Wild EDIBLE AND MEDICINAL? Black Nightshade (Solanum Nigrum)

This plant is one of the most common wild edible foods in the world. But it does have that deadly lookalike. We will look at both and share a little on how to differentiate the two. It is always wise to compare wild edibles with at least two to three different wild food guidebooks before eating.

[@susangichuhi]

Black nightshade leaves are an East African staple, especially in Kenya. We eat it with ugali, which is a cornstarch meal. Usually we'll mix with other 'weedy' vegetables like amaranth and others. I had it for dinner last night.

[@HealthAndHomestead]

Thanks Susan. It is interesting that in much of the world it is a common to eat it but in the US it is almost unknown.

[@EvilMonkey8366]

Thank you for sharing!

[@hOurworld11]

Thankyou for that. Comments are a great source of information.

[@yoshomizuno4428]

We had a question about the leaves, can you eat them raw?

[@susangichuhi]

@@yoshomizuno4428 the leaves are quite bitter, I'm not sure if they can be eaten raw, we never do. Actually they are best mixed with amaranth to neutralize the bitterness

[@knittersknots]

I’m going to school to become a herbalist right now but the thing I really want to learn more about is identifying common “weeds” that a person can eat from their backyard if necessary. You have already made some videos about some of these herbs but there has to be lots more out there.

[@HealthAndHomestead]

More will be coming! Thanks

[@skylovecraft2491]

You can learn it all on your own. You don't need school. I did it

[@ClemonsTV]

Same here

[@ClemonsTV]

Im adding this plant to my apothecary

[@tresaalfrey4704]

What school are you going to?? Im in ca & just learning! Taking nutrition classes & want to learn the holistic medicine’s!

[@Marx2778]

these are less sweet than a good fresh tomato...but they take sugar easily and make excellent pie and dumplings....and the colour is like none other

[@dianababu1]

In South india we used the leaves for making chutney. Some onions, tomatos, garlic, green chilli, tamarind. Will fry all together then grind it.... Its taste good if u eat with rice.... Good for mouth ulcer and kills stomach worms.

[@solanaceae2069]

Sounds delicious - many of the best medicines are also foods - food is medicine

[@smoochysmoochy7267]

These berries r growing wild n my yard. YEAH. I eat the black berries and find them quite tasty

[@infinitymaster8872]

Thanks for the information. Thry appeared in my garden all of a sudden

[@HealthAndHomestead]

Mine too. Well at least on my property.

[@kickboxer8173]

me too

[@diybygraciously]

Same here. I thought at first it was a peppee plant growing on my planter.

[@Coins24-7]

You should talk more about the other lookalikes like climbing nightshade and hairy nightshade ext.

[@jahanzaib4875]

Good convincing communication skill you have along with knowledge.

[@navajo6931]

The leaves and berries yoiu can make soup or fry so tasty

[@alittlewonderful]

My mom used to use edible black night shade greens for congee but stopped when I told her the existence of the poisonous lookalike. I miss eating the edible kind :(

[@esteedle]

Please convince her to try again, its very easy to tell the difference between Atropa belladonna and Solanum nigrum (black nightshade) im growing some right now!

[@Divinespiritjess]

Hello! Thanks for this vital information. Can you please share the (3) Book References that you mentioned here?

[@solanaceae2069]

Nightshades: Can never have too many

[@delgofer-3209]

It is a pity that you didn't show also difference between Solanum nigrum and Solanum americanum. They are very similar but not same. It would be very nice to know the difference.

[@tallgeek1131]

I agree with tomatoes. I like them cooked but not really in the raw

[@reedy8585]

You should try a bit of sea salt on your fresh tomatoes I like maldon sea salt it's think and flakey so you get a good texturing of the flavours

[@austinfisheroutdoors]

I'm a college student, is it possible for you to compile a list of books you recommend for plants?

[@simplysavvylife]

I thought i had potato berries but upon further research it seems to be black nightshade. Grew potato & tomato in the same planter last year , this plant came up on its own this year..i assumed it was potato returning but the flowers & berries threw me off. When i read potatoes can have berries i thought that was it but upon further investigation my berries seem much smaller than potato berries & definitely fit the black nightshade appearance. Small berries in abundant clusters roughly similar in size to blueberries. If thats what they are id love to utilize them somehow

[@bryanp4827]

Typical of the tomato family, grow, die, look horrible until you disturb the soil or replant again, and yes, they are tasty little guys!👍

[@cjandauntieyaya1446]

Have a bunch of wild plants in one of my little garden areas that has a lot of water. Ate three ripened berries. Was disappointed that they don't taste like sweet berries, but they weren't bitter or nasty tasting. Just not sweet like a blueberry, etc... I'm still alive, BTW, so I'm pretty sure I got the good berries. Gonna see how well they taste when they are fried up with onions and garlic.

[@MandanaBayani]

Can you please list the books mentioned in this video?

[@robjoemama2466]

Can you please list those books you mentioned?

[@johnhenryjanning8927]

Wonder berries as if I wonder if I can eat it

[@jimsnorgleson]

They do have a tomato taste.

[@falihmulyana]

In Sundanese they're called Leunca.

[@HealthAndHomestead]

Do you live in Sudan?

[@falihmulyana]

@@HealthAndHomestead no. Sundanese is ethnicity from Java, Indonesia.

[@MWAnderson73]

I’m like you, Chad, I don’t like tomatoes. I can’t even eat them. I gag. lol

[@bananieldiamonds1921]

i find that they have a fruit loop flavor

[@andrallyn4888]

Its consumed in India. Its used to treat ulcer in south india. Just curious, if the black nightshade microgreens are edible? usually nightshade microgreens r not. if u ve any info, pls share.

