Hello from Merseyside

[dannyllama]

Hi everyone,

Firstly, what an amazing site. It's truly an inspirational site, and top marks to all of the contributors. Myself and my GF are amatuer foragers, and trying to get the little one involved too.

I've been out with the family berry picking today. We've got a huge bucket of Elderberries, a tub of hawthornes, tub of rosehips and a load of blackberries.

Following some of the recipes on here, I have made Elderberry Cordial, dried a load and plan to make elderberry vodka with the rest ! I will make jam from the blackberries. I have seen a few recipes for hawthorne fruit leather that I want to try. Finally, I am not sure what to do with the rosehips, Is it too soon to have picked them ?

Anyways, this weekend (and this year) has been the realisation of a dream. We've always wanted to become reasonably self sufficient. We've got a couple of Light Sussex Warren chickens, and I built a hive and caught a swarm of honey bees.

I am keen to hear if there are any foragers whom I could gain experience from within the Merseyside / South Lancs area.

Cheers,

Dan

[Carltonian Man]

Hiya Dan and welcome to ish
You're not too early for the rosehips. Maybe clean them then freeze (to release the natural sugars within). Whilst still frozen bung them into a hot pan with a splash of water and start boiling. When soft mash them with a potato masher then follow any rosehip syrup recipe. This way you lose less of their vitamin C than chopping them first.

[MuddyWitch]

Welcome to ISH

Good luck with your foraging; it's a lovely thing to do as a family.

MW

[Millymollymandy]

Hello and welcome!

[growingthings]

hello!

[old tree man]

Hello

[Nomada]

Hi Dan, Welcome to the site! I'm in Liverpool, where abouts in M'side are you and your gf? You guys sound a bit like me and my bf. Excellent job with the bees and for getting the little one started early! I'm off to a certain local park now to see if there's any elderberries left!

[NaturalBlue]

Hello and welcome

Sounds like you've made a good start - rosehip syrup is nice, I've also made jam with them although it can be hard work to get the pods to break down, but if you have a (or a few!) little one then Rosehip Sherbert is great, rosehips are really good for you and apparently good for colds and hangovers - my lot love it...

Rosehip and Ginger Fizzy Sherbet

50g fresh rosehips
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp citric acid (you can get this in chemists - you can leave it out but it won't store as well or last as long)
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 tbsp glucose

1. Preheat the oven to 80°C (180°F), or its lowest setting.
2. Bash the rosehips in a mortar and pestle to break them up slightly. This will split the fruit - remove the seeds and discard.
3. Add the salt to the split hips and give them another quick bash with the pestle. The goal is just to break them up a little, not turn them into mush.
4. Scatter the rosehips on a baking tray and put in the oven at 80°C (180°F). Immediately turn off the heat and leave in the oven for half an hour or so until they are dried but not burnt.
5. Remove the dried hips from the oven and grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder. Mix with all other ingredients, then store in an airtight container.

You can just eat it - or add it to warm water for a nice winter drink. it stores well and will last about 6 months (if you don't eat it all first!!)

Donna x

[dannyllama]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the kind welcomes. I will get the rosehips washed and frozen, although the rosehip sherbet sounds amazing (thanks Donna). Tonight I will begin the hawthorne fruit leather. I plan to mix it with a little apple juice and all spice. I found a Jamie Oliver recipe (well blog really) on making it.

Nomada - we are in Lunt, in between Thornton & Maghull. Drop me a line as it would be cool to meet up with local foragers and exchange knowledge. I am fairly new to this game, been "investigating" it for years but only just plucked up the courage to get going ! The little one had said what a great weekend she's had picking berries. She is also addicted to the small amount of honey that I extracted on Wed last week.

Cheers,

Dan.

[Nomada]

Hi Dan, there are a load of fungi forays coming up in autumn around parks in Liverpool and some good ones run around the pine woods at Ainsdale and Formby. I'm pretty new to fungi so it might be cool to do that. Think the ranger service also do some hedgerow wild food days in the parks too. I'll check out some dates for those if you want. I think most of them are suitable for kids.

How old is your little one? My friend has a three year old and a ten year old and we took them collecting blackberries the other week. I think the ten year old especially loved it so maybe she'd be interested in bringing them too...she's getting into this foraging thing!

My bloke is impressed by the bees, he really wants a hive on the allotment. where did you catch them?

[spider8]

Hello and welcome

[Milims]

Hi there and welcome

[katykitten]

hi im in formby, merseyside and am new to the site - what a great resource! My great-grandparents were also from formby and were self-sufficient so feel like im following in their footsteps! Often go to formby pinewoods but have been wary about foraging for fungi as im not that familiar with whats safe so if anyone is going along with a good degree of knowledge, count me in!!
my favourite blackberry patch was razed to the ground this spring so am also looking for a replacement for this next autumn, if anyone has a place they are willing to share!!

[dannyllama]

Hey Katy

You might be best just having a walk along the fields near the Formby Bypass. There are quite a few blackberry and bramble bushes there. You will not get anything now, but it's worth noting where they are for next summer. Assuming we get one that is !

Might be worth having a mooch for sloes, damsons or rosehips now. In fact...just drinking some of last years Damson Wine :)

Drop me a PM and I will share my spots :P

[marshlander]

hello Danny & Katy