Stuff to forage at the moment.

As it's elderflower season at the moment, I was wondering if anyone else has been out collecting some?

It's a great seasonal treat, useful for brewing (champagne and wine), making delicious cordial and tea, etc.

While out collecting the stuff, I also came across Jelly Ear fungus, described as "vegan meat" in a book I read. (have a post in my blog about it)

Anyone foraging for anything else at the moment?

Druss.

http://paddy-halligan.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/#!/druss_rua

Doc Ruby

I live along the coast so there's always masses of shellfish to eat. Cockles and mussels, periwinkles will go into the pot just fine, limpets are like chewing the spare tyre off a car though. Some people are fishing the sea as well, but I reckon they are foreigners, nobody goes fishing till late August/September in these parts.

Wild garlic season is still about, the nettles and dandelion are getting a bit ripe but still quite edible along the tips. I haven't really had much of a chance to go wandering much what with work, but the itch is growing. There's rabbits aplenty and trout in the lakes, actually I might try rough fishing this year and leave the rod behind. Also flagged if I get the chance, grind bulrush root for flour and try my hand at basket weaving. The briars are in full flower too, so tasty berries for jam before too long.

baords dyslexic

On my walk down to the beech each day I normally graze on a bit of Rock Samphire (the fresh tips), but its not to everyones taste. http://www.wildflowersofireland.net/plant_detail.php?id_flower=227

Much as I love where I live, I've always wanted to live by the sea... so much foragable flora and fauna.

When we visit my in-laws, I take the opportunity to do a little sea fishing.

Must get out and get some nettles soon, I wouldn't mind making some nettle beer, but it's probably too late for that. :mad:

Druss.

http://paddy-halligan.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/#!/druss_rua

Tabnabs

I have seen a Chinese family regularly harvesting what I think may be watercress from the banks of a river in a local park, good to see some urban foraging.

baords dyslexic

Tabnabs wrote: »

I have seen a Chinese family regularly harvesting what I think may be watercress from the banks of a river in a local park, good to see some urban foraging.

And what looks like some good common sence advice here http://www.torrens.org.uk/FFF/Fluke.html and follow the obvious links to some good foraging info.

Tabnabs

TBF, it may not be watercress, you're asking the wrong person But I'll get a photo next time I'm passing and post it up.

If they walked up stream and saw the pollution in the river there they'd probably (hopefully!) think twice about where they source it anyway...

Doc Ruby

I think there's a real lack of understanding of the dangers that come with wild foraging among many visitors to the country. I've spotted a few asians doing similar along waterways that I wouldn't have called safe.

mawk

yeah, I found a family collecting bucket loads of periwinkles from hulbowline a while back. they didn't have the english to understand my warning. :-[

baords dyslexic

mawk wrote: »

yeah, I found a family collecting bucket loads of periwinkles from hulbowline a while back. they didn't have the english to understand my warning. :-[

My guess is that you'd have been talking to the wrong people, as most of those are sold on. Our beech has its regular collectors but it would be relatively clean.

mawk

yeah I collect shellfish myself and see other collectors around which is only fair. but the thought of those toxic radioactive and two headed periwinkles was going in the pot? especially as the family had there young kids down with them picking

:-\

baords dyslexic

Hmmmm Stuff to forage at the moment depends on your definition of foraging

There's been an excellent crop of big plastic fish boxes on the beach since that last storms, half killed myself lugging 3 home last Saturday. I strapped 3 to a frame rucsac, the weight :eek: and walked 2 miles with them over a pebble beach, I still ache but no way was anyone else going to get them .

Picked up another smaller fish box today and not so long ago I harvested a nice fishing tackle box with some useful stuff in it - all the iron and steel bits had long since rusted but the plastic, lead and fishing line were fine.

Firewood is another foragable item and I get a good bit off the beach and if I didn't have another source the smaller bits of driftwood make excellent kindling when collected dry in the summer.

Doc Ruby

Doc Ruby wrote: »

I think there's a real lack of understanding of the dangers that come with wild foraging among many visitors to the country. I've spotted a few asians doing similar along waterways that I wouldn't have called safe.

It's something one has to be careful about (obviously!).

I read that there are people still collecting "Brown Roll Rim" mushrooms - these cause an auto-immune response in the body and are lethal.

Druss.

http://paddy-halligan.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/#!/druss_rua

Doc Ruby

Generally I avoid fungi of any sort. Its just too dangerous, even experts in the field sometimes come a cropper.

johngalway

baords dyslexic wrote: »

Firewood is another foragable item and I get a good bit off the beach and if I didn't have another source the smaller bits of driftwood make excellent kindling when collected dry in the summer.

Friend of mine does that, regularly patrols the beach for all manner of "logs" that come ashore.

He cut one particular log with his chainsaw, but left it on the grass for an as yet unfathomable reason to me - he does mark them in his own way with string, but that's as much use as tits on a bull. So, local thief arrives on the scene one day - and I call him a thief for good reason prior to this - spots the cut up log, spots two lads working on the beach with a little truck...

...gets said log delivered home

Friend finds out

Time passes until they're in the pub on the same night. Friend see's thief a couple of stools up along the bar and proceeds to ask another man who'd be even more local to the area of the thief about the unwritten laws regarding "winefall" in his area, all within earshot of the thief

Various vague but painful threats are made against this supposedly unknown log thief.

Log thief, by all accounts turned this colour while staring into his pint.

Nothing was ever said to him, but a strange thing happened.

The cut up log turned up at the bottom of my friends road early one morning :pac:

livinsane

Bottled my elderflower champagne today after fermenting for three weeks, tastes lovely atm so cant wait to pop a bottle next weekend. Also made some elderflower syrup (nice mixed with fizzy water).



Also pick up firewood when I can.

I'd love to know a bit more about wild plants but have a book ordered so hopefully will be able to root out some wild garlic etc.

Always eat clover from my mother's garden. Nice bitter taste (just hope it's not caused by cat piss).

Have nasturtiums coming up in garden, flowers and leaves are edible and nutritious.

Khannie

I picked some elderflowers myself. Going to kick off a brew today. I've never had it before, though I did have elderflower cordial last year (from the farmers market) and liked it.

What recipe did you use? Have you done it before?

livinsane

Khannie wrote: »

I picked some elderflowers myself. Going to kick off a brew today. I've never had it before, though I did have elderflower cordial last year (from the farmers market) and liked it.

What recipe did you use? Have you done it before?

First time. I used the River Cottage recipe. It says to bottle after 8 days or so but apparently the best way to avoid exploding bottles is to leave it ferment for three weeks before bottling.

There are tons of comments so give a read through them for tips.

I just used a clean bucket and covered with muslin and left it in the hall. I added a pinch of baking yeast after 4 days.

Added half a teaspoon of sugar to each bottle before filling and left space at top for expansion - I can feel the plastic bottles building up some pressure since yesterday.

I tasted a bit before bottling and it is lovely, just needs to get fizzy now!

Khannie

livinsane wrote: »

First time. I used the River Cottage recipe. It says to bottle after 8 days or so but apparently the best way to avoid exploding bottles is to leave it ferment for three weeks before bottling.

Thanks for that. I'll go with that recipe. Yeah, bottling after you're not sure how much sugar is left unfermented is actually quite dangerous. They call them "bottle bombs". The best way to do it would be to let it ferment out fully, then add about a teaspoon of sugar per 500ml to the bottle when bottling. This sugar will ferment in the bottle and add fizz. If you find that yours aren't very fizzy, you could add a smidge of sugar later since you have those easily resealable bottles.

I'll add some sweetener to mine too.