Today I ate.......

[Celt_Ginger]

Today I ate wild Raspberrys, gathered from the forest which is about a half mile from my house, hazlenuts from the trees at the bottom of my garden, some pine needle tea, again from my garden and I had a cheese and hawthorn leaf sandwich yesterday

 

[Snufkin]

Today I dried Fairy Ring Champingnons (sp?). Thank the gods for rain! I've been keeping my eyes open for them for ages, as my dried stock is really low. A bit of rain and the little darlings appear.

 

[Moonraker]

Raspberries
Blackberries
Whinberrys
Wood sorrel
Thistle nuts

Thistle nuts?! Is that a local name? maybe the heart of the thistle flower? Not a word I have heard. Whinberries are bilberries?

 

[Toddy]

Whinberries, bilberries, blaeberries.....
http://www.edirectory.co.uk/chilter...asp?pe=DBFBDBCJQ_+vaccinium+myrtillus&cid=211

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Moonraker]

Whinberries, bilberries, blaeberries.....
http://www.edirectory.co.uk/chilter...asp?pe=DBFBDBCJQ_+vaccinium+myrtillus&cid=211

Cheers,
Toddy

As I thought, thanks Toddy. Only thing with that list is the Huckleberry is the North American genus Gaylussacia sp., as in Huckleberry Finn though the names get crossed a lot.

Whinberry is interesting;

\Whin"ber*ry\, n. (Bot.) The English bilberry; -- so called because it grows on moors among the whins, or furze. --Dr. Prior.

source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Whinberry.

Whins or Furze being Gorse (Ulex europaeus).

Any advance on 'Thistle Nuts'

 

[Toddy]

They're the seed bases at the bottom of the unripe thistle heads If you get the right variety, they're good; otherwise they get called the *choke*.
Cheers,
Toddy

 

[janiepopps]

Done a quick search on this site for ash keys, and found some conflicting stuff. What is the best time to pick them and are they worth the effort?? We have loads this year...

j

 

[Moonraker]

They're the seed bases at the bottom of the unripe thistle heads If you get the right variety, they're good; otherwise they get called the *choke*.
Cheers,
Toddy

OK. Another one ticked off, thanks Toddy Something like 'arti-choke' heart. Same family as thistle.

 

[janiepopps]

Whilst Im here could also tell me (pretty please Toddy!!) do you pick hazelnuts when they're still green and dry/brown them off somewhere warm or do you wait for them to fal off the tree (& risk losing them ALL to the squirrels like I did last year :sadwavey: )

j

 

[Moonraker]

Done a quick search on this site for ash keys, and found some conflicting stuff. What is the best time to pick them and are they worth the effort?? We have loads this year...

j

You can pickle ash keys with white wine vinegar, sugar, water and spices. Apparently they taste a bit like capers,and "are a piquant addition to oily fish and cold cuts of meat". Basically use as a substitute for capers. However, they need to be harvested while still green and tender – bite one to check that it is not too chewy. Too late now I think.

Other uses for Ash Keys and Ash generally;

Ash -(Fraxinus excelsior)

ASHEN KEYS: Wing-like seed chambers of the common ash tree. Pickled ash keys were used like capers, in winter salads. (John Nott, 1726)

 

[locum76]

in the past week i have eaten:

wild: raspberries, strawberries, cherrys, brambles, fat hen, thistle hearts, hawthorn leaves (mingin )

from the farm: mutton, eggs, honey, spuds, chard, rocket, marrow, onions, more raspberries

from the garden: beans, parsnips, spuds, rosemary, mint, horseradish and more rasberries.

i'm actually getting fed up of rasps!!! and can't wait for the mushroom season. last year i had loads of breakfast puffball omelettes at work.

 

[Roving Rich]

Yup - I second that Janiepops.
I was out with the dog this morning and the hedgerow is heavy with hazel nuts (or cobnuts), but all small and green. In the past I have waited for them to drop, then harvested them. TBH they are usually very small compared with shop bought cousins. So pick em green and ripen off or leave them a while ?? Or some other amazing recipe.
The Ash trees are also heavily laden with keys thes year. Never touched these before, so I will give them a nibble. I'm not sure if we have white wine vinegar ? Will cider vinegar do ?
Sloe berries are out in force too. All seems about 6 weeks early IMO ?

Cheers
Rich

 

[Moonraker]

Yup - I second that Janiepops.
I was out with the dog this morning and the hedgerow is heavy with hazel nuts (or cobnuts), but all small and green. In the past I have waited for them to drop, then harvested them. TBH they are usually very small compared with shop bought cousins. So pick em green and ripen off or leave them a while ?? Or some other amazing recipe.
The Ash trees are also heavily laden with keys thes year. Never touched these before, so I will give them a nibble. I'm not sure if we have white wine vinegar ? Will cider vinegar do ?
Sloe berries are out in force too. All seems about 6 weeks early IMO ?

Cheers
Rich

Cider vinegar would be fine Rich. Just make sure the ash keys are still tender or they will taste like wooden bullets

I also noticed the sloe fruit are colouring up early. I usually leave them until the first frosts which improves the texture (softer) and flavour (releases more of the natural sugars and reduces the astringency), especially for sloe gin. But if they start dropping prematurely then grab um! They also have plenty of natural yeast in the bloom on the skin.

 

[ScottC]

Can anyone give us a list of forageables we should be looking out for at this time of year?

 

[Moonraker]

Can anyone give us a list of forageables we should be looking out for at this time of year?

There is a well put together foraging calendar here;

Forest Harvest - Gathering Calendar

It's for Scotland but covers species across most of Britain.

 

[Roving Rich]

Good Link Moonraker
Ummm - just not sure that its all edible ? Holly, Ivy and Rhododendron foliage in the winter ? Sounds more like Christmas decorations to me ?
Cheers
Rich

 

[Moonraker]

Good Link Moonraker
Ummm - just not sure that its all edible ? Holly, Ivy and Rhododendron foliage in the winter ? Sounds more like Christmas decorations to me ?
Cheers
Rich

Spot on Rich it does highlight these uses with the plant names like;

Holly foliage

The foliage is collected for Christmas decoration. Branches bearing abundant berries are particularly prized. Many people gather their own holly, but there is also a seasonal trade in this resource.

Useful they also list the edible animals for each season too, like squirrels, though not fish for some reason? and it is in no way comprehensive, but still a decent start;

Grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

I have yet to find a comprehensive online 'calendar' for foraging, so if anyone knows of one...

In fact the whole Non-timber forest products in Scotland (NTFPs) web site has interesting information, specifically for Scotland but a lot of the info also applies to the rest of Britain (though note different right to roam and access laws in particular).

This section has a lot of info on sorts of uses, including edible plants;

NTFPs - Non-timber forest products directory

 

[Harmonica]

Bilberry jam i made from wild berries from the wood near my house in sunny Northumberland