EatTheWeeds: Episode 73: Kudzu

[sparklerbombg]

thank u

[sparklerbombg]

do they grow in the winter/new england winters?

[EatTheWeeds]

@sparklerbombg No, too cold and not enoough light

[laositaboricua]

Maybe the south need to get together n eat bunch of kudzu

[WesternBushcraft]

I didnt know that MadBadVoodo watches these videos!!!!

[LaMomB]

It sounds better than pest we have here that has no uses, fragrance nor pretty flowers, Red Vine---wish Kudzu would suffocate it!!!

[retandom]

i live in upstate south carolina in a town not 2 far away from greenville, our town is overgrown with kudzu, but i never knew it was edible,,,, time to harvest some! do you have any recipes? how long do u cook the leaves ?

[EatTheWeeds]

@retandom If you want to know more about kudzu, go to my website.

[ThatCrowGirl]

After viewing your video i was witnessed by a bunch of people harvesting some kudzu by the side of a not-very-used road... I think I shall be forever known as the Crazy-Kudzu-Lady. Anyway, I have found Kudzu blossom tea to be my favorite tea ever, is it possible to dry the blossoms for use later in the year?

[EatTheWeeds]

@ThatCrowGirl The blossoms can be dried.. died, one letter different... but fresh is always better.

[RAM4486]

I chowed down on some of the young leaves raw today. My property has about 2 acres of kudzu. I see what you mean about the texture, not too bad though. I want to juice them now. :)

[RAM4486]

Can the young leaves be eaten raw ?

[EatTheWeeds]

@RAM4486 Yes, but there is a texture issue.

[survivalseeker]

Forgot to say how much I enjoy your cooking segments also! I wouldn't have thought about frying the older leaves! Who knows how many lives your informative vids might save someday! Thanks much.

[survivalseeker]

Really liked this video! Not only greatly informative but liked the way you throw in humor!

[kakasanti]

Can you make beer and bio-fuel with it?

[EatTheWeeds]

@kakasanti Bio-fuel certainly, as for beer... in theory one could as it is a starch, but Kudu starch has been used to reduce alcoholic cravings, so it might not be a good maerial for beer making.

[chronik24]

i live in canada is it possible to find this plant here in canada i would like to get my hands on it ?

[EatTheWeeds]

@chronik24 You might be able to grow it in the summer.

[logancuz1]

i saw japanese knotweed at 1:10

[EatTheWeeds]

@logancuz1 No... perhaps a look alike. Knotweed does not grow here. What you are seeing is elderberry.

[otatsat108]

Thank you for your videos. Really entertaining and uesful.

In addition, Kudzu root is a main ingredient of Chinese medicine for cold and

has strong warming effect to the body. We Japanese eat young leave and

shoots by making tempura.

[EatTheWeeds]

@otatsat108 Thanks. I lived in Japan for a couple of years. 

[itsno1duh]

Hopefully we can make a dent in the Kudzu crop as we enter the worst of the great depression that is forecast. Plenty of it around me in Atlanta. In the movie "The Plant that Ate the South" they made the statement "you can't keep a fence between cows and Kudzu"!

[writer11248]

This is a wonderful video...informative and entertaining. When I lived in Tennessee we used to speculate about the possible uses for kudzu (auto fuel? pig fodder?), but I had dismissed the idea of it being edible. Little did I know...

[LeonRFpoa]

Green Deane- have you ever seen the little purple flowers Kudzu makes in the spring?  Are those edible as well? I heard the Chinese make a type of food starch and noodles from it. Have you heard anything to such effect?

[EatTheWeeds]

@LeonRFpoa Kudzu flowers are edible. Noodles et cetera is made from the root starch.

[zerovivid]

Do you know what the best way to tell Kudzu from Poison Ivy? Thanks for the videos, they've helped a lot! =D

[EatTheWeeds]

@zerovivid Young Kudzu stems are furry, poison ivy is not.

[iworkforme]

hmmm. pants were undone on opening of vid? what's up with that?

[EatTheWeeds]

@iworkforme My shirt was out from the split I did. The pants were not open... or you would have seen a great deal more : )

[iworkforme]

@EatTheWeeds haha ...sorry. I see now. lucky you didn't pull a muscle there.

[EatTheWeeds]

@iworkforme ... depends upon which muscle....

[iworkforme]

@EatTheWeeds i don't like pulling any of them.

[HotaruZoku]

We have more kudzo around here than sky. I can't believe I can eat it. /sub. This is

-great- stuff.

[rugger38]

What about kudzu SEEDS? I mean, they ARE a member of the pea family...

