Foraging - Natures Food

TravellingAbuela

We are of the same opinion as you Moorhen, some people don't seem to want to save money! We are always picking alone in the countryside and in the summer/early autumn we pick bilberries, elderberries, rowanberries, blackberries, pears, sloes and hazelnuts in the wild. We are sometimes asked what we are picking and what we do with them (someone even took a video of us picking bilberries!!!!!) but no-one ever joins us. Oh well, all the more for us! And my family appreciate all the jams, chutney and pies I pass on to them!

splodger_seedswapper

i have also noticed that nobody else seems to be picking in my area

i have had a nice load of blackberries and elderberries in the last week - i also went to help an elderly friend pick from her fruit trees and was rewarded with several crates of lovely apples and pears

i think this weekend will be spent juicing and pulping fruit - and starting off more wine :T

Mrs_Veg_Plot

Hi folks

I need some advice please. I was all set to pick what I thought were sloes but on closer inspection and after looking at some pictures of sloes I am now not sure. What I have found look like damsons but are in a hedgerow not on a tree.

any thoughts on what they might be?

I do not want to pick them if I can not use them as this would be a waste.

With regard to people not picking their own fruit I am now sharing an allotment with a friend and there are loads of blackberries that no one id picking in the hedges around tre allottments. I am making good use of them but there are too many for me to process and they are now rotting on the brambles. What a shame .

jennyo

Picking blackberries/brambles is time consuming, sticky, prickly, sometimes stingy (if you upset a wasp), when you get home you then have to soak them to get rid of the critters and make/do something with them before they turn to pulp and go mouldy. I do understand why it is not a hobby for everyone.
A few years ago when I first got into jam making i asked a group of people I know if when summer came they new of any plums I would love to have them. The youngest member of the group came up to me afterwards to inform me they sell them in Tesco.

floyd

Mrs Veg, could they be Bullace? They are found in hedgerows and can be used in the same way as damsons

rosie383

I went foraging with the kids up on our allotments yday. Got loads of blackberries which I will freeze til we pick more and I can make jam or whatever.
Inspired by your good selves here, I found out that the tree at the edge of my plot is actually an elder. I picked a big tub full and now just need to make some jelly or jam. Again, I may wait til we can go next week and freeze this lot in the meantime.
I picked what I thought were damsons, but it turns out they are sloes and it is too early to pick them!!! If I get more later in the year, is there anything I can use them for apart from sloe gin or wine? Bearing in mind that I am Muslim, I would appreciate any non-alcohol recipes!!

jennyo

rosie383 wrote: »

I went foraging with the kids up on our allotments yday. Got loads of blackberries which I will freeze til we pick more and I can make jam or whatever.
Inspired by your good selves here, I found out that the tree at the edge of my plot is actually an elder. I picked a big tub full and now just need to make some jelly or jam. Again, I may wait til we can go next week and freeze this lot in the meantime.
I picked what I thought were damsons, but it turns out they are sloes and it is too early to pick them!!! If I get more later in the year, is there anything I can use them for apart from sloe gin or wine? Bearing in mind that I am Muslim, I would appreciate any non-alcohol recipes!!

I think you can make jam with sloes, however I've never done it I believe it was popular during the war when fruit was in short supply.

jem132

:jHiya, I am so exited iv found 5 new apple trees a stones throw from my house all full of apples i have a huge ikea bag full of them and there is loads more for everyone else (leeds area) i am desprate for something other than apples ??????

Ifound some plums yesterday but they where all soft i was gutterd ,Could you still use them they are still on the tree???


I have allso just got a old plastic bath from someone down the street just lying in there garden so thats gona be my new pot pach


:jDoes anyone know of a plan to make a cider press???

Mrs_Domino

Churchmouse wrote: »

I'm scared of mushrooms too. But I plan on being a big girl and learning about them :rotfl:

I'm dubious of mushrooms too but my local country park held a little mushroom foraging walk last year (which I missed by days as I had only just moved in). I'm determined to go this year, even if i have to strap a very whingy DS to my back!

Jem132 - Cider press: http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-cheese-and-cider-press/

There are loads on this site.

floyd

rosie383 wrote: »

I picked what I thought were damsons, but it turns out they are sloes and it is too early to pick them!!! If I get more later in the year, is there anything I can use them for apart from sloe gin or wine? Bearing in mind that I am Muslim, I would appreciate any non-alcohol recipes!!

This is a really good recipe that keeps for a long time (I have some that is 2 years old) and goes really well with cheese and meat or a good dollop in stews, curries and casseroles really lifts them

http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/sloe-and-bramley-apple-jelly-recipe-54