Foraging a balanced meal

[River98]

Hi all, I'm in Essex. I would like to forage a small meal.
I would like to be able to find protein and carbohydrates.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
I understand not to rush out and start eating stuff so dont worry that I'm going to do this without lots of research and checking first.

Thanks all for your help.

 

[Leshy]

A bit late for wild eggs but protein can be had from meat if you are an omnivore, otherwise nuts are good too.
Squirrel , wood pigeon , trout and signal crayfish (the big American one is invasive and not protected, in fact needs rid )

Some Carbohydrates can be had from bullrush on the canals and some river beds...
You tube foraging the bullrush rhizomes.
Flour can be made from it and patties , bread or even just roasted like sweet potato.
Plenty more ideas, too many to list ...

Wild food by Roger Philips is a great book, lots of ideas there... Organised by seasons...

 

[mrcharly]

I would say that the hardest thing to get when foraging is fats (unless you are going to hunt for meat).

 

[dewi]

Hi all, I'm in Essex. I would like to forage a small meal.
I would like to be able to find protein and carbohydrates.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
I understand not to rush out and start eating stuff so dont worry that I'm going to do this without lots of research and checking first.

Thanks all for your help.

No worries, I've got you completely covered.

St Mary's Lane in Upminster... to be on the safe side around abouts 2130 hours, make your way to the rear of Waitrose. There you will find either an orange or a green bin depending on the rotation. They purposely do not lock said bin, so pop the lid and dive in... you'll find a range of deli meats, cheeses, bread and a large amount of fruit. Possibly, but not always, there will be sweet potato falafels in there, thats the carbs sorted... depending on the time of year, you might find bantam eggs, or maybe a Duchy Organic beef fillet... should do the trick for protein.

Another good Waitrose location is Birchanger Services, but you do have to scale a fence to reach the bins. Not sure about Southend-on-Sea... but its worth an explore if you fancy going foraging there.

You're right about not just rushing out and eating stuff. Make sure to check the packaging isn't pierced or broken. And with the bantam eggs, just to be safe... pop them in a bowl of water. If they stand on end or worse, if they float, don't eat them. If they remain at the bottom of the bowl, they should be okay.

 

[Toddy]

The unfortunate thing is, and I think it's a shameful indictment on our society not the individuals who do forage that way, that there are people who rely on such 'bins' for their dinner

Wild foraging, in the UK isn't quite as straightforward as it might be.
Those who did so in the past weren't limited in their range or their habitat zones, but followed the seasonal round. They were also omnivores….and as a good vegetarian I freely admit that I would be very lean very quickly indeed.

Mrcharly's right about the fat thing. We don't grow olives here, and nuts are a bit hit or miss (though we do know that hazelnuts were gathered and consumed by the million in the past). That leaves fish, fowl and animal fats.
Most of our mesolithic ancestors lived on coastal or riverine areas….not hard to find in the UK and assorted islands
There's always shellfish, and again they seemed to have been gathered by the million going by the sheer number and size of shell middens.
Wildfowl though, good eating, rich in fat and protein…if you don't just cherry pick off the breasts that is. Those who prepare the birdskins for tanning worked the inside skins in their mouths, and the ladies said that they grew fat on it. Fat enough to healthily carry and feed babies.

Nowadays ? in our overpopulated and fragmented countryside, even in Scotland with the rights of responsible access, it's not always easy.

Best advice is to pay heed to the season and be aware of what's growing/living where and when for next year, I reckon

M

 

[Leshy]

Best advice is to pay heed to the season and be aware of what's growing/living where and when for next year, I reckon

M

Brilliant advice

 

[GGTBod]

Toddy said most of what i was about to say, due to access rights and such the only place in the UK i can forage a full meal legally is on the coast as you have the right to it without gaining permission (if only taking what you need, you need permits to forage and sell), just off the shore you got plenty of edible plants, on the shoreline / tide line you got loads of shellfish and loads edible seaweeds not to mention the actual fishing, so as long as you are away from large human settlements and sewage outlets you are good to go, between the dunes and the rocky and sandy shorelines and the tide going in and out twice every 24 hours replenishing the shelves of your supermarket you really could live on it but you would be dedicating a huge amount of your awake time gathering especially if gathering for more than one meal for more than one belly

 

[River98]

That's some great food for thought all. Really appreciate the advice.

 

[Toddy]

Don't be discouraged though; have a ramble through sites like Fergus the Forager's, and get a handle on what's possible, what might be available. If you find someone who does know the area though, and is happy to go walkabout with you, that's brilliant

Right now round here it's fruit central Loads of greenery, river's full of fish, pheasants are daft enough you can throw a jacket over them to settle (not advising, I believe it's agin the law, just saying ) squirrels and rabbits, if you can catch them, and pigeons, are pretty much considered vermin though, but there's good eating on them if you're a carnivore.

I would love to find a hazelnut tree that the munching blighters haven't gotten to before the nuts are ripe though.

M

 

[Robson Valley]

Head for the coast. The intertidal zone is rich. Next up, I'd consider the birds.
The nuts & berries thing is really labor intensive, better in the long term perhaps but as a near term treat/supplement, nice addition.