[EatTheWeeds]

@rugger38 No. The ripe seeds are not edible. The pea family has one foot in edibles and one foot in the toxic plants. Being a member of the pea family does not automatically make it edible. In the case of Kudzu unripe pods can be eaten raw or cooked but mature pods and seeds are NOT EDIBLE>

[rbvmtr]

went to Earth Day Saturday , I got to the booth with the good and bad plants in Indiana , the gentlemen asked if I could pitchin and help the cause and I said I am

I eating as many of the edible weeds as I can and I'll be sure to get as many people as I can to pitch-in on the free eats too . :-)

[EatTheWeeds]

@rbvmtr Nice line....

[stevelau1933]

I tried growing this stuff in my garden last year, but they don't survive the winter in the north

[pedalpusher101]

I grew up in Mississippi in the fifties and I was told as a child that a steamer pilot from Mississippi, who was in Japan saw the flower and brought home to his wife and she planted outside and it got away from her. Also there was a story about Kudzu. Little girls should sleep with their windows closed, because late at night. Kudzu would creep across the lawn and sneak through the window and drag them to woods and does what it pleases. Being from the south and a kid it thought of barbecuing.

[weiliiiiiii]

Stems on younger kudzu plants are finely hairy, they have small bronze hairs on them. Older, mature plants do not have hairs on them, they become woody with age.

[coltrane122]

There are a few restaurants in Mississippi that sell it. Deep fried of course.

[Unstr810d]

I had no idea you could eat this stuff! We have so much of it down south, it should be sold like spinach or lettuce. Imagine the profit margins!

[EatTheWeeds]

Well... that is the problem, there is so much of it few folks would be tempted to buy it... kinda like oxygen...

[gyugyua]

there are just too many here!!!!! central texas is under a vine veil lol!!!! and when i say they wont die, they will NOT die!!! wild fires cant stop those things, my friend bought a piece of property to put a house and and bulldosed everything, the vines seemed to be gone, and now just 1 month later they are back and are everywhere!!!

[enjoistaind]

that intro was great.

[EatTheWeeds]

Thanks.... I tried to have some fun.....

[enjoistaind]

interesting how as adults we begin "trying" to have fun. we appreciate it though. generally botany is a little less exciting on the surface than say... skydiving. so thanks for spicing it up.

[hiedi11]

Thanks for this video, very informative. I live in SC, and this stuff is everywhere. I knew it was edible, but I have never tried it. Perhaps I will give it a try. Interestingly enough, I have seen some official looking signs around the local area that say "kudzu control area". I am not sure what that really means though.

[EatTheWeeds]

It might mean they are trying chemicals or the like on it.

[afringedweller]

Can they be eaten daily, without ill effect?

And can it be eaten raw, as a base for salad?

Just discovered you, Green Deane. Great stuff!

[EatTheWeeds]

Yes and yes... but the texture is a bit rough...

[ch473]

If you eat kudzu (or the extract like i tried) before drinking, you will get almost twice as drunk on the same amount of booze. I tried it; two beers felt like I had four, and I didn't want to drink anymore. It's a great harm-reduction aid.

[EatTheWeeds]

Well then.... I'll just have to avoid eating kudzu .... (that's a joke.)

[abyssquick]

Kudzu is being advertised as reducing alcohol cravings. $12.00 for a bottle of kudzu root extract. This stuff is everywhere.

I used to confuse it with beach pea, but now know better.

[EbolaV1rus]

Wow nice, I had no idea you could eat kudzu. When I lived in southeast Georgia, I was constantly doing battle with this plant. I did however love the smell of the flowers...they smell just like grape soda. I do know that it makes and excellent animal fodder. There is hope though! The bacteria Myrothecium verrucaria is very successful at eradicating kudzu..it won't be long until it's on the market I'm sure.

[waypasthadenough]

I once read the best way to mulch kudzu is with concrete blocks.

[zeno57]

LIve green,,,dont use a car[walk] ,,dont use elecricity in your home,,[ be cold and in the dark] Dont eat food from a farm that uses a tractor,,,No,, I will keep my lifestyle the way it is if the govt. does not cap and trade tax my energy too much.

[NWforager]

ah. Understood. most people dont feel an issue is important until it hits the pocketbook. Keep in mind ,there are more options than just 2 extremes Zeno {car or walk} . Our great grand folks did well without our current addictions. Our Children will do fine without them too =)

[waypasthadenough]

Please sir, I grew up on a farm, basically raised by my grandparents who were both born in 'horse and buggy days' when the military was trying to figure out what to do with airplanes.

