.jpg

Diospyros_californica-2.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diospyros sonorae Standley
Guayparin, persimonio

Both species produce edible drupes. Fruits were collected in June and October and were eaten raw or cooked. The seeds were toasted and ground for tortillas or atole.

 

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Euphorbiaceae |Spurge Family

Cnidoscolus | bull-nettle, tread softly

Cnidoscolus maculatus Pax & K. Hoffmann
Ortiga, caribe

Cnidoscolus angustidens
Mala mujer, ortiguilla

Cnidoscolus_angustidens.jpg

The true "mala mujer" of Baja California, southern Arizona and mainland Mexico (Cnidoscolus angustidens). The stems and leaves of this species are literally covered with stinging hairs called trichomes, which undoubtedly discourage herbivores and avid botanical collectors. The magnified (400x) trichomes shown in right photo are modified epidermal cells embedded in a pedestal-like base composed of smaller epidermal cells.
The stems and leaves of this species are literally covered with stinging hairs called trichomes, which undoubtedly discourage herbivores and avid botanical collectors.
Seeds and roots were once significant food source.
The natives of southern Baja called this plant tedegua or “That which causes pain.” Its seeds were “like almonds … although narrower,” and had a good flavor.
Mala mujer produces numerous large, fleshy, tuber-like, edible roots that contain 82 percent starch and 7.5 percent protein, which compares favorably with the potato. They are available year-round. They dug the roots. One woman worked almost an hour to obtain 14 roots from a single plant. The roots were eaten raw or roasted.


 

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Manihot | manihot

Manihot chlorosticta Standley & Goldman
Yucca, cuadrado

Manihot.jpg

 

 

Manihot chlorosticta produce tuber-like roots that were used as food. The root are poisonous if eaten raw, “causing death to the partaker. But if boiled two or three times each time in different water until it ceases to froth, it can be eaten safely.
 

 

 

 

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Fabaceae | Pea or Legume Family

Acacia | acacia, catclaw, wattle

Acacia brandegeana I. M. Johnston
Vinorama, asigandu

Acacia_brandegeana-Dry.jpg

Acacia cochliacantha Willdenow
Boat-thorn acacia, spoon-thorn acacia, espino, huinole, guinolo, chiroui, cucharillo, cubata, quisache costeno, vinolo

No photo

Acacia gerggii A. Gray
Catclaw acacia, long-flower catclaw, devil’s claw, una de gato, tesota, algarroba, gatuno, tepame

Acacia_greggii.jpg

Acacia_greggii-2.jpg

Acacia pennatula (Chamisso & Schlechtendal) Bentham
Tepamo, tepame, algarrobo, chirahui, palo garrobo, yepouchecha, huizache, Fernleaf Acacia, Sierra Madre Acacia, Huizache

Acacia_pennatula.jpg

 

Sonoran Desert acacias provided edible seed.


Caesalpinia | holdback, nicker

Caesalpinia platyloba is a small tree that is widely distributed in Mexico, but restricted to arroyos within the Sonoran Desert in southern Sonora. Its fruits develop into winter. Guarijios collected its seeds in November and December, then roasted, ground, and ate the meal in the form of atole.

Caesalpinia platyloba S. Watson
Palo Colorado, hueilaqui

Caesalpinia_platyloba-1.jpg

 

 

Tree, up to 25 feet tall

Caesalpinia pulcherrima (Linnaeus) Swartz
Barbados flower, pride of Barbados, bird-of-paradise, barb del sol, flor de San Francisco, Chacmol, flor de guacamaya, flor del camaron, Poinciana enana, tetezo, tavachin, talcapache, tabaquin, matachin

Caesalpinia_pulcherrima-2.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Caesalpinia_pulcherrima-seeds.jpg

Caesalpinia pulcherrima is widely cultivated in Mexico, but not in Arizona. Guarijios collected the immature pods in August and September and ate the seeds raw. The seeds are as Sweet and tender as a pea.

Cercidium | paloverde

Cercidium floridum Bentham ex A. Gray ssp. Floridum (syn., Parkinsonia florida [Bentham ex A. Gray] S. Watson)
Paloverde, blue paloverde

Cercidium_floridum-1.jpg

 

Cercidium floridum grows throughout the arid region of southern California, Arizona, and south into Sinaloa.

Cercidium floridum seed pods

Cercidium_floridum-1.jpg

 

Cercidium microphyllum (Tottey) I. M. Johnston (syn., Parkinsonia microphylla Torrey)
Paloverde, little-leaf paloverde, yellow leaf paloverde, foothill leaf paloverde, dipugo, dipua, medesa, medeza

Cercidium_microphyllum-1.jpg

Cercidium microphyllum grows in the arid regions of southern Arizona, Sonora, and throughout much of Baja California.

Cercidium microphyllum seed pods

Cercidium_microphyllum-1.jpg

 

 

Both develop fruits soon after they flower in the spring, prior to the onset of monsoon rains.
Their pods and seeds provided an eatable food to many desert groups, although those of were preferred. One easily differentiate Between the fruits and seed of the two paloverdes.
Cercidium floridum has broader pods with minimal space between the few flat, thin, and hard seeds.
Cercidium microphyllum has narrow pods with conspicuous constrictions between the more numerous, plump, chewable seeds.
The Yavapai traveled to the lower elevations in mid June to collect both saguaro and paloverde seeds. As the seasons progressed, they mover to higher elevations, to harvest the later-maturing fruits. They collected mature pods, and then beat them to release their seeds. The Seeds were roasted then ground, with the meal being slightly dampened or sometimes mixed with ground saguaro seed before eating.
Pimas ate the seeds of both paloverdes fresh or after being pounded mixed with mesquite meal. They also ground the seeds with ironwood and used this mixture in pinole. They also gathered the green pods of Cercidium microphyllum in the summer and ate the young seeds raw. The Tohono O’odham still enjoy eating the young seeds raw or, if seeds are more mature but still green, boiled like peas. The ground meal was sometimes mixed with deer fat and water and baked in the ground to form a bread-like mass.
 

