foraging advice...re: high oxalic acid content at certain times of year dangerous?

[kaybee]

i am trying to forage extra greens but have been told that things like sea spinach and dandelion greens and lots of other things i should only be using at certain times of year because all the sun during the summer makes the oxalic acid content too high and makes them dangerous or something.... this man advised me against using them at this time of year... now, i thought that oxalic acid was only a problem if you were cooking stuff....

anyone know about sea-spinach and if its safe any time of year. others around here have told me its probly ok, but i have also had others be ADAMANT that you can only use certain wild plants during certain seasons of the year...

also, what about nettles?

thanks

kaybee

[Suz58]

Nettles should only be eaten when young, they taste pretty bad if they get too old. If they are cut down and start to grow again you can eat those, but I wouldn't recommend the old, tall ones about to seed.
I can't see a problem with dandelion, the older it is the more bitter it would be, but then I guess taste would mean you eat less.
I don't know anything about sea spinach so can't help on that one.
Suz

[exurb]

I know the Italians who forage for dandelions only do it in the very early spring. Not the midsummer fullgrown dandelions for sure.

In the late fall you can use the root from a large dandelion. It's in the late fall that they have the most nutrients etc according to a Swedish herb expert I know.