Foraging Challenge

jumblejack

HariboJunkie wrote: »

Not sure what the problem is there. I used a fermenting bin, and no demi john, just
decanted it into plastic bottles after a week. I only sterilise by rinsing out the plastic bottles in weak Milton solution. The frementing bin was just cleaned out with boiling water. You could try running it through muslin again and decanting it into clean bottles....

I think I will try that.

If not, it isn't too late to start again. I HAVE to succeed!!

JodyBPM

HariboJunkie wrote: »

We've had a pretty good foraging season up here so far this year. Not sure what we've had on a weekly basis but the elderflowers have been incredible lately so I have made 12 litres of champagne and 6 litres of cordial. We've had nettle soup, wild garlic with everything and even foraged some scallops, brown trout and razor clams. Also got several kilos of winkles on the beach. The wild cherries and raspberries are just beginning to ripen and it looks to be a great year for them too.

I don't think the nasturtiams in my garden count for foraging as they were sown by me but as well as the flowers and leaves, the seeds are edible and when picked while soft and pickled, make a great substitute for capers.

I really, really want to try foraging some razor clams (just looks so much fun with the salt, plus apparently you get a good bit of meat off them, unlike some other shellfish), but I thought it would be too early at the moment. I thought the rule of thumb was only to forage shellfish in a month with an "r" in it, or have I got that wrong... Really want to get some winkles too, but again, I was waiting til September...

splodger_seedswapper

great idea for a thread - i love foraging too :T

i might need to do much more this year - as i fear the allotment is not going to be that productive this season

i'm not sure i could manage one thing every week though (not keen on nettles - but i might try making a wine with them)

earlier in the year i did manage to forage and make:
dandelion wine
oakleaf wine
lemon balm and ginger wine

i might have a look to see how good the honeysuckle flowers are whilst i'm out and about - and pick some of those for wine

around my way the blackthorn blossom got bashed by the weather - and sloes have not set at all - blackberries look as if they are going to be great this year though - and the wild roses look amazing, best i can every remember - so hopefully the hips will be good this year

i made bramble tip wine last year - and that was surprising good, but i think i've left it a bit late to forage some - but i'll have a look this week

i will usually only make wine with what i forage - so doubt i can do it every week - but if i find anything exciting i'll try and post about it

Barbeduk

Blinkin' eck, thought I'd pop over to subscribe and look how long the thread is already!

I need to get back into foraging, have used elderflowers, sloes, blackberries, wild garlic, mushrooms in the past but since moving to the city have got out of the habit. The blackberries are coming on nicely in the local park though so will be keeping a close eye on those in a month or twos time! I'm always out at around 6am-7am with the dog so not much competition!

Would be fab if everyone could post their recipes, great motivation!

adelight

Great thread :j I still need to stake out some good foraging spots where I've just moved. Always on the look out for sweet chestnut trees as I loooove them.

Does anyone know much about "poor man's rhubarb"/broad leaf dock? I know you can eat dock leaves but what's the deal with the rhubarb sub??

jumblejack

Check out 'Hedge Chef' on YouTube uploaded by wildshow.
I think they are quite good. I'm watching them now

grandma247

I like this thread.
This was posted on another thread. I haven't tried them yet but intend to soon.

PennyGrabber

My trouble is, that although I'd absolutely love to do this, I have absolutely no idea where to start!! I can't even identify things! Well, except blackberries! HELP!! I'm hoping the food for free book will help.

Also, maybe we should do a month-by-month guide on here, for what to forage when? That way next year, folks like me will be able to gen up, ready to look for stuff!

jumblejack

PennyGrabber wrote: »

My trouble is, that although I'd absolutely love to do this, I have absolutely no idea where to start!! I can't even identify things! Well, except blackberries! HELP!! I'm hoping the food for free book will help.

Also, maybe we should do a month-by-month guide on here, for what to forage when? That way next year, folks like me will be able to gen up, ready to look for stuff!

Good idea regarding foraging calendar!!!

My limited finds currently are

rose petals,
elderflowers,
nettles and dandelions (nettles are at their best in spring but can still be useful now),
ramsons can still be found but they have finished flowering so are few n far between.
Docks
Clover flowers
Horsetail,
Plantain
Wood sorrel

Can't think of anymore at the mo. Will search for a better list.

By the way, the food for free book does miss a few good uns out but is a fab introduction. I am finding a lot out through surfing. There are some awesome sites out there. :j

Foragers calendar:
http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Lifeandhealth/pdf/2010/07/28/Foragerscalendar.pdf
PDF to print and keep
There are lots of stuff on there I can't identify so aim at trying to identify a new species each couple of weeks while they are seasonal for foraging;)
Edit:
It isn't 100% reliable. Only a guide. For example, just checked and it says that sea beets are out of season now. Well there are loads here. They are all in flower with their long spears which are also edible!!! Maybe whoever has compiled it is only interested in the younger, more tender leaves

FrugalFranny

Managed to find a huge batch of st.georges mushroom a couple of weeks ago whilst having a walk thought the local graveyard (a peaceful little short cut). It's one of the few wild mushrooms I know, so out came my foraging 'swag bag' as my son calls it and we've had two nice chicken and mushroom pies out of them.
I'm very careful about mushrooms after my nan told me the horror story of when she picked wild mushrooms and accidentally picked the wrong ones.
No one died thankfully but it sounded like the family had a horrible time. Personally I think she may have accidentally picked shrooms not knowing any better, by all accounts they didn't taste very nice and ended up in a 'cream of chicken' soup to mask the flavour.