# Survival > Foraging & Wild Edibles >  Universal Edibility Test for Plants

## Beo

There are many plants throughout the world. Tasting or swallowing even a small portion of some can cause severe discomfort, extreme internal disorders, and even death. Therefore, if you have the slightest doubt about a plant's edibility, apply the Universal Edibility Test before eating any portion of it. 

*1* Test only one part of a potential food plant at a time. 
*2* Separate the plant into its basic components - leaves, stems, roots, buds, and flowers. 
*3* Smell the food for strong or acid odors. Remember, smell alone does not indicate a plant is edible or inedible. 
*4* Do not eat for 8 hours before starting the test. 
*5* During the 8 hours you abstain from eating, test for contact poisoning by placing a piece of the plant part you are testing on the inside of your elbow or wrist. Usually 15 minutes is enough time to allow for a reaction. 
*6* During the test period, take nothing by mouth except purified water and the plant part you are testing. 
*7* Select a small portion of a single part and prepare it the way you plan to eat it. 
*8* Before placing the prepared plant part in your mouth, touch a small portion (a pinch) to the outer surface of your lip to test for burning or itching. 
*9* If after 3 minutes there is no reaction on your lip, place the plant part on your tongue, holding it there for 15 minutes. 
*10* If there is no reaction, thoroughly chew a pinch and hold it in your mouth for 15 minutes. Do not swallow. 
*11* If no burning, itching, numbing, stinging, or other irritation occurs during the 15 minutes, swallow the food. 
*12* Wait 8 hours. If any ill effects occur during this period, induce vomiting and drink a lot of water. 
*13* If no ill effects occur, eat 0.25 cup of the same plant part prepared the same way. Wait another 8 hours. If no ill effects occur, the plant part as prepared is safe for eating. 

CAUTION
Test all parts of the plant for edibility, as some plants have both edible and inedible parts. Do not assume that a part that proved edible when cooked is also edible when raw. Test the part raw to ensure edibility before eating raw. The same part or plant may produce varying reactions in different individuals.

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## Assassin Pilot

They have this one the main site. But it is always a useful reminder. Knowing me, I would just lick it first and wait 5 minutes before eating the whole thing (assuming I am within reach of a hospital)

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## wareagle69

i don't agree with the test, i think research and seeking out competent teachers is the only way to go.

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## hermitman

I have to agree with WE something like that could kill you and if you know what your doing than you shouldn't need that test.

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## Stealth

or just tell your friend its edible and if they live its good to eat

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## canid

the idea of this test is not that it's safe, but that it's safer. it can still get you dead; particularly with hepatotoxins such as the pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which will cause progressive liver damage in quantities too small to cause acute poisoning but some of which accumulate as they are not rapidly eliminated by the kidneys.

it is not valid for many plant toxins and is certainly not valid for the mushroom toxins such as amatoxins.

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## trax

> or just tell your friend its edible and if they live its good to eat


I'm suspecting you don't have a whole lot of friends, do you Stealth? Just a guess.... :Big Grin:   :Big Grin:

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## nell67

> I'm suspecting you don't have a whole lot of friends, do you Stealth? Just a guess....


He USED to have a truck load of friends,till he took them out walkin in the woods one day! :EEK!:

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## Tony uk

We should see if it works by trying it on Rick.

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## nell67

Tony,dont pick on Rick when he isn't here to defend himself!,that ain't right,LOL!

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## Tony uk

> Tony,dont pick on Rick when he isn't here to defend himself!,that ain't right,LOL!


Im not picking on him, i am suggesting a experiment LOL  :Stick Out Tongue:

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## Rick

I AM the Minister of Science. I WILL conduct ALL experiments. Now, hand me those plants. They look yummy!

I think folks are missing the point on the edibility test. It is for military survival on foreign soil. Someplace you won't have the ability to receive training for from competent folks (usually). It COULD be eat or die so it's a way to avoid the latter.

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## corndog-44

Universal Edibility Test....Try it with poison ivy or poison oak, re-action does not always happen within 15 minutes, go ahead and taste it. So, that's wild carrot but you're not sure...try the test. If it's poison hemlock you don't have much time left. In other words...I don't trust the Universl Edibility Test.

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## Stealth

> I'm suspecting you don't have a whole lot of friends, do you Stealth? Just a guess....


its true :Frown:  
will _you_ be my friend? :Stick Out Tongue:

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## trax

> its true 
> will _you_ be my friend?


Sure, but I'll be declining any salad or vegetable offerings.....

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## Tony uk

> its true 
> will _you_ be my friend?


