Let's go foraging

[iona]

I ate so many blackberries today that I felt quite sick for a bit. And I don't say that lightly, I can eat several pounds of mulberries in one go and once ate more than 20 apples over the course of an afternoon with no noticeable effects

 

[seeformiles]

3kg elderberries

 

[Johnny Vodka]

My cherry plum collection so far. Not sure how many more I'll get or what I'll do with them. Think these still need to ripen a bit.

 

[Saunders]

I got a few sloes earlier while out with the dog. They’re really very nearly ready here. I know a few people who pick from this place, who will have been watching and gently pinching them for more years than me.

 

[weltweit]

Driving today I passed a woman up a ladder picking something. She looked very unsafe, also because she was on a road, I hoped the foraging was worth the risk.

 

[Johnny Vodka]

Bramble & elderberry whisky started.

 

[sojourner]

I hope all of you picking masses are actually using them all, not just gathering a load and leaving squat for other people/birds then throwing away what you don't need (in my experience, wild picked blackberries go mouldy within 48 hours of being picked if not processed or frozen for example). Everything anywhere I go has been picked bare already!

Good luck with all the jams and jellies and wines!!

My freezer is fucking rammed with blackberries. I figured, what with the world going to penniless shit, I am gonna be making LOTS of stuff involving blackberries. Already made 20 jars of bramble jelly, more to come, and some blackberry brandy for crimbo, cos even though I don't drink now, it's a very christmassy sippy thing innit?

People who throw away foraged food are worse than Hitler. Official.

 

[sojourner]

I'm foregoing elderberries this year. I used to make antiviral syrup with them, but they are a massive faff, and I've been so busy with brambles and err, other stuff, that I've just not had the time. Or freezer space!

 

[seeformiles]

Another big haul of elderberries this morning and another 10 gallons of elderberry and blackberry wine started over the weekend. As the berry season starts to wane I'm going to set up the press this weekend to welcome the start of the cider season. What a great season so far. Looking forward to all these brews keeping us warm in the depths of winter.

 

[sojourner]

Got a load of wild apples so gonna have a crack at making apple jelly.

Jam sugar should be fine to use shouldn't it? iona ?

 

[existentialist]

Got a load of wild apples so gonna have a crack at making apple jelly.

Jam sugar should be fine to use shouldn't it? iona ?

Jam sugar is usually sugar with added pectin. It should be fine.

 

[sojourner]

Jam sugar is usually sugar with added pectin. It should be fine.

Yeh I know what it is, I use it for bramble jelly, but wondered if apple skin+pips might provide enough pectin and jam sugar might = too much pectin, resulting in rock hard jelly.

 

[existentialist]

Yeh I know what it is, I use it for bramble jelly, but wondered if apple skin+pips might provide enough pectin and jam sugar might = too much pectin, resulting in rock hard jelly.

Not a problem I've ever had

 

[sojourner]

Not a problem I've ever had

Cheers

 

[Saunders]

I only ever use normal sugar for preserves or fruity alcohols. In my experience apples, like plums and their family, set pretty well. I do generally add a lemon half or two but more to offset the sweetness from the sugar rather than to add pectin.

 

[seeformiles]

Another 4.5kg of elderberries (plus a few blackberries)

 

[seeformiles]

Not exactly edible but I found this little critter (a Rosemary Beetle I think) among this morning’s foraged berries. Despite its damaged carapace I think it’s still smiling . Put it among my rosemary bushes so hopefully it’ll feel at home.

 

[Saunders]

Not exactly edible but I found this little critter (a Rosemary Beetle I think) among this morning’s foraged berries. Despite its damaged carapace I think it’s still smiling . Put it among my rosemary bushes so hopefully it’ll feel at home.

View attachment 341086

What a beauty.

 

[Epona]

It is lovely, but won't it chomp your rosemary?

EDIT: Just looked it up and although it will eat some, the overall health of the plant is not usually affected and there's normally no need to worry about them damaging the plants too badly

 

[iona]

Ooh if we're doing beetles, look at this absolute unit I rescued from a rain-filled wheelbarrow last week

(was foraging windfalls from a customer's orchard at the time so just about relevant to the thread)

 

[seeformiles]

Dropped Mrs SFM off at work this morning and came across a huge amount of elderberries on the way home Best get forking…

ETA - once un-stalked it came to 3.5kg

 

[nogojones]

Been doing really well this week. Had loads of oyster mushrooms form the park again.
Managed to find this!



And also picked a load of sea buckthorn that I've turned into jelly already

 

[seeformiles]

Been doing really well this week. Had loads of oyster mushrooms form the park again.
Managed to find this!

View attachment 341867

And also picked a load of sea buckthorn that I've turned into jelly already

View attachment 341868

Splendid puffball!

 

[heinous seamus]

I didn't actually collect anything today, but I saw penny buns, oyster mushrooms, blushers and various boletes on my afternoon walk!

 

[Saunders]

I had a pan of blackberries set aside in the fridge to do something with, and actually managed to make two jars of jam.

 

[Saunders]

I didn't actually collect anything today, but I saw penny buns, oyster mushrooms, blushers and various boletes on my afternoon walk!

I think sometimes it’s just nice to walk past and know it’s there and will feed someone or something.

 

[heinous seamus]

I think sometimes it’s just nice to walk past and know it’s there and will feed someone or something.

They were mostly half-eaten to be honest, otherwise I'd have been back up there with a bag

 

[chainsawjob]

Can you mistake other things for field mushrooms? I was 99.99% sure some I picked the other day were field mushrooms, but they tasted funny when cooked (so I only ate a mouthful and put the rest aside), and I'm hoping it was just that the pan had been used to toast pine nuts last time it was used These ones I got today were from the same place, but later I saw some others you could mistake for field mushrooms but I don't think were, they had markings on the top, so I was thinking possible amanita family, which you def don't want to eat. The ones I ate the other day didn't give me any adverse effects, I waited 48 hours to make sure I didn't die Must do some more checking and brush up on my mushroom identification. I'm not sure I like the look of that one in the pic that's slightly shaggy with blades of grass on it. Not very smooth.

 

[chainsawjob]

I picked them partly cos the guy who rents the field said he'd had some from there and that they were field mushrooms & he'd been eating them.

 

[seeformiles]

Had a big elderberry bonanza this morning - 4kg post forking so a last barrel of wine before the apples take over is definitely on the cards