Poison Test

Question: How does one find edible plants reliably? To be honest there is no 100% reliable way to see if a plant is edible in a survival situation…unless you are a scientist that is. Generally, anything eaten by birds or animals is safe to eat except for the odd occasion, but here are is the theory I was taught for identifying edible plants in cadets that I still trust:

1. Try to identify the plant. IF you are even a little unsure what it is, continue with the poison test. Avoid all slimy and/or worm eaten plants.
2. Cut off a small portion of the plant and smell it. If it smells like bitter almonds or peaches, do not eat it.
3. Rub a small amount on to your skin, or squeeze some of the juices on it to a tender part of the body(under the arms for example). If a rash or discomfort develops on the spot, don’t eat the plant.
4. Lips, mouth, tongue. First place a small portion on the lips in the corner of the mouth if no irritation happens after a few hours, put a small portion on the tip of the tongue and wait a few hours again, continue this under the tongue, then chew and spit out a small portion and wait. If irritation, stinging, or burning occurs, do not eat the plant.
5. Swallow a small amount and wait five hours. Do not eat or drink anything else during this time.
6. If you did not get any symptoms of getting sick(pain, nausea, or anything else) you can consider eating the plant.

Also, when in doubt, avoid all white berries, plants that let out a white milky fluid when cut, berry that grow in clusters, and all mushrooms.