Hawthorn Fruit Leather.

[addo]

Thought I'd give this a bash, after tasting some the other day, and watching the Ray Mears Wild Food episode again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVUUdpjEYDU

The Gathered Berries

A messy Business

Popped in a cake tin for a gentle dry in the oven for a few hrs, while I chopped some firewood. Seeds, skins and stalks left behind.

That set it, but it was still quite moist and flexible, so I cut it into thin strips and placed in stainless steel steemer tins with holes in the bottom, and placed on top of the wood burner.

I've had a nibble and its getting better the dryer it gets. Guess its more about the nutrient level and preserving though, should you be relying on wild food. Some honey in the mix would have helped a great deal although I'm not sure if it would keep as well ?

Anyway, always fancied doing this and think I'll move onto using the pestle and mortar to crush the whole fruit of sloe, bird cherry, ect to cure then bake as fruit biscuits, as they are quicker and contain more carbs, and protein as a result of the process.

I made some Rowan berry jam, by just reducing down the juice after squeezing like the Haw's. I seriously don't recommend it, unless you don't like the person you try it on!

Anybody else been messing around wild food wise?

Addo

 

[Toddy]

The Yews are in fruit, and at least they're tasty

Sorry Addo, I'm not a fan of the hawthorn berries. A few just as a munchy are fine but otherwise they need sweetening, flavouring, I reckon.

Do you think if the strips you've prepared were rolled in caster sugar, like the commercially dried fruits are, they would be more palatable ?

I find Bird cherries are very dependant on the individual tree. Some are perfectly edible and some are so horridly bitter

I think in the past people would have been much more aware of the taste of individual trees, the very beginnings of cultivation are there , and those would have been the preferred ones for gathering.

Rowans are a great addition to the glut of apples and pears, but again, on their own, too bitter I feel.

Thank you for posting the thread; interesting to hear how you got on with the Hawthorns.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[addo]

I mixed some very plump berries with some not so, and the thin strips are drying as we speak and getting tastier. Not that sweet though, so I reckon the caster sugar would be a good idea, just fancied trying it plain to see if it would work.

I do like the Yew berry flesh, my old Arbor lecturer thought I was mad for trying it with the rest of the tree being so poisonous.

Im off to find a wild service tree next week.

 

[Toddy]

Lucky man, we don't get the Service trees growing here

I really like Yew berries, they are definitely one of the season's treats
They're right there with the first of the wild strawberries and the brambles and rosehips in my mind
Someone who was training to be a 'Bushcraft Instuctor' once tried to disuade me from eating them by saying, "These are 'English' yews, you know." :duh:

I meant to add last post, if you still have the Rowan jam, it can be added in to apples and boiled up again. All those wee ones that the supermarkets have in bags for Hallowe'en will be going cheap soon, they'd work well with the Rowans The jelly I use like marmalade but if you can be bothered coring and peeling them the apples will make a tangy conserve that's great with wild meat like venison or pheasant or duck.

cheers,
M

 

[v-ness]

Never tried the leather before- something to add to the collection of must do's, lol

Toddy's Rowan and Apple Jelly is similar to a Wildberry jam I've made in the past. It has Rowan, Elderberry, Brambles and Apples in it. Cooked up with fresh ginger, lemon juice, cinnamon and sugar. It was very tasty as jam on toast and with meat. It is an old german recipe handed down in my family called a Vitaminbomb

Cheers
Ness

 

[addo]

Never tried the leather before- something to add to the collection of must do's, lol

Toddy's Rowan and Apple Jelly is similar to a Wildberry jam I've made in the past. It has Rowan, Elderberry, Brambles and Apples in it. Cooked up with fresh ginger, lemon juice, cinnamon and sugar. It was very tasty as jam on toast and with meat. It is an old german recipe handed down in my family called a Vitaminbomb

Cheers
Ness

This mixed Jam idea sound very nice, I'll give it a whirl.
Off on a Fungal Foray in a minuite. I should see if several of the more unusual ones I've been id-ing are somewhere close

 

[Mojoracinguk]

Are all Yew berries edible?
My sisters place has a massive yew and the berries keep raining down on the path to their annoyance.....so just get swept away.

