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As a prepper, it’s important to get your preps ready for different survival scenarios. This means even if you have a bug-out bag, you should take the time to learn how to forage for wild edible plants.

If SHTF and you lose your gear or run out of supplies, knowing how to conduct the universal edibility testcan help you find wild herbs and plants that are safe to eat.(h/t toTruePrepper.com)

The universal edibility test will guide you through a detailed process to determine which plants or plant parts are safe to eat.

While the test may seem tedious, doing each of these steps properly ensures that you can stay safe and avoid poisonous plants while trying new plants.

Through the test, you will gradually expose yourself to the plant in a controlled manner. It will also help you monitor any symptoms that may develop between exposure.

This wilderness survival skill will be useful both in the wild and in your own backyard after dealing with a long-term scenario where your food supply may run out. Choose a plantthat is abundant in the area you are foraging in

If you are planning to do the universal edibility test, focus on a plant that you can harvest a lot of.

The universal edibility test is a thorough and lengthy process, and the last thing you want to do when your supplies are running out is to waste time doing it if you don’t have plenty of the plant you are testing. Separate the plant parts

Start by putting all the plant parts into separate piles for testing: Flowers Buds Leaves Stems Seeds Roots

Make sure you try each part of the plant separately since some components could be toxic while others are edible. One example is rhubarb, where the plant stalks are edible but the leaves are toxic.

You should also check the plant you forage. It must be in good shape, not rotting and doesnt have any insects in this step. (Related: Prepper foraging tips: 6 Wild lettuce lookalikes to avoid.) Start with one part of the plant

Picking a part of the plant that you can harvest a lot will help make sure that the time you spend on the test is worth it. Smell the plant

If the plant you select has an unpleasant odor, do not eat that part of the plant. Strong or acidic smells should be avoided.

Avoid any plant or partthat smells like almonds since that is an indicator of a toxic compound. Touch the plant

Touch a piece of the plant to your wrist for 15 minutes.If you experience itching, burning or numbness, do not eat that plant part.

Wait for eight hours until moving on to the next step to check for the development of rashes or other reactions.Do not eat anything during this step. Touch the plantto your lips

If you want, you can cook the pieces of the plant for this. Prepare it as you would eat other vegetables.

Cooking plants is preferred because some plants are toxic when eaten raw, but not when cooked.

Once the plant part is prepared, touch it gently to your lips to test for any burning, itching or numbness.If you experience any of these side effects in the next three minutes, do not eat that part of the plant. Put the plant on your tongue

Once you confirm that you can safely touch the plant to your skin, try placinga small portion of the plant in your mouth.

Place the plant on your tongue for 15 minutes. Chew the plant

After 15 minutes, chew the plant and then hold it in your mouth for another 15 minutes without swallowing.

If the plant tastes soapy or bitter, spit it out. Do not eat that part of the plant. Swallow the plant

Swallow the plant part. Wait for at least eight hours for any adverse reactions.

If you don’t notice any negative side effects, prepare at least 1/3 cup of that plant part and eat it.

If you have no reaction after waiting another eight hours, then that part of the plant is edible.

Keep in mind that you need to repeat this entire process for all of the parts of the plant. In some cases, the entire plant could be edible, but some plants may have select parts that are edible. More foraging tips for preppers

Here are more tips that can help you forage for wild edibles safely when SHTF:

Do your research

When foraging for plants, make sure you can identify a plant properly before touching or consuming it.

Improve your foraging skills by attending plant walks with an expert, studying basic botany, cross-referencing different illustrated and updated guidebooks, or using educational websites.

Familiarize yourself with the area

Study up on the area you plan to forage. Read up on poisonous or endangered plants that grow there, and find out what edibles are abundant.

Avoid locations near factories, golf courses, roads, or places where the water and soil could be contaminated. Look for off-trail areas away from human activity, which are usually safer.

Harvest responsibly

Check local land management guidelines for any harvesting or foraging limits. Forage only in areas and amounts that are permitted so you don’t get in trouble.

Take only what you need and leave enough for the wildlife and for regrowth. This means taking no more than five percent of one species in a certain area.

Look for edible weeds

When foraging, look forweedy patches where edible species grow in abundance. Look for edible weeds like dandelion and nettle.

