A year in the life of a forager....

[The Big Lebowski]

Quick update. Mushrooms again but some nice contrasts and easy ID's (Always cross refereance though).

Honey fungus- Armillaria mellea.
Really common and not a good sign if you find it in your garden due to its parasiticnature on tree's, fences,
anything it can feed off. In turn, its a grat all round mushroom and grows in abundance.

Crimson Waxcap- Hygrocybe punicea.
These grow to 5-6" and have a nice firm texture. I also like the sweeter scarlet waxcap (Hygrocybe coccinea)
but missed a photo opportunity yesterday.

Autumn/Winter is really showing off its colors now

Living the dream

 

[xylaria]

you eat wax caps?

I have come to regard them as the super models of welsh fungi, they look really pretty, they are important from welsh botany in global manner, but they are rubbish eating, at best tastless and just a bit slimey. They last lot I had tasted like the smell of dry cleaners.

Today I had lovely plate of snowy meadows caps though, they are nice for hygrocybes. This week i have mostly be eating honey fungus.

 

[The Big Lebowski]

I rate the crimsons/scarlet's somewhere between 5 and 10 of my top 10. Maybe we are cooking them differently

With the more fleshy/high moisture mushrooms I cook them as follows-
Pour a good glug of plain oil (non flavored) into a deep frying pan.
Season oil with s&p and add a knob of butter, heating over a medium heat until dissolved.
Add mushrooms and continue to cook (gently) until all the water the mushrooms will release evaporates (can take several mins)
When they start to sizzle*, turn the heat up to full and saute between 1-3 mins depending on how well done you like them.

*If you are freezing them, stop cooking at this stage and pour entire pan contents into container. When defrosted, they just need the final high heat saute.

 

[xylaria]

I have tried h. chlorophana [tasteless slime] , ceracea [dry cleaners], and psittacina parrot caps [unpalettably mucusy]. After ceracea I lost the will to try any more.

 

[Steve M]

For those interested in getting their Wood Blewits right, I've gone to town on their identification in the most recent article in my Free Wild Food and Natural Resources Course.

Direct link here: http://blog.artandscienceofsurvival.com/2012/11/wild-food-natural-resources-course.html

 

[The Big Lebowski]

Not really much to report over the last few weeks other than the odd patch of field blewits and new growth getting ready for spring.

Locally, smooth leaf sow-thistle, charlock, chervil, sea prinach, spoon leaf (inc plain) scurvy grass and hairy bittercress is all showing a comeback

I'll update this after the holidays, which I wish you and family the very best of! al.

 

[Ash Blue]

I've learned a few new wild foods from this thread. Thanks!

 

[Bluefrog]

Really enjoying this thread!

 

[Jaun]

As soon as you get into the latin names, some wise-guy will inevitably tell you that your reference book is out of date, and the name has now changed to something even more incomprehensible than the one you thought it was. You can't win.

 

[acheter]

I have been away for a while but as always thanks for all the hard work gents and ladies.

 

[Greg]

Brilliant thread...haven't managed to read all of it yet but it's great anyway

 

[Janne]

mmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[BEARDMASTER]

My mouth is watering like a waterfall in a rainy season.

Have you, the OP, felt any difference in your sleeping habits after doing this?
I ma interested if and how different lifestyles (leaving out the modern society, we all know where that leads out health) affect out sleeping habits.

 

[Pumpkin's Dad]

Sounds like fun buddy... There's tons of ramsons, wild onion and three corner garlic/leek around at the mo..!

There's no mistaking ramson (wild garlic) when you find it. They grow in groups, smell like garlic, prefer shade under trees and moist ground. They are only around in spring. Look the photos up on Google.

They are delicious and well worth planting a bulb or two near you, where the conditions are right. Near a stream, or somewhere damp, in shade, for next year. They don't last long. Short season before the spear-shaped leaves die back to let the bulbs develop. They do flower and make seeds but I'm advised that it takes two years before they're strong enough to propagate.

In the right conditions they spread. Too much sun or dry, they die.

If you like garlic, the leaves are great in salad or just munched on your way past.

 

[1 pot hunter]

Recently started foraging in a big way, so I thought I might do a running photo journal as I go along if anyone's interested...
Up to around 15 new edibles in the past fortnight, but I'll post new images as I take them
It is not intended as a reference guide. It is merely a general visual guide. Books are your friends!

Two for starters...

Spoon leaf scurvy grass-Cochlearia anglica. Coastal mud flats-Traditionally used to prevent... scurvy! Slight mustard powder taste.

Velvet shank-Flammulina velutipes. Damp woodland- Stem feels like antler velvet. Good eating.

Velvet shanks are good I eat them raw there very sweet that way they contain some form off sugar I believe