Ripe saw palmetto berries
Serenoa Repens: Weed to Wonder Drug
Rotten cheese steeped in tobacco juice
That’s how starving shipwrecked Quakers described the flavor of the saw palmetto berries in 1692, “rotten cheese steeped in tobacco juice.” The account is in a 103-page report on Saw Palmetto written by Dr. Edwin Moses Hale in 1898:
“There is no doubt that the aborigines of the Florida peninsula depended largely upon the berries of the saw palmetto for their food. In a very old book, with a quaint title page, published in 1796, are narrated by Jonathan Dickinson the adventures of a shipload of Quakers who were shipwrecked on the coast of Florida… The shipwreck occurred [24 September] 1696. They were captured by the Jaega Indians, who were believed to be cannibals. After terrible sufferings, a part of the men and women arrived at St. Augustine. Dickinson narrates that on their [capture] they were taken to the wigwam of the “casseky” or chief who “seated himself on his cabin, cross legged, having a basket of palmetto berries brought him, which he eat very greedily.” These Quakers, while with the Indians, nearly starved to death. The only food given them were fish and berries. Their first trial of the berries was not favorable. “We tasted them, but not one among us could suffer them to stay in our mouths, for we could compare the taste of them to nothing else by rotten cheese steeped in tobacco juice. …. of the palm berries we could not bear the taste in our mouths.” Even when almost starving “the Indians offered us some of their berries, which we endeavored to eat but could not; the taste was so irksome and ready to take out breath from us when we tried to eat them.”
Dickenson’s account of the journey
Hale, quoting Dickinson, goes on to say the Quakers did learn to tolerate the berries and the boiled juice of the saw palmetto helped feed and save Dickinson’s infant son. That makes sense: The berry is loaded with oil and sugar. In his book, the good doctor also describes eating them: “The berries are at first exceedingly sweet to the taste, but in a few seconds this is followed by an acrid, pungent sensation that spreads to the fauces, nasal mucous membrane and larynx. This is in turn succeeded by a feeling of smoothness in all those parts, as if they had been coated with oil.” He likened the flavor to butyric acid that grows stronger with age.
Some Internet pundits — no doubt copying each other — call the shipwrecked account about eating the berries humorous. That is woefully misplaced. Their ship, the Reformation, a barkentine sailing from Jamaica to Philadelphia, was wrecked off Jupiter Island, near Hobe Sound, by a hurricane. Twenty survived the wrecking and subsequent “capture.” And though starving they had to wrestle with the idea the Indians wanted to fatten them up for slaughter — cannibals only eat strangers. Released after several weeks of captivity they had to make their way on foot the 230 miles up the coast to St. Augustine, five of them died along the way from starvation and exposure. No food, no water, in a hostile strange land with often hostile natives. Hardly humorous. They were semi-captured as second time by the Ais Indians and endured yet another hurricane. One can still read of the harrowing account in Dickinson’s narrative (abbreviated title) : God’s Protective Providence, Being the Narrative of a Journey from Port Royal in Jamaica to Philadelphia Between August 23 1696 and April 1, 1697. The book was reprinted 16 times in English, and three times each in Dutch and German between 1700 and 1869. Today it is known as Jonathan Dickinson’s Journal. Dickinson, by the way, went on to twice serve as mayor of Philadelphia. There is now an 11,500-acre state park in Florida, the Jonathan Dickinson State Park, about five miles from where they were shipwrecked.
Personally, I think the black ripe berries of the Serenoa repens (sair-ren-NOE-uh REE-penz) tastes like an extremely intense, very long-lasting, exceptionally peppery piece of blue cheese. It is also very close in flavor to the gastric juices we sometimes burp up and coats our throat. Blue cheese/gastric juice, intense, mouth coating, near burning. Discarding the seed unless I plan on squeezing it for oil, I eat one berry at a time, with wine, and still it is very intense blue cheese-esque…. not as good as blue cheese, but more intense, on the verge of being gastric juice. Not something to eat without a chaser… you have been warned.
Saw palmettos have multiple “heads”
Old time Seminole Indians said you shouldn’t eat more than five palmetto berries at one time. If you eat it with hot water it will bother your mouth for a while. They may know a thing or two about that. They still squeeze the berries, but add a little sugar with the juice, and drink it as a tea. In the early 1900’s in Miami you could buy “Metto” which was saw palmetto juice mixed with sugar and carbonated water. And as much as Dickinson said none of his party could eat them the berries were exported to Europe nearly as century earlier in 1602.