[@HealthAndHomestead]

I do not know, sorry.

[@andrallyn4888]

@@HealthAndHomestead no worries.. thanks for the reply!

[@vsansanv29101_sd]

@@andrallyn4888 sir for what problems we can use this fruit.fruit or leaf sir also my servent got ulcer can she take

[@motherhoodsbeauty9279]

I don’t care if you don’t like tomatoes, you need show us it’s edible by eating some.

[@carrieteal4886]

Can you please post the names of the books/authors that you mentioned ? Thank you

[@HealthAndHomestead]

Samuel Thayer has three books that are some of the best out there. "Nature's Garden," "The Forager's Harvest," and "Incredible Wild Edibles." Another book that is a great for beginners book is by John Kallas. He wrote a book called, "Edible Wild Plants." These books will not have as many plants in them as a standard field guide but they will have many more pics and much more detail on each plant. They will generally tell you if there are poisonous lookalikes also.

[@carrieteal4886]

@@HealthAndHomestead thank you

[@HealthAndHomestead]

@@carrieteal4886 You are welcome.

[@FullmoonEffects89]

Thanks to google lens i finally found out what this is. I love eating the leaves just boiled with salt and crushed red pepper. It makes a great soup with the perfect hint of bitterness.

[@wolen13_12]

How long do you boil the leaves for

[@sanjum1108]

In india, we call it "makoy" - we make tasty dish with the leafs.

[@HealthAndHomestead]

Nice.

[@lclaire888]

Berries don't taste like tomatoes. When it's well ripened, it's blue tone black and a bit sweet without much of scent or acidic at all. Very nutritious. What I didn't know though, leaves are edible as well. I have so many sprouts growing in my backyard now, I will sure try some leaves this year.

[@hopehope5314]

Leaves are cooked and eaten I grew up eating this

[@222mmax]

Thank you. Yes I have these plants in the garden. But to be sure I have to test it several different ways little by little. I squeezed a black fruit in my hand and so far no problem. I also smelled it no problem. Maybe tomorrow I will squeeze another black one and apply some of the juice on top of my hand and the next day move up and up and up and up to my lips each day. Birds eat them but I'm not a bird so I need to be careful. Also when I squeezed it, it was soft and juicy with little seeds like mini tomato seeds in it. Thank you God bless you Maranatha

[@maryfolks9368]

I've got one growing in my back yard and I'm pretty sure it's the non poisonous one, I hope. I live in central Oklahoma and the Cherokee Indians lived here too so I'm really hoping these are the same that they ate. God bless you and Maranatha 🤗🤗🤗

[@leenaright3949]

Dang !! I have arthritis in my neck and joints but I make a point to eat a lot of fried green tomatoes every summer, they are soon good. ( Not giving up my green tomatoes so I guess I'll just have to deal with the pain ! ) Does cooking reduce the harmful ingredients ? I also use green tomatoes when canning chow-chow each summer. 🌷

[@lekis57]

These are amazing for lowering blood sugar and arthritis. I grow them

[@goatmoag]

Yeah, not a big fan of tomato either. Though the older I get (I'm getting pretty old) the more tolerant I get of them, especially mixed with things (sandwiches, salads, etc.). Still have a hard time eating them solo. Love just about anything cooked down for sure (except stewed).

[@xdgaming952]

I came here cuz in one of my pots it grew wildly or idk how.. but we let it grow and saw it bearing fruits.. i took the google photo and found out its name, but then it was confusing when google stated benefits and on the other side it said, toxic..or even fatal..

[@RisenFromDarkness_1880]

I enjoy the berries and just eat the berries. I've heard of people in other countries that eat the leaves mostly.

[@LavenderValley777]

I'm an Indian.. our ancestors used this plant leaves and fruits for curries and fryums... But I'm afraid to use it bcz of this kind of look alike

[@simplysavvylife]

From what I've seen so far pretty easy to tell the difference. The good ones grow in clusters while the poisonous berries grow singularly .

[@soinda87]

Kenyan, most of East Africa as vegetables. India too

[@HealthAndHomestead]

Thanks for sharing.

[@salmaabdelbassit1884]

are the red ones good to eat ?

[@knittersknots]

If you started a school teaching people to come learn, identity and eat herbs from the land, I am guessing you would have lots of people signing up!

[@HealthAndHomestead]

Great thoughts Janna. Maybe I will do a class sometime in the future about wild edibles. Blessings.

[@balasundarambalu103]

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[@vsansanv29101_sd]

sir its health benefit

[@beetlessrantz6688]

Just ate some while watching this, I'm a smoker and have bronchitis and it immediately made me cough flem up and I can breath deeper... no I'm not a rat lol

[@idipped2521]

Erigeron anuus tea can help cough things up too but be careful because it can also make you vomit

[@ibraheemtalash5094]

In Hippocratic medicine it's hydrosol is used

[@steeltalon105]

Thanks for the information in your video, I have a black nightshade that all the sudden popped up in my flower garden, I'm definitely keeping it as it's beautiful and perhaps I'll try a berry as it matches perfectly the safe and not deadly form 😀

[@diboakale3461]

We call it njama njama and it's a staple in my mother's area

[@kashamkhan106]

Sir i have mild liver scarring and liver inflammation. Does this plant help for liver scarring and liver inflammation?

[@lekis57]

Yes

[@jennyknopps1291]

You can also take a photo and use Google lens.

[@soinda87]

We call this one hybrid we have an indigenous one with smaller seeds.

[@HealthAndHomestead]

Interesting.

[@shao_kahn730]

Idk if you'll see it, but are the seeds green? I have some growing on the fence with some red berries instead of green and i opened the purple/black one it had green seeds in it