I always assumed (due to lack of knowledge) that they were not edible.
probbalby because they are soft/squishy red berries.

Oh and on tommrow's forage i'lll be looking for the hawthorn berries as there is loads down the lanes by my folks....good work addo

Mojo

 

[Toddy]

With care, yes.
Every other bit of the Yew, including the stone inside the wee fruit, is toxic. It's tongue and lips and palate only, no teeth, type of a munchy.

That said, I have within the last couple of years heard of some folks who have gotten a tummy upset from eating them, so I think that if you haven't tried them before maybe eat three or four and then give it a day or so to make up your mind on how much you enjoyed them

cheers,
M

 

[Gill]

Toddy i have never heard of anyone eating them before if you look this up anywhere it is NOT advised every bit of a yew tree is poisonous and eating the berries can be fatal.I am not surprised some of them had upset stomachs the Yew is the most poionous tree in britain.

 

[calibanzwei]

Eat the flesh of Yew berries on site where I am at college - never had a problem

 

[Nagual]

Gill, the flesh is okay, but not the seeds held within. That's why Toddy said not to use teeth, so you don't split the seed, and can spit it out. Not tried one myself but am on the look out for a Yew tree to give it a go.

Not had any success with Hawthorn Leather. Tried it a couple of years ago and basically it tasted like sandy mud. May have to have a bash at doing a apple / bramble mix for jam soon though.

 

[Toddy]

I have eaten the berries with pleasure and no tummy upsets for years. If it's likely to be dubious, trust me, it's usually me that reacts first

I only added on the bit about folks with tummy upsets because I heard it on here. I don't actually know of anyone who had a bad reaction to eating just the flesh of the berries.

'Technically' so long as the seed isn't broken it can be swallowed and excreted safely.
I'm not for trying it, too easy to get it wrong.....spit them out, and grow more trees

cheers,
Mary

 

[v-ness]

You know I need to go and find a Yew tree now to try it, LOL

 

[decorum]

... if you still have the Rowan jam, it can be added in to apples

if you can be bothered coring and peeling them the apples will make a tangy conserve that's great with wild meat like venison or pheasant or duck.

And and even bigger

OH, Yes!
Goes very nicely with roast pork too .

 

[addo]

Darn it, I binned the Jam.. Ohooooo no no no Have to make some more.

 

[atross]

Addo

The haws n their own are not so good! So I tried it John Wright's way with crab apples and some blackberries, 500g of haws 500g of fruit simmer with 100 ml of water for 20 mins then force through a sieve. Heat the pulp and add 125g of sugar (I used honey) spread on baking parchment then in a very low heat oven for 12hrs. The result is fantastic!

 

[Del the Cat]

That leather looks v interesting, I bet it's got a satisfying texture.
I can concur with the Yew berry thing, I've tasted the flesh, slightly sweet and slimy, it's the pip which is poisonous. They are so small, dunno if they are worth gathering. The birds love 'em, we have a Yew just outside the kitchen window, we get plenty of birds including the very occaisional goldcrest
Del

 

[Mojoracinguk]

Made some on sunday. It really lives up to the 'leather' name!

only tasted small pieces so far but is pleasant enough.....I can defo see folk nibbling on this during cold winter nights in their wooden homes'.

strained most of the pips out by hand, but wanted a smoother finish so used a piece of muslin. This worked a treat.....until it split and shot fruit jelly all over the floor

Will make another batch this weekend as my berries are washed and waiting patiantly!!


Mojo

 

[addo]

Good stuff Mojo, Ive make a right mess before in the kitchen doing this sort of thing. As long as its gone before the gaffer turns up all is well
The Steam from reducing the rosehip syrup just bought down part of the ceiling wall paper!

 

[Shewie]

The Steam from reducing the rosehip syrup just bought down part of the ceiling wall paper!

PMSL, is it out with the Pritt Stick before she gets home then Paul ?