Fortunately for us there is more to forage off the saw palmetto than the berries. The terminal buds of the growing trunks contain heart of palm just like the cabbage palm does except it’s smaller. Taking it from the saw palmetto does not kill the many-trunked palm. The growing bottom ends of young fronds are also edible, after one carefully pulls them out. You get one or two bites off those but it is work hauling them out. You pull them out by putting on some thick leather gloves, grabbing the youngest stalk firmly, and yanking. Where it breaks is edible. Also the stems can be chopped, ground, mixed with water, strained and an edible starch settled out.
The Saw Palmetto cover about 10% of the state of Florida and is a major source of honey. There are actually two varieties, one with yellow green fronds and ones with blue green fronds. Both of them also produce wax in their leaves but the wax from the blue green variety is preferred. Besides that the plant is used for fiber and thatching. Seminole Indians still make their dolls out of 100% saw palmetto fiber. It stems provide a good cork substitute, the root pulp was used to plug WWII ammunition, and the root makes a natural scrub brush.
Saw palmetto in blossom
In a modern day twist the saw palmetto berries have several medical application so this “irksome” weed is a $70 million or more business in Florida. They’ve even had to pass laws to prevent unauthorized saw palmetto berry pilfering. Has a $500 fine. We now know saw palmetto berries have a positive effect on the male reproductive system, though the studies are mixed. Older Seminole Indians called the berries the “spring of life.” Some think this is where Ponce De Leon got the idea there was some fountain of youth in Florida. Talk about a mistranslation. I processed 10 pounds of berries. Five pounds were dehydrated, and five went into vodka. The dried saw palmetto berries had a milder flavor. The ones in vodka moderated, too, but took on a tougher texture like think cardboard.
Incidentally, be careful when foraging for palmetto berries. Palmetto thickets are favorite place for the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, not only on the ground but in the fronds. The snake often climbs the plant on sunny days to get off the hot ground and enjoy the shade. It is also where their prey like to escape as well. Proceed carefully. Creatures that like to eat the berries include raccoon, fox, black bear, gopher tortoises, white tailed deer, feral hogs, water birds and even fish. Butterflies like it, too. In fact the plant provides food or cover for some 100 birds, 27 mammals, 25 amphibians, 61 reptile species and numerous butterflies. Cows fed saw palmetto berries produce richer milk, perhaps because the berry is loaded with oil. Two thirds of the oil is comprised of free fatty acids including capric, caprylic, caproic, lauric, palmitic and oleic acids.
Sereno Watson, Phd.
Incidentally, the heart of the Sabal etonia aka Sabal minor can also be eaten. It resembles the saw palmetto but its stalks have no saw-like teeth. It is also rather rare, so don’t put it on your dinner plate unless it is development kill.
The genus, Serenoa, is named for shy Harvard botanist and herbarium curator Sereno Watson, 1826-1892. His name means calm, peaceful. Repens means “creeping.” The palm has many branches and creeps out in all directions along the ground.
Green Deane’s “Itemized” Plant Profile
IDENTIFICATION: A small palm, six to twelve feet, sprawling, grows in clumps or dense thickets. Leaf stalks are covered with saw like teeth.
TIME OF YEAR: Fruits ripen in fall, heart available year round.
ENVIRONMENT: Sandy ridges, flatwood forests, coastal dunes, islands near marshes, hardwood hammocks, dominant ground cover in some southeastern pine forests, sometimes covering hundreds of acres. Seen inland as far as Arkansas
METHOD OF PREPARATION: Fruits raw or dried, heart raw or cooked. Crown end of growing leaf, trail side nibble. The seeds are edible raw or cooked but is an acquired taste.
There is not enough space to list all the uses of the Saw Palmetto. lol Shelter (fronds), food (cabbage), tinder (fibers), cordage (stem coverings) to name a few. As mentioned above, the dried out stem works for a cork. I don’t think I would touch the berries though, hahah. I did see a Hispanic woman collecting them one day (not sure if this was a legal activity or not). The white cabbage from the bud heart and the young frond stem tips is sweet raw. Probably the starchy sugar. Never have cooked it but I need to try it that way. In addition to rattlers, watch out for the little guinea wasps. The little suckers like to build their nests under the fronds. One swipe of a frond and you get a big surprise. They may be little but they pack a big punch. Just check before you swipe a frond.
[quote]Crown end of growing leaf, trail side nibble.[/quote]
Please explain, Deane. Thanks.
Where the leave goes into the head of the plant.
Ah. The white cabbage stem tip of the young frond?
