Foraging Challenge

marmiterulesok

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Surely can MARMITE

Elderflower Cordial

18 - 20 heads of elderflowers
1 litre of boiling water
the rind and juice of 2 lemons
1 kilo of white sugar

Place the elderflowers, boiling water and lemon zest in a large bowl/jug and cover with a cloth then leave for 24 hours. Strain the liquid through a jelly bag/some muslin and place in a large saucepan, discard the elderflowers and lemon zest. Add the sugar and bring to the simmer, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the lemon juice and simmer for 5 minutes. Leave to cool and bottle in sterilized bottles. For long term storage either bottle in plastic bottles and freeze (leave a gap at the top of the bottle for the liquid to expand) after defrosting use within a month, keep in the fridge. Or sterilize in a water bath, place a cloth in the bottom of a deep pan and place the capped glass bottles in the pan then fill with cold water to 1" from the tops of the bottles. Bring slowly to simmering point and hold at the simmer, very gently for 30 minutes. Remove from water (careful they're HOT) and stand on newspaper until cold. Then they should be OK to store in a cool dry place for about 6 months.

I've just made my first batch this year and it's cooling down in the kitchen, it smells wonderful!!! Hope that helpd, Cheers Lyn xxx.

Thank you!

[Deleted User]

MARMITE I made mine yesterday and now have 1 and a half litres in the fridge, gave half a litre to my friend, it's something we do every year, she even has her 'own' bottle! Currently have 20 bottles of Elderflower Champagne in the shed under wraps too (big blanket in case of explosions!) we tried a bottle of the first batch yesterday and it was GOOD!!!!! Hope yours turns out well this time, good luck, Cheers Lyn xxx.

ALIBOBSY

Just come across this thread about foraging hurrah!

We have gotten into foraging in the last couple of years, but you keep on learning new stuff.

Just been on a walk-always take a set of garden gloves and some carrier bags lol. We knew there are a lot of rosehips-saw them a couple of weeks ago, so collected a bag of them for RH syrup.

Noticed by the river a shed load of those Himalayan balsam, which the bees seemed to be loving. But I know its invasive because of its exploding seed pods.
I read online (and think I saw Alice Fowler? on tv) that you can collect and eat the seeds. We tried some and they are a bit nutty, and seem quite nice. Seen a handful of recipes online where you seem to use them either a bit like lentils or in baking like other seeds.

I want to collect them more in bulk this year and am wondering how to dry them out for storage. I am thinking perhaps on a tray in a low oven?

Any help would be welcome.

Also can you have late fruiting cherries? The 2 local "on a public footpath so fair game to forage" cherry trees as well as the ones in gardens have fruited and gone/been eaten. But when on our wander today spotted a tree near the river with what look just like small green immature cherries on. The leaf is the same size/shape and colour as the nearest "known" cherry-I took a leaf and checked as we walked past, but the "new" leaf did not have a serrated edge.

Where it is, is amongst a lot of other trees and bushes in a rural area alongside the river. Its pretty wild and full of foraging goodies. The tree itself is a bit shaded and I wondered if it was late fruiting because of that?

Awaiting my new copy of food for free from Amazon as our old one seems to have been lost when we had a clear out to decorate downstairs before Christmas.

If/when it turns up it will still be useful to stick in the car for days out.

Ali x

troll35

We have been out bilberrying (wild blueberries, found on the moors her ein Yorkshire) the last two evenings. They are a good few weeks later in ripening than most years, but this year there seems to be a good crop, whereas last year was the pits.

Ken68

The wild cherry varieties in this area have been late but do span about two months and have now come to an end.
Next will be the wild plum yellow and ruby , about the same size as a cherry though a bit tasteless.

ALIBOBSY

Oh went for a walk later on with 2 of the girls, just around the block and DD2 spotted a tree "with fruit on Daddy". OH looked and picked a couple as he said it was obviously a plum. Having looked online they are Victoria plums and were gorgeously sweet and jucy.

The tree was on one of those inbetween bits of land just off the pathway from the village green through to the houses around the corner from us. OH said there are the usual sort of "council/developer" trees and bushes around and then this plum tree just sat there, so we wonder if it has been a discarded fruit/pit that has grown and perhaps only just starting fruiting heavily as we haven't noticed it before. Will be taking some bags around tomorrow.

Ali x

Ken68

Unusual to find wild Vics, full marks to DD.
Best last year for me was discovering Elderberries, how easy to pick and freeze and mixed with blackberries a real treat.
Still trying to find a use for those sour autumn berries, forgot the name temp.
sometimes made with gin.

ALIBOBSY

Ken68 wrote: »

Unusual to find wild Vics, full marks to DD.
Best last year for me was discovering Elderberries, how easy to pick and freeze and mixed with blackberries a real treat.
Still trying to find a use for those sour autumn berries, forgot the name temp.
sometimes made with gin.

TBH we were a bit gobsmacked as well, plenty of Damsons around here, but these were "proper" plums just like from the shops lol. They were so juicy and sweet without being oversweet and warm from the sun :j. That's why we wondered if its a tree that sprung up from a discarded bought plum. From the colour and the size of tree (not very big) its definitely a vic yay.

Loads of Damsons and bullaces down by the village green as well, plus a couple of pear trees. They are all covered in fruit every year and the grass gets covered with them. You see a few others collecting them up and I have even seen council workmen when collecting who basically said as long as you don't damage the trees is less for them to have to clear when the fruit goes really bad-simply too much fruit for the wildlife to get rid of.

Only trouble is going to my sisters after tea and she has a new house with a garden full of inherited fruit trees and bushes, groaning with fruit she says she can't use . Looks like greengages, plums, apples, blackcurrants and raspberries, alongside strawberries a plenty. Seems I will be getting good at stoning plums this week lol. Will be doing some jelly I reckon to reduce the workload and freezing a lot to process later. May do some fruit compotes to freeze for crumbles and pies later on. Still got a pile of rosehips left from yesterday to finish sorting and making rosehip syrup as well :rotfl:.

Just a good job the blackberries are not ready around here yet.

Ali x

PS think you mean sloes? We have a few trees around here, but as we don't drink and all the recipes seem to involve putting them in booze not much use to us. Would love some non boozy ideas to use them.

Ken68

These are the foraged cherries from this year, pulling soft so couldn't leave them. More details on the de-hydrating thread.
Yes, sloes, difficult, maybe mix with something very sweet.
Opal plums ripening here, not many Vics and a few Laxton Fortune dessert apples. And in the wild , I think they are Laxton Superb, keepers.Plus blackberries and elderberries.
Last year I happened upon a Blackberry Gang. It was an education, A people carrier and someone washing and sorting, someone else carting from the six pickers. Like locusts.

ALIBOBSY

Never heard of a blackberry gang, is the intention to work as a group to then use the foraged fruit for themselves? Or will they sell the fruit on?

We prefer to leave some for the birds and other pickers, but in a lot of areas here we know there will be loads wasted-seen piles rotting on the ground every year so I can see in places like that a big gang would be able to pick and be a good thing. This applies more to the apples/pears and plum types.

Ali x