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Crotalaria | rattlebox

Crotalaria_rattlebox-seeds.jpg

Crotalaria_rattlebox-A.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Crotalaria incana Linnaeus
Shakeshake, ajonjoli

Look the same

Crotalaria pumila Ortega
Low rattlebox, jojolino, chipil, Smooth rattlebox

Seeds are eatable boiled or roasted and ground.

Hoffmanseggia | rush-pea
 

Hoffmanseggia_rush-pea.jpg

 

 

 

 

Hoffmanseggia glauca (Ortega) Eifert
Hog-potato, rat-potato, waxy rush-pea, camote de ratón, coquito

No photo

Hoffmanseggia glauca forms long, creeping roots with tuber-like thickenings at their ends, which develop to 0.5 meter in depth and at least 0.5 meters away from the plant. These thick roots are edible and were collected and eaten raw, boiled, or roasted

 

 

Lysiloma | feathertree, false-tamarind

Lysiloma candida Drandegee
Palo blanco

Palo_blanco-2.jpg

Lysiloma microphyllum Bentham (syn., L. Divaricata [Jacquin] J. F. Macbride)
Mauto, quiebra hacha, saji, tepemezquit

No photo

Lysiloma watsonii Rose (syn., L. microphylla Bentham var. thornberi [Britton & Rose] Isely. L. microphyllum Bentham ssp. Thornberi [Britton & Rose] E. Murray, L. thornberi Britton & Rose [in part]
little-leaf false-tamarind, tepeguaje, machauhui

Lysiloma_watsonii-1.jpg

Lysiloma_watsonii-dry.jpg

The seeds of the provides a food source to people of northern Mexico. Lysiloma candida is endemic to Baja California except for stands at Ensenada Grande north of Guaymas, Sonora. Its seeds ripen from September through November. Seeds were roasted, ground, and eaten.
(the Spanish call it palo blanco, because if its white color of the trunk and branches.) In May “Indians also ate I gum scraped from bark of this tree. This “sweet gum” was regarded as a delicacy for some other effect. ??

Lysiloma microphyllum grows in the Sonoran Desert in central Sonora and into the cape region and Sierra de la Giganta of southern Baja California.

Lysiloma watsonii enters the Sonoran Desert in the Rincon Mountains, Pima County. These species’ fruits mature in late fall and winter.

Olneya| desert Ironwood

Olneya tesota A. Gray
Ironwood, desert ironwood, olneya, arbol de hierro, palo frierro, tésota, uña de gato

The Ironwood tree’s fruits begin to ripen in May or June and fall four to eight weeks later. The seeds were soaked in water for two or three days then boiled three or four times to remove the bitter taste. After drying they were roasted then the hulls were cracked and removed. The seeds were soaked in cold water to remove any lingering bitterness. The meat became whitish in color. After drying, they were roasted until brown. Then they were ground on a met ate and the meal made into cakes, which were very greasy.
Pimas roasted the seeds, and then ate them without further preparation. The flavor resembled acorns or peanuts.

Parkinsonia | Jerusalem thorn

Parkinsonia aculeate Linnaeus
Mexican paloverde, retama, bacapore, junco, junco marino, bagota, guacóporo, guachigelle

Parkinsonia-1.jpg

Mexican paloverde is indigenous to Sonoran Desert throughout much of Sonora, Baja California, and Southern Arizona. Guarijios ate the seeds raw when green and tender in late spring. They considered the seeds to be as sweet and tender as peas after the seed coats were removed.

 

 

 

 

Phaseolus | bean

Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray
Tepary bean, tépari, frijolillo, tépari del monte, escomite, garboncillo, bolando, yori muni, pavi, Texas bean

Phaseolus_acutifolius.jpg

Phaseolus_acutifolius.jpg

 

 

 

 

Most of the wild Phaseoloius acutifolius usually grow on semi-arid margins of the Chilhuahuan and Sonoran Desert, Including the Sierra la Laguna and Tiburón Island. Arizona populations grow as isolated patched in Santa Cruz and Pima Counties. Wild Teparies flower with the summer rains in late August and the pods ripen in October.

Phaseolus filiformis Bentham
Slimjim bean, frijillo, frijol

Phaseolus_filiformis-1.jpg

Phaseolus ritensis M. E. Jones
Santa Rita Mountain bean

No photo

Beans are beans I think you know how to eat beans.

Pithecellobium | blackbead

Pithecellobium mexicanum
Palo fierro, ejotón, ojotó, Mexican ebony, palo chino
 

 

Leaves: bipinnately compound, gray-green, in pairs; originate from nodules on twigs; attractive, open shade
Flowers: light yellow loose puffballs, 1in across
Fruit: pods, 3in long 1in wide, green maturing to brown
Stems/Trunks: armed with many small thorns, dual spines grow from same nodules that give rise to leaves
Range/Origin: Mexican states of Baja California, Sonora, and Sinaloa; on washes, slopes and plains
Locals use its Toasted and ground seeds as a coffee substitute.

Pithecellobium_mexicanum.jpg
(Mexican ebony)

Mexican_ebony-seed.jpg

Pithecellobium_mexicanum-flower.jpg

Pithecellobium dulce (Roxburgh) Bentham
Monkeypod, guamύchil, chucum blanco

Pithecellobium_dulce-flower.jpg

 

 

Pithecellobium_dulce-seed.jpg

 

 

 

Pithecellobium dulce fruits ripen from May through July. Although people cooked and ate the young pods, they favored the mature fruits for use as food. People commonly ate the arils raw or used them in the preparation of a beverage similar to lemonade. The taste of the aril of the mature seeds is sweet when eaten raw.
Tarahumaras gathered the fruits in June and July, then mashed and mixes the arils with corn for tortillas.

Pithecellobium Leucospermum Bandegee
Cucharo, palo firro, palo eba, palo ebano

No Photo

Pithecellobium Leucospermum grows along the Río Yaqui valley in southern Sonora and the cape region of Baja alifornia.
The Guarijío ate the seeds raw or roasted, ground, and made into torillas.

