A passage from Wild Edible Plants of California (Vol 1):
Just as the developing flower stalk begins to emerge, the entire plant is uprooted and leaves cut (or with practice – removed by hand) from the core. The ‘heart’ or core (along with the lower immature stalk and leaf bases) is the main food part.
A passage from Sonoran Desert Food Plants:
For Agave cordage: clip the leaves from the base when green. Air dry, then pound/twist the leaves to separate the fibers from the surrounding leaf material. The dried out–of–season core and stem base were once utilized as a primitive soap (due to saponins).
If collected in season and cooked thoroughly, the result will be a more–or–less sweetish, semi–fibrous ‘fruit’ that can be sliced and eaten. The cooking process for Agave is important – heat converts the plant’s complex starches (bitter–soapy) into simple sugars (sweet).
Author, Researcher, Clinician. Latest titles: Wild Edible Plants of Oklahoma, 2nd ed., Wild Edible Plants of Arizona, 2nd ed., and Wild Edible Plants of Arkansas, 2nd. ed.
