Foraging

bargainhunterss

Just blackberries round here really. Although, I’m not sure how much of a crop there will be this year, as the council cut a lot of it back earlier in the year (I think it was network-rail related). Enjoying hearing everyone elses foraging stories!

skogar

Nettle cordial is nice as well thriftwizard. Oddly it's pink.

https://www.eatweeds.co.uk/nettle-cordial-recipe

C_J

fallingfruit.org is a worldwide map showing places where there is fruit (and sometimes other stuff) for foraging. It’s fascinating. Just tap on the map and keep expanding it to show locations in your area.

goldfinches

I had a bash at this recipe Blackberry and Vanilla Cordial | Farmersgirl Kitchen this afternoon and found it nice and straightforward to do although I omitted the vanilla pod and included half granulated and half vanilla sugar. It has come out very sweet but I could still taste the blackberry flavour. Here are my results bottled up.



I'm planning to take it to my next week's walking group to share round and see what the other members think. If I get any positive feedback I'll make another batch or two.

jennystarpepper

Brambles...

carriebradshaw

Katiehound said:

MrsStepford said:

In normal times.. wild garlic, nettles, dandelion leaves, sorrel.
In the past, also elderflowers, elderberries, damsons, blackberries, chestnuts, beech nuts, young beech leaves, hawthorn berries

what are you doing with beech nuts? (or hawthorn berries, come to that!!)

I haven't done it but I saw an article which suggested using the flowers of meadow sweet to make cordial- like elderflower but I think it has a marzipan flavour. I didn't have enough empty glass bottles to try- and all the plants too near the roadside.

I use meadowsweet like elderflower it's delicious & it makes delicious ice lollies too. I find it in the woods near my house by the river and now have a small plant in my garden, hoping it will spread. We also planted an elderfower & hazelnut tree in our garden last year as there aren't any near us to forage from sadly

Brie

mushrooms normally but haven't for the last couple of years.  OH is very good at identifying as I wouldn't do it otherwise. 

best haul was once when we found a whole forest full of chanterelles.  So many we could afford to be really picky.  Biggest problem was that we weren't prepared for picking so had to improvise on ways to carry them as we had simply gone for a walk in the woods.  Second biggest problem was deciding what to do with them as we were on holiday, it was a Sunday and there were very few stores in the vicinity.  Fortunately we found some really nice bread and cream - very simple and absolutely wonderful. 

goldfinches

I picked some more blackberries this afternoon and ran across some crab apples that tasted rather nice so picked half a bag for life of those too. I stewed the apples whole, thinking they were too small to make it worthwhile coring and peeling them and they are now in a fine nylon sieve over a bowl. The blackberries have also been cooked with minimal water and have already run through a sieve so I'm planning to make the juice into jelly tomorrow.