Here’s a trick to get more of the heart out: Grab 3-4 fronds adjacent to the bud, twist them together, and yank a few times. Usually the largest palmettos are too stubborn, so find a good, meduim-sized one. You can pop out a heart an inch or two in diameter and about 5 inches long. Break off or bite off any soft parts first, then peel away the fronds for more tender food. It tastes like corn if you have salt.
I have a saw palm growing in my front garden about 7 ft (2mtrs) the berries are very small black( not eaten any yet ) but i also have a yellow multi layered flower (for want of a better word) looks a bit like a pointed cauliflower haha is this what you call the cabbage? or is my saw a bit different?keith
ps i’m in uk and they grow like fury over here my mate bob had a prostrate problem that after being treated by the doc for 6 months when some army guy told him to get saw palmetto tablets GONE in a week this was the first timre i had heard of it hhhmmmm think im gonna get some lol
Saw Palmetto frond stems are the world’s best Hot Dog roasting sticks 🙂 Shave off the spines with a knife and then sharpen one end. I’ve seen them woven into a lattice for grilling steaks and burgers.
i just moved here from michigan.. some lady said these are very goo.. so im going to make jam or jelly.. thanks
Very good? They are nutritious but they do taste like vomit.
how do you prepare these berries for eating? some one out there has any instructions?
One more note. Hiking 30 acres on Pine Island with a backpack strapped to both shoulders, I stumbled back into a mosquito ditch covered with the saw palmettos and was stuck head downward on my back and could not get the pack off that was stuck in the palmettos. It took me what seemed a half hour to get loose from the backpack and get righted. LOL!
I appreciate this story 🙂 Thank you for sharing. I will imagine it often in the future and giggle.
Besides using the frond stems for hot dog sticks, or a grilling lattice, can they be shredded and used as mulch?
My friends at work from Haiti told me they crunch up the leaves and make a tea. At age 13 (now 41)my mom and step father baught some 10 acres of land about an hour North of Okeechobee Lake. We had to hand chop a road 10′ wide by 300′ wide of almost all Palmettos. I had to be a smart butt at the time and said why don’t you just make the road wibd around the Palmettos. I remember my grandmother who is half Cherokee show us how edible and medicinal this plant was. My step father was not interested in at all. I know they lost the land because they couldn’t figure out how to make the land make them money. They had horses though. Lol!
This is quintessential lately. So many “farmers” losing their land because they refuse to start with loving what they have, creating ecosystems that thrive, and learning what the environment naturally offers. In New Mexico, ranching is the old farming way and people lose a hundred cattle a year often. Recently permaculture has taught those who will learn (they are learning as their neighbors begin making $millions$) a method called grass farming which focuses on rebuilding the natural habitat with LESS COWS and their cow buisinesses are finally profiting and booming again. And cows are no longer dying. Happy cows, thriving land, desert recinds…all because they chose to tend to the land instead of driving blindly toward a preconcieved goal. I am sad your family lost valuable land before learning.
Thanks for the info. BTW, when you make the saw palmetto berries into a tincture, do you use them fresh or dried? Do you also have to remove the seed before you add them to the tincture? Thanks
I used fresh berries in the tincture. I did not take out the seeds. I also dried berries but did not tincture them. The tinctured berries tasted the same and got a little tougher. The dried berries improved slightly… slightly…
I like the berries raw. I have one plant and picked them too late. The ants ate most of them. How should I store them so I can eat 1 or 2 a day? In a Jar that is opened? Closed? Refrigerated? Or something else?
Thank you, in advance!
Craig
They store for a long time in the frig.
In Panama City, FL, these were always, crawling with carpenter (or other large, red–I’m no entomologist) ants when the berries began to ripen. We also believed them to be full of chiggers, but I had no interest in testing that for a berry known to be putrid and of herbal interest to only older men (was a kid in FL). Your YouTube video did not show the crawlies. Have you seen this? What would you do about them (besides my strategy of avoiding the plants at that time)?
I think it was a local infestation. I only see an occasional ant or two.
I’ve always wondered if the unripe fruit could be brined like an olive. The fruit has some similarities in that they are both oil-loaded and acrid tasting right out of hand. Could be worth a shot if I can beat the berry pickers and raccoons to them.
Neat idea, might improve the flavor.
Did you ever try it?
can the leaves of saw palmeto be boiled or grinded to get the medicinal extract
Not that I know of.
which pharmacological effect do da leaves of saw palmeto have on BPH and impontence ….can da leaves kill wen i grind dem and take!!!!!!!!
