Bitterroot

Lewisia rediviva

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• root is edible when cooked.

• root has very bitter taste.

• root is best when gathered just before the flower blooms.

• root is prepared by removing the dark outer layer and the orange-red core.

• roots can be dried for storage.

• dried root can be reconstituted by soaking and boiling, which causes them to expand in volume by five.

• reconstituted roots have a jelly-like consistency and bitter taste.

• grows in open forests and dry, open grassland areas in foothills and montane regions.

• warning: dried bitterroot expands in the stomach, and therefore should not be over-consumed.