Foraging - Natures Food

The_Thrilla

rubytuesday wrote: »

Richard Mabey Food for Free. I'm going to make nettle soup. Unfortunately the nettles will be coming fro my garden!:rotfl:

Yes, I've got this book, and nettle soup is delicious.

The fungi can be dangerous, and you need to be taken out by an expert, because the death cap mushroom, which will kill you (no known antidote either), can look like a field mushroom to the uninitiated.

Even if you know what a plant looks like, you can mistake it for something else. Lime tree leaves are edible. I knew the shape of a lime tree leaf, but found what I thought was a lime tree was a hazel tree. Fortunately, the latter's leaves taste awful, so I never tried them again.

Mabey's book mentioned that he has eaten snowberries but can find no literature in Britain about them being used as food, and can find nothing either about them being poisonous. I later found out that this is because the snowberry wasn't introduced into Britain until recently, so it will not appear in any medieval manuscripts. I have tried a few They taste fine, and I am still alive; but I would not recommend them because I have no idea what they contain.

Maybe also wrote a book called "Plants with a Purpose," where he makes a list of plants used for things other than food: making baskets out of weeping willow and bindweed, or making duty-free smokes with coltsfoot.

jsh99

I made Ransoms (Wild Garlic) soup yesterday - lovely!! Will defo be making that again - and it looked so pretty with some of the white flowers used as a garnish.

izzwizz_2

First time I tried nettles yesterday. Made "nettle risotto" from Denis Cotter's book "Wild Garlic, Gooseberries... & Me". It was a great success and hubby wants me to make it again. I just used the smallest leaves from the tips of the nettles. Thought they had a fantastic flavour and will definitely be trying some other nettle recipes in the future. Thanks for all the tips, I can't wait for the elderflowers to come into bloom so I can try making elderflower cordial from thriftlady's recipe.

Soubrette

I happened to notice a wild cherry tree while out walking the dog the other day (I know it's definitely a wild cherry tree as our local authority kindly put labels on some of the trees).

I assume that in theory I can forage these fruit? If so, do they taste sweet or are they more cooking cherries.

It's on a public walk. I also assume in practice that the birds will have them before I get anywhere near them?

Sou

ginnyknit

Does it say edible cherries? We have a lot outside our house but I think they may not be edible though the birds love them and we get the resulting poo on our car - it could be used to glue things together as you have to scub like heck to move it!

Gigervamp

They're probably sour cherries and the birds will most likely get them before you do!
There are several wild cherry trees across the road from us. I managed to get one to try before the birds and it was very sour, but would probably be fine for cooking with. Unfortunatley the birds always get there before me!

Soubrette

ginnyknit wrote: »

Does it say edible cherries? We have a lot outside our house but I think they may not be edible though the birds love them and we get the resulting poo on our car - it could be used to glue things together as you have to scub like heck to move it!

No it says wild cherry - it seems from a google that this is the plant that has been cultivated as sweet cherry but of course wild things do seem much more sour.

I think I have to regretfully agree with you Gingervamp, it's probably not worth keeping an eye on because of the birds - my mum used to have a cherry tree at the bottom of her garden and the one year she managed to pick any, they were absolutely gorgeous. She never bothered netting and like slugs, birds seem to like these things just a day less ripe than we people do

Sou

BUXTONRABBIT

I was reading on the itnernet today that wild sour cherries make your jam rock. I have been picking cherries there are loads of trees where I live plenty for me and the birds and they are gorgeous.

Gigervamp

Ours aren't anywhere near ripe yet. They're still very green.

rachbc

I managed about 6 from our tree last year before the birds got them...tree is far to big to net. Though the cat is helping decimate the bird population this year so I might get some