Page 191 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Mesquite, Prosopis spp. (FABACEAE)
MESQUITE is a deciduous tree with a spreading
crown and sharp thorns along its twigs. It flourishes
in arid regions of northern Mexico and the American
southwest. Honey Mesquite, P. glandulosa, can grow
to 40 ft. (12m) tall, with a diameter of 1 ft. (0.3m)
and thorns to 2 inches (5cm). Screwbean Mesquite, P.
pubescens, grows to 30 ft. (9m) with a similar trunk
size, shredding reddish bark, and thorns to 1 inch
(2.5cm). Velvet Mesquite, P. velutina, has snooth red- cooked and eaten like green beans. Harvest the ma-
dish-brown bark that turns grayer and shreds with
age, and can grow to 40 ft (12m) but is usualy much
smalller, with 1 inch (2.5 cm) thorns. Mequite seeds
and seedpods are verry high in protein and fiber. I
love the sweetness of these pods – it is one of my fa- MESQUITE FLOUR TORTILLAS: Ingredients: 1 ½ cup
vorite flours.
FLOWER AND FRUIT: Drooping cylindrical spikes of
yellow flowers are 2-5.5 inches (5-14cm) long in the
honey mesquite and 1.5-3 inches (4-8cm) long in the
screwbean mesquite. In summer, these form legumi-
nous pods. Honey mesquite pods are flat, narrow, and
yellowish, with a length of 4-9 inches (10-23cm). The
hairy brown screwbean pods are tightly coiled spirals
of 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) long. Flowers have 10 sta-
mens.
LEAF: Feathery leaves are alternate and twice com-
pound with 1-2 pairs of pinnae. Honey mesquite pin-
190
Forest and Kim Starr, CC-BY-3.0
Dinesh Valke, CC BY-SA 2.0
nae are 5-8 inches (12-20cm) long, with 5-17 pairs of
narrow leaflets. Screwbean pinnae are 1.5 to 2 inches
(4-5cm) long, with 5-8 pairs of leaflets.
EDIBLE PARTS: seedpods, seeds, flowers, sap
KEY MEDICINAL USES: Honey mesquite is an astrin-
gent.
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Pods and seeds are
ture pods of the honey and velvet mesquite and the
young tender pods of the screwbean mesquite from
the tree. The pods and seeds can be dried and ground
into a sweet flour. Fowers can be eaten raw or roasted.
white flour, ½ cup mesquite flour, 3 tbsp. oil, ½ tsp.
salt, ½ cup warm water. Combine dry ingredients. Add
oil and water. Knead dough for 2 min. Cover and leave
for 20 min. Parse into 12 parts and flatten into disks.
On a dry skillet, cook on both sides at medium heat.
SWEET HONEY MESQUITE FLOUR SMOOTHIE: (rec-
ipe credit: Mike Lowe): Ingredients: 2 cups milk (mac-
adamia or almond is my favorite but any milk works),
4 tbsp. chia, 1 tsp. honey mesquite flour, 1/2 tsp. vanil-
la, 1 tbsp. maple syrup. Mix liquids and then add seeds
and flour and shake vigorously several times over 10
min. to prevent clumping. Chill in fridge. Serve cold.