Old school money saving, forage for your food and eat for free!

Pee

I have made elderflower champagne and it was very good. Just needed a big bucket and added a little yeast and lots of sugar as not sure the elderflowers I had had much natural yeast. Put it in empty plastic two litre pop bottles. Still have some left, but not sure how good it would be by now.
Am very keen to try and do something with the wild garlic. In a photo I'm sure I couldn't tell it from Lily of the Valley but it truly has a garlic pong so easy to tell in real life. I've been told that they are good in stirfry and in quiche.
I've eaten nettles, only the once, not that I wouldn't eat them again and whoever suggested they are like spinach I would completely agree.

D&DD

ooh thanks seakay I might have to have a go at that nettle ravioli if I can find a 'clean' patch

TravellingAbuela

skogar wrote: »

We've also been asked many times what we're picking when picking bilberries. One of our favourite places to pick is a well known beauty spot in North Yorkshire. I also have a favourite place in West Yorkshire for bilberry picking (used to live there) I'm not telling you where it is but it's no great secret, the clue is in the name!!!!!! I wonder if you go there too TravellingAbuela?

We pick most of our bilberries at Brimham Rocks (that's where the tourists look at us as if we are mad!!) as we have a caravan not far from there. Otherwise we pick them on the moors not far from our house. Your "clue is in the name" place has me intrigued - please let me in on the secret skogar!!

Badrick

seemasfriend wrote: »

You need to be careful picking wild garlic when in the woods as it looks very similar to lily of the valley leaves and they often grow together in similar conditions. Liliy of the valley is highly poisonous. Don't want to put you off, just make you aware.

To tell the difference, crush a leaf and if it smells of onions or garlic, it's wild garlic. whereas lily of the valley leaves have no odour.
Also garlic leaves sprout individually from base of plant, whereas lily of the valley leaves grow with 2 or more on a single stem.
Garlic flowers grow as a spray of white flowers each individual flower has six petals surrounding a green centre, lily of the valley flowers are white drooping bells, growing along a single stem.

skogar

Yes we also pick bilberries at Brimham and that's where we've been asked what we are picking. I used to live in Huddersfield. Near Holmfirth there is a reservoir which is named after a certain berry! That is where we used to go picking. Grid 070102.

russetred

I make wild garlic butter which I wrap well in cling film in long sausage shapes and freeze for use throughout the year. Just finely chop the leaves ,season well and mix with softened butter. Perfect for HM garlic bread and as a topping on steaks and chops.

sillyme673

Sorry if this is silly question, but what part of wild garlic do you eat? Is it the bulb?
Use to go bilberry picking when younger but fell is now dog walkers paradise:eek:

Gigervamp

It's the leaves, I believe.

Frith

I made wild garlic pesto using a big bag of garlic leaves, olive oil and walnuts. Also make nettle soup each year. And no one has mentioned road kill yet which we both eat and feed to the ferrets!

meg72

Austin_Allegro wrote: »

I was hoping to make dandelion wine this year but all the dandelions I could find were growing by main roads or in 'dogs' lavatories' verges in the park.

Then at the weekend we visited the in-laws and I saw their lawn was covered in dandelions!

My demijohn is now bubbling away with a very odd smelling mixture...I hope it turns out ok...!

Is it me or is there a shortage of dandilions this year, I normally curse as my front lawn in full of them but this year hardly any, have also noticed this in the lane and open spaces behing
d my bungalow. Just wondering?