foraging

freedom

There are lots of edible wild plants in woods but how to recognise which is which
I wish I knew some very knowledgeable person who could show me what to eat or what not to eat
I wonder is there a book out there

lostinrates

There are a few foraging books.. but I never have them on me, infact don't think I know where they are, so eat the same old stuff I know.


Perhaps a more current idea would be to have a foragers thread...so we are giving/getting seasonal tips!

Dunx69

http://www.selfsufficientish.com/

soupdragon10

I remember going on a 'fungal foray' with one of my lecturers as part of my course.:eek:

As I recell we spent most of the day collecting fungi which I suspect she then took home for tea. Couldn't now recognise anything which was edible/dangerous so will have to either grow from plugs or use the greengrocer!

JodyBPM

We have a book called "Food for Free" which we take with us when we go for walks, to help us identify edible stuff. It tells you which months to look for stuff too!
I've generally restricted myself to stuff I can identify by myself anyway, though, elderflowers/berries, chestnuts, hawthorn berries (for jam), sloes, rosehips etc.

valentina

What about the River Cottage book "Hedgerow"?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hedgerow-River-Cottage-Handbook-Wright/dp/140880185X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296736768&sr=1-1

cootambear

there may well be a local group you can join

Lotus-eater

There are quite a few books out there, I have food for free and some specialised mushroom ones.

Tbh apart from the obvious ones worth getting, wild stuff is often just grazing. All your edible berries of course are worth getting, as are nuts, wild damsons and plum style fruits are worth it for jam or eating, as are sloes to use for gin. If you can find any wild apples or pears you should know what they look like anyway.

Alot of the rest are known as spinach insteadofs, that's what I call them anyway. Greenstuff you cook as spinach or use in a salad, most of them don't taste as good as cultivated stuff, which is why it isn't cultivated.

Did you have anything specific in mind?

foxgloves

I use 'Food for free' by Richard Mabey and 'Hedgerow' , which is one of the River Cottage series. I've also got Hugh Fernley W's 'A cook on the wild side' and an excellent one, can't remember title, black cover, large paperback, advertised in 'Country Kitchen' magazine. This is an excellent book and I have tried various recipes from it. 'Country Kitchen' mag also often has foraging articles. Most of the stuff I use is very easily recognised....blackberries, dandelions, sorrel, rosehips, nettles, yarrow, damsons, sweet chestnuts, elderflowers & elderberries, crab apples, ransoms, etc. I don't bother looking for watercress as it grows quite easily in an old washing up bowl in garden. The Mabey book is a classic. Worth asking at the library, as there are probably lots of other titles I don't know about. The cable channels often repeat old HFW series, so worth looking out for the 'Cook on the wild side' as it was full of information.

Invalidation

Just a point but the chap on HFW's programme who does all the forgaing mor mushrooms and stuff charges £80 for his one day course.
I doubt one could learn much in one day though

katholicos

Food for Free.