Prosopis | mesquite

Prosopis glandulosa Torrey var. torreyana (L. Benson) M. C. Johnston
Honey mesquite, western honey mesquite, mezquite, mezquite Amarillo, mesquite blanco, mezquite Colorado, mesquite chino, péchita

Prosopis_glandulosa.jpg

Mesquite was one of the most widespread and useful wild food plants in the desert. Honey mesquite fruits were considered the “staple of life” to most of the desert people. Most beans were collected in the summer, although green beans were sometimes eaten directly from the trees. In September dry beans were collected off the ground or shaken from the tree with a long pole. Dry pods were pounded in a mortar to a powder, and then added a little water, then made the meal into a kind of cake, then dried it. Mesquite beans made good flour for bread and could be soaked in water to make a “good cool drink.”
The Seri collected young pods and cooked them with meat. The older, but still green pods were mashed in a mortar and cooked in a pot. The dry pods were roasted then ground. The Timbisha Shoshone pit-roasted immature green pods (before seeds formed) on hot stones. They ate the green pods raw at a later stage, when the seeds formed.
They collect more mature tallow pods, pounded the pods in large mortars, and made a juice. Older people could drink as much of this sweet juice as they wanted, but young people warned that too much would make them drowsy. The dry pods were pounded into a fine powder in a stone mortar. The meal was sifted to remove the fiber and seeds, which were later used.

 

 

Prosopis pubescens Bentham
Screwbean mesquite, tornillo

Prosopis_pubescens.jpg


Prosopis pubescena or screwbean mesquite has more restricted distribution. It grows along major waterways in southern California; along the Colorado, Gila and Bill Williams Rivers; and south into Baja and Sonora.
Screwbean pods generally are bitter when immature and fresh. However, ripe, dried pods were considered sweeter than those of the honey or velvet mesquites. Screwbean pod were used in much the same way as the other mesquite, except for the fact that the Western Yavapai, Maricopa, Pima, Mohave, and Quechan “cooked” them in the ground, which hastened their maturation. The Western Yavapai dried screwbeans pods under ashes, then ground them into a fine meal. The “pit cooking” of the pods by the River Pima was done by placing the pods in alternating layers which cocklebur leaves in a pit lined with arrow-weed. This mass was then covered with earth and left to stand for three or four days, after which the pods were removed and dried for use or storage.
The Mohave gathered young screwbean pods and honey mesquite pods at the same time. They dug a large pit lined it with arrow-weed and then placed the bitter, young screwbean pods into it. They covered the beans with more arrow-weed, sprinkled with water over the pit, and then covered it with soil. The pods remained here for one month, until they became red. The dried the pods then pounded them into flour, which was made into a drink with the addition of water.
The Cocopa also developed a special ripening process to bring out the full sweetness of the mesquite pods. They packed the pods in a large pit lined with arrow-weed and then covered the pods with dirt and left them for approximately six weeks. The formerly yellow pods turned dark brown, thus signaling that they were ready to store. Another method to ripen the pods involved cooking them quickly over a fire. They built a fire in the bottom of a pit, and then lined the pit with arrow-weed; Pods were packed into the pit and sprinkled with water then covered with dirt, brush, and another fire. The left the pods to cook for approximately three weeks.
A coarse sweet meal was obtained by grinding the dry pods. Bread was made using the coarse meal that was reground.

Arrow_Wed.jpg

Prosopis velutina Wooton
Velvet mesquite, mesquite, péchita

Prosopis_velutina.jpg

 

 

 

 

prosopis velutina or velvet mesquite grows as a dominant plant in the Arizona Uplands from central Arizona to Sonora. Apache either pounded the fresh pods with the seeds on a metate or in a stone mortar or dries or stored the pods before pounding, with the seeds discarded. Apaches often drank the juice from the pounded pulp and discarded the fiber.
River Pima recognized two harvest periods. The first harvest began in June. The second was in October, when the pods were fewer but sweeter. The dry pods were pounded into a powder, the fiber and seeds removed the seeds then roasted and ground. The powder from the pod was the most important part. The seeds were sometimes discarded the fibrous portion was also removed. To make a loaf or cake, a cloth was placed in a basket, them dry meal was added sprinkled with water. Layers were added until a loaf six inches high and thick was formed. The dried the unbaked cakes stored indefinitely.
The Pima also made a pudding, by cooking the mesquite flour with whole-wheat flour. After they squeezed out the water, they molded the remaining substance into cakes, and then baked them.
They also boiled dried mesquite pods until very soft, cooled the pods, and then mashed and strained the pulp. The juice was saved, but the fibers and seeds were discarded. Whole-wheat dumplings were dropped into the juice and cooked until the dish thickened.
They also made a sweet drink by soaking crushed mesquite pods in cold water, then taking the mixture in their hands and sucking out the juice.
Pods that read streaks were considered the best tasting.

Children gathered pods off the trees then set aside in the kitchen until the pods were thoroughly dried. The pods were soaked in water over night until soft, and then mashed in wooden bowls. The pods were squeezed numerous times to extract the juice and pulp until the water became thick and discolored. They threw out the fibers and seeds and strained the remaining mixture. They set aside a cupful, and cooked the rest until it became syrup. Wheat flour was mixed with the cupful of liquid, then added to the syrup and stirred. They added cinnamon and ground cloves and drank it.
Some Pimas ate the sweet flowers of the velvet mesquite. They sometimes mashed the flowers and consumed the sweetened liquid.
Pimas also chewed the amber-colored resin extracted from cuts in the trunk as a “candy.”

 

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Fagaceae | Beech Family

Quercus | oak

Acorns contribute much fiber and fat to the diet. They are rich in Protein, carbohydrates, fats, and essential vitamins and minerals. In addition, the acorns of the Quercus emory and probably other species may protect people from dangerous high increases in blood-glucose levels after meals. Acorn meal has the slowest rat of digestion, having 8 percent starch digestibility as compared to 55 percent digestibility of white bread. In addition, acorn meal was found to have the lowest glycolic response. Like mesquite and tepary beans, this contrast with the rapid and high glycolic responses of such foods as potatoes, bread, and other processed cereal products. The “red oaks” of the subgenus Erythrobalanus, including Quercus emoryi produce acorns that mature in the second season.

Quercus emoryi Torrey
Emory’s oak, bellota, Encino negro, Encino prieto

Quercus-emoryi.jpg

Acorns are selected according to oil richness and sweet taste, which is due to a relatively low tannin content. The “white oaks” of the subgenus Quercus, including Quercus grisea, and the “live oaks,” such as Quercus oblongifolia, Quercus dumosa, Quercus turbinella, and Quercus engelmannii, have fruits that mature the first season and are the sweetest and most palatabl.

