Let's go foraging

[Johnny Vodka]

Interesting read. My friend sent me some mugwort as part of the Xmas hamper, so good to have some ideas about what to do with it.

Meet mugwort, the prolific wild herb worth foraging for a treat | Alys Fowler

With notes of rosemary and sage, the aromatic flowering plant lends its subtle flavours to baking, roasting and even a bit of seasonal winemaking

www.theguardian.com

 

[Johnny Vodka]

Can’t face another sad salad? Here’s how to ditch the lettuce and forage for something more exciting

Lime leaves are perfect with vinaigrette; sheep’s sorrel seeds taste of lemon; and fox pee … well, steer clear of fox pee. Our expert explains what to pick, what to avoid, and how to make the most of your haul

www.theguardian.com

 

[Saunders]

Oh gosh the ‘don’t pick elderflower after noon / cat pee smell thing.
I did an emergency pick this afternoon and now have 8 pints of cat pee stinking the house up
I’m really hoping it will still taste ok

 

[iona]

Wild strawberries!

 

[existentialist]

Someone turned up at he pub yesterday with a bag full of freshly-harvested samphire. First time I'd tried it. Nice.

 

[story]

Interesting read. My friend sent me some mugwort as part of the Xmas hamper, so good to have some ideas about what to do with it.

Meet mugwort, the prolific wild herb worth foraging for a treat | Alys Fowler

With notes of rosemary and sage, the aromatic flowering plant lends its subtle flavours to baking, roasting and even a bit of seasonal winemaking

www.theguardian.com

Mugwort is our native Dreaming herb. Traditionally used to clear space, focus the mind etc. Smoke it, or use it as an incense, (like the white sage smudge sticks sold in hippy shops).

 

[story]

Can’t face another sad salad? Here’s how to ditch the lettuce and forage for something more exciting

Lime leaves are perfect with vinaigrette; sheep’s sorrel seeds taste of lemon; and fox pee … well, steer clear of fox pee. Our expert explains what to pick, what to avoid, and how to make the most of your haul

www.theguardian.com

Lime flower (AKA Tilia or Linden) is a really beautiful herb. The young leaves are delicious and soft in the mouth, a good adjunct to acidic sorrel and bitter dandelion.

It‘s just about to come into blossom and I highly recommend harvesting the flowers if you can. Take the bracts too. Dry them and you’ve got something sweet and soft and delightful to carry you into winter. The Greek origin myth for this tree is fascinating, and tells us plenty about the medicine in the plant.


One of my favourite stories about Tilia is how arrogant white Victorian men were certain it was poison, despite millenia of safe folk use. They saw bees foraging in the blossom then falling to the ground. Without investigating any further, they assumed the bees were poisoned to death, rather than so drunk on the delicious sweet nectar that they were in a stupor. After a while of sleeping it off, they get up and fly away.

 

[Epona]

Lime flower (AKA Tilia or Linden) is a really beautiful herb. The young leaves are delicious and soft in the mouth, a good adjunct to acidic sorrel and bitter dandelion.

It‘s just about to come into blossom and I highly recommend harvesting the flowers if you can. Take the bracts too. Dry them and you’ve got something sweet and soft and delightful to carry you into winter. The Greek origin myth for this tree is fascinating, and tells us plenty about the medicine in the plant.


One of my favourite stories about Tilia is how arrogant white Victorian men were certain it was poison, despite millenia of safe folk use. They saw bees foraging in the blossom then falling to the ground. Without investigating any further, they assumed the bees were poisoned to death, rather than so drunk on the delicious sweet nectar that they were in a stupor. After a while of sleeping it off, they get up and fly away.

I've had Linden honey (was given some, it's not the sort of thing I generally have on my budget!) and it has a very strong almost medicinal/astringent flavour - it's not unpleasant, but it's not like honey from other sources.

 

[story]

I've had Linden honey (was given some, it's not the sort of thing I generally have on my budget!) and it has a very strong almost medicinal/astringent flavour - it's not unpleasant, but it's not like honey from other sources.

No, it has its own character for sure.


As do other honeys….

Sweet but psycho(active): A brief history of mad honey | SECONDS — SECONDS | Food history

Mad honey, which can trigger hallucinations and even death, has its roots in the ancient world.

www.secondshistory.com

 

[heinous seamus]

1.6kg of gooseberries picked tonight. And 1kg turned into jam!