60 years ago most roads were dirt. My grandparents and lots of older folks around here never saw the ocean, never traveled very far at all. They basically subsisted.

I hoed enough tobacco and garden in the hot sun as a child to have no romantic illusions about it. Don't cheat future generations.

[Jefferdaughter]

@zeno57 - The concept that the only choice is between hard labor and shivering in the dark - or an eco-destructive lifestyle is a lie. A little investigation would show you what I mean, if you are inclined to explore.

[balxxxbaz]

I hope you made sure it didnt follow you home

[reprkushion]

what about mature leaves for ash bread or other "baking" in a fire pit.

[EatTheWeeds]

You could wrap edibles in the older leaves, which can be quite handy.

[beautifulsenseless]

Man, I sure love your videos. Its neat to see some of the plants down south. I'm from Ontario, Canada and we don't have some of the crazy plants you have, or if we do, they are totally different in appearance(such as dandelions). Thank you so much, please keep em coming.

[EatTheWeeds]

I am somewhat south focused, but a lot of my plants on my site are also in Canada. Plus, since I grew up in Maine I also have some plants from there as well.

[ohhyeahzulu]

i had no idea you can eat kudzu. i have to try it now! kudzu is a big problem here in south carilina it is impossible to get rid of.

[EatTheWeeds]

Young and tender is always the rule to follow except, oddly, with agave plants (they get better with age.)

[possumberry]

Bravo!

It certainly does resemble poison ivy...I suppose one could look for the hairs on the ends of the leaves and stems without actually touching it...? (I'm horribly allergic to poison ivy!)

as excellent as ever. :)

[EatTheWeeds]

Thank you,,,, I'd like to say kudzu is larger than poison ivy but here in Florida poison ivy on trees can grow huge leaves, seven or eight inches long. Poison ivy often has red stems, leaves are often shiny.

[jokertim777]

Great job Green Deane!

[Snowwarrior]

hahaha awesome intro

[EatTheWeeds]

Thanks.... I'm recovering from it.....

[scutter4christ]

As a true southerner, your into made me laugh a great deal. :o)

I completely understand. :o)

My ex once told me that a great horror film would be one where the star, was actually, Kudzu.

Interesting to find out that it's edible.

I am wondering, could one can it like other vegetables?

[EatTheWeeds]

Yes, you can "can" kudzu, use the procedure for spinach... Kudzu does indeed aim to take over the temperate and tropical world.

[EatTheWeeds]

Or a heart attack from all that running...

[MadBadVoodo]

Five Stars!!

[EatTheWeeds]

Thanks... I almost saw stars....

[19countryboy71]

Nice video. I cut some of the thicker vines a long time ago and it is very very soft and easy to cut but it is very strong at the same time. I cut one about 3 foot long and it was about 3 inches in dia. and you can not break it or bust it up it will only sratch up the outside of it.

[herviews]

LOL...Great intro; I expected the vine to wrap itself around your legs and pull you in the underbrush. Be careful out there; dem dere weeds may just eat you.

[EatTheWeeds]

Thanks... I didn't know how it would come off....

[EatTheWeeds]

That would have been a great exit being dragged into the bush... but I'd have to find some folks to help me and this is a one-man operation...

[feralkevin]

I've always been fascinated by Kudzu. It also fixes nitrogen in the soil and provides lots of biomass for compost and mulch. To get around the texture issue, I think I'd try feeding it to the goats or sheep. Of course, we don't have Kudzu here.

I'd very much like to see you harvest and eat the root of the plant. What time of year should that be done?

[EatTheWeeds]

The roots grows all the time so any time you can get it you can eat it. I favor the mesolith approach even though I do a lot of cooking. I try to figure out how to eat the food without the used of pots and pans. Roasting roots in some fashion usually works well.

[civildisorder44]

I love your videos man! I put them on my ipod touch then watch them in the field when I need help identifying a plant

Your the man!!!

[orionz51]

great video dean

 always remember the government is always right! ha ! ha! ha!

[Magician505]

HAHAH! i mean.... OH NO! NOT KUDZU!!!!! anyway, nice video, as always, i remember being it TN and seeing this stuff EVERYWHERE! I have also heard that kudzu can grow up to three feet in one night with the right conditions! this plant is crazy!

[BrianShaneRushton]

I'm looking at pictures of kudzu on google images right, it's wild how much it takes over everything.

[theracemixer]

Nice to see you again.

Why not juice it ?

[EatTheWeeds]

You could. I don't have one so it didn't cross my mind. Sorry.