Quercus grisea Liebmann (syn., Qurecus. Arizonica Sargent)
Gray oak, Arizona oak

Quercus_grisea.jpg

 

 

 

Quercus oblongifolia Torrey
Mexican blue oak, encino, bellota
 

Quercus_oblongifolia.jpg

Quercus dumosa Nuttall
Scrub oak, coastal sage --- scrub oak

Quercus_dumosa.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Quercus turbinella Green
 Scrub live oak

Quercus_turbinella.jpg

 

Quercus engelmannii Greene
Engelmann’s oak

Quercus_engelmannii.jpg

 

 

The “intermediate oaks,” or “black oaks,” of the subgenus, Protoalanus produce acorns biennially, with the exception of Quercus agrifolia  and were usually used to a lesser extent. Other black oaks include Quercus palmeri, Quercus kelloggii, and quercus chrysolepis.
The degree of bitterness depends on the amount of tannic acid present in the acorns. People rendered the more bidder acorns palatable by such processing methods as grinding, pounding, grating and leaching. Grinding breaks down the tissues of the cell walls, thereby exposing more surface area to water action, which improves the leaching process and removal of tannic acid. Grinding also provides increased surface area for digestive enzymes to act, thus making nutrient more readily available. The acorns of the Quercus emoryi (fig. Above) have a relatively low tannin content. And were eaten without preparation.

Quercus_agrifolia -2.jpg

Quercus palmeri Engelmann
encino roble, Desert Oak

Quercus palmeri.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Quercus kelloggii Newberry
California black oak, Maple Leafed Oak

Quercus_kellogii.jpg

 

Quercus chrysolepis Liebmann
Canyon live oak

Quercus_chrysolepis-1.jpg

 

 

 

An area to collect “Emmorry’s [sic] oak” was between and in Graham and Santa Teresa Mountains, Graham County. Another site for acorn collecting was in vicinity of Oracle, on the north slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Pinal County. In July and to September.
Some people preferred to store dried unshelled acorns because shelled acorns developed a bad taste. Drying the unshelled acorns in the sun for three to seven days prevented them from becoming “wormy”.
Apaches made a type of bread using one part acorn meal with five parts wheat flour. They often added uncooked acorn meal to a meat stew.
Green acorns are bitter, but become sweeter with further ripening.
The Tohono O’odham gathered acorns on southern Arizona such as Arivaca and Fort Huachuca. Bitter acorns were ground into a meal, placed into a loosely woven basked. Worm or cold water was poured through the meal several times. The Cahuilla used a fine acorn meal to make bread. Coarse meal was used to make mush. A skilled cook knew how to vary the taste of acorn meal by mixing in different portions of any of four types of acorns and might add their own special flavorings, such as wheat, chia seed, barriers or meat.
Acorns had to be dried before being shelled. They cracked the acorns with a “hammer-stone” and removed the shell. Then they lightly pounded the acorns to remove the papery skin. After winnowing, they pounded the acorns meat in mortar, and then further ground it again on the mortar with a small amount of water added to reduce the “oiliness.”
Sometimes they leached the acorn four by spreading it in a cloth-covered leaching basket. They poured warm water through their fingers into the basket to wash out the bitterness. After leaching, they picked up the cloth and squeezed the wet flour into a lump. Enough water was added to the flour to make it “slightly fluid.” This was poured into another pot of hot water and boiled for ten or more minutes, while being constantly stirred. The mush was done if a small amount dropped in cold water floated to the surface. The nutty-tasting mush was eaten with milk and sugar, honey, or with meat.
 

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Fouquieriaceae | Ocotillo Family

Fouquieria | ocotillo, candlewood

Fouquieria burragei Rose
Palo adán, ocotillo blanco, pichilinge, Adam's Tree

No photo


Fouquieria diguetii (Van Tieghem) I. M. Johnston
Palo adán, ocotillo

Fouquieria_diguetii-2.jpg

Fouquieria macdougalii Nash
Tree ocotillo, paloverde, ocotillo macho, torote verde, torote prieto, torote espinosa, torote jabonsollo, chimuli, Mexican Tree Ocotillo

Fouquieria_macdougalii-1.jpg

 

 

Fouquieria spendens Engelmann
ocotillo

Fouquieria_splendens-1.jpg

 

 

 

 

The bright red Flowers of the Fouquieria splendens, Fouquieria diguetii, and Fouquieria macdougalii produced abundant nectar at the base of their ovaries. The desert people ate the flowers or nectar. They roasted, ground, and ate the seeds as a protein-rich flour for use in making mush or caked. They gathered the seed of the ocotillo from the end of May to June.
 

 

 

 

 

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Geraniaceae | geranium Family

Erodium | filaree, heron’s-bill, stok’s-bill crane’s-bill, alfilaria

Erodium cicutarium (Linnaeus) L’Heritier de Brutelle ex Aiton
Filaree, heron’s-bill, red-stem stork’s-bill, aguja del pastor, agujitas, peine de bruja

Erodium_cicutarium-1.jpg

Erodium cicutarium is a common winter and spring annual in the Sonoran Desert that was introduced from Europe.
Erodium cicutarium has often been cited in literature for it use as an edible food, with the young herbage eaten raw or cooked as greens.

Erodium_cicutarium-2.jpg

Erodium texanum A. Gray
Large-flowered stork’s-bill, Texas stork’s-bill

Erodium_texanum-1.jpg

Erodium_texanum-2.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Erodium texanum Is native to the Southwest and northern Mexico and occupies lower elevations. Erodium texanum only occupies old disturbed areas and undisturbed desert. Both species were used for food.
 

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Juglandaceae | Walnut Family

Juglans | walnut

Juglans major (Torrey) Heller
Arizona walnut, nogal Silvestre

Juglans_major-1.jpg

Juglans_major-2.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Apaches collected walnuts in September. They pounded the fruits to remove the “hulls” Then washed them. The walnut meat was further pounded and the meal was mixed with juice from roasted mescal. Corn bread was often dipped into this mixture, which tasted like “sweetened milk”. They also roasted and ground the walnuts with corn, then ate that.
 

