Foraging

[PK]

I've not really had the time (or the knowledge) to get into foraging in a big way. But my post about sloe gin in the Food for Thought section got me thinking. I regularly pick nettles for nettle soup in the early part of the year, blackberries of course later on and I have added sloe berries. I wish I had more knowledge of fungi.
Is there any naturally occuring bounty that others here forage for?

[heebiejeebie]

There are cherry and crab-apple trees planted along roadsides near my house. I haven't been picking yet, but might do this year!

[lancashire lass]

elderflower/elderberry
hawthorn
rosehip
dandelion
chestnut (in my local park)
mushrooms (Penny Bun & Shaggy Ink Cap only - because they are so distinctive and easy to recognise, otherwise I don't touch anything else)
crab apple (I only know of one tree and its location is a closely guarded secret!)
sloes
blackberries
raspberries
cherry (again, in the local park but you have to be quicker than the birds and other folk with their beady eyes on them!)
garlic mustard (it has other names) and
nettle

and for Christmas decorations, pine cones, alder cones

[wendy]

We always forage for fungi. The easiest to recognise is the puff ball. It grows like a ball, without a stalk and will get to the size of a football if allowed, but is very ripe and not at it's best.
We have a book bought many years ago which has helped reconise them.
If it doesn't peel it is definately not edible. If in doubt don't touch them. Get a book.
In the field behind us there is a damson tree, lovely.
Wendy

[Mo]

http://www.nifg.org.uk/edible_fungi.htm ... Speciesand
I found this site last year

[lancashire lass]

... forgot to mention also

rowan berries!

[morph]

Wild garlic - smells lovely and is around in Feb - Mayish
It's the green leaves which you can use for salads, to mash up with a pestle and mortar, or feed to the hens!!!
Lovely!

[lancashire lass]

I confess I do have a book which I used a lot when I first started hedgerow picking:

"Wild Food" by Roger Phillips

and that gives you description, some uses and recipes, and some interesting historical facts if you were interested. Photos also good if you were in any doubt about it being edible!

[PK]

Hi LL

What do you do with Rowan berries? I have a Rowan tree in the garden.

[lancashire lass]

Rowan jelly! For lamb and game (but not tried it myself)

But, I did make rowan berry sherry. It goes a delightful rose pink colour when you soak the berries, but don't do what I did - I kept "tasting" the water and it was .... watery. So I decided (to toss the recipe to one side for a mad moment) to boil the water and berries, and I realised during continous tasting, that the whole thing took on a bitter (like asprin) taste. I immediately took it off the heat, let it cool, followed the recipe as I should have done in the first place, and let it ferment.

I prefer sweet sherries and ports, but the result after leaving it in the airing cupboard for over a year was absolutely fantastic. I would definitely give it another go, hopefully this year if I get the time.

[Richard]

All the things on http://www.downthelane.net/naturesgifts.html are within a very short walk from my place.

It's amazing what you can get at this time of the year and store up for winter - and beyond.

[PK]

Went for a walk on the common near to me today. Checked out how the blackberries are doing. Not quite ready but I know which bushes to head for later.

[lancashire lass]

On my Sunday morning walk with the dog across fields and hedgerows, I was also checking out the potential harvest. Some elderberries are starting to ripen already as are some blackberries. Then I spotted a couple of small white bumps in a grassy patch where I know shaggy ink caps come up every year - a bit early as normally they come up in September.