LAMB’S QUARTERS
Common Names: Lamb's Quarters, Goosefoot, Wild Spinach, Pigweed.
Scientific Name: Chenopodium album
When to Find: Leaf in spring and summer. Seeds in fall.
Where to Find: Fields, wastelands, and roadsides.
Parts Used: Leaves and seeds.
Warning: Consumption over a prolonged period can cause gastric pain or disturbances or the nervous system due to oxalic acid in plant parts. Note: Lamb's Quarters is grown as a crop in India. It has been used as an emergency food source for many centuries.
Preparation: Cook leaves as greens. Dry, roast, and grind seed. Eat as meal. cereal, or mix with flour for baking. Makes a pancake superior to buckwheat.
Storage: Freeze, can, or sun dry leaves. Put seed meal in an airtight container.
Identification: Leaf is blue green on top and has a white mealy coating on the underside. Plants are 2-8 feet tall. Flower heads are tinted with red late in season.