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Koeberliniaceae | Junco Family

Koeberlinia | all-thorn

Koeberlinia spinosa Zuccarini
All-thorn, crucifixion-thorn, corona de Cristo, junco

Koeberlinia-spinosa-1.jpg

Koeberlinia-spinosa-2.jpg

 

 

 

 

Koeberlinia-spinosa-3.jpg

 

 

Apache ate the berries. Fruits of the All-thorn are dark greenish red berries that average five millimeters in diameter.
 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lamiaceae | Mint Family

Hyptis suaveolens (Kinnaeus) Poiteau
Pignut, conivari, cham, confiturilla, confitura, chia grande. Chia gorde

Hyptis_suaveolens-2.jpg

Pignuts is plant that grows in the Sonoran Desert in southern Sonora and flowers from September to January. When the seeds are soaked in water, a refreshing drink was made that was used by the sick. People mixed uncooked seeds with sweetened water or milk and drank the mixture. The used the seeds as a curative for fevers and constipation. Pignut seeds have 21 percent protein, 33 percent oil, and are high in fiber. The seeds dissolve in water to form a high-fiber gel.

Salvia | sage

Salvia apiana Jepson
California white sage

Salvia_apiana.jpg

 

 

Salvia carduacea Bentham
Thistle sage, chia, cardo

Salvia_carduacea.jpg

Several plants of the mint family were called chia and were used as food and drink.
Chia seeds are nutritious. One teaspoon of seeds “was enough to keep an Indian going for 24 hours on a forced march.” People often soaked the seeds in water. The seeds formed mucilaginous polysaccharides, which are thought to be potentially useful in treating diabetes and diabetes complications.
They dropped the uncooked seeds into water, where the seeds expanded to several tines their size and produced a thick, soothing, fragrant drink. They roasted and ground the seeds into meal. Uncooked meal was mixed with cornmeal or other grain.
The seeds are gathered from June to November. The chia seed has twice the protein as other grains and three times the oil.

Salvia columbarae Bentham
California sage, chia

Salvia_columbariae.jpg

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Lennoaceae | Lennoa Family

Pholisma | desert Christmas-tree, sandfood

Sandfood is a strange parasitic plant that was known to the Desert people of northwestern Mexico and adjacent Unites States, its roots and stems provides a food source. It is more tender than a radish, and juicier, the whole root can be eaten. It has a sweetish flavor all its own. They can be eaten raw or roasted. They are an especially delicious to a thirsty man, (fresh stems and roots contain about 85 percent moisture). They also quickly appease hunger.
People ate the underground stems raw or roasted or dried them in the sun, the ground them with mesquite pods.
The roots were prepared much in the same way as the meat of the squash, it was cut into long strips for easy carrying. They dried them, and rehydrated them when they were needed.

Pholisma arenarium Nuttall
Scaly-stemmed sand plant, deaert Ctristmas-tree, Scale-leaved, sandplant

Pholisma_arenarium.jpg

Pholisma sonora (Torrey ex A. Gray) Yatskievych
Sandfood, camot de los medanos
 

Pholisma_sonorae-1.jpg

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Loasaceae |Stickleaf or Blazing-star Family

Mentzelia | blazing-star, pegarropa

Mentzela was a major plant food for many native peoples in the western Unites States. Its seeds were recovered from a Hohokam site south of Tucson. Representing the first documentation of use in southern Arizona desert.

Mentzelia albicaulis Hooker
Small-flowered blazing-star, white-stemmed blazing-star, selé

Mentzelia_albicaulis-1.jpg

Mentzelia_albicaulis-2.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seeds of this family are a valuable source of liquids and carbohydrates, with those of the Mentzelia albicaulis having 6.4 percent fat, 3.9 percent protein and 85 percent carbohydrates. People generally stored the dried seeds, or roasted the seeds and ground them. The resulting oily meal was eaten alone or with bread, or stored. The sometimes bakes the meal into solid chunks, which they ate dry. The plant flowers from February to June.
 

 

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Malighiaceae |Malpighia or Barbados-cherry Family

Malpighia | singopore-holly, stingingbush

MALPIGHIA-GLABRA-1.jpg

Malpighia diversifolia Brandegee
Manzana, manzantia, margarita
No photo

Malpighia emarginata Sessé & Moçiño de Candolle (syn., M. umbellate Rose)
Granadilla, mora de campo

No photo

Malpigia diversifolia grows only in southern Baja and Flowers from August to October.
Malpigia emarginsta is found in southern Sonora and southward into Sinaloa.
The bright red fruits of the Malpigia diversifolia and the orange fruits of the Malpigia emarginsta provided an edible food for the local inhabitants. Hey also made a syrup by boiling the juice until it thickened.
 

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Malvaceae |Mallow Family

Ermalche | white-mallow

Eremalche exilis is the only malvaceius plant that provides an edible food to the Sonoran Desert people. The Pima once harvested the young plants in winter and spring as a famine food. After cooking the leaves, they mixed them with white flour and cooked this mixture and ate it.

Eremalche exilis (A. Gray) Greene
White-mallow

Eremalche_exilis.jpg

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Martyniaceae | Unicorn Family

Proboscudea | devil’s-claw, unicorn-plant, gatitio

Proboscidea althaeifolia (Bentham) Decaisne
Desert unicorn-plant, elephant’s-tusk, devil’s-claw, devil’s-horn,sepuela del disblo, cuernitos

Proboscidea_althaeifolia-1.jpg

Proboscidea paviflora (wooton) Wooton & Stabdley
Doubleclaw, devil’s-claw, uña de gato, torito, gatuna, cuernitos

Proboscidea_parviflora-1.jpg

 

 

Devels-claw.jpg

Devil’s-claw seeds are edible and have a high oil and protein content. The seeds and green, immature fruits of the wild and cultivated devil’s claw provided food to various southwestern people. Apaches chewed the seeds of devil’s claw for the juice, which they described as being like milk. They also cooked and ate immature pods.
Pimas ate the seeds, either boiled or raw, as a snack. They peeled the root and ate the outer portion. The inner part was bitter and not eaten.
 

