Cattails are one of the most easily recognizable marsh plants. Even those who don’t know an oak tree from a tulip can usually identify cattails by their familiar hot-dog-on-a stick structure.
Cattail plants are edible from top to bottom and way better for you than hot dogs. From them you can obtain four vegetables, a starch and a protein-rich flour.
In spring, before the flower/seed stalks begin to grow, the shoots can be harvested. Grasp the stem inside the enwrapping leaves as far down as possible and firmly pull the stalk upward, twisting it slightly. It should pop right out. The roots will stay in the ground. Use the bottom twelve inches or so by peeling it to reveal a white core that can be eaten raw or cooked by simmering 10-15 minutes or stir-frying. The taste has been described as raw cucumber, celery, watercress or parsnips, and most people that like vegetables at all seem to like cattail shoots.
Cattails have both male and female flowers on the same stalk. Before the classic hot-dog-on-a–stick forms, there are actually two hot dog-like shapes on the stem, one above the other. The top, smaller one is the male flower and the bottom, larger one is female. When it first appears, the stalk is wrapped in a papery husk. The male part is the best for eating and is most tender just before the husks begin to break open. The stem can be snapped off between the male and female part. The male part is unwrapped, immersed in rapidly boiling water for ten minutes, and eaten with butter and salt like corn on the cob.
In June, the male part of the plant becomes saturated with golden pollen that is high in protein and vitamin A. Collect the pollen by bending the plant and shaking it into a bucket, paper bag or bowl. Gently beating the stalk on the side of the container or rubbing it with your hands might be necessary. Use a flour sifter to separate the pollen from the chaff and use it half and half with wheat or corn flour for pancakes, breads, muffins or cookies.
In late summer, small horn-shaped sprouts form at the tip of the long rhizomes (underground horizontal stems between the stalk and the roots) and remain through winter. These can be broken off and added to salads or boiled for 10 minutes and served with butter. There is also a starchy core at the junction of the stalk and the rhizome that can be prepared like a potato.
The rhizomes can be dug in fall and roasted. They can then be chewed; the starch in the rhizomes has a pleasant, sweet taste. Spit out the fiber after chewing. Never eat the rhizomes raw; they may contain parasites or harmful microorganisms.
There are methods for making flour from the starchy rhizomes, but there is not enough space here to describe the laborious procedures for doing that. If you think you might be in a survival situation someday, look it up before you go.
CAUTIONS: Make a positive identification before eating any plant. Poisonous blue-flag iris leaves look similar to cattails but the shoots are flattened, while cattail shoots are perfectly cylindrical. Do not eat plants growing in polluted water or along roadways. Eat only a small amount of any new food the first time to make sure you are not allergic to it. Cattail shoots eaten raw produce a tingling sensation in the back of the throat for some people. This is not harmful and will go away shortly.
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