Foraging Challenge

[Deleted User]

Everything in our neck of the woods has sprung into life over the past week or so, the crab apples are covered with blossom, the hawthorns are actually beginning to bloom and the elder buds are still green and tight shut but getting bigger each day. The nettles are luxuriant and so are the dandelions and many other things like mallow and hairy bitter cress are abundant enough to make a decent salad should you like them. Even the bracken is showing as 'fiddle heads' so maybe it is spring and maybe we'll have a better year this year for all those lovely wild eats!!!

D&DD

I'm hoping it'll be a better year than last year here,it was dire for most things..no pears or apples which were really missed! Cherry plums were great as were the damsons but that was about it.

So far this year though the fruits are looking really healthy so hoping for a bumper crop.

I'm hoping to make double the amount of cherry plum jam as we've just started the last jar now and bottling double the amount of pears as well as drying as many apples as I can lay my hands on.

Our ransoms are great this year and the nettles look so lush and green for a change.

TravellingAbuela

My "foraging freezer" is looking very sad and I can't wait to start stocking it up again with free fruit! By the beginning of last autumn it was packed with bilberries, elderberries, rowanberries, blackberries, gooseberries and sloes. We have feasted over the winter on all the jam, pies, crumbles etc I made from all the fruit. It was a poor season for the wild pears hereabouts (very tiny and hard) and the squirrels beat us to the hazelnuts we had our eye on!!!! Here's to a bumper harvest for everyone this year!

vitamin_joe

Anyone know where is a good place to forage Sorrel (or other wild greens) in Manchester and surrounding areas?

Did my first bit of foraging a few days ago- just the wild nettles. Collected a small bagful of tender young leaves, then stuck them in the blender with a bit of watercress, and a couple of apples to sweeten the deal. After this I strained the liquid, and mashed the pulp through a sieve to extract the last drips. And voilà! A tasty green juice, full of minerals and micronutrients.

Note- one latex glove is not enough to stop all the stings when picking, a few still get through. I'm going to try two next time.

Ken68

Been picking dandelions for about two weeks, steam them and freeze into portions. Use as spinach, mix with sprouting broccolli maybe.
Best forage crop last year was elderberries and blackberries. Wild cherries dire. Some keeping apples. Off now to look for Ramsons.
And will try sloes later on.

JodyBPM

I tend to do more seaside foraging than hedgerow, currently using a lot of sea beet, and waiting impatiently for the samphire to be big enough to pick...

Discovered a patch of sea rocket the other week, but tbh the leaves were too bitter to eat much of in a salad.

D&DD

Haven't had much time to wander as the garden is keeping me busy atm but everything is still looking great

I need to identify a few more things as I'm sure there's loads on our field I haven't found yet.Shall take my book out with me next week or maybe press youngest into action this week..there's a thought!

Footpather

I keep seeing ramsons mentioned but to be honest I have never heard of them? What are they exactly please?

Lots and lots of nettles in my small field but I aren't keen on greens so it's not something I look forward to. I know they are good for the compost heap though so they will be put to use.

There is usually a very abundant crop of comfrey on the moor opposite where I live. I tried following instructions, a few years ago, on how to make a liquid to apply to bruises but it just went mouldy.

Looking forward to hearing more from you knowledgeable people and learning new things.

[Deleted User]

Ramsons - Wild Garlic!!! I've noticed here what looks like it's going to be a bumper crop of Ash Keys, I'm sure I've seen an old fashioned recipe for pickled ash keys, must go through my books and find it. The other thing that looks good currently is the crab and wilding apple trees, they were covered with blossom and it looks as though there are many apples set, but you can't really tell at this stage how many of them will come to maturity. It looks good though and I noticed the other day when I walked the lurcher that the elderflowers are finally beginning to uncurl thier petals, so it will soon be time to make elderflower cordial and champagne.

Footpather

Thanks for that Mrs Lurcherwalker. I have never heard them called that before. I was out walking near Beverley in Yorkshire last weekend and we came through a small woodland jam packed with wild garlic and bluebells.