As far as I know the leaves do not have any effect on BHP et cetera. The fronds are not toxic but they don’t taste good and are not considered edible.
HI, I used saw palmetto for an enlarged prostate for about 6 months, it didn’t help at all but it lowered my dht and testosterone and put my estrogen levels through the roof ,i am healthy and fit otherwise ,i can’t imagine how it got to be used for prostate problems,i had a hormone test to prove it and my hormones were ok before i started it ,every prostate formula has it in it ,all these people making money out of it , bit of a joke really, it is the last thing you want for your prostate. Lowering my dht didn’t shrink my prostate either. Rob.
Medicine is facinating. What works for one person may not work for another, including pharmacueticals. Saw Palmetto has helped countless people reverse their prostate issues fast. You can read their testimonial with enough research. It is a medicine best taken daily over many years, but for some people they see results immediatly.
Even peppermint and lemon balm are bad for some people. I’m allergic to them both, for instance. Lemon Balm actually gives me chronic fatigue syndrome…my son as well. But for millions of others it is one of the best antivirals, anti-depressants, and uplifters.
When something doesn’t work for you, it does not mean it will not work for others, it means it is time for you to find another course of action. I love that you had your levels tested before and after. Good experimentation makes a huge difference when seeking a cure.
Another thing to consider is that most disorders stem from an emotional issue…so if you don’t deal also with the emotion, it often refuses to heal irreguardless of medicinal applications.
Will the yellow unripe berries ripen once picked.
No, the just say astringent.
I spend many hours hiding in palmettos, the little wasps and bees buzzing, while waiting for turkey or deer. I have eaten a few berries now and then. They taste soapy to me. I made pemmican with some that I had purchased. The fat mellows the flavor some, and pemmican should be eaten slowly anyway.
In the Ponce Inlet area these are pilfered like crazy. I can’t even find a handful every year at Ponce Inlet Park. So many cut branches and pull-cart tracks on the little trails where these grow. It must be lucrative. Bummer for those who just want a few.
The overharvesting is disgusting. So SAD! EVERY good herbalist will remind you to leave plenty on the branch. The old books say 1:4, but I tell my students 1:10 or 20 or more. ALWAYS leave PLENTY. No one should be able to tell you have been there. The ecosystem depends on that plant as much as we do, and there are more people than ever to serve.
Rotten cheese and vomit. Yep, that is the perfect description. It was a little late in the season, but I found some berries recently as I was leading a bunch of seventh graders on a hike. After I described the awful taste, I had a line of kids all wanting to have a try at palmetto berries. It was nearly unanimous that they are the worst tasting thing they had ever put into their mouths! They were all looking for beauty berries and oxalis to kill the taste of the palmettos!
If I harvest the berries green will that ripen off the vine? How do best facilitate that? Ants are eating them like crazy and destroying the harvest!
What is the best way to use the dried (very extra too dry…like may break my grinder dry…so I’ll use a hammer) berries for health? I do not like tinctures, tho may try one without alcohol. Is a decoction fairly similar in strength to the tincture? How many dry berries are a proper dose for a daily boost?
Can the unripe (green) berries be used in a tincture? Or do they need to be fully ripe at harvest?
As the green ones (unripe) can be used medicinally (for the prostate) then I think green tinctures ones should work. That said they are edible when black, when green they are very astringent.
Even when picked green, they will only last a day or 2, 3 at most before turning black. Once off the plant, they go fast.
Through trial & error I’ve managed to get them to keep very much longer. Some will say glass jars. Avoid glass. Condensation will collect on the glass at spoil the berries. Instead use plastic containers.
Rinse the berries in a solution of COLD water & vinegar. This will kill/remove bacteria from the berries skin. Rinse again with COLD water.. DRY the moisture off with a fan. Not dry the berry dry the residual water off the skin.
Now put them into a plastic container and keep uncovered in an area of lowest temperature. (Air conditioned room or refrigerator.) Keep in mind that the refrigerator has a high humidity content.
* I’ve used Apple cider vinegar but assume that cheapest white vinegar is most practical.
Ace description! I tried one today, the skin very thin and taut and purple-black, the smell not bad, I nipped through the thin skin and got a tiny bit of the juice in my mouth. First impression: sweet. Aftertaste: vomit. As described in a kinder way by the OP. 🙂 These berries are important as food for bears and other native critters, so I’m planting the rest of this berry I did not eat on our fence line. From now on if I partake, it will be through capsules — that aftertaste really clings…