So like me, you've walked by that tree a million times and sure, in the back of your mind you've noticed the pop of color there growing from the bark, but like me, you've also never thought twice about it. Frankly, why would you!

Now the importance of this algae is that in a survival situation it could prove to be extremely valuable to you and vital for your survival because it is, in fact, edible. Now there are about 20,000 species that are growing in the world however only 2 of these are poisonous.

One is called Vulpacida pinastri and the other is called Letharia vulpina. Their common names are the powdered sunshine lichen and the wolf lichen.

Both are colored yellow and as a general rule you should avoid lichens that are yellow or orange. The wolf lichen is greenish yellow and the powdered sunshine lichen is sulfur yellow. It’s the blue and green varieties that are typically safe to eat.

These are all safe to eat! 

When you do find them, I would not recommend eating them raw right off the tree (or rock) that you found them on. The consistency will be like a rubber tire or inner tube, and the taste will be extremely astringent. What you will want to do is harvest them and then prepare them before consumption.

The suggested way to prepare them is to soak them in vinegar for at least 30 minutes and then put them through a water bath for a couple of hours changing out the water periodically. The vinegar will help sanitize the food and get rid of any germs, and the water will help get rid of the astringent harshness.

Then you will simply eat them like you would potato chips.

Nutritional Value

The nutritional value varies, depending on the species and the amount. Generally, lichens have some of the nutritional benefits of a well-known form of algae called “spirulina.” It has vitamins like vitamin K and vitamin C, some carbohydrates and a fairly good calorie count based on the size.

Harvesting Lichens

Older, more mature trees tend to provide the most lichens.

The best tool for lichen collecting is a knife. You have to cut it away from the rocks or trees. They come off simply, but most tree lichens will have some tree bark attached.  The external tree bark of any tree is indigestible, so try to shave it away. I’ve sometimes used my thumbnail to do this.

However, winter presents some unique problems. The lichens are typically frozen. You may want to grab more bark from a tree and deal with it after you’ve soaked it. The same is true for rock lichens.

No matter what you do when you are in survival mode you need to know what is edible and I would hate to think that should the time come you would pass this up simply because you didn't know. It could be the thing that helps keep you going!

Let us know what you think. Have you tried these before or do you have a way to prepare them that we have not mentioned here? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Off The Grid News