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Foraging Challenge

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  • jumblejack
    jumblejack Posts: 6,599 Forumite
    hi all

    I would like to join in but not an experienced forager. Can anyone recommend some good books please?

    The rose petal jam sounds good too. Jumblejack can you repost it please?

    Where to start...................? We do have nasturtions growing in a hanging basket.

    Gintot

    I will repost the recipe which also has a great, cheap field guide book recommendation:
    Aldahbra,

    Here is the rose jelly recipe:

    It's a Richard Mabey recipe from his book that I love to capture on foraging pics ;)

    Basically collect a couple of cups of rose petals (wild not cultivated as the wild ones are much thinner and process easier). I mean 2 cups crammed full!
    photo-126.jpg?t=1340716963

    Dissolve 2 cups sugar in half a cup of water mixed with a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice.

    Stir in rose petals and stir over a low heat for 30 mins.

    Cool a little then pour into sterile jars.

    You may choose to keep the petals in or remove them. I tried both:
    photo-127.jpg?t=1340723159
    If you do not strain them out, they rise to the top and look really pretty!

    I really hope you get into it! There is so much to forage in your locality. Even in the cities, things like plantain, dandelion, nettles, cleavers, horsetail etc can be found within a stones throw. There are usually much better finds though if you look.

    It will help to stretch your grocery budget slightly too!!!
    I needed veggies yesterday but settled for the foraged beets n ramsons so I didn't have to spend on greens. :money:

    Regarding the nasturtiums, have you tried them yet?
    I LOVE them!! I haven't yet tried the flowers as mine are still in bud but the leaves are incredibly tasty!

    I particularly love them because they still taste and look great on sandwiches that are prepared the night before to eat the following lunch time. They rinse very well too. No critters can hide on em.
    If you come across an aphid community beneath one, just pull off the plant and discard.
    :A Every moment is a gift. That's why we call it the present.!:A
    Grocery Spend Weekly Challenge (Sat-Fri):£30.50/£40
  • jumblejack
    jumblejack Posts: 6,599 Forumite
    edited 3 July 2012 at 1:58PM
    optimistic wrote: »
    I love foraging but mine usually starts later in the year with blackberries, apples and a small pear tree (sounds like a cue for a song!) Anyway, i will follow this thread and learn/pick up tips along the way.

    ps dont forget to start collecting the plastic tubs for all the blackberries!;)

    Mine used to start then too. I have enjoyed dandelions, nettles, wood sorrel, rose petsls, ramsons and elderflowers so far.

    I would encourage everyone to look for the rose petals and elderflowers though as they are everywhere at the moment.

    Elderflower fritters are fantastically tasty!!! Definitely one to involve the kids with!

    I will post Richard Mabeys recipe later as long as I don't get sidetracked:o

    JodyBPM, I've been looking for marsh samphire this last week but not found any. Found LOADS of rock samphire though!! Have you used Alexanders as those also grow near the sea apparently. I'm eager to try those as they should be coming into flower now so should make identifying them much easier :)

    Let us know how you go on with the prawns :beer:
    :A Every moment is a gift. That's why we call it the present.!:A
    Grocery Spend Weekly Challenge (Sat-Fri):£30.50/£40
  • JodyBPM
    JodyBPM Posts: 1,404
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    jumblejack, you mentioned horsetail in your previous post (the rose jelly recipe one) - what can you do with horsetail? I have loads of it growing through the garden, its a complete pest, and almost indestructible - what can I do with it. I'd love to get my own back on it by eating it...
  • Hello - can I join in - the nasturtium flowers are really tasty too a milder version of the leaves, also heartsease and domestic pansies are nice as well. I am lucky enough to have a purpose built cycle/footpath put in 20 years ago by the builders of a local development and they planted it up with native shrubs which have matured nicely. I walk the dog round most days and there are masses of hazel,blackberries, sloe, wild plum, guelder -rose,crab apples etc, We even found a Kent Cobnut hidden in the undergrowth and I'm certain we have a native walnut tree as well. Its a hive of activity in the harvest season and lots of folks scuttle about with full carrier bags. Also we have a river with good salt marshes so lots of seabeet and sea purslane. It will be fun to compare notes over the season and see what is available in different areas. Cheers Lyn.
  • Moorhen
    Moorhen Posts: 964
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    I foraged some raspberries from my garden yesterday, they have been planted by the birds and there is quite a good crop.
    I just need to get to them before the slugs do!
  • jumblejack
    jumblejack Posts: 6,599 Forumite
    JodyBPM wrote: »
    jumblejack, you mentioned horsetail in your previous post (the rose jelly recipe one) - what can you do with horsetail? I have loads of it growing through the garden, its a complete pest, and almost indestructible - what can I do with it. I'd love to get my own back on it by eating it...

    It is one of the most excellent sources of silica so is extremely good for you. Do not eat raw though. It can be used in HM herbal teas and soups etc.

    He is a quick lowdown on the plant:

    http://www.ediblewildfood.com/horsetail.aspx

    It is worth mentioning as a food as nearly everyone has access to it. As you've described, it is a hardy invasive weed so is up there with nettles and dandelions as a weed that you can eat!
    :A Every moment is a gift. That's why we call it the present.!:A
    Grocery Spend Weekly Challenge (Sat-Fri):£30.50/£40
  • Soworried
    Soworried Posts: 2,369 Forumite
    Aldahbra wrote: »
    I have changed the link so hopeful it will work correctly now

    I thought that it would be really useful to have a database of recipes and of items which are available in each month. If there is enough interest I will find out how to do this. I have never set up a thread before so I'm completely new at this.
    Thankyou the link is working now.

    The only foraging we have ever done is blackberrys and periwinkles so reading this is an eyeopener.
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  • HariboJunkie
    HariboJunkie Posts: 7,740 Forumite
    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. :)
  • jumblejack
    jumblejack Posts: 6,599 Forumite
    edited 3 July 2012 at 3:21PM
    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. :)

    Oh my goodness!!


    May I come foraging with you!! Awesome.

    My elderflower champagne went wrong. It has (turn away now if you are eating) got snotty bits in like little clouds.:(
    Is it a sterilisation issue?
    I had a kit from freecyle with demi john, bottles and sterilising sachets in. I used the sterilisation packets according to instructions so can't understand it.
    The lady I had it from said that she has had it 12 years in the loft so could that be why they have failed?

    My cordial was a success though (but it was consumed promptly) ;)

    Ps, I as watching Hugh last night on YouTube "cook on the wild side" and a guy there was injecting the sand with salt water and the razor clams came up and were harvested. They looked good o eat.
    :A Every moment is a gift. That's why we call it the present.!:A
    Grocery Spend Weekly Challenge (Sat-Fri):£30.50/£40
  • HariboJunkie
    HariboJunkie Posts: 7,740 Forumite
    jumblejack wrote: »
    Oh my goodness!!


    May I come foraging with you!! Awesome.

    My champagne went wrong. It has (turn away now if you are eating) got Snotty bits in like little couds. Is it a sterilisation issue? I had a kit from freecyle with Demi John, bottles and sterilising sachets in. I used the packets according to instructions so can't understand it.
    The lady I had it from said that she has had it 12 years in the loft so could that be why they have failed?

    My cordial was a success though (but it was consumed promptly) ;)

    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....
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