Foraging goals for 2012

[Somnophore]

Every year I set myself a vague goal or two for foraging, usually a particular plant/fruit etc that I want to find more of or use more of.

Last year it was hazelnuts and raspberries and bilberries, all of which I managed.

This year it's going to be using Ramsons (wild garlic) more, finding a decent range of wild herbs and drying them for cooking, and maybe autumn looking for chequers (wild service tree fruit)

Anyone else do this or want to share what they are particularly hoping to find this year, I'd love to find some morels too but not very likely.

[Thomzo]

I was delighted to find a source of sloes last year, right in the middle of a housing estate, I got some very strange looks. This year, I'd like to find some elderberries (I over-pruned my own elder last year) and work out how to get the walnuts out of the walnut tree across the road. It's so high that only the squirrels can reach them.

Zoe

[Somnophore]

Elderberries are pretty abundant so that shouldn't be a problem, If I find a walnut tree I climb it usually or stand on roof of my car.

You can just wait til they start falling to the ground and pick then up, the husks usually give them some pretection from squizzers.

[Pumpkin&Piglet]

Elderberries is the one I'm looking for this year. I had some last year but they went bad before I used them. My friend has two trees in her garden I go and pick from so I cheat a bit.

I am going to try and make the most of the blackberries in my village though. Both pretty easy fruits to find but I am knew to it all!

I would like to try some more jams this year if anyone has any recipes/ideas on good fruits to forage for free and make jam from

[Paul_C]

for me its more mushrooming with a better guide book.

and also simply extending my known network of locations a bit further.

[Somnophore]

Damson jam is always worth making also cherry plums make good jam.

I am still wary of mushrooming, I went on a couple of fungal foray courses last year but still only gather a few species I'm sure on as I think the risk is too great. I'd love to find some morels or oyster mushrooms though as they are expensive to buy and easy to recognise.

Elderflowers are a good one for cordial and champagne if you are interested in making your own alcohol.

Just making some gorse flower cordial as there's not a lot else to forage right now.

[Zech]

I'm with you on ramsons - last year I got as close as smelling it, but couldn't find the plants - very frustrating! I'd also like to find alexanders, just because I've heard people talking about them, but it's not a plant I know.

I have two varieties of mushroom growing in my store room, one of which I believe is morel. There were just two of them last spring, so I Ieft them in the hope they'll multiply (I'm guessing this isn't a normal response to indoor mushroom growth). The other ones are much more prolific but I haven't been able to identify them, which I guess means they're probably not edible. I should just get rid of them before they completely take over, but my curiosity's piqued now!

[clare]

I really want hazelnuts before the squirrels get them,5-6 trees in the woods next to me got 2 nuts this year!would love to be confident enough for mushrooms but too many mistakes out there!found Damsons too late last year so going back this year...along with an eating Apple tree.

[Paul_C]

additional

to catch more lobsters this year.


nearly had 2 this morning but after they were coaxed from the holes they lived in they took one look at me, realised what i wanted and legged it. .

[Somnophore]

I haven't really had much opportunity to foraging for seafood or Coastal plants so thinking of going up to north Wales in the spring and seeing what I can get.

Have to say the gorse flower cordial I made was actually pretty good, especially with lemonade.

I've just got into home brewing this year with some cider and plan to make some hedgerow wines at some point later summer, cherry plum, damson etc.

[markpeace]

I went on a pasta making course over christmas, and have my heart set on St George's Mushroom Ravioli with Wild Garlic pesto ... the season is taking an excruciatingly long time to arrive though *hops around like an over-excited child* I also found a Hen of the Woods all the way up in the Lakes this year, but it'd gone over a bit - so I plan to return to that when its looking a bit more healthy!

I've also been brewing this year, and I'd like to swap some hops out for something foraged (they don't grow this far north), maybe a proper malt-beer with nettle additions. Yum.

So much to do...

[matowakan]

I want to learn more about mushrooms and also find a place where I can forage for Damsons.I say this every year but here's hoping that I will this year!

[cideristhefuture]

Urban foraging,

We have aquired half of our log/ wood supply for end of/next year from skips and other peoples throw aways in a town. This includes about half a ton of hardwood. Have saved £1000 on gas since last september.

[Hedgerow hunter]

To learn more about mushrooms, and more aboout reading the landscape. Oh, and for the spring salad picnics to be blessed with beautiful weather...see my post in whats going on!

[malcolmfraser]

What a great idea - here's my list, roughly in order of season:

- something with alexanders (chutney?)
- Wild garlic and few-flowered leek pesto
- Beech leaf noyau
- lime flowers (for tea)
- Garlic mustard / lime leaves salad
- Cleavers juice
- something with pine needles?
- Elderflower wine
- Meadowsweet champagne
- Elderberry wine
- Elderberry balsamic vinegar
- Wild raspberry and chocolate brownies
- Rosehip syrup / cordial
- Sloe gin (before they all disappear this time!)

I've just found a patch of alexanders, so aim to get started on my list this weekend!

Cheers
Malcolm