I'll be your friend  :Big Grin:

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## Assassin Pilot

> I AM the Minister of Science. I WILL conduct ALL experiments. Now, hand me those plants. They look yummy!
> 
> I think folks are missing the point on the edibility test. It is for military survival on foreign soil. Someplace you won't have the ability to receive training for from competent folks (usually). It COULD be eat or die so it's a way to avoid the latter.


alright. For the first experiment, here are a bunch of red mushrooms with white dots. They look pretty good. Just ignore the dead animal blood, some dog ate part of it and started throwing up his own blood after 7 minutes (he passed out immediately)

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## dilligaf2u2

Give it to Mikey, He will eat anything! 

He eats that dang over-processed cereal doesn't he! 

Don

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## Tony uk

> Give it to Mikey, He will eat anything! 
> 
> He eats that dang over-processed cereal doesn't he! 
> 
> Don


NINE !

I will be the one eatting the tastey prossesed foodstufs on here thankyou

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## Last Mohican

If tofu won't kill you then nothing will.

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## wareagle69

> alright. For the first experiment, here are a bunch of red mushrooms with white dots. They look pretty good. Just ignore the dead animal blood, some dog ate part of it and started throwing up his own blood after 7 minutes (he passed out immediately)


red mushrooms with white dots? sounds like the fly agaric from the amanita family will not kill you but will give you a good case of the runs..

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## nell67

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum. *FLY AGARIC* (_Amanita muscaria_) is larger & more colourful than the other "'shrooms". It is very common in Nova Scotian forests, especially beneath evergreens. Like OTHER AMANITA SPECIES, some of which are *DEADLY*, Fly Agaric begins with a button stage, when it is covered by a universal membrane, or veil. 
At this early stage, Fly Agaric is virtually indistinguishable from other, deadly Amanita fungi. There is a *SERIOUS RISK* of confusing the species, with *FATAL* results.
As the fungus matures, the veil shatters, leaving a ring on the stem and revealing a colourful cap ranging from yellow, to rose, to deep red. White, wart-like patches develop on the cap, and there is a growth called a *volva or death cup* at the base of the stem. 
Squirrels & other rodents often feed on Fly Agaric, but this *does not* mean the fungus is edible by humans. While ingestion of a single mushroom may cause no lasting effects, consumption of ten or more is considered *FATAL*.~~~

Not putting this one on the table any time soon,I'm betting the "cunsumption of 10 or more" is based on the height/weight of the average adult male,and it would take far less for a child/older adult,smaller adult,or those with diseases that reduce the bodies ability to eliminate toxins in lesser amounts from the system.

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## wareagle69

every one can react differently to the shrooms, i could eat ten oyster mushrroms and crave more and you could eat one and be on the jonh d for a while

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## nell67

> every one can react differently to the shrooms, i could eat ten oyster mushrroms and crave more and you could eat one and be on the jonh d for a while


Very true wareagle.

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## Tony uk

> If tofu won't kill you then nothing will.


 :EEK!:  I Am INVINCIBLE  :Big Grin:

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## narcolepticpug

amanita muscaria are great... eat a few grams and you will enjoy your outdoor experience, minus the nausea and runny nose you will feel like alice in wonderland... hahaha

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## Proud American

The edibility test is not fool proof, there are always exeptions.It still is the best way to find out if a plant is edible though or it wouldnt be in Army field manuels like my Ranger handbook!
 But the edibility test takes awhile and thats what i dont like. It takes a whole 24+ hours to do it correctly. Then your snares take awhile to catch things. All in all you willl probably be verry hungry for the first part of your survivlal eperience. But at least youl live!

On the mushroom issue I say, that mushroom says "eat at own risk" all over!

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## Rick

Proud - You can generally find common things to eat like insects. However, if you were in a area you have never been in and surrounded by vegetation you've never been around then remember your rule of threes. 

You can survive: 

3 minutes without air
3 hours without shelter
3 days without water
3 weeks without food

It is far better to take a day or so to test food you have never eaten than to eat something that will cause illness or worse. You won't starve to death over a couple of days.

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## wareagle69

that is why you do not just buy the book and stick it in your ruck sack.Educate yourself about wild edibles and mushrooms this takes years but then once educated you won't have to go hungry at all

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## Rick

I think knowing the test would be handy if you got lost in Belize or South Africa or the Marshall Islands or any of a zillion other places you've never been to. I would hate to find myself lost on a day hike in New Zealand and say, "Oh, look cattails. aaaarrgggggghhh."

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## Proud American

Rick that is what i said, youll be hungry but you live. Also 3 hours without shelter how harsh of a climate is that? Also i know this has been asked and answered before, but arent insects tecnicaly animals of opputunity. Or was that some other thing?

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## Rick

The rule of 3s is a general guideline to help you remember priorities. Shelter may not be a problem when it's 75 degrees and plenty of shade but humans don't do well outside a narrow temperature band. You can die of hypothermia in 60F weather if the conditions are right (wet clothes, strong breeze, can't get dry). 

