American Honey Locust--unlocking the food

Discovering how very delicious North American Honey Locust pods are when still green and juicy. So very sweet and yummy. I've had my trees for a couple of decades, and didn't think much of the dried pods. I didn't ever eat them green, because I feared they might be toxic, that way. But now, having eaten them green and pulpy, I realise what a wonderful delicacy I've had in my own back yard for all these many years. Live and learn! The green pulp could be scooped out with a spoon and used in smoothies, or else mixed in yoghurt or used as an icecream topping.

I read about the Honey Locust--Gleditsia triacanthos--from Bill Mollison and David Holmgren's "Permaculture One". I also read from Stirling Macoboy's "Trees for Fruit and Foliage". I make mention of the thornless variety "inermis".

The North American Honey Locust is available from forestry departments in Australia and in the USA. It is a very frost and drought-hardy tree. Pods have ripened in London. So it can stand quite a cold climate.

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• delicious
• food
• tree
• gleditsia
• triacanthos
• inermis
• Ishmael
• Daniel Quinn
• Permaculture
• Bill Mollison
• David Holmgren
• carob
• beans
• pods
• Stirling Macoboy
• wild food
• usa
• american
• honey locust
• Permaculture One
• Trees for Fruit and Foliage

[crb01l]

I have more of these trees than i care to mention. They do burn very hot. I have been trying to think of ways to capitalize on them for years.

[zuditaka]

@crb01l So you are gonna mill and grind the beans into flour now, maybe? They are a native species to your country, so they are surely an important flora already, in that sense, and part of your country's national flora and fauna heritage. I think the gingerish scent of their spring flowers is very nice, and bees seem to like them. And the thorny ones mean feral cats can't get at the birds, so they are a very important bird shelter tree. Thanks for your comments. ♥

[Gypsymoonhoneyco]

thank you for posting this! What a great tree. I'll be adding one to my yard soon.

[zuditaka]

@Gypsymoonhoneyco Hope it grows well for you. They are very tough and drought-resistant trees, once established. The blossoms have a nice gingerish smell, too. Think about whether you want the usual thorny type, or the thornless "inermis" type. The spikes are pretty vicious on the thorny ones, but it means a safer cat-free home for birds. Of course, you can cut off the lower branches so you don't get spiked in the head if you are lawn-mowing. Good native plant of the USA, too! Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

[crewscecrews]

They also make good livestock feed, pancakes, firewood, fenceposts, and hedgerows if you have the thorny variety. Back in the old days, settlers used to use honeylocust thorns as nails for some buildings. You can also make more ethanol per acre with honeylocust than you can with corn.

[zuditaka]

@crewscecrews That's very interesting! I didn't know about the nails. We hate lawnmowing under the thorny ones in case we get our eyes skewered. But chopping off the lower branches makes for lollipop-shaped trees everywhere.Can't wait to try the juicy pods in a few weeks time. They haven't filled out yet. I have heard of cactus thorns and bamboo splinters being used as gramophone needles in the old days. Have heard of Osage Orange trees being used as hedges for livestock. Thanx for your comment

[crewscecrews]

They also make good livestock feed, pancakes, firewood, fenceposts, and hedgerows if you have the thorny variety. Back in the old days, settlers used to use honeylocust thorns as nails for some buildings.

[zuditaka]

@wogsland That's nice! I have a lot of long green pods that will soon be full of pulp in the next couple of weeks. I'm not gonna let 'em turn into cardboard this time! ♫ ♫ ♫ ♪

[wogsland]

They grow well here in Nebraska, too.

[zuditaka]

@musclesmatthews Those Honey Locusts--native to your country--are SO fantastic! The green pulp is SO delicious, and I missed eating them for years and years coz I just let em dry out like tough cardboard, when I shoulda been eating the sweet and juicy pulp with icecream or salads. If I were you, I'd save the seeds and plant em when you go hiking. We don't have wild serviceberries, here, in Australia. But we have our own native food species. Keep on foraging for free food. You have hickory nuts!