Walk lightly

Be mindful of your impact when venturing off the trail while foraging.

Leave no trace and walkon durable surfaces like logs and rocks. Avoid trampling other flora as you explore an area.

Read up on poisonous plants and mushrooms

Once you learn how to recognize edible plants, take the time to also learn how toidentify poisonous plants.

Some poisonous plants can give you a rash, but others could kill you if you consume enough of them.Learn how to recognize the traits of toxic species, especially those that look similar to edible and medicinal plants.

If you want to save time, buy and review an illustrated edible plant guide.

Remember that the universal edibility test does not work for mushrooms or other types of fungus. If you want to forage for mushrooms, get a mushroom guide.

Learning about local plants using a guide may be easier, but knowing how to test a plant’s edibility is a useful skill for any prepper.

VisitGreenLivingNews.comto read more articles about foraging.

Watch the video below to learn how to forage for wild yam.

This video is from theForaging Truth channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories:

5 Medicinal mushrooms you can grow in your home garden or forage in your backyard.

How to start an herbal medicine cabinet.

Prepper recipes: How to make delicious acorn pancakes.

Sources include:

TruePrepper.com

Backpacker.com

Brighteon.com
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Israeli military announces ‘tactical pause’ in fighting in parts of Gaza amid hunger crisis

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Israeli military announces 'tactical pause' in fighting in parts of Gaza amid hunger crisis

Israel has begun a pause in fighting in three areas of Gaza to address the worsening humanitarian situation.

The IDF said it would halt fighting in three areas, Muwasi, Deir al-Balah and Gaza City, from 10am to 8pm local time until further notice, beginning today.

In a statement, the IDF said it would also establish secure routes to help the UN and aid agencies deliver food and other supplies.

Palestinians carry aid supplies that entered Gaza through Israel, in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, July 27, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Ab
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Palestinians carry aid supplies. Pic: Reuters

Israel’s announcement of what it calls a “tactical pause” in fighting comes after it resumed airdrops of aid into Gaza.

While the IDF reiterated claims there is “no starvation” in Gaza, it said the airdrops would include “seven pallets of aid containing flour, sugar and canned food to be provided by international organisations”.

Reports suggest aid has already been dropped into Gaza, with some injured after fighting broke out.

Pic: IDF
Image:
Pic: IDF

In other developments, Bob Geldof has accused Israeli authorities of “lying” about starvation in the territory – telling Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips the IDF is “dangling food in front of starving, panicked, exhausted mothers”.

He told Sky News: “This month, up to now, 1,000 children or 1,000 people have died of starvation. I’m really not interested in what either of these sides are saying.”

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Bob Geldof: ‘Israeli authorities are lying’

Israel cut off all supplies to Gaza from the start of March. It then reopened aid centres with new restrictions in May, but said the supply had to be controlled to prevent it from being stolen by Hamas militants.

On Saturday, reports referencing US government data said there was no evidence Hamas had stolen aid from UN agencies.

The IDF’s international spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, described such reports as “fake news” and said Hamas thefts have been “well documented”.

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Malnourished girl: ‘The war changed me’

Airdrops ‘expensive and inefficient’

It comes as the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said as of Saturday, 127 people have died from malnutrition-related causes, including 85 children.

They include a five-month-old girl who weighed less than when she was born, with a doctor at Nasser Hospital describing it as a case of “severe, severe starvation”.

Health workers have also been weakened by hunger, with some putting themselves on IV drips so they can keep treating badly malnourished patients.

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Aid waiting to be distributed in Gaza

On Friday, Israel said it would allow foreign countries to airdrop aid into Gaza – but the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has warned this will not reverse “deepening starvation”.

UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini described the method as “expensive” and “inefficient”, adding: “It is a distraction and screensmoke. A manmade hunger can only be addressed by political will.

“Lift the siege, open the gates and guarantee safe movements and dignified access to people in need.”

UNRWA has the equivalent of 6,000 trucks in Jordan and Egypt waiting for permission to enter Gaza, he added.

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PM says UK will help drop aid to Gaza

MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, warned on Friday that 25% of young children and pregnant women in Gaza are now malnourished, and said the lack of food and water on the ground was “unconscionable”.