 

[chainsawjob]

Went to find elderflower this afternoon, and this is all I came back with. It's a bit late for them really, most have started to turn to berries. I'll have another look tomorrow or the day after, see if I can find some that have been in a shady spot and are late flowering. These can stink the fridge out for now (I actually don't mind the smell, not too cat's piss imo).

 

[seeformiles]

So far, I’ve got 2 gallons of elderflower cordial and 6 gallons of elderflower wine. This morning, we went for a ramble and picked a lb of wild raspberries! A very satisfying find as it’s about a month before the blackberries and elderberries come out in force so getting my boxes and barrels ready for action

 

[Johnny Vodka]

I've been foraging for wild raspberries and saving (freezing) them until I have enough to make a few jars of jam.

 

[seeformiles]

I've been foraging for wild raspberries and saving (freezing) them until I have enough to make a few jars of jam.

Ours will be in the freezer until we amass enough early other berries for a batch of “Summer Wine”

 

[Johnny Vodka]

Ours will be in the freezer until we amass enough early other berries for a batch of “Summer Wine”

Recipe?

 

[seeformiles]

Recipe?

3-4kg of foraged berries (raspberry, blackberry, elderberry, strawberry, apple, etc.)
3kg sugar
Yeast
5 gallon fermenter

Method

1) Pass all fruit through a food processor and add to fermenter along with a gallon of water
2) Leave overnight before straining / sieving to get rid of the pulp
3) Add sugar and top up to 5g with water
4) Add yeast and leave to ferment for btw 2-4 weeks
5) Once at an acceptable taste/strength, stabilise brew by adding 4 crushed Campden tablets and rack off into another 5 gallon fermenter.

 

[Callie]

seeformiles Johnny Vodka where are you guys to have wild raspberries? ?Midlands and Scotchland?? I'm in London and had never seen them until a recent trip to Yorkshire. Jealous!

 

[Johnny Vodka]

seeformiles Johnny Vodka where are you guys to have wild raspberries? ?Midlands and Scotchland?? I'm in London and had never seen them until a recent trip to Yorkshire. Jealous!

Tbf, easy enough to grow your own (if you have a garden) and they are just the same.

 

[Johnny Vodka]

3-4kg of foraged berries (raspberry, blackberry, elderberry, strawberry, apple, etc.)
3kg sugar
Yeast
5 gallon fermenter

Method

1) Pass all fruit through a food processor and add to fermenter along with a gallon of water
2) Leave overnight before straining / sieving to get rid of the pulp
3) Add sugar and top up to 5g with water
4) Add yeast and leave to ferment for btw 2-4 weeks
5) Once at an acceptable taste/strength, stabilise brew by adding 4 crushed Campden tablets and rack off into another 5 gallon fermenter.

Ahh, too much extra stuff required. Maybe at some point in the future I'll be able to create some space in my flat for brewing. It's definitely something I'd like to try.

 

[seeformiles]

Ahh, too much extra stuff required. Maybe at some point in the future I'll be able to create some space in my flat for brewing. It's definitely something I'd like to try.

It seems that way - but after the £30 outlay for a couple of buckets, fermentation locks, yeast and a bit of siphon tube, it soon pays for itself many times over (and takes up much less space than you might think

 

[seeformiles]

seeformiles Johnny Vodka where are you guys to have wild raspberries? ?Midlands and Scotchland?? I'm in London and had never seen them until a recent trip to Yorkshire. Jealous!

We’re in Leeds and they seem to be everywhere at the moment

 

[Callie]

Tbf, easy enough to grow your own (if you have a garden) and they are just the same.

I am but space wise they take up a fair amount of room in my smallish garden. Was just amazed by the amount of wild ones I saw - like blackberries round my way

 

[Callie]

We’re in Leeds and they seem to be everywhere at the moment

Can you take a picture?? Are the berries big or piddly?

 

[Johnny Vodka]

Can you take a picture?? Are the berries big or piddly?

The ones round here are much smaller than those in my garden, but there are way more of them. Going for another picking tonight.

 

[seeformiles]

Can you take a picture?? Are the berries big or piddly?

They’re only wee - as expected for wild fruit. We’ve found them growing by a riverbank and various other places nearby. Will try a take some pics tomorrow when we’re out a-foraging

 

[Johnny Vodka]

This is the wild raspberry haul so far, already maybe enough for 3 or 4 jars of jam. Will go back in another 3 days again. It's just a 2 minute walk from my flat.

 

[Callie]

Lush!

 

[seeformiles]

View attachment 331771

 

[Johnny Vodka]

Size comparison between garden & wild.

 

[seeformiles]

A big frozen ball of raspberries