Around Central and Northern California, one of the obvious potential late Fall - Winter survival foods is the bright red berry of the Toyon bush.

The literature and some instructors have indicated that the raw berries should be eaten rarely if at all, and that instead the berries should be mashed in boiling water or parched / roasted before being used as is or ground to powder to use as a flour or as an additive to other foods. Supposedly cooked Toyon makes a citrusy-tasting "ade" in liquid form, is a sort of riasin by itself, and adds a somewhat tart / citrusy taste to other cooked foods.

Anybody have any experience eating Toyon berries?

Do you have a comparable Winter resource in your area?

My parents have 20' or more row of these at their house.

The needles are HUGE and sharp!

We have a tree with similar berries up here in the mountains... I`ll ahve to post some pics when I get time they are bright!

-Todd

Toyon are a conspicuous plant in coastal Southern California oand on the Channel Islands.

I have never tried them for food.

We've got a Toyon bush in the back yard. Birds eat them, rabbits eat them -- I've never tried them.

Successfully harvested two gallon freezer bags full of toyon berries. On to the preparation and tasting experiments!

Thanks dweste. I see them everywhere, good to know what they are. Wiki mentioned the NA use of the leaves as tea for upset stomach. Interesting.