Page 287 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Spiral wrack, Fucus

spiralis (FUCACEAE)

SPIRAL WRACK or Flat wrack tends to grow above
bladderwrack amongst rocks.
TIDAL ZONE: It grows around the high tide line, but can
be found towards the mid tide line too.
FROND: It has a forked frond with an obvious midrib,
similar to bladderwrack; however, spiral wrack has a
twist at the base of each fork and the entire plant has
a warty texture. Fronds are dark, olive green to brown,
and can grow up to 12 inches (30cm) long. Sacks are
lighter in colour and gelatinous inside.
summer). It’s best to rotate harvesting from a site ev-
HOLDFAST AND STIPE: A thin stipe of varying lengths
ery 2 years, as it takes 2 years for a plant to reach
is attached to a disc-shaped holdfast.
maturity. Sacks can be pickled and used like capers.
EDIBLE PARTS: fronds and sacks
SPIRAL WRACK OMELET: Ingredients: 1 cup fresh
KEY MEDICINAL USES: Spiral wrack is being investi- spiral wrack with sacks, 3 eggs, 2 rashes of chopped
gated for its anti-tumor effects and its potential to con-
bacon or ham, 4 asparagus shoots, salt and pepper.
trol blood sugar levels and treat diabetes.
Sauté the spiral wrack, bacon and asparagus first
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: You can harvest the and set aside. Beat the eggs and pour into a hot fry
new tips of the fronds, including sacks, throughout the pan. Cook for 30 sec. and then add the spiral wrack,
year, but limit foraging of the sacks to smaller quanti- bacon and asparagus. Fold the omelet in half and
ties during their reproductive stage (from late winter to season.

Sugar Kelp, Saccharina
latissima (LAMINARIACEAE)

SUGAR KELP, Sea Belt, or Devil’s Apron grows on
rocky substrates and tends to lie completely horizon-
tally. Its name comes from the high amount of mannitol,
which is a natural sweetener. It was formerly known as
Laminaria saccharina.
TIDAL ZONE: It can grow to depths of 26-100 ft. (8-
30m) and is ound from the mid to low tide line in shel-
tered bays.

FROND: Long, ribbon-like fronds can reach up to 16 ft.
(5m) long and 8 inches (20cm) wide. They can be dark
yellow, olive green or brown, and are sometimes cov- fresh sugar kelp and shredded cabbage, ½ a cup each
ered in a whitish powder. of sliced radish and grated carrot, ¼ cup each of salt
HOLDFAST AND STIPE: Holdfast is somewhat root-like and water, 1 tsp. sugar. Boil kelp for 2 min., drain, slice
with a 2 inches (5cm) long thin stipe. and rub salt into it. Add cabbage and continue mas-
saging salt in for 5 min. Add radish, carrot and water,
EDIBLE PARTS: fronds
and massage for 5 min. Leave to rest for 2 hrs. Make
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Harvest in spring and
sure all is covered with brine. Rinse salt off and pack
autumn. It’s best to harvest every second year, so they
firmly into a jar, leaving at least an inch (2.5cm) from
can reach maturity. Harvest the top ⅓ of the frond. Fer-
the top to allow gas production during the fermenta-
menting reduces the amount of sodium, cadmium and tion process. Seal jar and keep at room temperature
mercury, whereas boiling it for 2 min. removes a third of
for a week, opening it every day to release the gas.
the iodine.
When the taste is to your liking, put jar in the fridge
FERMENTED SUGAR KELP: Ingredients: 1 cup each of to stop the fermentation.
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