Let's go foraging

[Miss-Shelf]

When I was a child we'd collect mussels and go shrimping in the waves as the tide came in. That beach no longer has mussels or shrimp, which is very sad and somewhat worrying. But judging by the shells cast up on the sand, there is still a very healthy clam population. Razor clams: theres a special skill getting them out of the sand!

Indeed

 

[Miss-Shelf]

I made elderflower cordial last week from good pickings in Norwood country park. It all went down well with gin at my daughter's street party I wasn't able to get back this weekend....I think elder flower might have peaked now

 

[SheilaNaGig]

I made elderflower cordial last week from good pickings in Norwood country park. It all went down well with gin at my daughter's street party I wasn't able to get back this weekend....I think elder flower might have peaked now

Depends where you go. I'm still seeing some tight buds on the trees. And of course once you're out of London, the season is a little behind what we see here. My main issue with elder in London is that the tress are often cut in such a way that the flowers and later berries are all above head height, so the birds can get them easily enough but not little me. The other ting is that when they grow near traffic, they can smell quite cat-pissy. I tend to try to harvest from tress that are away from traffic.

Has anyone else noticed this, or is it just a personal fancy of mine?

 

[bellaozzydog]

It’s very technical

 

[Miss-Shelf]

Depends where you go. I'm still seeing some tight buds on the trees. And of course once you're out of London, the season is a little behind what we see here. My main issue with elder in London is that the tress are often cut in such a way that the flowers and later berries are all above head height, so the birds can get them easily enough but not little me. The other ting is that when they grow near traffic, they can smell quite cat-pissy. I tend to try to harvest from tress that are away from traffic.

Has anyone else noticed this, or is it just a personal fancy of mine?

I agree with the cat pissy smell but thought it was when flowers were past their prime?

Norwood Country Park has loads of elder trees and it's away from traffic

 

[gentlegreen]

I nibbled on a plantain flower head today -I wasn't impressed

 

[klang]

I agree with the cat pissy smell but thought it was when flowers were past their prime?

Norwood Country Park has loads of elder trees and it's away from traffic

gourmet tip --> dip elder flower blossoms in pancake dough (ideally made with sparkling water / even better: beer), then deep fry for a few seconds.
we call them elder flower cakes.

 

[SheilaNaGig]

I agree with the cat pissy smell but thought it was when flowers were past their prime?

Norwood Country Park has loads of elder trees and it's away from traffic

Hmmm... I shall check and report back...

 

[SheilaNaGig]

I nibbled on a plantain flower head today -I wasn't impressed

It's better if you harvest the ripe seeds, but yeah I'd agree their fairly flavourless.

 

[polly]

Has anyone else noticed this, or is it just a personal fancy of mine?

I picked some on the Dorset coast recently, on a farm that's been organic since the dawn of time and it still smelt of cat's piss

gentlegreen there are two varieties - the round leaves are nicer ime. The younger leaves are less bitter and taste a bit mushroomy.

 

[klang]

gourmet tip --> dip elder flower blossoms in pancake dough (ideally made with sparkling water / even better: beer), then deep fry for a few seconds.
we call them elder flower cakes.

add cinnamon and sugar to taste.

 

[Calamity1971]

The other ting is that when they grow near traffic, they can smell quite cat-pissy. I tend to try to harvest from tress that are away

I picked some a few years back now in a rural area. I'd read if you steeped it in warm water and use it to rinse your hair after shampooing it gave your locks a lovely shine. It definately worked, but I stank of piss.
It's just coming into flower here, but where I live we can be a month behind with most plants due to being so bleeding cold.

 

[gentlegreen]

I have a packet of narrow leaved plantain to try as one of my halophile veggies - along with salsola soda which is the Mediterranean equivalent of samphire which I have so far only found the rock version of ...

I hope one day to grow them where the runoff from my kayak and wetsuit ends up

 

[Saunders]

Depends where you go. I'm still seeing some tight buds on the trees. And of course once you're out of London, the season is a little behind what we see here. My main issue with elder in London is that the tress are often cut in such a way that the flowers and later berries are all above head height, so the birds can get them easily enough but not little me. The other ting is that when they grow near traffic, they can smell quite cat-pissy. I tend to try to harvest from tress that are away from traffic.

Has anyone else noticed this, or is it just a personal fancy of mine?

I once read on an elderflower conversation that you shouldn’t pick in the afternoon, to avoid the cat piss smell thing. (At the time I didn’t agree, but have since realised I only ever pick on morning dog walk, so maybe theres some truth in that?)

