Foxtail as an Edible

Foxtail is a cultivated grain in many parts of the world

Every fall, we mow down the quarter-acre garden plot. And, every fall, without fail, this plot is riddled with tall, thin, wheat-like weeds known as Foxtail. These “weeds” are nearly impossible to kill. Each stalk contains dozens of tiny seeds which spread in the air, through animals or survive mowing. On the off change that we successfully eliminate all the plants on our property, the neighbor’s back-yard, berm and garden are still riddled with the hardy, fast-growing plant.

It wasn’t until I caught my 5-year-old daughter munching on the end, and I called the Agricultural Extension to make sure it wasn’t poisonous, that I thought of using Foxtail as more than mow-deck fodder.

Foxtail grass, which is scientifically referred to as Setaria, is a primitive grain. It grows in wet or moderate conditions and is often found on the outskirts of farm-fields or gardens. You can recognize Foxtail, before it flowers, as a tall grass. The stalks are peppered with long, thin, flat leaves that alternate sides. After flowering, the stem is topped with a single, spiky shaft that hold dozens of tiny seeds. Early in the year, the flower and seeds are green. In the fall, they turn to a golden hue.

Foxtail's height depends on the soil.

Don’t eat the entire head. Although the spikes surrounding the seeds aren’t toxic, they are known to cause oral lesions in livestock. They’re also rigid, tough and not terribly appetizing. The leaves are sharp and should be handled carefully (and probably shouldn’t be eaten). The root system is deep, thick and prolific, so you probably won’t be able to pull a tall plant. This is also why it’s nearly impossible to kill them: unlike other weeds, Setaria grow from the well-established roots, not from the top of the plant. If you cut or mow it, it will just grow back.

While Westerners consider Foxtail a weed, it’s cultivated in Eastern countries as a grain, much like wheat. The seeds within the flower are edible in any stage, but, like other grains, the best time for harvest is once the seeds dry and turn color. To harvest, cut the flower from the stem and carry in a container or bag without holes, like a paper bag or plastic box.

Once you’ve harvested the dry seeds, you have two choices: fire or time. James A. Duke, author of Handbook of Edible Weeds, suggests the burning method. Light the heads on fire-they burn quickly- and collect the seeds after the chafe has burned away. Some seeds may become charred, but don’t throw them away. You can either use them as the other seeds or, as Duke suggests, make a coffee-type beverage from them.

Personally, I prefer time. Place the flowers in a dry area, on newspaper or in a container. With time, the seeds will just fall off the flowers. Harvest the remaining seeds by gently rubbing the flower, taking care to avoid dislodging any of the spikes.

What can you do with your harvested seeds? After you wash and dry them, you can eat them as-is, although some varieties are extremely bitter, hard and not entirely appetizing. You can use a mortar and pessel, or a grain mill, to grind the seeds into a flour. Or, like other millets, you can boil them to create a thick porridge.