History Untold: Wild edible plants helped sustain South Texas natives

SAN ANTONIO – A stroll via Mission San Juan reveals the wealthy panorama that helped maintain the San Antonio area’s early settlers.

From cactus to Texas persimmons to mesquite bushes — all of those native edible crops and bushes helped maintain the early settlers and proceed to develop in our backyards.

Park Ranger Chantelle Ruidant-Hansen gave KSAT a tour of the paths of Mission San Juan, the place wild berries and grapes cowl the realm.

“We have now so many issues in our pure surroundings that do develop very well. And I believe they have to be appreciated extra and explored,” Ruidant-Hansen stated.

She identified one thing nonetheless recognized within the Tex-Mex menu — nopales and tunas, or cactus and prickly pears.

“It has the feel of a inexperienced bean, the place it has a chew. There’s a cactusy slime when you don’t prepare dinner it the appropriate approach,” Ruidant-Hansen stated.

The tunas come from the flowers and have quite a lot of seeds. They had been a favourite among the many natives, the park ranger stated.

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Ruidant-Hansen additionally identified wild onions and Texas persimmons. Beans from the mesquite tree had been used to make flour, which is excessive in protein and fiber. It’s nonetheless offered at this time.

Mustard grapes cowl the bushes alongside the path, as do mock berries, agarita berries and mulberries.

“Whereas we would suppose it’s actually bitter, proper? Wow, this can be a fruit, nevertheless it doesn’t style very candy. For them, these are among the sweetest issues they’re tasting,” Ruidant-Hansen stated concerning the native settlers.

A part of her purpose for changing into a park ranger in her native hometown was to assist enlighten others concerning the wealthy pure wildlife on this space.

“We’re most likely not going to make dinners out of the issues I confirmed you at this time. For me, it’s an appreciation of the character and the great thing about San Antonio,” Ruidant-Hansen stated. “I hope that, you already know, folks will study extra about this after which admire the place they’re from.”

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Click on right here to study extra concerning the trails and the missions’ historical past.

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