6. Elderberries
Although people are probably spending less time looking for things to eat outdoors than in years past, there are still quite a few folks that enjoy foraging in wooded areas for treats like blueberries, raspberries and other edible things that grow in the wild. Although many people are familiar with elderberry jam or even elderberry wine, it’s important to know that cooking or processing elderberries first is what makes them safe to eat. It’s not a good idea to pick them in the wild and simply eat them since they contain glycosides that can turn into cyanide when they are ingested. As always, it’s important to stick with eating things in the wild that you are absolutely sure about and not taking chances on something that “looks” like it might be tasty or bears a resemblance to something you know is safe to eat.