The UN also estimates Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 people seeking food, the majority near the militarised distribution sites of the US-backed aid distribution scheme run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Read more:
What does recognising a Palestinian state mean?
British surgeon claims IDF ‘deliberately’ shooting boys

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In a statement on Friday, the IDF had said it “categorically rejects the claims of intentional harm to civilians”, and reports of incidents at aid distribution sites were “under examination”.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has also previously disputed these deaths were connected with its organisation’s operations, with director Johnnie Moore telling Sky News: “We just want to feed Gazans. That’s the only thing that we want to do.”

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‘I still have hope’: Parents of IDF soldier taken hostage by Hamas fear he’ll be one of last freed

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'I still have hope': Parents of IDF soldier taken hostage by Hamas fear he'll be one of last freed

Yehuda searches through a downstairs room looking for a plastic bag containing the most precious of objects.

It’s a small, blackened Rubik’s Cube that belongs to Yehuda’s son Nimrod – one of 20 living Israeli hostages still being held by the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza.

It was found in Nimrod’s burnt-out tank after the October 7th attacks.

“He likes PlayStation and Rubik’s Cube,” says Nimrod’s mother, Vicky.

“They found the Rubik’s Cube in the tank. It was complete but a little bit dark and they brought it back to us.”

Stills from Holland PKG of Vicky Cohen whose son Nimrod Cohen, an 19 y/o IDF soldier, who is being held hostage by Hamas
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Vicky Cohen

We spoke to Nimrod’s parents Yehuda and Vicky about the emotional rollercoaster hostage families in Israel are going through – as hope rises and fades of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

“I still have hope that maybe I will see Nimrod again,” says Vicky.

“It almost breaks my heart because I still had expectation,” she says – in spite of the latest failure to find resolution in talks between Israel and Hamas in Doha.

“But I still have hope that maybe something good will happen,” she says.

Rubik's cube owned by Nimrod Cohen, an 19 y/o IDF soldier, who is being held hostage by Hamas
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Nimrod’s charred Rubik’s Cube

Vicky says: “We heard [during] the last weeks, President Trump saying we will hear about a ceasefire soon – next week – in a few days.

“We heard our prime minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] say visiting Washington and meeting Trump was very successful – and heard members of the coalition talking about our prime minister eventually understanding he needs to end the war. But until now nothing.”

The delegation coming back to Israel doesn’t mean a total collapse of ceasefire talks, but US envoy Steve Witkoff said the response to the latest ceasefire proposals by Hamas showed “a lack of desire”.

And so the rollercoaster of emotion for the hostage families continues.

Middle East latest: Gaza aid airdrops a ‘smokescreen’

Nimrod Cohen, an 19 y/o IDF soldier, who is being held hostage by Hamas
Image:
Nimrod

Nimrod’s father Yehuda Cohen said: “Of course it’s a disappointment but it’s not the first one. A long time ago I learned not to get my expectations up so the disappointment won’t be too deep.

“The solution is very simple – I’ve got it on my shirt – ceasefire and hostage deal. Meaning the only way to get all the hostages is ending the war.”

Stills from Holland PKG on Yehuda Cohen (pictured) whose son Nimrod Cohen is being held hostage by Hamas
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Nimrod’s father Yehuda

Yehuda shows us Nimrod’s bedroom at the family home. It’s exactly as it was when Nimrod left to return to his army duties a few days before the October 7 attacks.

Except in a corner, there’s a box of uniforms and personal possessions, including a wallet which Nimrod had left at his army outpost – all returned to the family by the IDF.

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Stills from Holland PKG on Yehuda and Vicky Cohen's son Nimrod Cohen, an 19 y/o IDF soldier, who is being held hostage by Hamas.
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The IDF handed Nimrod’s parents a box of his possessions left at his army outpost

It’s just like the bedroom of any other teenager – Nimrod was 19 when he was kidnapped. But two birthdays have passed since then. Nimrod is 21 now – a milestone spent in captivity a few weeks ago.

It’s believed there are 20 living Israeli hostages in Gaza – all male – and that Hamas is holding the bodies of 27 more hostages who have been killed.

