Kudzu jelly?

I keep seeing articles go on and on about the wonderful attributes of kudzu. How it can be use as roughage (not feed) for animals, a replenishable fuel source (especially since ethanol vehicles are trying to gain popularity), and even as a food source. They mention the fact that it grows like crazy under the most horrible and neglected conditions, etc... One lady sells nothing but kudzu baskets, another specializes in kudzu jelly.

Then why don't they do something with all of the stuff growing around here and other southern states? If it can be such a valuable cash crop, why hasn't anyone found a market for it or a kudzu removal business or something like that?

And has anyone ever tried eating the stuff? Supposedly it's edible...or at least the roots are.

I have often wondered the same thing. I actually own an entire book devoted to kudzu and its many uses. Of course, it was the Japanese who use it. It can be used to thicken gravy and I understand it is very nutritious cattle food. Of course, the cattle can't climb the trees to get it, but it seems to me that one could sever the stems at the bottom and harvest it every day or two for cattle. Of course, that is a lot harder than putting the cows in a pasture and letting them do for themselves. I wonder if you could put them in a place with kudzu and let them eat what is on the ground, then sever the stems ont he rest.
I don't live in the part of the world where it grows, but I did once and when I found The Kudzu Book on ebay for a couple bucks, I had to have it.

I grew up surrounded by The Vine That Ate The South. It is great cattle feed; a high-protein legume, you know - and until the advent of effective herbicides, about the only way to kill it off was to over-graze it for several years - but it grows so rapidly that once vines get into the tree canopy(and that can happen rapidly, with over 1 ft of growth per day) the cattle can't get at the leaves to eat them; maybe we ought to import giraffes?

I used to fry up kudzu leaves for the kids whenever we'd go home to AL to visit my folks; it got to the point that the kids would bail out of the car on our arrival and run out to the garden fence to pick an armload of kudzu leaves.
Dipped in buttermilk, then dredged through some seasoned flour and deep fried, they'r pretty yummy!

Looky there! A veritable greenish-goldmine. Instead of complaining about the plant, people ought to utilize it.

Fried kudzu leaves, huh? I'll have to try that one day. I know that goats can clear a kudzu patch in record time. The little eating machines are also used in some states to clear the sides of highways. Government goats I call them. Quite useful really. My aunt bought a property with 17 acres of abandoned and overgrown brush. While she was able to get a bush-hog to clear most areas, the fencing along the perimeter was overgrown with ivy, blackberry brambles, and kudzu. She went out and bought 8 goats and they had all the fencing cleared within two months. It was amazing.

If memory serves me correctly only sheep will eat Kudzu. I read an article about the high cost of Kudzu removal and an experiment in MS State parks ... they were renting Sheep!!

Of course I've been to sleep since then so I might have dreamed the whole thing. lol lol

Judy

If memory serves me correctly only sheep will eat Kudzu. I read an article about the high cost of Kudzu removal and an experiment in MS State parks ... they were renting Sheep!!

Of course I've been to sleep since then so I might have dreamed the whole thing. lol lol

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=kudzu+removal+Mississippi+sheep&btnG=Search

Judy

I read on one of those sites that goats eat Kudzu. Goats will almost eat anything LOL. Kudzu was planted around here years ago by the railroad companies to prevent erosion along railroad tracks. Needless to say, it is still there. Sometimes I see where they have come along and sprayed the edges of it with herbicide to keep it off the highways. Must be some strong stuff (the kudzu & the herbicide).

It seems to me, that anything dipped and fried has got to be good.

:-)

Fried Kudzu, eh? Sounds good to me.

It is good. You want I should send you some kudzu 'starts' so you can grow your own, LDB?
(Just kiddin' - but I would send kudzu before I sent Chinese wisteria or tallowtree - it's got more redeeming attributes than either of those others)
Goats'll eat it, cows'll eat it, deer & groundhogs'll eat it - even horses will eat it - but only if they can reach the leaves.

I know it was originally imported & planted, ostensibly, as a deterrent/remedy for soil erosion, but I'm not convinced that it actually stops erosion; almost seems like it just covers the gullies so you don't SEE them continuing to erode away.
We had one field on the farm - we called it the 'kudzu field' - fronted on the main highway, with a 5-strand barbed wire fence. About every 2-3 years, I'd have to get out there with a bush-hook and cut the vines loose, and re-stretch the wire, 'cuz the kudzu would have pulled even the top strand back down almost to ground level, and the cows would have been(or were) out on the highway.

I'm running for cover and will tremble in fear of going to get my mail forever at that thought. I don't have goats, cows, or groundhogs around here. I'm afraid I'll have to pass on such a fine offer to help feed my deer and supplement the diet of my horses the the deer aren't all that discriminating these days and the horses seem to like their Strategy best these days... old, very old horses. I know what you could send.... more paw paw. What a delicacy. We never get paw paw or persimmon that tastes as good as that last batch.