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

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The Big Lebowski

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 11, 2010
2,320
6
Sunny Wales!
Bit of an update... Visited a friend over the weekend, taking a stroll/forage at his local coastal reserve.

Elderflower and dog rose. Sambucus nigra/Rosa canina respectively.
Both the flowers/berry's of elder, and the 'hips' from dog rose have multiple uses,
mostly revolving around drinks/cordial/deserts ect.


Burdock- Arctium lapp. Everyone knows its distinct flavor from the drink,
but the root system is very popular in Asian cooking.
The leaves can also be used to wrap/cook food over a bed of coals.
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Set a prawn trap overnight in a new area. I think the mesh size is a little too large,
or the several dozen mixed crabs I captured had prawn for tea :)
All crabs are edible, brown (minimum size in law) shore crab, velvet (ninja) and spider.
Pictured a small brown (in trap) and a common shore crab (in puddle looking angry).
Brown- Cancer pagurus. Shore- Carcinus maenas. Always collect the largest you can find for both meat and morals.
shiFO.jpg


Common periwinkle- Littorina littorea. Great steamed in half malt vinegar/water with real butter and fresh bread.
aUk0B.jpg


Supper last night... Nom nom :)
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Dog welk- Nucella lapillus. Same as above, bit more chewy though!


Common Limpet- Patella vulgata. Everyone should know these from childhood if you played on a shoreline.
Very, very chewy... But make a great fish stock.
BhVTV.jpg


I'll be doing some seaweed pictures in the next few weeks, battery/s died half way through forage :p
 
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The Big Lebowski

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 11, 2010
2,320
6
Sunny Wales!
Nice one steve :)

I'll update this early next week... Been away but found some horse mushrooms, larch bolete, hopefully puffballs and off to 'forage' some sea bass in the morning!
 

The Big Lebowski

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 11, 2010
2,320
6
Sunny Wales!
Right... Update at last! Although a slightly fishy one :)

Sea bass- Dicentrarchus labrax. Just a smudge over the MLS. I prefer them larger (3-4lb) but this one would not return despite our best efforts.
Another 23 where released to fight another day. It was sent off to the great pond in the sky with some wild fennel and samphire.
oYr2i.jpg


Crayfish (signal)- Pacifastacus leniusculus. You need consent of the landowner and also a license (I have both) to trap them, but its worth the effort
and paperwork if you do get access to a pond/lake. The natives are long gone from this whole area sadly.
cGORk.jpg


This lot was destined for the BBQ :) Nom, nom.
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Rock samphire- Crithmum maritimum. A new discovery yesterday as its not native locally.
Smells wonderful crushed (like lemongrass) but reviews are mixed. I might stuff some fish with and see what happens.
ztlTz.jpg


I'll be back out soon and have also been taking pictures of some previous stuff in flower to help with general ID.
Things are much easier to spot when you get an idea of what the flower color/shape are as a pointer.

They will be added as I take them.
 
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The Big Lebowski

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 11, 2010
2,320
6
Sunny Wales!
Mmmm.... you guys are going for the hard sell :) I'll have to try some now, just out of curiosity!

I'll update this soon, been absolutely lashing down here for two solid weeks. Found wood mushrooms yesterday and a few other bits.
 

xylaria

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mmmm.... you guys are going for the hard sell :) I'll have to try some now, just out of curiosity!

I'll update this soon, been absolutely lashing down here for two solid weeks. Found wood mushrooms yesterday and a few other bits.

The bloomin rain. I know wales is famous for its liquid sunshine, but I when out today to gather wild strawbs. Most of them have turned to mush on the bush. I am wiating for the pines to come into flower with pollen, but they need a dryness.
 

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