wild garlic

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bushtank

Nomad
Jan 9, 2007
337
2
51
king lynn
Hi all
I went for a birthday walk to my local woods and the ransoms are all ready showing
they were lovely with the roast leg of lamb my wife done for tea my boys picked some
to taste they were not impressed has any one else found ransoms this early
 

JonnyP

Full Member
Oct 17, 2005
3,833
29
Cornwall...
We have had wild garlic out in flower for at least a month down here. Its tri cornered garlic and not ramsons, but tastes the same....
 

spamel

Banned
Feb 15, 2005
6,833
21
48
Silkstone, Blighty!
I'm gonna have to keep an eye on the many patches around here. I haven't seen anything yet, but I also have lesser celandine growing right next to a patch of ramsons, so they are gonna be tried this year. The search for the elusive Pignut continues also. There is a massive bluebell patch just up from the ramsons, I hear that pignut sometimes grows with bluebells. Is that right?
 

SOAR

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 21, 2007
2,031
8
48
cheshire
When I went to Loch Awe last may we found loads of Pignuts on the Island we stayed on there were lots of Bluebells there, could be the case Spam. Never heard it mentioned until now.
 

spamel

Banned
Feb 15, 2005
6,833
21
48
Silkstone, Blighty!
I think I read it in the Wild Food book, I may be mistaken though. The only other place I can think of is maybe the Usborne cards I have for use with the kids to ID flowers.
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,996
4,650
S. Lanarkshire
The bluebells are just starting to push through but so far no sign of the ransoms.
They grow in great swathes in our local woods. I know the leaf is good but the slender bulbs are excellent finely sliced and fried in butter. The resultant jus is a wonderful liquor to flash fry meat or mushrooms.
The little celandines are in leaf in my garden and where the blackies have scratched aside the leaf litter and soil I can see the little nodules.

If you make the effort to remember where plants such as the ransoms, the bluebells, comfrey, pignuts and the celandines grow, in the next few months, it's like having a natural larder stashed away for when you need them later in the year :)

cheers,
Toddy
 

JonnyP

Full Member
Oct 17, 2005
3,833
29
Cornwall...
I'm gonna have to keep an eye on the many patches around here. I haven't seen anything yet, but I also have lesser celandine growing right next to a patch of ramsons, so they are gonna be tried this year. The search for the elusive Pignut continues also. There is a massive bluebell patch just up from the ramsons, I hear that pignut sometimes grows with bluebells. Is that right?

Don't eat too many celandine leaves Spam, they can be harmful...Yes pignuts can grow with bluebells. Pignuts also grow on grassland. Once you see one get a good looks at it and you will spot them all over the place then...
 

spamel

Banned
Feb 15, 2005
6,833
21
48
Silkstone, Blighty!
The problem is finding that first one. I had the same trouble on my first Bolete foray a few years back, but then I spotted one. And another. And another! Once you get your eye in, there is no stopping you!

I was gonna cook the roots of the celandine, I wasn't aware the leaves were edible.
 

JonnyP

Full Member
Oct 17, 2005
3,833
29
Cornwall...
The problem is finding that first one. I had the same trouble on my first Bolete foray a few years back, but then I spotted one. And another. And another! Once you get your eye in, there is no stopping you!

I was gonna cook the roots of the celandine, I wasn't aware the leaves were edible.

Leaves can be used in salads. According to my book the plants contains small amounts of protanemonin. Dunno what that is, but it says it can be harmful so stick to small quantities. Nothing said on the roots, what info do you have on them..?
Pignuts should start popping up in may-june. They are a typical umbellifer, but small 1' - 2' max and they look a lot more fragile than other umbellifers, small uneven flower heads. Check with your local wildlife reserves (where they may do surveys), to see if they are found in your area...At my old wildlife reserve, there was a whole corner of a field full of them..
 

leantoo

Need to contact Admin...
Jan 17, 2008
43
0
loch voil in scotland, is pig nut paradise, i went in june last year and they were everywhere around the loch,there small white tops visable as a mass everywere due to there abundance. size of hazelnuts some much bigger, great loch for trout to, telescopic rod and mini perch spinners kept my tummy full for a good 5 days, best time to catch em was around ten at night from a canoe, wizz out the spinner, attach to canoe , paddle up and down, just off shore were shallow meets deep and bosh....dinner, and the camping is great, i had the whole loch to myself, but i went mon to friday, and i must admit the drunks camp friday n sat night , leave all there rubbish there and make the most noise, what a shame, so anyone wanting pig nut paradise visit doing the week, peace and quite, pigs n trout. i live in suffolk and was lucky to find 4 pignut plants,not good for pignuts here but theres crayfish galore
 

bushtank

Nomad
Jan 9, 2007
337
2
51
king lynn
loch voil in scotland, is pig nut paradise, i went in june last year and they were everywhere around the loch,there small white tops visable as a mass everywere due to there abundance. size of hazelnuts some much bigger, great loch for trout to, telescopic rod and mini perch spinners kept my tummy full for a good 5 days, best time to catch em was around ten at night from a canoe, wizz out the spinner, attach to canoe , paddle up and down, just off shore were shallow meets deep and bosh....dinner, and the camping is great, i had the whole loch to myself, but i went mon to friday, and i must admit the drunks camp friday n sat night , leave all there rubbish there and make the most noise, what a shame, so anyone wanting pig nut paradise visit doing the week, peace and quite, pigs n trout. i live in suffolk and was lucky to find 4 pignut plants,not good for pignuts here but theres crayfish galore

crayfish now we are talking my favourite free food
 

spamel

Banned
Feb 15, 2005
6,833
21
48
Silkstone, Blighty!
I found out yesterday from a guy who was born and raised here that the manky looking stream that runs through Silkstone used to have trout and crayfish in it when he was a lad. He said the stream has always been maky, it is due to the ore from the ground being washed out as there used to be a lot of coal mining in the area. So one to look out for later on in the year is Ratbag and myself trying our hand. I've got the DEFRA kit somewhere, so better get that filled in!
 

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