Wild Living with Sunny: Episode 10 - Mesquite Flour

Join Sunny Savage in Tucson, Arizona for the Mesquite harvest! Mesquite is not just for barbeque, it is a leguminous plant, fixing much-needed nitrogen into desert soils, and providing delicious pods. Its similar to the carob in that its really the sweet flesh surrounding the beans that you are after. That said, you can grind the whole pods with beans and all for a delicious and healthy flour.

Learn about Brad Lancaster, his work as a master mesquite harvester and his sustainable lifestyle. Brad is an amazing guy, permaculture enthusiast, and great educator in the Tucson area. He helps run Desert Harvesters, a grassroots organization which promotes, celebrates, and enhances, local food security and production by encouraging the planting of indigenous, food-bearing shade trees. They educate the public on how to harvest and process mesquite pods, and hold mesquite milling events. The calendar of events is on their website: http://desertharvesters.org
Sunnys wild food television series Hot on the Trail with Sunny Savage airs on Veria Network (DISH channel 218 and Verizon FIOS channel 162).
See http://veria.com/hot-on-the-trail.html for show times and more information.

Learn more about wild food plants:

Sunny's web blog at http://sunnysavage.com

Sunny's wild food site at http://wildfoodplants.com

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• living wild
• bushcraft
• wild edibles
• in
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• harvest
• cooking
• edible
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• mesquite
• pods
• beans
• Sonoran
• desert
• Brad Lancaster
• rainwater
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• Permaculture
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• high desert

[josephdupont]

wow this is great I have some growing on my property in pecos texas.

[sunnysavage]

*yey* hope u can get out there and forage for some this year. The flour is really delicious...and there's a recipe for a yummy drink on my website using agave nectar, orange rinds, and cinnamon.

cheers, ~sunny

[jbloch69]

As a child being taught how to make cakes i was taught to put flour through a normal seive with a wooden spoon to work as a hand. rose macaskie.

[greendaypic]

I can't believe you just took a bite off of that mesquite bean! Those things are Hard! I live in Yuma Az & have 6 or 7 mesquite trees in my yard. I don't harvest the beans, having them ground into flour just isn't a viable option for me, but I do love the trees for the shade, the smell, and of course for the wood they produce when it's time to prune, excellent for BBQ's, I don't plant them, they re-seed themselves prolifically when I don't get all the beans raked up, seedlings pop-up everywhere!

[ArizonaAdventures]

wow, that was really great information. I had heard you could do this with the pods but, never knew enough to actually feel safe about eating them off a tree. Thanks for making a clear and easy to understand video!

[mistermateriel]

I love the sound the cicada makes. It reminds me of home.

[truevinecube]

You mentioned 3 types of mesquite- velvet, ......, and ---------. (I wrote it down-just don't have it in front of me at the moment). I'm wondering what kind we have here on our land. My main question 4 u is this: what do you know about growing this tree????? My understanding is that the pods can be planted in maybe a 5-gallon pot.......and then successfully transplanted to the ground after..........how much time???? Let me know. I want to share the knowledge you've given to me.

[truevinecube]

Hey. I love the video! Thanks so much. I live on 127 acres in Round Mountain, Texas,,,,,,about an hour west of Austin. We have probably over 1000 mesquites on our property.......and after a bit of research.....I am discovering how valuable this tree really is. The irony is......that like so many other land owners in this region......I"ve spent most of the last year trying to destroy and remove them. I will be more careful not to make that mistake again! tbc.

[dvdsky8]

All hail the amazing Velvet Mesquite tree! Habitat, shade, food and fiber. Mesquite meal ROCKS! Unfortunately I now cannot enjoy "regular" pancakes anymore. Gotta have mesquite flour (and bananas help too). Keep on truckin Sunny, you are doing some great things.

P.S. ~ hey AZ, please please please stop putting in Chilean mequite trees...they're ruining our natives :(

[jgizmo]

Nice series....good links from Brad...I am leaving NY state in the fall to try my hand at desert homesteading in west Texas - will be keeping an eye out for more tips and tricks from you. thanks.