We have mounds of Cattail growing outside our property. For years, we often see people collecting them. After a little bit of research, I finally decided to try some for myself.
Since it's fall, this is the time to harvest the rhizomes. In spring, you can harvest the shoots for an asparagus-like vegetable, and in summer, you can harvest the 'kitten-tails' for a substitute corn on the cob. The rhizomes supposedly work as a potato-substitute and can also be made into a flour. This is a gluten-free food so those with allergies can consider looking into cooking with cattail*.
*Disclaimer: I am not a health professional. If you have gluten allergies, please consult your health professional before embarking on any new diet.
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| Cattail rhizomes washed |
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| Cattail rhizomes peeled |
I found that the rhizomes could be cooked like potatoes so I boiled them in water.
Unfortunately, the effect was not quite the same. While they did taste amazingly like potatoes, they were also very fibrous. It was like a cross between a sugar cane (in terms of fiber) and a potato. If you have a suggestion on how to cook these, please let me know.
In the meantime, I made soup and tea out of the cattail stock.
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