Foraging

SailorSam

londonsurrey wrote: »

Big tip with blackberries - foxes spray to mark their territory. So only eat the higher placed blackberries, lest the lower ones be marinated.

And don't eat any that are growing anywhere near a pub 'cos the drunks rolling out at closing time may have marinated them in exactly the same way.

crumblepie

emiff6 wrote: »

I'm surprised that blueberries are growing wild, being acid loving bog plants. What's a blue grape tree? - grapes are vines - is this something different?

In my part of the world (Wales) they're known as wimberries. I normally have to go for a long walk up a mountain side to get them but they are lovely in a pie.

I forage damsons, plums and blackberries. Made some jam this week with more damsons in the freezer. This time of year I tend to take a carrier bag with me when I go for a walk just in case I see anything.

londonsurrey

Cootambear - it works both ways - he's teaching me about a few other poisonous plants.

Barneysmom

Where my in-laws live in Llantwit Major there are loads of sloes.
Is there anything other than sloe gin you can use them for?

emiff6

nephilim wrote: »

Blueberry bushes near here are not that large but the fruit is lovely when ripe (according to my neighbour who makes blueberry muffins with them).

As for Blue Grape Tree...

http://www.fruitipedia.com/blue_grape_Myrciaria_vexator.htm

It is a grape that grows on a tree

Goodness, how exotic. Great link, nephilim, and you've taught me a new plant today, thanks!

crumblepie wrote: »

In my part of the world (Wales) they're known as wimberries. I normally have to go for a long walk up a mountain side to get them but they are lovely in a pie.

Ah, but that's bilberries (vaccinium myrtillus), which grow wild in lots of places in the UK, blueberries are vaccillium cyanococcus, natives of North America.

emiff6

Barneysmom wrote: »

Where my in-laws live in Llantwit Major there are loads of sloes.
Is there anything other than sloe gin you can use them for?

In my book..... no.

And it's surprising how boring sloe gin gets when you've gallons of the stuff.

crumblepie

emiff6 wrote: »

Ah, but that's bilberries (vaccinium myrtillus), which grow wild in lots of places in the UK, blueberries are vaccillium cyanococcus, natives of North America.

Alright then I bow to your greater knowledge of small blue berries

It's free food which is a better than paying for it.

Doingmybest2bgoodhurrah

I'm a confirmed forrager (have I spelt that right?). Near us we're lucky to have a variety of trees and hedgerows offering lots through the year. There's half a dozen cherry trees, damsons, bullace, plums, sloes, rosehips, apples (wish I knew the varieties), blackberries, hazelnuts, a walnut tree & a couple of almond trees, elder, crab apples & a quince bush. All of these are wild, except for the quince which is in my garden. I have wondered if there was once a farm or orchard around here. There's also a few sweet chestnut trees but these aren't so close by.

I try to make use of as many of these as I can, but I'm not always disciplined enough. Lots of people round here pick the blackberries, but everything else just seems to be left. I always take a bag or a Tupperware box out with me when I take the hound out & we seldom return empty handed at this time of the year. My dog adores fruit of all kinds so we generally have a snack en route.

Things I try to make include plum jam, bullace jam, damson jam, cherry ice cream, rosehip syrup, quince jelly, crab apple jelly, sloe gin, bullace vodka, the nuts generally get saved for Crimbo., although this year there seems to be an abundance of hazelnuts so I'm thinking of doing something special with them. Any ideas? The apples generally get scoffed straight away or frozen for apple sauce and crumbles through the winter. The sweet chestnuts get roasted, eaten raw & put into stuffings, pasties, etc. The blackberries get eaten on the spot - OH doesn't like them as he hates the pips. I did have a go at making wine once but found I was too impatient & kept having to sample it before it was ready.

We get mushrooms too, but the older I get the less confident I am about picking them. I used to pick them with my Dad when I was a small child, he was very knowledgeable about them. I learned loads from him but I am not nearly as confident as I used to be. Even into my late 20s I would often pick them on an early morning walk & cook them for breakfast but no longer!

One thing I wish grew wild near me is raspberries. I remember when I was a teenager we lived in a house where there were loads. Also, I've heard that garlic grows wild, does anybody know what type of conditions it likes or if its common in certain regions?

I have made myself feel peckish now.

DMB x

boultdj

Barneysmom wrote: »

Where my in-laws live in Llantwit Major there are loads of sloes.
Is there anything other than sloe gin you can use them for?

emiff6 wrote: »

In my book..... no.

And it's surprising how boring sloe gin gets when you've gallons of the stuff.

My book has got wine as well as gin, is that any use?

nephilim

add to my list a few fig trees just spotted them this evening