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Moraceae | Mulberry Family

Ficus | fig

Ficus brandegeei Standley
Zalate, anabá, tezcalama, higuera cimarróna

No photo
Only grows in Baja California!

Ficus palmeri S. Watson
Anabá, igerá, higuera cimarróna, salate, tezcalama, zaltae

Ficus_palmeri.jpg

Ficus palmeri is found from Yubay south to the cape region of Baja California and on Tiburón, San Pedro Mártir, and Seal Island. It produces fruit twice a year, in late spring and midsummer.

Ficus pertusa Linnaeus f. (syn., Ficus padifolia Kunth)
Amezquite, cvhuná, chinito, comuchin, nscapuli, matapalo

Ficus_pertusa-1.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Ficus pertusa grow from central Sonoran south to Panama.

Ficus petiolaris Kunth
Tescalama,amacostic, amate, amate Amarillo, higuera, higueron, higuerote, palo maría, tezcalama, texcalamate, texcalamatl

Ficus_petiolaris.jpg

Ficus petiolaris grows from northern Sonora south to Guerrero and Morelos.

They cooked the fruits in water with sea turtle oil until soft or ate the fruits fresh.

 

 

 

 

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Morus | mulberry

Morus microphylla Buckley
Texas nulberry, mora, moral, salsa mora

Morus_microphylla-2.jpg

Morus_microphylla-3.jpg

Mulberry Trees are found along drainages in Southwestern and northern Mexico. It flowers from April to May. Its Fruits are edible. Yavapais climbed the trees to collect the fruits, or collected them from the ground, in July. The fruits were eaten fresh or made into jellies.
The Tarahumara cooked and ate the young leaves. They also used a white sap for curdling milk to make cheese.
 

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Nyctaginaceae | Four-O’clock Fimily

Boerhavia | spiderling

The Seri cooked, mashed and ate the green herbage.

Boerhavia coulteri (Hooker f.) S. Watson
Coulter’s spiderling

Boerhavia_coulteri.jpg

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Orbanchaceae | Broom-rape Fimily

Orbancha | broom-rape, cancer-root

Orobanche cooperi (A. Gray) Heller (syn., oribancha Ludoviciana Nuttall ver. Cooperi [A. Gray] Geck)
Broom-rape

Orobanche_cooperi.jpg

The fleshy, succulent parasitic stems and roots of the broom-rapes, particularly the very thick stems of Orobandche cooperi, provided food and moisture to desert people. The very young stems, which has just broken the ground’s surface, were eaten. Older stems, particularly when they become hard, are very bitter and not good to eat.

Orobanche fasciculate Nuttall
Clustered broom-rape

Orobanche_fasciculata.jpg

 

 

 

 

Pimas ate them raw or boiled or roasted. Whole plants of Orobandche cooperi, were cooked. The tender young sprouts resemble asparagus and, although bitter, are used in the same manner. Cocopas ate the seems of
Orobandche cooperi, but boiled the stem to fid them of the bitter taste first.
The Navajos ate the stems of Orobandche fasciculate. They baked the stems for eating them.
 

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Oxalidaceae | Woodsorrel Family

Oxalis | woodsorrel

Oxalis albicans Humboldt, Bonpland and Kunth
Radish-root woodsorrel, hierba aigre, socoyole

Oxalis_albicans.jpg

Qxalis stricta Linnaeus
Upright yellow woodsorrel

Oxalis_stricta.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Tepehuans boiled and salted the leaves of Oxalis stricta.
Pimas ate the young stems of the Oxalis albicans.
 

 

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Passifloracea | paddion-flower Family

Passiflora | passion-flower

Some species of the passition-flowers of northern Mexico and the United States are prized as ornamentals that bear large flowers or edible fruit.
Passiflora foetida is widely distributed in the Southwest throughout Mexico and Baja. Its pulp is sweet, and slightly acidic, the fruits are used to flavor drinks and juices. Fresh fruits are eaten raw and can be stored for short periods.
Passiflora arida and Passiflora palmeri grow throughout much of southern Baja.

Passiflora arida (Masters & Rose) Killip
Granadilla, rosal de la passion, flor de la passion, bolsita de la vibora

Passiflora_actinia-1.jpg

Passiflora bryonioides Kunth
Cupped passion-flower

No photo

Passiflora foetida Linnaeus
Scarlet-fruit passion-flower, corona de Cristo

Passiflora_Foetida.jpg

 

Passiflora palmeri Rose
Granadilla, sandía de la passion, bolsita de vibora

Passiflora_palmeri.jpg

 

 

Phytolaccaceae | Pokeberry or PokeWeed Family

Rivina | rouge plant, pigon-berry

Rivina bumilis Linnaeus
Rouge plant, pigeon-berry, uruquiro, teihuist

Rivina_bumilis.jpg

 

The name of the plant refers to the moderately indelible orange-red juice in the berries, which are preceded by inconspicuous white Flowers. The fruits are sweet and juicy. They were used for food and dye in Sonora. They are ripe in October.
 

 

 

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Plantaginaceae | Plantain Family

Plantago | Plantain, Indian-wheat, rib-grass, way-bred

Plantago australis Lamark ssp. Hirella (Kunth) Rahn (syn., Plantago hirtella (Kunth)
Mexican plantain

Plantago_australis.jpg

Plantago heterophylla Nuttall
Many-seeded plantain, pastora

Plantago heterophylla.jpg

 

 

 

 

Plantago lanceolata Linnaeus
Buckhorn plantain, English plantain

Plantago_lanceolata.jpg

 

 

 

 

Plantago major Linnaeus
Common plantain, great plantain, lante, llanten

Plantago_major.jpg

 

 

 

Plantago ovata Forsskal (syn., Plantago insularis Eastwood)
Woolly plantain

Plantago_ovata.jpg

 

 

 

Plantago patagonica Jacquin
Push plantain, pastora

Plantago_patagonica.jpg

 

Plantago rhodosperma Decaisne
Red-seed plantain

No photo

Plantago virginica Linnaeus
Pale-seed plantain

Plantago_virginica.jpg

 

Large populations of Plantago are found as winter/spring annuals following adequate winter rains in the Sonoran Desert.
Pimas threshed, winnowed, and plaved the seeds in water. The seeds swelled, making a mucilaginous drink. They sometimes boiled the seeds in water.
The O’odham either ate the seeds raw or toasted and ground the seeds.
 

