Haven't eaten Gingko nuts, but have collected Gingko leaves ~ In the Autumn as that's when they are highest in nutrients. I hang them to dry and use as Gingko Tea. Amazing trees. All the more so for their age. 🦋
Haven't eaten Gingko nuts, but have collected Gingko leaves ~ In the Autumn as that's when they are highest in nutrients. I hang them to dry and use as Gingko Tea. Amazing trees. All the more so for their age. 🦋
That's great that you use the Gingko leaves! The trees sure make enough of them! Are you getting them before they turn yellow?
Usually just as they start to turn yellow. I hope I have that right. 🙏
Thanks! I'll have to plan for that next fall. Maybe I will have to do some taste testing - spring to fall.... : )
In Spring the new leaves are soft and tender and you can easily use them in salads: Chopped finely.
But as they get older the leaves become really hard and tough and not so good in salad. Maybe you could steam them. Haven't tried that. Perhaps their nutrients would be destroyed by heating though. 🦋
That matches a lot of tree leaves for eating. I eat quite a few tree leaves in the spring and early summer! Some kinds don't last long in good quality, like river birch and norway maples get too much tannin right away. But others, like american elms or basswood are good for a much longer season. I'll have to swing by my local gingkos this spring. I'll have to do some research on their change in nutrition levels over the spring and summer, too. There's never an end to learning more about using the plants around us! :D