Foraging - Natures Food

Gigervamp

Crab apples are apples, but they're the size of pingpong balls and very sharp to taste, so they need to be cooked first.

The yellow flowers (if it's the episode I'm thinking of) on River Cottage are gorse flowers. The bushes they grow on are very, very prickly! But they make a nice wine apparently.

Rosehips and sloes won't be ready until the autumn/winter.

The sting in nettles disappears when they're cooked, but you'll need to pick them whilst wearing rubber gloves.

ALIBOBSY

we started looking last year and were amazed the amount of stuff we found near us, but we live in a semi rural area and so are lucky. A short 2 min walk takes us out into public land with lovely walks and it is full of trees and bushes and is perfect foraging land. Only did things on a small scale last year but this year will do more. We now know where there are elderflowers (and so elderberries later on), several types of crab apples-the pink john dowie type we found made lovely apple conserve, an apple tree that sadly we had missed (only spotted in winter when all the apples were rotting on the ground) that we think were golden delicious, bullaces,damsons, sloes, rosehips,pears, and blackberries. OH even discovered his arty side and made us a lovely christmas wreath from foraged bits and bobs.

ali x

EssexGirl

Theres a tree near us that has interesting berries that look like cherries but it's not a cherry tree, but not knowing what it was we left well alone until we saw a dog walker with a handful of them. He said they were lovely. They are a cross between a cherry and a plum, but still none the wiser as to the name of it. But they do taste nice

parsonswife8

Crab apples, elderberries, elderflowers, blackberries and sometimes, white mushrooms, and we are in North Kent.:D
My MIL has Bramley apples, damsons, rhubarb etc. Not strictly foraging for us, more like scrounging.:o
Well, she can't eat it all herself.:rotfl:

Laura_D_3

http://lauradsthegoodlife.blogspot.com/2010/07/what-is-this-mushroom.html

Purpleclutterbuck

EssexGirl and gailey - they're probably a fruit called Cherryplums! I've just discovered my garden fruit tree is this and they are going into a jam and into brandy

Gothicfairy

Laura, It could be several types to be honest. Is the tree it is growing on dead and what type is it ?

It would also make a difference depending on the size as the picture gives nothing to compare it to and it would also make a difference depending on the colour and structure of the tops of the mushroom.

It might be branched Oyster Mushroom but I find it hard to be sure based on the photo alone.

I was also looking at Dryad's saddle but I don't think it is that as there doesn't seem to be a lip around the mushroom.

gailey_2

Well sadly cherries shortlived they all gone and only been out a month should have picked more as they went fast still got lots of plum trees now to pick called greengages.

Not sure when blackberries ready think set, think hazlenuts sept/oct.

Found a weird berry they could be rosehip but look bit big its prickly bush with what looks like round red tomatoes, green end and tassly bits sprouting

I think i have seen rosehip and its lot smaller than what I saw and more oval shape.

what can you do with rosehips anyway think syrup but for what.

Not sure if I found sloes or redcurrents need to check

found pear tree not sure they ready

Think we have crabapple in our garden

Also seen what looks like apple trees is a tree normally looks obviously apple safe they smaller than comercial apples are green and pink.
Would be handy for cooking.

Nettle wise fancy doing something but confused as some people talk about young nettle leaves if I pick now would it be wrong time.Was going to try nettle soup and maybe few spinach recipies and substitute for nettle like nettle and ricotta canneloni.

rachbc

any one in Yorskhire there are 1000s of Bilberries out at Brimham Rocks - we picked a kilo yest and could have had 5 times as much easily

Gothicfairy

Nettle is better when young as it is tender and tastes better , as it gets older it needs more cooking.
Nettle pudding is a nice one to do and you can add what you like really

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-481709/Traditional-English-cooking-nettle-pudding-ancient-recipes.html

you can also use dandelion leaves but they do taste bitter so I cover them with a pot or something so that they are white and that seems to make them less bitter.

Sloes are easy, the bush is very sharp and has needle like twigs, the sloes are black and maybe about the size of an olive. The also have this weird black skin which looks like it has a white covering, Hard to explain but google has some great photos