 

 

 

 

 

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Polygonaceae | Buckwheat Family

Antigonon | ovechain

Antigonon leptopus is a perennial vine found along washes and canyons from central Sonora to Chihuahua and Oaxaca and from central Baja California to the cape region. Its pink flowers are produced from April through November.
Its roots provide food to Sonoran inhabitants. The roots were eaten raw, or baked for a short time and eaten.
The seeds were an important food also.

Antigonon leptopus Hooker & Arnott
Queen’s-jewels, San Miguel, San Miguelito, flo de San Miguel, vaiburin

Antigonon_leptopus.jpg

Eriogonum | wild buckwheat

Eriogonum inflatum Torrey & Frémont
Desert trumpet, Indian pipeweed, tivinagua

Eriogonum_inflatum.jpg

 

 

Young stems and leaves of the Desert trumpet were collected in the spring , and eaten raw, boiled, or pickled.

Rumex | dock, sorrel

Rumex crispus Linnaeus
Curly dock, lengua de vaca

Rumex_crispus-1.jpg

 

 

 

Wild docks of the genus Rumwx were relatively versatile food source that supplied edible greens and fruits.
All species have malice acid in the petioles and oxalic and citric acids in the leaf blades, which requires one to boil the leaves in more than change of water to rid them of their sour taste. The plants were abundant along the Salt and Gila Rivers. Piemas ate the stalks. They cooked the stalks in pots or roasted them in the ashes and then ate the inside of the peeled stalks. The roots were used to treat various sores of the throat, mouth, and stomach. The roots are rich in tannins, compounds that are known to effective treatments for reducing infections and drying sores. The leaves were sometimes used as greens.
The Pima roasted and ground the fruits.

Rumex_crispus-fruit.jpg

 

 

Fruit enclosed by 3 hardened petals that each have a white tubercle and do not have projecting teeth.

Rumex_crispus-root.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Rumex hymenosepalus Torret
Sand dock, cañaigre, caña agria, hierba colorada

Rumex_hymenosepalus.jpg

 

 

 

 

Rumex violascens Rechinger f.
Violet dock

No photo

 

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Portulacaceae | Purslane Family

Calandrinia | rock-purslanr, red-maids

Calandrinia ciliata (Ruiz & Pavón) de Candolle var. menziesii (Hooker) J. F. Macbride
Fringed red maids

Calandrinia_ciliata.jpg

People ate the tiny black seed and fleshy steam of Calandrinia ciliate.

Claytonia | spring-beauty

Claytonia perfoliata Donn ex Willdenow
Miner’s-lettuce, petata, Indian-lettuce

Claytonia_perfoliata.jpg

 

 

 

Miner’s-lettus is an edible food plant that can be eaten raw or cooked.

Portulaca | purslane

Portulaca oleracea Linnaeus ( including Portulaca ertusa Engelmann)
Common purslane, little- hogweed, verdolaga

Portulaca_oleracea.jpg

The leaves and young stems of the weedy Portulaca oleracea provides an important food source that was high I vitamin C. Verdolaga germinates with the summer rains. The young seedlings are collected from the second week to the sixth week after germination in the summer and fall. They are sometimes available in grocery stores.
Young herbage is collected and eaten raw, or, more often, cooked, some tines with cheese, tomatoes, chilies, or onions.

Portulaca pilosa Linnaeus
Kiss-me-quick

Portulaca_pilosa.jpg

 

 

 

 

The seeds of Portulaca including Portulaca oleracea and Portulaca pilosa were used for food. Those who did gather the seeds were able to collect, winnow, sift, and grind large amounts of seeds into flour.
 

 

 

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Resedaceae | Mignonette Family

Oligomeris | whitepuff

Oligomeris linifolia (Vahl) J. F. Macbride
Line-leaf whitepuff, teddá

Oligomeris_linifolia.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

The Seris toasted and ground the seeds of Oligomeris linifolia.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Rhamnaceae | Buckthorn Family

Condalia | snakewood, gray-thorn

Condalia brandegeei I. M. Johnstone

No photo

Condalia warnockii M. C. Johnstone var. keaneyana M. C. Johnstone
Warnoch’ snakewood, squawbush, cruvillo

Condalia_warnockii.jpg

Condalia warnockii var keaneyana is found from central Arizona south into central Sonora: It flowers from March through November. The plant can be easily confused with Condalia globosa I. M. Johnst. Var. pubescen I. M. Johnst., Which has extremely bitter-tasting fruits. Those of crucillo are not bitter, although they do have a somewhat soapy taste. One can ovoid an unpalatable experience by distinguishing between the two based on characteristics other than fruit taste. The pedicels of Condalia warnockii are much shorter than those of Condalia globosa, being only 0.5 – 3.0 millimeters long as compared to the pedicels 2.5 – 6.5 millimeters long of Condalia globosa.
Condalia warnockii has sepals that are usually persistent in fruits and stone that is much longer than wide.
Condalia globosa has sepals usually deciduous in fruit and stones that is nearly as wide as long. Additionally, the two species occupy climatically distinct regions. Condalia warnockii var keaneyana grows at elevations between 500 and 1,700 meters in areas that experience biseasonal rainfall, within the Arizona Uplands.
Condalia globosa grows below 1,2000 meters in areas whose rainfall is almost entirely in the summer.
It is found in north central Baja, am within the Lower Colorado River valley in Arizona.
The Tohono O’odham often ate the fruits of Condalia warnockii var keaneyana in the summer.

Karwinskia | coyotillo

Karwinskia humboldtiana (J. A. Schultes) Zuccarini
Cototillo, cachila, cacahila, china, tullidor, arbor que tulle, palo aspestoso

Karwinskia_humboldtiana.jpg

Karwinskia humboldtiana is found in central to southern Baja and south Texas south to Tamaulipas, Yucatan, and Oaxaca.