I'm not certain on the insects. They would be targets of opportunity for me if I were hungry.

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## Assassin Pilot

Almost all insects are non-poisonous. However, they may have sharp parts that you would want to remove first. Also, generally in nature if something is red, it means "poison". That is pretty much all you need to know on insects (6 legged creatures)

But when it gets to more than 6 legs, then you will start having issues w/ edibility.....

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## Rick

Poisonous Plants, Animals and Anthropods: 

http://www.pp.okstate.edu/ehs/links/poison.htm

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## Tony uk

Nice Link Rick  :Smile:

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## grazer

Better have a half-dozen buddies with you to try all the parts of an oleander!

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## erunkiswldrnssurvival

Trying an unknown plant for edibility we all agree is a reason to be extremly cautious.
If I need food i often search for plants or trees that i am familiar with. for example,
the seeds of the maple tree are edible(if boiled to remove the tannins)the buds of the limb tips are also edible(if boiled to remove the tannins). The Burdock plant is a good pot herb, but the seeds from that plant are even better.the bark of the burdock root is inedible (but you can roast it ,then grind it into a powder then eat it) The calendine plant (toxic leaves and stems) has perfectly edible oil packed seeds. The pine tree, has edible buds, vitamin c in the needles and sugar in the root bark. BY 
crushing the root bark in cold water, the fiberous bark releases the surag into the water. there is so many known foods out there i dont see much need to try something that i am unfamiliar with. if i try something new  i research it first in a home setting and i really avoid taking chances. I love wild mushrooms but i re-identify
in a book every one that i pick, before i decide to  test and or eat. Signed;Eugene Runkis

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## erunkiswldrnssurvival

And where Insects are concerned, I again use what i know. The basic few are;
termites, ant larvae, wasp larvae, wood grubs, earth worms,most grasshoppers,(red striped giant locusts are not good), Scorpions, and mealy worms are realy all you need to think about eating, thats enough bugs to keep you busy.beetles i usualy stay away from, but some of them are ok to eat(if they dont stink or display bright colors). :Smile:

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## Rick

You might if you found yourself in unfamiliar territory surrounded by unknown plants. The test was designed for soldiers in that situation but can easily apply to civilians since travel is so easy today. 

Welcome to the forum. Why not hit the Introduction section and tell us a bit about yourself. 

You'll find tons of information on eating plants, fungi and insects in the forum.

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## Ole WV Coot

No more draft, way too old so I will only eat the greens Grandma picked every spring. Older they are easier to identify, some jump out at you. I don't plan on being anywhere I am not familiar with the local plants, no jungle, no desert. East of the Mississippi I can make it. I gotta go with erunkiswldrnssurvival on this one.

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## Jericho117

I will NEVER use this test, maybe not even in survival. Imagine if I were lost in the woods and I so happened to come across a patch of grass field, and I was beyond hungry (pretend I didn't know what I was doing), but, I knew how to carry out this universal edibility tests from some televison show or something. I find this plant that looks edible growing in the grass field, and now im so hungry I just apply the tests to this plant, and I end up trying a small portion of Water Hemlock...................... This never happened im just telling a possible situation. There are plants where one small portion of it can kill you. This is more SAS survival stuff, not primitive knowledge gained from experience. I don't know it's just my opinion.

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## Jay

One thing I always stress to my students is to leave the mushroom strictly alone.  Too many look alikes.  Even so called experts have poisoned themselves.  Besides in our jungles there are lots of other plants, roots, fruit, etc to eat.  

I had a bad experience with a grasshopper in 2006.  symtoms appeared about a month after I had eaten it. (diarriah) went on for about 6 weeks.  The doc traced it to some kind of bacteria??? found in the grasshopper.  Had to take massive doses of antibiotics. Funny thin is I had eaten these grasshoppers plenty of times before.  Cant figure it out.

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## trax

only eat grasshoppers that are wearing little tiny rubber boots on their little tiny grasshopping legs cuz then you know they practiced safe grasshopping.

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## wareagle69

well in my humble opinion i beleive that if you prepare properly then if you find yourself in a situation you will have the basics down pat then you will not have to experiment in your time of need, the situation will be stressful enough, so prepare now people and make your life easier.

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## Jay

> only eat grasshoppers that are wearing little tiny rubber boots on their little tiny grasshopping legs cuz then you know they practiced safe grasshopping.


Trax,  One of these days I'm going to invite you over here and.............

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## Rick

I don't care how well you prepare you can always find yourself in unfamiliar surroundings with a simple stroke of bad luck or a slight lapse in judgement. I agree with WE that preparation is essential but you could still find yourself in unfamiliar flora.