Read more from Sky News:
Israel resumes airdrops into Gaza
Bob Geldof accuses Israel of ‘lying’
25% of children malnourished, charity says

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Starvation in Gaza continues

But even if a deal is agreed, the first phase is expected to secure the release of only half of the living hostages – and Nimrod’s parents say their son, as a soldier, is not likely to be one of the 10.

Yehuda says: “A partial deal means that the probability my son will be on that list is close to zero. So he’s going to be one of the last ones to be released, and that’s why we have to fight.”

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Bob Geldof accuses Israeli authorities of ‘lying’ about starvation in Gaza

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Bob Geldof accuses Israeli authorities of 'lying' about starvation in Gaza

Bob Geldof has accused the Israeli authorities of “lying” about starvation in Gaza – after Israel’s government spokesperson claimed there was “no famine caused by Israel”.

Earlier this week, David Mencer claimed that Hamas “starves its own people” while on The News Hour with Mark Austin, denying that Israel was responsible for mass hunger in Gaza.

Appearing on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Geldof said the claims are false.

Follow latest: Gaza aid airdrops a ‘smokescreen’ and ‘distraction’

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Israel challenged on starvation in Gaza

Sir Trevor asked the Live Aid organiser: “The Israeli view is that there is no famine caused by Israel, there’s a manmade shortage, but it’s been engineered by Hamas.

“I guess the Israelis would say we don’t see much criticism from your side of Hamas.”

In response, Geldof said “that’s a false equivalence” and “the Israeli authorities are lying”.

The singer then added: “They’re lying. [Benjamin] Netanyahu lies, is a liar. The IDF are lying. They’re dangling food in front of starving, panicked, exhausted mothers.

“And while they arrive to accept the tiny amount of food that this sort of set up pantomime outfit, the Gaza Humanitarian Front, I would call it, as they dangle it, then they’re shot wantonly.

“This month, up to now, 1,000 children or 1,000 people have died of starvation. I’m really not interested in what either of these sides are saying.”

He added: “If the newsfeeds and social feeds weren’t so censored in Israel, I imagine that the Israeli people would not permit what has been done in their name.”

Asked about the UK government’s reaction, Geldof said it was “not enough”.

“This is a distraction thing about ‘let’s recognise the state ‘ – absolutely, it should have been done ages ago, but it’s not going to make any material difference,” he said, referring to calls for Sir Keir Starmer to recognise Palestine as a state.

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Gaza: ‘This is man-made starvation’

In the Sky News interview earlier this week, Mr Mencer added: “This suffering exists because Hamas made it so. Here are the facts. Aid is flowing, through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Millions of meals are being delivered directly to civilians.”

He also claimed that, since May, more than 4,400 aid trucks had entered Gaza carrying supplies.

It comes after MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, warned 25% of young children and pregnant women in Gaza are now malnourished.

The charity said Israel’s “deliberate use of starvation as a weapon” has reached unprecedented levels, and said that at one of its clinics in Gaza City, rates of severe malnutrition in children under five have trebled over the past two weeks.

MSF then described the lack of food and water on the ground “unconscionable”.

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Aid waiting to be distributed in Gaza

In a statement to Sky News, an Israeli security official said that “despite the false claims that are being spread, the State of Israel does not limit the number of humanitarian aid trucks entering the Gaza Strip”.

It then blamed other groups for issues delivering aid. They said: “Over the past month, we have witnessed a significant decline in the collection of aid from the crossings into the Gaza Strip by international aid organisations.

“The delays in collection by the UN and international organisations harm the situation and the food security of Gaza’s residents.”

Read more:
What does recognising a Palestinian state mean?
Surgeon claims IDF ‘deliberately’ shooting boys at Gaza aid points
Security shot at Palestinians at Gaza aid centre – ex-guard

The IDF also told Sky News: “The IDF allows the American civilian organisation (GHF) to distribute aid to Gaza residents independently, and operates in proximity to the new distribution zones to enable the distribution alongside the continuation of IDF operational activities in the Gaza Strip.

“Following incidents in which harm to civilians who arrived at distribution facilities was reported, thorough examinations were conducted in the Southern Command and instructions were issued to forces in the field following lessons learned.

“The aforementioned incidents are under review by the competent authorities in the IDF.”

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