Karwinskia parvifolia Rose
Buckthorn, cacachila, tuyidor, capulincillo, capulincillo cimarrón, capulin, palo negrito, margarita, frutillo negrito, margarita del cerro

No photo

Karwinskia parvifolia grows from central Sonora south into northern Sinaloa. The two species may not be specifically distinct.
The blush purple fruits of both are concerted edible and sweet. But if eaten in excess, can cause paralysis and trembling in the legs, particularly in children. The common name “arbor que tulle” means “the tree that cripples”.

Ziziphus | gray-thorn, jujude

Ziziphus-1.jpg

Ziziphus amole (Sessé & Moçiño) M. C. Johnaton
Amole, amole dulce, nanche de la costa, frutillo, manzanita, brasilillo

No photo

Ziziphus amole reaches its northern limit in the Sonoran Desert in south-central Sonora. Its fruits ate edible. Although they were also used as a substitute for soap.

Ziziphus obtusifolius (hooker ex Torret & A. Gray) A. Gray var. canescens (A. Gray) M. C. Johnstone
Gray-thorn, gray-leaved abrojo, lotebush, abrojo, papache, bachata, barbachatas, palo blanco, white crucillo, garrapata, garambullo

No photo

Of the three species, Ziziphus obtusifolius var. canescens played the most significant role as a gathered food plant. The plant is widely distributed through the Sonoran Desert, bur is absent on the Lower Colorado River. Pimas gathered the fruits after they beat the plants down with a stick, a necessary procedure due to the plant’s exceedingly thorny nature. The fruits are very sweet when fully ripe. They ate the fruits raw and discarded the seeds. The made a syrup by boiling the fruits in water and removing the seeds. They allowed the sweet juice to cool and thicken.

Ziziphus parryi Torrey
Parry’s jujude

Ziziphus_parryi.jpg

 

 

 

Ziziphus parryi grows on the dry slopes from southeastern California south into northern Baja. It flowers from February to April. The Cahuilla gathered, dried, and ground its fruits into a meal, or ate them fresh. They also made flour by grinding and leaching the seeds. In June, Mohaves and Maricopas gathered the “blue-black berries,” which they ate after mashing the fruits in to a “foamy concoction.”
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Rhizophoraceae | Mangrove Family

Rhizophora | red mangrove

Rhizophora mangle Linnaeus
Mangle, red mangrove, candelón, mangle dulce, mangle Colorado, mangle sojo, mangle salado, mangle zapatero, mangle gateador

Rhizophora_mangle-3.jpg

 

 

The zygote develop into a seedling without an intervening seed stage The reproductive unit or propagule is the hypocotyl (part of the embryo below the cotyledons that develop into the radical, or first root) Which develops within and emerges from the fruit. It can grow to 20 to 30 centimeters before the fruit falls off. These green hypocotyls supplied an edible food. After cooking the hypocotyls in ashes, Seris broke the outside with stones and ate the inner portion with sea turtle fat. The hypocotyls were available to the Seri throughout the winter. Those that washed up on shore were considered the best to eat. Plants also provide habitat for oysters, clams, and crabs, which are food sources.
 

 

 

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Rosaceae | Rose Family

Prunus | wild plum, almons, cherry, plum, peach

Prunus fasciculate (Torrey) A. Gray
Desert almond

desertalmond.jpg

Prunus fremontii S. Watson
Desert apricot

Prunus_fremontii.jpg

 

 

 

Prunus ilicifolia (Nuttall ex Hooker & Arnott) D. D. Dietrich
Hollyleaf cherry, islay

Prunus_ilicifolia.jpg

 

The fruits of the wild Prunus species are characterizes by large stones with little edible pulp. Fruit was usually eaten fresh, but was sometimes dried and stored for later use. Plants grow from southern California southward to the cape region of Baja. The pits are edible also.
 

 

 

 

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Rubiaceae | Madder Family

Randia | indigo-berry
 

Randia-a.jpg

 

Randia is represented in Mexico by many species that provide edible fruits.

 

 

 

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Sapotaceae | Sapote or Sapodilla Family

Sideroxylon | bully

Sideroxylon.jpg

 

Sideroxylon Grows throughout much of Sonora. Mature fruits are blue black, and have one seed. They were eaten fresh or dried. Seris harvested the fruits two or three times per year.
 

 

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Simmondsiaceae | Jojoba, Family

Simmondsia | jojoba, deernut

Simmondsia chinensis (link) Schneider
Jojoba, goatnut, deernut

jojoba-3.jpg

Simmondsia_chinensis.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simmondsia chinensis Is commonly found in the arid zones of southern Arizona, California, and South into Baja and Sonora. They flower from December through July. The large seed of the jojoba has been used for food and medicine. They are potentially available throughout much of the year.
The fruits can be eaten fresh or roasted. Tohono O’odham molds the shelled seeds into an oily cake from which were broken off as needed and boiled slightly. The Cahuilla only used the fruits in the preparation of a coffee-like beverage, which was made by roasting and grinding the seeds. Jojoba oil can be used as a in place of olive oil.

jojoba-2.jpg

Solanaceae | Nightshade or Potato Family

Capsicum | red pepper, cayenne pepper, Tabasco Pepper

Capsicum annuum Linnaeus var. galabriusculum (Dunal) Heiser & Pickersgill
Wild chile, bird pepper, cayenne pepper, chiltepin, chile de monte, chillipiquin
 

chiltepin-1.jpg

 

 

Chiltepin’s northern limits are in the Sonoran and Chihuahua Deserts and in adjacent oak woodlands 50 kilometers north of the Mexico border in southern Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Chiltepines Are most popular in the desert region of northwestern Mexico and southwestern United States, where their presence is less common than further south. In this region the red fruits mature in late September and October. Inhabitants of Sonora collected green fruits in August or September for bottling in vinegar and use as spice. The red fruits were collected and dried for seasoning. In northeastern Sonora, anyone caught damaging chiltepin plants during harvesting can be fined.
 

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Chamaesaracha | false-nightshade, five-eyes

Chamaesaracha coronopus (Dumal) A. Gray
Small ground-cherry, green-leaf five-eyes

Chamaesaracha_coronopus-2.jpg

 

Chamaesaracha coronopus grows throughout Arizona into Utah and east to Kansas. The fruits are edible.

Chamaesaracha sordida Dumal) A. Gray
Hairy five-eyes

 

Chamaesaracha-sordida.jpg