Foraging - Natures Food

mum26

Oh how lovely!

My nan used to have a massive plum tree in her garden and I can remember her shaking the branches with a long stick, lol.

Butterfly_Brain

This year there seems to be a huge amount of plums my DH works in a School and they have Plum Trees , Cherry Trees and Walnut Trees.The teachers have had a field day scrumping!
I have had absolutely loads and made jams and ice cream and frozen what I haven't used - walnuts won't be ready yet so looking out recipes ready for them to arrive in my kitchen..can't wait!

newleaf

There are a lot of wild cherry plums about again this year - the best year since 2006 IMO - so keep your eyes peeled! They make fabulous jam

kippers

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

This year there seems to be a huge amount of plums my DH works in a School and they have Plum Trees , Cherry Trees and Walnut Trees.The teachers have had a field day scrumping!
I have had absolutely loads and made jams and ice cream and frozen what I haven't used - walnuts won't be ready yet so looking out recipes ready for them to arrive in my kitchen..can't wait!

How did you make the icecream?

newlywed

There's blackberries round the recreation ground near a big supermarket.... they back onto houses but are fairly near a main dual carriageway.... should I pick them?

Should I be embarrassed to be seen picking them??

Any tips - other than horrid spidery stories coz that's what usually puts me off!!!

ALIBOBSY

Been for a walk today as I want to start more foraging (used to make elderberry wine and blackberry and apple crumble). Picked some nice blackberries and found a few other berrys I wasn't sure of.
Took some berries and leaves and after research on t'internet discovered they are sloes and hawthorn berries. There were literally hundreds of these on my little walk around the hedges near here as well as loads of elderberrys-still green (I am lucky living in a semirural area on the edge of a small town).
Previously spotted a few pears and crabapples as well as loads of damsons near here as well.

ali x

Gigervamp

I had a look around yesterday when walking the dog over the common and found that the sloes are looking good. There were no sloes over the last two years, so I'm pleased to see they're back.

Haws are still not quite ripe and the blackberries are still tiny and green for the most part, although there are a few ripe ones about.

There's also a wild rose which has a few hips on, but not really enough to do anything with.

I know of a crab apple tree over on the common too, but I'll have to get my wellies on to check that out as the ground on that part is pretty boggy and then I can check out the cob nuts too.

Reverbe

Went walking to a mate today to pick up a book I'd sold on Green Met and found some blackberries and what I think is rose hips. Anyone have any idea what I can do with the rosehips? I intend to take some gardening gloves and a Tupperware there on Monday..

Seakay

newlywed wrote: »

There's blackberries round the recreation ground near a big supermarket.... they back onto houses but are fairly near a main dual carriageway.... should I pick them?

Should I be embarrassed to be seen picking them??

Any tips - other than horrid spidery stories coz that's what usually puts me off!!!

No need for embarrassment at all!
Pick above waist height to avoid dog wee.
Give berries a quick rinse at home to remove dust
Pick into rigid containers or baskets with a bit of newspaper in the bottom to avoid the fruit getting too crushed or sitting in liquid if a few do squidge

Seakay

Reverbe wrote: »

Went walking to a mate today to pick up a book I'd sold on Green Met and found some blackberries and what I think is rose hips. Anyone have any idea what I can do with the rosehips? I intend to take some gardening gloves and a Tupperware there on Monday..

Rosehip syrup is probably the easiest thing to go for as it means you don't have to fiddle around getting rid of the hairy seeds inside the fruit which are an irritant (as well as annoying!)
Rosehip syrup is a good source of vitamin C and can be poured over ice cream, pancakes, waffles etc as well as diluted into a drink

Here is HF-W's recipe:

http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/chefs/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall/rosehip_syrup_p_1.html