Foraging workshop

[Woody girl]

Today I gave my first ever foraging workshop to several single mum's and others. A total attendance of 6 people. Enough for a first go! a few pics of my display of foraged goodies and what can be done with them.
It was an extremely interesting event and I have been asked to do more. I've never had so many hugs in a day! Everyone was so excited at what could be done with a few wild ingredients that had been ignored and thought unedible untill today.
A great time had by all but especially me to see so many people infused with excitement.
I did some tastings too and the general comment was wow! That tastes so good.
Sorry if I seem to be boasting a bit but I am so happy that I've finaly managed to share my passion with such appreciative people.
Hopefully I can grow this and also get them growing good food in their gardens too. I've been asked to do a workshop on growing in tiny spaces and raised beds and pots. I'm excited and just had to share this with you guys.

 

[Woody girl]

Today I gave my first ever foraging workshop to several single mum's and others. A total attendance of 6 people. Enough for a first go!View attachment 55500 View attachment 55501 View attachment 55502 a few pics of my display of foraged goodies and what can be done with them.
It was an extremely interesting event and I have been asked to do more. I've never had so many hugs in a day! Everyone was so excited at what could be done with a few wild ingredients that had been ignored and thought unedible untill today.
A great time had by all but especially me to see so many people infused with excitement.
I did some tastings too and the general comment was wow! That tastes so good.
Sorry if I seem to be boasting a bit but I am so happy that I've finaly managed to share my passion with such appreciative people.
Hopefully I can grow this and also get them growing good food in their gardens too. I've been asked to do a workshop on growing in tiny spaces and raised beds and pots. I'm excited and just had to share this with you guys.

 

[Van-Wild]

Brilliant to see. Despite popular belief there are still a lot of people who are interested in foraging. I like being able to feed myself from the meadow or hedgerow when I'm out and about. Foraging isn't restricted to the countryside either. Last year I almost walked past a walnut tree that was threatening to collapse a garden wall.... keep up the good work! Well done.

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[Woody girl]

Thank you van wild. This is a very exciting project that has taken a long time to get off the ground. But finaly it's happening.

 

[Van-Wild]

Perseverance! That's the key. Boundless enthusiasm is also contagious!

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[Van-Wild]

I think I've missed the hazelnuts this year. They came early and the squirrels around here are in plentiful supply. I suppose that next year, in order to harvest the hazelnuts, I'll first have to harvest the squirrels!!!

One of my favorite fruits, the sloe are looking good. I'll be making more sloe gin for sure and I use the better sloes for fruit jelly with blackberries. Raspberries are good but the crop is isolated and takes some effort to get to.

The forests near me were cleared two years ago and the ground has recovered now really well. There's a ton of scrub and weeds now, many of which are edible. Willow herb, goats beard, wood sorrel and meadow sweet being easy to get in good enough quantity for a trail side salad. In fact..... that's got me thinking. I'll go on a wood land walk later and get me a salad!

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[Toddy]

I love events like that
So very pleased it went well, and it's fired your enthusiasm too. It would be excellent if your little network of interested people really do keep in touch, both with each other and with the changing seasonal round. It kind of inspires everyone


M

 

[crosslandkelly]

Well done, people are always surprised at what's available on their doorstep.

 

[Woody girl]

Thanks guys. I wonder if I can get them interested in bushcraft too? How to weazle it into my workshops without them realising it and "lighting the fire" of enthusiasm for the great outdoors.

 

[demographic]

Nice one, its also something they can teach their kids whilst on walks.
Food in the hedgerow makes long walks far more interesting.

 

[Van-Wild]

Thanks guys. I wonder if I can get them interested in bushcraft too? How to weazle it into my workshops without them realising it and "lighting the fire" of enthusiasm for the great outdoors.

A few years ago I had to give a presentation. I introduced the group to birch wine. A few sips first got them interested!

I then talked them really quickly through how you make the wine. Once that was done, I showed them a birch round and reminded them how it all starts with the sap. Then I asked 'anyone know any other ways to use the birch tree?' Lots of silence and confused looks....

I then pulled out a shiny shiny blade. All men like knives, FACT...... I peeled the bark and then produced a birch bark match container and explained how it's made. Then I scraped the peeled bark and lit it with a ferro rod. Et voila! I introduced bushcraft......

Could be a gentle way to show folks some bushcraft stuff.

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[Robson Valley]

I believe that paleo foraging must go hand in hand with basket-weaving, such as what SaraR of this parish is doing.
Nuts are very valuable and easily stored food reserves. But what to keep them in?
Have you got plants, then, with insect-repellant leaf properties to protect your stored foraging?

 

[keithg]

Well done Woody Girl, glad it went so well.

 

[Fadcode]

looks good and very helpful to those new to foraging, did you make nettle crisps by any chance, as I always find people are astounded by them, keep it up and well done.

 

[EffyGent]

Sounds like a great idea to get people in to and feeling comfortable in nature. Hope you can do many more of them!

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[Sundowner]

So pleased it went well

 

[Woody girl]

Thanks for your encouraging words folks.
I was very nervous as I'd never done anything like this before. Also it got a bit chaotic as it was supposed to happen the week before and it all went pear shaped as the lady who was supposed to open the hall was carted off to hospital and hour before she was to open the hall up for me!
Alls well that ends well though and she is now fine.
Somehow I managed to double post this so comments are spread between both of the posts.
Mods.. can you do anything about that please. Sorry but I'm a real tech idiot thanks

 

[Toddy]

I believe that paleo foraging must go hand in hand with basket-weaving, such as what SaraR of this parish is doing.
Nuts are very valuable and easily stored food reserves. But what to keep them in?
Have you got plants, then, with insect-repellant leaf properties to protect your stored foraging?

Hazelnuts store well, in very specific conditions. In the mesolithic (that's our earliest evidences really for people storing stuff in these islands, we're pretty sure that it happened before, but this is what we can prove) and later periods, hazelnuts were gathered and stored.
If you roast hazelnuts in their shells, they will not rot and they will not sprout. They just sit there, protected inside their little woody shell, and can be safely stored somewhere cool and dry. We know of them stored (as the south americans do with beans) in pots, and pots with a stone cover are rodent safe. We find roasted hazelnuts when excavating all over the UK.

Quick link to some 8,000 year old ones.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-34604576

 

[Broch]

If you roast hazelnuts in their shells, they will not rot and they will not sprout.

I was considering this question only a couple of days ago (for some reason we have an excellent crop that the squirrels haven't got at). I can't eat raw hazelnuts but I've never tried roasting them in their shells; don't they 'pop'?

 

[Robson Valley]

I make curried nuts as a traditional snack treat for Christmas.
I recall posting the recipe in Lovely Grub, years back.

I buy pecans, almonds, walnuts and hazel nuts(all shelled) at the Bulk Food store.
Final step is 6-10 minutes on sheets at 350F in the oven for roasting.

Just as well, my guts can't take raw nuts any more. Roasted taste better to me.

Chestnuts roasting by an open fire will explode and will shower the room with flaming debris.
The "fix" is to drill 3-4 holes in the shells. Any steam vent will do.

Maybe hazelnuts will explode in their shells when heated. Sounds ( ! ! !) like a fun experiment to try.
I'll do it and let you know. Can't be as bad as baked potatoes which explode in the oven.