by Woodsbum
In continuing my ongoing foraging and edible plant series, I have picked the bitterroot as the next installment.
Bitterroot is an edible plant when cooked. It does, obvious through reading the name, have a bitter taste although it is best when gathered just before the flower blooms.
To prepare it, remove the dark outer layer and the orange-red core of the root. You can either dry them for later consumption or you can cook it immediately. If you dry it and then reconstitute it, the root will grow to about 5 times the previous size. It also will have a jelly like consistency and a bitter taste.
You will find bitterroot in dry, open grassy areas in the foothills or mountain regions.
This plant is also the state flower of Montana and has shares a name with the Bitterroot Mountains there.