 

[gentlegreen]

I never knew there was so much history to dandelions ...

 

[The39thStep]

I have a packet of narrow leaved plantain to try as one of my halophile veggies - along with salsola soda which is the Mediterranean equivalent of samphire which I have so far only found the rock version of ...

I hope one day to grow them where the runoff from my kayak and wetsuit ends up

Ive tried to grow salsosa soda but it's very temperamental to germinate and grow. Doesn't like cold doesn't like heat.

 

[The39thStep]

I once read on an elderflower conversation that you shouldn’t pick in the afternoon, to avoid the cat piss smell thing. (At the time I didn’t agree, but have since realised I only ever pick on morning dog walk, so maybe theres some truth in that?)

In my experience that's true . Dunno if it's the heat in the afternoon that does it but it definitely smells less in the morning. I love elderflower cordial but I've had the worst hangover I can remember from elderberry wine .

 

[Funky_monks]

Lovely mixed with hibiscus - but it does need honey ...

Rosehips have loads of vitamin C. Good in vodka a la sloe gin

 

[Fez909]

My top tip is Himalayan balsam. The seeds are like pine nuts and one plant can produce 800 seeds.

They will be due in August, so there's plenty of time to find them yet, but keep it quiet or the 'balsam bashers' will be out and ruin your crop: they're an invasive species you see.

If you find some, you'll find lots of them in big bushy clumps. Just put a large bin bag over the top of a plant and shake it like mad. The pods pop to disperse the seed, and they'll fill your bag easily.

Sick em in a mason jar and they last ages. Use them just like pine nuts, on salad etc., or you can make curry with them if you have shit loads.

Look near water/streams and train tracks.

 

[gentlegreen]

like "Pine nuts"



I may be tempted as the real thing is twice the price they were last year.

 

[Miss-Shelf]

My top tip is Himalayan balsam. The seeds are like pine nuts and one plant can produce 800 seeds.

They will be due in August, so there's plenty of time to find them yet, but keep it quiet or the 'balsam bashers' will be out and ruin your crop: they're an invasive species you see.

If you find some, you'll find lots of them in big bushy clumps. Just put a large bin bag over the top of a plant and shake it like mad. The pods pop to disperse the seed, and they'll fill your bag easily.

Sick em in a mason jar and they last ages. Use them just like pine nuts, on salad etc., or you can make curry with them if you have shit loads.

Look near water/streams and train tracks.

Incredible seed action

 

[Miss-Shelf]

Has anyone cooked with Japanese knotweed?

 

[Calamity1971]

Everdays a school day Miss-Shelf
Just googled it and it's tastes like rhubarb with some cholesterol lowering properties.
Well I never..
Gardens: plagued by knotweed? Eat it

 

[SheilaNaGig]

Has anyone cooked with Japanese knotweed?

I’ve always wanted to but I'm wary of the herbicides that are often poured over knotweed.

 

[gentlegreen]

I cycle home through a river valley and there's sometimes masses of HB where they dumped plants they pulled from the river bank - impressive triffids.
I harvested seeds one year, but never so much as nibbled on one before they went mouldy ... they're reckoned to be good in curries which I rarely eat.
The strong smell of washing up liquid from the plants doesn't inspire confidence ...

 

[Fez909]

I cycle home through a river valley and there's sometimes masses of HB where they dumped plants they pulled from the river bank - impressive triffids.
I harvested seeds one year, but never so much as nibbled on one before they went mouldy ... they're reckoned to be good in curries which I rarely eat.
The strong smell of washing up liquid from the plants doesn't inspire confidence ...

View attachment 173848

You can eat them straight from the plant. Give em a try next time and you'll be convinced

 

[killer b]

I've never even heard of himalayan balsam - will keep an eye out.

 

[Fez909]

I've never even heard of himalayan balsam - will keep an eye out.

You will have seen it before, defo

 

[gentlegreen]

Cycled home past a fallen blackberry this evening.
If the mulberry tree at work is anything to go by, it may be quite a good year.
The mulberries are yummy in their own way, but as I'm avoiding sweet things in my diet for the foreseeable future I'm starting to long for the acidity of blackberries and hopefully it will motivate me to cycle out to the spots that are out of range of pedestrian foragers.

 

[Poot]

Does it count if you swap some rhubarb gin with a mate and help yourself to shitloads of plums from her tree? I mean, it was her idea. I made them into jam. It's delicious.