Foraging Challenge

Boodle

Do the nettles work fine as just a cooked vegetable when harvested later on? Should I look for specific leaves/plants and avoid certain more mature plants, in which case what should I look out for?

Sorry for all the questions!

Aldahbra

Boodle wrote: »

I used the same recipe for the rose jelly yes, but it doesn't seem to have set very well.

I was wondering if the flavour worked because you soaked them. In that I'll have another go at JJ's reciepe next week and not cook it so long, but the quantity is a bit small. JumbleJack did your rose petal jelly set into a proper jelly? We had mine on bread last night but it was more like toffee. I was wondering if I should cook it a bit more and try and mould into boiled sweets.

adelight wrote: »

Eat them My local council actually suggests fattening up garden snails in an old fish tank, or similar, with peeling and porridge and eating them!

Really, Wow. I wonder if I could get my family to even try them? Probably not. How did they suggest you serve them?

jumblejack wrote: »

I put mine through the juicer then dilute it with fizzy lemonade.
I will post pics after if you want as I have a couple on photobucket! Remind me if I forget!
It's a great way to get the health benefits of the plant and they love the green frothy moustache they get too!!!!

Is that raw stinging nettles?

jumblejack wrote: »

Re: bay leaves,
Ive read that the flavour improves when dried. Do you find it doesn't make any difference. If not, I will use them fresh too then.

This is something I have done. I just dry them on a sunny window ledge, I think some people recommend hanging them up. Then keep them in an air tight jar. I decant a few of them to a spice pot so that I don't keep opening the jar. They last for ages, I don't do it every year. I use them in casseroles, sometime when boiling milk to use in sauces and in gravy or fish pie. I leave them whole and I take them out of a dish before serving. Dried ones are exactly the same as if you had bought them from schwartz. I have never used them fresh.

splodger_seedswapper

jumblejack wrote: »

Bay Leaves
A moment of inspiration has occurred this morning!

I have a teeny laurel bush that fills in an area where a hedging plant died.

I never thought to use the leaves before. That is basically what bay leaves are. Guess who's gonna trim some off to hang for drying?!

I've NEVER used bay leaves in cooking before so look forward to trying them out.

laurel leaves are not the same as bay leaves at all - use only true bay leaves for cooking - not common laurel or portugese laurel (which looks like bay) as you might end up being very poorly indeed

bay leaves have a distinctive smell when torn / crushed and most importantly don't contain any traces of cyanide - which laurel does, especially when burnt or heated

so please use only true bay leaves in cooking

if you want to forage something different this week as part of your challenge - why not try some comfrey (can be cooked like spinach, young leaves chopped in salads, or add to batter for lovely comfrey fritters)

[Deleted User]

MOORHEN - How are you going to serve the snails? I assume with a respberry coulis!!!!!!

jumblejack

splodger_seedswapper wrote: »

laurel leaves are not the same as bay leaves at all - use only true bay leaves for cooking - not common laurel or portugese laurel (which looks like bay) as you might end up being very poorly indeed

bay leaves have a distinctive smell when torn / crushed and most importantly don't contain any traces of cyanide - which laurel does, especially when burnt or heated

so please use only true bay leaves in cooking

if you want to forage something different this week as part of your challenge - why not try some comfrey (can be cooked like spinach, young leaves chopped in salads, or add to batter for lovely comfrey fritters)

Cheers

I've looked online and apparently cherry laurel looks similar but is NOT edible. As I can't determine yet which it is, I will leave it until I can positively ID it:beer:

I may look into actually buying a small sweet bay though and keep it on the decking in a pot as I kinda like the idea now.

I just bought a lidded fermenting bin from wilkos for a tenner. :j :j
I was using my huge stock pans but I don't like not being able to use em for cooking so have invested in a proper thing.

Do you use proper sterilization powder for bottles, etc.
I bought a little pack from wilkos but it was £1.70. In home bargains they had a huge bottle of baby sterilisation fluid for a quid. I wondered if this would be just as effective?

I saw some great bargains in there too. Will post pics after! Great for those making jams:T

EDIT:

Hmmm. *scratches head*
My laurel has never flowered or 'fruited' despite being about 4 years old. Just had a quick looksee on the net and found this:
http://www.essentialbread.com/2011_09_01_archive.html?m=1
Interesting!!!!!!!:)
Definitely more research needed on this subject re laurels and cherry laurels!
Apparently the fruit is edible but the seed isn't. Does it have a stone like a cherry?

Prunus laurocerasus is an evergreen shrub or small tree, growing to 5–15 metres (16–49 ft) tall, rarely to 18 metres (59!ft) tall, with a trunk up to 60-cm broad. The leaves are dark green, leathery, shiny, (5–)10–25(–30)-cm wide and 4–10-cm broad, with a finely serrated margin. The leaves can have the scent of almonds when crushed.

The flower buds appear in early spring and open in early summer in erect 7–15-cm racemes of 30–40 flowers, each flower 1-cm broad, with five creamy-white petals and numerous yellowish stamens.

The fruit is a small cherry 1–2-cm broad, turning black when ripe in early autumn.[4][5] Unlike the rest of the plant, which is poisonous, the cherries are edible, although rather bland and with a somewhat dry smack compared to the fruit of apricots, true cherries, plums, and peaches, to which it is related. The seeds contained within the berries are poisonous like the rest of the plant, containing cyanogenic glycosides and amygdalin.[6] This chemical composition is what gives the smell of almonds when the leaves are crushed.

Boodle

Just had a wee google for comfrey tips but found this so thought I would share just in case any other preggies out there reading: "Although there have been numerous studies and debates regarding the safety of comfrey as an edible (especially for pregnant women), cultivated comfrey leaves are prized by many herbalists for their medicinal and nutritional benefits. Educate yourself about the potential risks and benefits of the comfrey plant before preparing a dish for consumption for you or others."

Read more: How to Eat Comfrey | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5663502_eat-comfrey.html#ixzz1zk9ltvNM

jumblejack

Dandelion/Nettle Yoda Soda

Hi guys,

Wondering how to consume those dandelions and nettles that are past their best?

As promised, my how to Yoda Soda.....

1)Firstly gather and wash your pickings:



2)Next, put them through a juicer:


3)Then add either lemonade for a true Yoda Soda or cola for a green froth. Here I have added cloudy lemonade:



4)Enjoy!

Boodle

I'm off out to tots in half an hour and passing the nettles. Should I be looking for plants that haven't flowered yet? And are the leaves from the top of bottom of the plant better to go for when they are mature? Really appreciate the pointers on this thread guys :T

jumblejack

Making jellies n jams?



Wilkinson's bargain no.1 :T



Wilkinson's bargain no.2 :T

Aldabra,

I was wondering if the flavour worked because you soaked them. In that I'll have another go at JJ's reciepe next week and not cook it so long, but the quantity is a bit small. JumbleJack did your rose petal jelly set into a proper jelly? We had mine on bread last night but it was more like toffee. I was wondering if I should cook it a bit more and try and mould into boiled sweets.

It is the consistency of very thick syrup. Perfect for drizzling on your home made confections!!!
Don't try and correct it. It sounds as it should be (judging by my own one attempt!):)

lilian1977

I think a trip to Wilkos is in order!