Foraging - Natures Food

floyd

gailey wrote: »

Which part of south wales. sister says the winberries are ready up sugar loaf mountain Abergavenny near brecon beacons.
My dad says no rasberries this year and hes not to confident about chesnuts as said its been a dry year.

Far South West out Pembrokeshire way and I suspect that because its right on the coast they have been particularly parched by the sun.

Hoping to find some more this weekend, they wont be ready yet but at least I can pinpoint some spots to keep an eye on

kymbogs

Not at all Ceridwen I appreciate the input.

Gigervamp

I've never seen or tasted winberries before. Hubby said that a guy at work used to go picking them when he was a kid, (apparently he and his friends used to fill glass milk bottles with them, then sell them to neighbours!) so I've asked hubby to find out where he went picking them. Wondering if there are any up the Bwlch.

gailey_2

Gigervamp wrote: »

I've never seen or tasted winberries before. Hubby said that a guy at work used to go picking them when he was a kid, (apparently he and his friends used to fill glass milk bottles with them, then sell them to neighbours!) so I've asked hubby to find out where he went picking them. Wondering if there are any up the Bwlch.

Not sure but bwlch not far from Abergavenny and sugar loaf think 40mins used to live there as a baby, theres regular bus service that goes brceon to abre and get off just before hospital and thats way to sugarloaf and st marys vale.
Suspect most of brecon beacons quite good for foraging.
Maybe try Llangorse area too.

mirry

does anyone eat crab apples ?

ALIBOBSY

Enjoyed this thread but not posted till now.
Been out at weekend to try out the new food for free guide I bought but the rain sent us home early. Still we got to spt out what trees/fruit is there getting ready to be picked later in the year. Got some early blackberries and loads look to be coming on. Loads of rowan. Tried our first bilberries, yummy but hard to get a decent amount lol. Loads of hawthorn bushes, sloes, damsons and bullaces, nothing really ripe enough yet.
Rosehips and elderberries still underripe as well. Found a number of crab apples, what looks like small green proper apples (perhaps from an apple core) and a few pears.

So the next month or so sghould be busy lol.

ali x

gailey_2

Blackberries really early this year picked a couple of freezer bags full but its hard to pick volume with bored kids in tow.

Picking last of greengage plums have 10bags in freezer and picking atype of damson now although dad reckons its a victoria plum so many different varieties so confusing.

Think I found rosehips/crabapples but unsure if will do anything with them.

The elderberries starting to turn red here.

Theres a house on my estate with apple and pear tree been trying to pluck up courage to knock and ask its in their front garden and looks untouched.

Hubbys really starting to enjoy foraging.
Might go out for an hour soon.

really want to pick more blackberries but its finding time its quite a labour intensive job and takes hours plus stingynettles and thistles always seem to grow next to it.

Still wnat to try nettles.

hazelnuts anyone know when I tink its late oct/sept seen tonnes here.
Really love chesnuts but doubtful I get money as dad says been to dry.

went to local duck pond its half dried up really bad.

flaire

gailey wrote: »

Blackberries really early this year picked a couple of freezer bags full but its hard to pick volume with bored kids in tow.

Picked a punnet of blackberries this morning - jam made and currently cooling on the windowsill. They are very early this year - maybe it is going to be a bad winter :eek:

As for hazelnuts - best punder (or pinch from the squirrels) from the end of August and through September.

My hubby is going to attempt elderberry wine this year - hic, hic, ooo where's my sight gone - and I must remember a bottle of vodka for the blackberry vodka and some gin for the sloes.

sarahsarah

Hello :waves: new to this thread!

What is the etiquette when a fruit tree isin someone's garden but branches are overhanging a footpath? Am I supposed to knock and ask? And what if the house looks unoccupied?

gailey_2

flaire wrote: »

Picked a punnet of blackberries this morning - jam made and currently cooling on the windowsill. They are very early this year - maybe it is going to be a bad winter :eek:

As for hazelnuts - best punder (or pinch from the squirrels) from the end of August and through September.

My hubby is going to attempt elderberry wine this year - hic, hic, ooo where's my sight gone - and I must remember a bottle of vodka for the blackberry vodka and some gin for the sloes.

I picked 2large tubs blackberries today but tricky all the best large ones always unreachable and have to do serious quality control with mine.

Went on 2hour foraging mission and found

a large greengage tree untouched pick loads as they the earliest plums and come out in july they yellow, pink or sometimes cherry purple.Picked 2tubs full so should hit my target of 20 bags in chest freezer.

Found another type of plum dad argues maybe victoria plum but from look on internet I think its a variety of damson.

Its oval shape quite decorative as opposes to large a round, sometimes has little white crytels on some and is pink to very deep violet very pretty. I open the inside of flesh much more colourful than green gage so picked lots couple of dog walkers gave me odd looks like I had gone mad guess people dont realise.

I must admit I dident realise there were plums round here until this year its quite confusing as some on trees easy to spot but slots hidden deepinside hedegrows.

Not sure if different varieties will make very different tasting jams.
neither look like stuff in shops.

Will try getting nuts in 2weeks time cracked one open seem small still although squirrels have started.

See lots of apple trees but they eitehr look bad or bit on small side are te small ones any good they not crabapples think we have them in garden.

Sloes I think I spotted are they deep cadbury purple berries look like small grapes with small green leafs on spikey branches.
Apart from gin anything else to do with sloes.

Some of elderberries ready already as plan to make cordial for cough medicine and wine as elderflower went really well but unsure of quantity as they so tiny.I dont think theres much else you can do with them.

I have cherries in freezer so will buy

vodka
brandy
gin

for alcholic delights.

Wondering how hard cider is to make as jaques fruit coder could maybe be copies with blackberries or plums.
Im sure you can brew fruit wines but im a brewing novice.