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Do you forage- and if yes, what ?

(73 Posts)
Kali2 Wed 13-Oct-21 16:10:07

I grew up in a foraging family - we were always out in the woods collecting stuff. Wild mushrooms, berries of all sorts, hazelnuts, chestnuts, walnuts and all sorts, medicinal herbs too. As a teenager, I hate it - but as an adult I returned to it and all the knowledge I had acquired. In the 70s, foraging helped us cope when there was little money- Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common were my favourites. And later in the Staffs and Leics- I continued to roam the land and gather food- although species were often quite different to what I was used to. No-one was interested in fungi in those days- so it was just me and a few elderly Polish gentlemen out there getting those blewitts, bluelegs and parasols, or shaggy inkcaps.

Nannarose Wed 13-Oct-21 16:25:54

Yes, blackberries, of course, and crab apples for jelly; sometimes sloes, and definitely mushrooms & bluelegs.

tanith Wed 13-Oct-21 16:26:41

Only apples and blackberries I'm afraid I'd like go mushroom hunting which i did as a child with my aunt.

BlueBelle Wed 13-Oct-21 16:28:10

I want to but apart from black berries and crab apples not sure I know what’s what I certainly wouldn’t be confident with mushrooms There are some groups around here and I d like to join one if I can find it not in work time

Farmor15 Wed 13-Oct-21 16:33:29

Yes- elderflowers in June, blackberries in autumn and mushrooms when they pop up! Also sloes but can't see any this year. Have tried doing different things with elderberries without much success.

AGAA4 Wed 13-Oct-21 16:47:37

I was a bit surprised one day when I looked out my window to see a woman had climbed onto my wall to reach the damsons on my tree. She was welcome to them but I would have liked to be asked.

highlanddreams Wed 13-Oct-21 16:47:58

Yes butjust for elderflowers, meadowsweet,blackcurrants, raspberries and blackberries There are lots of rowan berries up here too but I don't bother with them & like others I don't have the confidence for foraging mushrooms either. I haven't found any sweet chestnut trees here only conkers, no hazelnut to be had either.

25Avalon Wed 13-Oct-21 16:51:03

Whilst walking the dog I found loads of bullaces growing in a hedge. I’m going to mix them with Rowan berries to make Rowan jelly. I’ve also got rosehip syrup on the go having found them on another walk. Next I’m after sloes to make sloe gin. Might also do bullace vodka. I sometimes find nuts.

One year I made elderberry port ice cream. It was horrible. I do make elderflower sorbet and cordial which I keep in the freezer. I just love picking things for free.

muse Wed 13-Oct-21 16:58:08

Blackberries for bramble jelly and apple and blackberry crumble. Sloes for sloe gin but not until first frost has touched them.

M0nica Wed 13-Oct-21 16:58:28

Blackberries, sloes, bullaces

M0nica Wed 13-Oct-21 16:58:38

Oh, and damsons

Sago Wed 13-Oct-21 17:26:12

Blackberries, sloes and my very favourite wild garlic.

Josianne Wed 13-Oct-21 17:33:33

I've lived on the coast a lot, so my type of foraging is mussels, if that counts.
Also blackberries and raspberries.

dragonfly46 Wed 13-Oct-21 17:38:14

Yes we live within walking distance of a university and they have published a foraging map for this time of year. We also have an abundance of blackberries, sloes and crab apples locally. I have massive rose hips in my front garden!

MerylStreep Wed 13-Oct-21 17:38:23

Blackberries & sloes. But we are lucky enough to collect oysters and mussels. These aren’t on ‘private’ beds.

Zennomore Wed 13-Oct-21 17:45:41

Yes we do forage, Raspberries, Brambles, Elderflower flowers and berries, Chanterelles, Wild Garlic, Gooseberries, Buckies.

Kali2 Wed 13-Oct-21 17:49:00

Josianne

I've lived on the coast a lot, so my type of foraging is mussels, if that counts.
Also blackberries and raspberries.

I never lived by the sea but when kids were young we just loved to go to North Norfolk- picking samphire was a favourite activity- spaggetti with garlic, butter and samphire was just wonderful.

Sloes not so good this year, so not sure if I'll make any sloe gin.

Thanks for replies- keep them going.

BTW, several mentions of 'mushrooms' and one of 'blue legs' - what other 'shrooms' do you pick?

GagaJo Wed 13-Oct-21 17:49:29

Yes, blackberries, elderberries (first time, not that keen) and trying to find some sloes.

As a child a lot of our food was 'found' food because we were poor. My dad went out shooting and we ate everything he shot. My DD isn't into foraging but my DGS loves it and is very eager to join in.

Josianne Wed 13-Oct-21 17:53:46

I think they sometimes call samphire "sea asparagus" Kali2. It has a lovely salty taste.

Marydoll Wed 13-Oct-21 18:07:29

Brambles from the old farm track behind our house. Unfortunately, my neighbours collect them too!
In my teaching days, I used to come back from a residential stay with pupils in a castle near Dunoon, with bags of rhubarb and wild garlic.
The children's drama Raven was filmed there and on one occasion I appeared out of the trees, in search of rhubarb, wielding a cleaver. The TV crew got the fright of their lives!

Luckygirl Wed 13-Oct-21 18:45:28

I pick damsons from the trees on the common - and hope for a gale so the rest will land on the grass and I can collect them with my grabber. Pureed with a bit of sugar they are very delicious on my home-made yoghurt - yum!

Mamardoit Wed 13-Oct-21 18:53:58

Wild garlic which makes a lovely pesto. We get elderberries and rosehips (for wine), and apples along a stretch of road left when a new by-pass was built. Nature is now reclaiming the road and I guess the apple trees have grown from the cores thrown from cars. There are two lovely cherry plum tree near us. There is also a large patch of horseradish growing at the side of the road. I get some odd looks when I'm digging that up.

Farmor15 Wed 13-Oct-21 18:54:49

Mushrooms I have foraged and eaten include giant puffballs, parasol mushrooms(both found in my garden), various kinds of chaterelles, including black trumpets, boletus, and hedgehog mushrooms. I have 2 sons interested in foraging who have learnt to identify edible kinds and taught me.

Farmor15 Wed 13-Oct-21 18:55:29

And ordinary field mushrooms, of course.

M0nica Wed 13-Oct-21 19:24:18

I would love to harvest wild garlic, but it just doesn't grow in my part of the country, probably the geology.