Foraging - Natures Food

ceridwen

rachbc wrote: »

No holes in the leaves and 100% certain its animal/ avian not human

I'd be interested to know how you can tell the difference please....

rachbc

because the tree was in my garden and would have only been accessible if someone had hired a long arm crane or (pardon the pun) cherry picker to get to it - I know cherries are expensive - but not THAT expensive

jennyo

ceridwen wrote: »

I understand what you are saying DogStarHeaven - but a lot of people are in the position of all looking at the same small area for foraging type purposes (ie if its a built-up area - as mine is for instance) and one doesnt have a car and therefore HAS only got access to things within walking distance on the other hand. So - I know where I could get a lot of blackberries for instance - but its an area that cant be walked to. The areas I know of within walking distance of me are also within walking distance of a LOT of other people too - and thats where problems tend to arise...:(

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On another "way to tell" if its greedy type humans - ie rather than wildlife - that is the reason for all "food" in a location vanishing = if the surrounding area is heavily "trampled". Unless birds and squirrels have taken to wearing heavy lead-weighted boots - thats another way to tell if its been humans in taking the lot...

Another way I've found to tell the difference is if there was never a problem previously - ie loads to go round and plenty dropping on the ground and going to waste - but then a few "cheaper" price range houses got built on land nearby and suddenly theres a problem of everything vanishing...that very much coincides with when those houses were built.....and the people living in those houses are often seen walking round in the vicinity..

I found the trampled grass/thistles/nettles helpful today, it lead me to the apple trees, I didn't work that out my OH did.

adelight

Sadly I haven't seen much wild fruit in my part of london (well, what do i expect?), even in richmond park there doesn't seem to be much! I wouldn't mind a day walking to go foraging though. I'm reading some of links and online guides to get tips on what's okay to pick.

There's a dozen or so apples on a branch hanging into my garden, but there are 100s of bright red apples on the tree in next doors garden and a blackberry bush, they're students too and we know two of them so I'm trying to pluck up the courage to ask them if I can pick some apples!

gien

Hello, I'm new here and wondered if I could ask a quick question? I've been picking up fallen hazelnuts and some of them are still a bit green - should I just leave them to 'dry out'? Also can I freeze rose hips until I have enough to make syrup - I just pick a few every day and pop them in my pockets. Thanks

jennyo

rachbc wrote: »

because the tree was in my garden and would have only been accessible if someone had hired a long arm crane or (pardon the pun) cherry picker to get to it - I know cherries are expensive - but not THAT expensive

Same happened with next doors tree, one day it was laiden with cherries, the next day gone.

rachbc

I am very grateful for whoever tramples all the nettles down so i can get to the blackberries in the old railway cutting!

Found a new apple tree today but all the apples still very small. Not quite foraging but yesterday I drove past a pyo veg place that had 'pick as much as you can and fill a box for a fiver' - I got quite a haul and dd and I had great fun too.

dogstarheaven

tiff wrote: »

I've been inundated with offers of fruit on freecycle but I forgot I cant collect till tomorrow evening and we're going away the next day untill Monday! Will be fine for apples but I really wanted to get damsons to make spiced damson chutney. Oh well, next year maybe.

i made an 'OFFER' on my local freegle group for my damsons and only one person emailed me, but they never got round to sorting out which day they could come out of my stated times in the early morning or eve on my lotti last week. there's still 90% left on the two trees after 2 big harvests i'd done at the w/e. i can't be bothered to re-list, and i'll just pick them myself and offer them to those who i know instead (not unless any of you lot live in nott'm, PM me)

rachbc

they weren't eating cherries anyway - have cut down the tree and replacing it with a dwarf eater that is small enough to net so fingers crossed for in a couple of years

rach

Hi all

I've been foraging a bit this week and have made some blackberry & apple jam and am just going to make some with elderberries too. The apples were windfalls from the pavement nearby but I keep going past, there aren't any more and I can't quite reach to 'encourage' more!

I've also seen what I have now identified as sloes so will be going back tomorrow for more...

I've been making jam in the microwave which is dead easy! I'm now almost out of jars though, I've put a wanted on freecycle for more and also said I'll happily take fruit off people's hands lol.

I'm slightly concerned about the maggots now as I'm not convinced I soaked the first lot all that well but I'm thinking they're boiled and jammed now!!