Foraging - Natures Food

HariboJunkie

Mrs_Veg_Plot wrote: »

Can someone tell me hoe I can tell if the sloes I have found are ripe?

I know they are very sharp even when ready. Have never picked any before but have found some tucked away in the grounds of our local hospital and want to make my own sloe gin.

Thanks

Mrs VP

They should be firm to the touch but not rock hard. They are quite forgiving about being picked early. Just p Rick (swear filter doesn't like it when you put that word in full) them and freeze them before use if you're making sloe gin

Mrs_Veg_Plot

Thanks for that Haribo. Do I need to !!!!! then if freezing them? I found that plums and damsons split when they have been frozen. Will Sloes do the same?

HariboJunkie

Mrs_Veg_Plot wrote: »

Thanks for that Haribo. Do I need to !!!!! then if freezing them? I found that plums and damsons split when they have been frozen. Will Sloes do the same?

I just do it to be sure and some will not split and It's a faff to do them after freezing. Not strictly necessary though.

Mrs_Veg_Plot

Thanks for the advice. Will pick them in my lunch break tomorrow.

Hope the sloe gin is as fab as the damson gin

annie-c

rachbc wrote: »

I'm having a crap day and most aspects of this thread really cheer me up - came on to post that I had spotted another packed apple tree right near work but the same old same old drivel as really pee-ed me off this morning.

Perhaps we could request 2 foraging threads - on to discuss good spots and recipes etc - and one to 'discuss' the ethics - that way I can keep smiling and not feel the need to be dragged into a pointless debate.

You need to stick around because we need to talk maggots!

I have never noticed or thought about them til I saw your post, and then I examined the first raspberry I picked yesterday and a little white wriggler crawled out..... :eek:

Do they inhabit ALL fruit plants, and have I been eating them without noticing, or is this a rare coincience?

rachbc

My dad always said finding a maggot wasn't a problem - finding half a maggot was!!

My day did improve - OH has got a fab promotion at work

HariboJunkie

rachbc wrote: »

My dad always said finding a maggot wasn't a problem - finding half a maggot was!!

My day did improve - OH has got a fab promotion at work

Yay!!! :beer: Glad your day got better. x Ask him to buy you a mushroom identifying book with his pay rise. :D;)

Churchmouse

rachbc, your dad is a wise man

I really, really wish I hadn't just eaten those raspberries straight from the cane the other day. I was watering and gave them a quick rinse under the hose but ..............._pale__pale_ I foraged some blackberries today. Went over to babysit the grandsons and there wee ripe berries high up, so nabbed a small bag. Might drown the wrigglers overnight, or should I just freeze them out Just never thought of them being in raspberries.

Congrats on DH's promotion :j:T

jennyo

rachbc wrote: »

My dad always said finding a maggot wasn't a problem - finding half a maggot was!!

My day did improve - OH has got a fab promotion at work

Well done to him, good news. Going to make some chutney now using the apples we got on Monday, thats the thing I like about apples you have ages to use them before they are no good.

Pazu

Hi

Its really exciting to see all the interest in this thread. Welcome newbys.

rachbc congratulations on OH's promotion.

All fruit and veg has bugs. Its just that the stuff we get from the supermarket is so doused in chemicals that you wouldn't know it. As kids we ate pounds of the stuff without thinking about the bugs and are still here to tell the tale. Salt water is the way to go.

Didn't do any foraging Monday. The forecast here was rain all week except Monday so I thought I ought to catch up with the garden. NN did give me some jam jars, then dd came home for a couple of days with some more, and finally DF gave me some damsons so a good day after all. Spent a rainy day yesterday preserving.

The rowan and crab jelly is made. It is a lovely shade of pink, darker than crab but lighter than redcurrent. DD was chief taster. It wasn't the awful sour disaster I expected from Google, neither was it Pam the Jam's "outstanding." DD liked it and I thought it ok. I wanted to be able to describe the taste to you but neither of us could quite find the right word. Its sweet, and you can taste the apple but with another flavour giving it a bit of a kick.

In the spirit of MSE I pushed the fruit pulp through a sieve, put an equal quantity of suger with it and the juice from the other half of the lemon to make rowan and apple cheese. Then I forgot myself and threw the lemon skin out instead of freezing it :rotfl:. This was a resounding success. It was a glossy brown and tasted really fruity. I don't think I cooked it quite long enough because it wasn't quite set. Not so money saving though; it was on the stove for an hour!

The damsons are pricked and in the deepfreeze preparing themselves to be damson gin for DF and us.

Mushrooms scare me.