Cattails - The Supermarket of the Swamp

This week we were off to The Great Vly Swamp, which straddles the Ulster-Greene County border near West Camp, New York. I have to mention that Alec filled in for Amy this week on the camera, and I think did a fine job for his first time!

So, what is in the swamp in late-May? Cattails! Specifically, the stalks, or hearts. The Cattail has been referred to as the supermarket of the swamp, as it offers us so many different things. Cattail sprouts, Flour from Cattail roots, Cattail hearts, Cattail-on-the-cob (more on that in a few weeks), and Cattail pollen.

I know that most people are familiar with the common Cattail, and probably know a few places where you see them growing in late summer with their large brown sausage-shaped seed heads. In late May in the Hudson Valley, the Cattails are about 3-4 feet high already, and have not produced anything but their distinctive leaves yet. This is the perfect time to harvest the hearts. Find a tall Cattail plant, and fold the two largest leaves away. Grasp the remaining leaves as low as you can reach, and give a steady, firm pull. The inner leaves should pull out of the plant with about 4 to 8 inches of white at the bottom. This white section is what we're after. We only want the solid middle, so peel away any outer layers. The longer stalks when you are done will vary in thickness at each bamboo-like joint after being peeled. If you give your harvest a little sniff, you will be rewarded with a fresh-smelling combination of celery and cucumber. Try to only pick where abundant, so that you can leave plenty for the next stage of development.

Make sure you have Cattail and not iris. Irises are more flat looking, and will not produce the hearts as pictured here. Cattail hearts can be eaten raw, after being washed and trimmed. The flavor is somewhat like a celery-cucumber-zucchini mix. You can cook them by sauteing in a little olive oil and garlic, or add to soups or stews a few minutes before serving. I like to prepare them like cucumber salad. I slice them into small pieces, blanch them quickly in boiling water (about 1-2 minutes) and immediately plunge into cold water. Then I let them sit in a mixture of wine vinegar, water, honey, slivered red onion, and Italian spices, for at least a day.

In a few weeks, we will return to the swamp for the immature seed heads. This will be a new experience for me, so be sure to check back. I also noticed some Mayapple growing near the boat launch, so we'll have to keep an eye on that through the summer. As always, please forage away from roads, and other sources of pollution. Be sure bring insect repellent, something to collect your harvest in, and don't over pick. See you on the trail!