When I was in Arizona this spring I realized I had no knowledge of desert plants. I hadn't thought about it but suddenly realized if something bad happened I had no idea which plants were edible and which weren't. I know I probably wouldn't have been out there very long but just knowing the UET would have given me some options that I otherwise wouldn't have had if bad turned to really bad.

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## Ole WV Coot

If you aren't positive what you might have feed it to your hungry "friend" first and watch him closely. I may not have much variety but it will be safe.

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## Jericho117

Good idea- my friend tyler trusts me enough I might just give him something I have no clue about........

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## erunkiswldrnssurvival

The Bitter Sweet Nightshade is one of those deadly plants . some plants make good pest control but I dont know if the niteshades are among those.

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## BenG2813

Couldn't you just ask the plant politely if it is poisonous?

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## nell67

Hey Ben,I don't think that would work,not many plant whisperers around ,ya know?Plants don't just talk to anyone.

how about heading over to the intro thread and telling us a bit about yourself?

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## wareagle69

this thread has been on my mind for a spell, i have revised my ways of seeing this test, while i have not changed my mind about learning as much as you can about the area you are in or are going to i now see this test as a system that i like to use.
 I have in the last few years become accustomed to learning about plants and more recently learning about plants by identifying a certain part of the plant to point me to the family it belongs to, to help id it. Lets look at mustards, there are no poisonous plants in this family and if you understand what to look for in this family then i will test a plant that i have not fully identified but have identified the family that it comes from.
 So in conclusion i see this test as not just something that is used overseas but also in the local wilds, learning botany is fun.

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## Rick

Good post, WE. Another application. Nice!

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## your_comforting_company

Botany is terrific fun! There is so much to learn right here in my very own yard, it's practically impossible to get bored at my house.
I would say the test is reliable to some extent, BUT you need the information that WE pointed out. Being able to place a plant in a family will let you know something about it's edibility. Some families you don't mess around with, and there are lots of plants like poison ivy that won't cause a reaction for hours. There are a handful of safe plant families, but I have to say there are more unsafe families. Tomatos and Nightshade are in the same family. Wild carrot and poison hemlock are in the same family... Don't go taste testing solanacea or apiaceae family plants and if you don't know the characteristics of those families, I recommend not taste testing period! It might look like a tomatillo, or a carrot, but are you contradictoraly confident??

It came up in a discussion a few days ago with my co-worker. He pointed out that he really didn't know just how many different plants were around here until I started learning about plants. Now he doesn't just see oaks and pines, and weeds, but different resources and dangers.

Personally, I treat any plant that I don't know as if it were poison hemlock, or a loaded gun. Assume it can kill you and you'll not be a victim.

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## wareagle69

i agree YCC, not to run around willy nilly just tasteing plants at random, but i also see that there are some plants and even mushrooms that i have not had a positive id on but still ate (or tested0 bolete being one mushroom, not sure exactly which bolete it was but i do know it was one, same as a weed in my flower bed right now, it is a mustard, can't find which one it is right now, time will tell, but i am doing the test on it, that is what i have revised in my thinking, not as mentioned to just try plants at random.
 One thing i have noticed and i'll use mullien as an example, when talking to people about its leaves, most assume it is unsafe because of the hairyness of it, scared to touch it afraid it might sting or something, that is one example of why i am not worried in a shtf scenario of people coming to the country and eating all the food, but i digress, don't want the point to be about that, just about the UET

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## rwc1969

I will eat plants and mushrooms I've not ID'd to species, but only if I have ID'd them to family and am certain they are not a poisonous species within that family.

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## Pocomoonskyeyes3

Well I'll reply and perhaps that will make it easier for kathrynthegardener to find this thread....
As I stated in the thread KTG started.....




> IMO there is no "safe" edibility test that I am aware of.(Although some books and sites say there are) If someone tried an "Edibility test" on Poison Hemlock, there would be no further tests needed. Poison Hemlock is so poisonous that people have died from blowing on a whistle made from the hollow stem. Knowledge of the most easily identified and abundant species in a given area is the only Safe way to go.


Yes I know military manuals give that info, as well as some who have written books that were ex-military giving the "Rules" for the "Edibility Test". Keep in mind this test was for soldiers in a hostile environment that were possibly E&E- ing from an enemy that wanted to catch or kill them. Their life would already be at risk, and energy to get out of that environment was what would be important. For the Majority of people to use the Edibility test would be as a LAST RESORT ONLY(IOW You're gonna' die if you DON'T eat). I was once a soldier too, and when I thought I might be going to an area I would try and research a few of the potential plants. I did this for potential countries I might be visiting as well. Another thing is a plant that you THINK you know, could appear totally different in another country. In Honduras we were bivouacked in a fruit grove that we THOUGHT were Grapefruit..... they weren't, they were Lemons! Also one part of a plant could be totally safe and another part poisonous.(Like Cashews) Heaven Forbid you chose the wrong part.

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