 

[GGTBod]

Took my 4 year old niece on a little bike ride yesterday to a pear tree, an apple tree and a huge patch of wild blackberries, she loves fruit and we were tucking into the blackberries and after we had ate about 2 good punnets worth each she said to me that she thinks she had better stop herself, so we got back on our bikes and pedaled away, on the way back past she honked her horn and tells me she thinks it would be okay to have a few more.

Hard to beat the squirrels M i've had mixed results this year but i did manage get some

 

[forrestdweller]

do you get chestnut trees in your area?! ( plenty of them over here and harvest has started ) acorns to to my mind, too....


wonder how people in the past dealt with rodents going after nuts and acorns as well-- did they guard the trees during harvest or ate the critters?!

 

[River98]

Acorns are plentiful. Learning how to remove the tanning at the moment. I'll going to report back on what I find. Hopefully put a list of safe edibles together.

 

[woodsorrel]

Acorns are plentiful. Learning how to remove the tanning at the moment. I'll going to report back on what I find. Hopefully put a list of safe edibles together.

Hi zeon98! Here's the first of a set of articles that describe the method I use to leach acorns. Remember to harvest responsibly.

http://www.natureoutside.com/how-to-make-acorns-into-food-part-1/


My classmates and I managed to forage a balanced lunch in the Sierras. We did appetizers, a main course, beverages, and seasonings. Here's a link to pictures to give you an idea of the dishes.

http://www.natureoutside.com/the-foragers-feast/


I hope this helps give you ideas. But please be ethical about your harvesting. Leave enough for the plants to reproduce and for wildlife to survive.

I'm curious to know how it goes.

- Woodsorrel

 

[Leshy]

I hope this helps give you ideas. But please be ethical about your harvesting. Leave enough for the plants to reproduce and for wildlife to survive.

I'm curious to know how it goes.

- Woodsorrel

The whole post above is awesome but this last quote is spot on!
Well said Woodsorrel!




I was looking through one of my favourite websites and came across quite a few articles that may assist and interest you , in your quest for balanced foraged meal ideas.
There's a few recipes in there too...
Hope it helps.

First a primer from one of my heroes, Mr Ben Law

https://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/diet-forest-dweller

And another gem from Ben
https://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/autumn-chestnuts




And now for the rest...


https://www.permaculture.co.uk/readers-solutions/seasonal-food-free-nettle-hazelnut-tart


This next one is a 4 part article (2,3, and 4 within the resources section at the end of the 1st article)

https://www.permaculture.co.uk/readers-solutions/feed-yourself-free-12-survival-plants-part-1


A few nice recipes here too:

https://www.permaculture.co.uk/read...ehip-and-beetroot-soup-cooked-and-raw-version

https://www.permaculture.co.uk/read...pes-strawberries-berries-cherry-plums-cobnuts

https://www.permaculture.co.uk/readers-solutions/benefits-stinging-nettles


And it wouldn't really be a balanced diet unless you have a bit of this too...

https://www.permaculture.co.uk/readers-solutions/sloe-gin-recipe


This should give you a bit of food for thought and keep you busy for this autumn, but if you dig deeper in that permaculture website you'l find plenty of more info for other seasons, recipes, fungui etc


Enjoy responsibly....

 

[River98]

Brilliant thanks all for your help

 

[northumbriman]

I know quite a few good edible wild plants and I am omnivorous. As others have stated having the ability to identify and hunt/forage food in the UK is great but there are so many issues and restrictions that I doubt it would be possible to entirely feed yourself for more than a day or two. Maybe at the coast and in reasonable weather conditions (and assuming as previously pointed out there are no sewage issues). In the UK there are many legal issues with hunting/fishing unless you get permission you can't even use an air rifle to bump off a few bunnies! Most forms of traps are also illegal and certainly fishing in rivers is out unless you have permission or are willing to face the consequences. Foraging for wild plants is less of an issue but even there most land is owned in the UK, usually picking some berries or leaves is no issue but digging a plant up for its roots requires the landowners permission. Hedgerows beside roads can be loaded with pollutants too. Of course you also have to compete with all the other forragers, human and animal. I was watching a fantastic hazel tree laden with hazels for weeks last year. Kept going back each week to check progress. Just as they started to show the first hints of ripening the local grey squirrels decimated the lot.......:yikes:

 

[scarfell]

Signal crayfish are one of my favorite inland foraging foods, very very tasty! If you catch any native British ones, put them back, they are endangered, but the big fat American ones arent


Shellfish on the shore is another great source of protein, careful where you collect them tho, espcially filter feeders like muscles, check local sewage outlet positions and water quality reports; razors and winkles are great to eat, not a fan of limpits myself, but lots of people love them

Sole/flander can be easy to catch, you dont need a licence to fish the sea, but only eat flat fish from sandy shores not muddy, they taste foul lol

Rabbits are another of my favorites, lots of places will let you shoot them with an air rifle as they are considered a pest - they should/might expect you to prove that you can kill humanely (ie single shot - might ask for proof of club membership for eg)

 

[River98]

Brill info. If you catch Cray fish and leave them in clean water for a few days, would that work.

 

[scarfell]

Brill info. If you catch Cray fish and leave them in clean water for a few days, would that work.

I'd only eat them out of clean water anyway tbh, polluted waters can contain heavy metals that cant be removed at all