wild plums and apples
wild plums and apples
i live near a big forest and im new to foraging and i dont know whats edible or not , is it true that all apple varieties are edible ? and i found one variety of apple thats rose blush in the inside , tasted ok when i had a nibble , does anyone know what variety it may be?
also i found 2 plum trees but they may be greengage there small plum shaped things yellow in colour bit bigger than a cherry and another i found small plum/greengage tree with dark purple fruits , also about elderberries how do i 100% know whether there edible, i want to be able to properly identify them , and i dont want to end up killing myself eating poisonous berries!
will put photos tomorrow
also i found 2 plum trees but they may be greengage there small plum shaped things yellow in colour bit bigger than a cherry and another i found small plum/greengage tree with dark purple fruits , also about elderberries how do i 100% know whether there edible, i want to be able to properly identify them , and i dont want to end up killing myself eating poisonous berries!
will put photos tomorrow
- snapdragon
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Re: wild plums and apples
hello cctv(?!?) welcome in
where abouts are you ? I've just finished preserving the plums from my (wild) cherry plum tree they're yellow when ripe and fall shortly afterwards.
elderberries are edible - just so long as you know they are elderberries
sounds like you need a good plant book
where abouts are you ? I've just finished preserving the plums from my (wild) cherry plum tree they're yellow when ripe and fall shortly afterwards.
elderberries are edible - just so long as you know they are elderberries
sounds like you need a good plant book
Say what you mean and be who you are, Those who mind don't matter, and those that matter don't mind
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- Tom Good
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Re: wild plums and apples
I saw some wild plums/damsons (i think) while walking home from work a different way yesterday. Is there anything else that looks like plums? or can I be pretty sure that's what they are?
Sorry if that's a stupid question, I'm very new to forraging!
Sorry if that's a stupid question, I'm very new to forraging!
Re: wild plums and apples
Apples, plums and certainly elderberries are all pretty easy. A couple of minutes' use of Google images will probably instil a degree of confidence in identification.
Having said that, not all apples are useful in the same way as Granny Smiths - crab apples will turn your face inside out (but are great to add to ciders and wines). Similarly, a sloe is a plum - but don't bite into one, small though it is, with the anticipation of a gorgeous mouthful of plummy sweetness. They're like crab apples, only worse.
Mike
Having said that, not all apples are useful in the same way as Granny Smiths - crab apples will turn your face inside out (but are great to add to ciders and wines). Similarly, a sloe is a plum - but don't bite into one, small though it is, with the anticipation of a gorgeous mouthful of plummy sweetness. They're like crab apples, only worse.
Mike
The secret of life is to aim below the head (With thanks to MMM)
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- Tom Good
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Re: wild plums and apples
thanks for the warning!
If they do turn out to be sloes I might attempt some sloe gin or something rather than eating fresh or baking
If they do turn out to be sloes I might attempt some sloe gin or something rather than eating fresh or baking
- DrewShiel
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Re: wild plums and apples
Sloes shouldn't be too hard to identify - essentially, they're small, and if you go to pick one and feel like you've been stabbed in the arm, that's a sloe tree. They're also called blackthorn, at least in Ireland, and have great spiky thorns up to about 3cm long, which you could nearly use as panel pins.
They're used a lot, alongside hawthorn, for hedges here - if you see them in springtime, they're very easy to pick out, because they flower before they leaf, leaving masses of white flowers on nearly bare black branches.
They're used a lot, alongside hawthorn, for hedges here - if you see them in springtime, they're very easy to pick out, because they flower before they leaf, leaving masses of white flowers on nearly bare black branches.
- Milims
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Re: wild plums and apples
If your apples with the rose blush are what I think they are - I'm very jealous! My mum had a tree like that, the apples were delicious, but she had to have it cut down as it was poorly
Let us be lovely
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And let us be kind
Let us be silly and free
It won't make us famous
It won't make us rich
But damn it how happy we'll be!
Edward Monkton
Member of the Ish Weight Loss Club since 10/1/11 Started at 12st 8 and have lost 8lb so far!
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- margo - newbie
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Re: wild plums and apples
The yellow " plums" are probably mirabelles ... Or in our house "miracles"
They make fab jam :)
They make fab jam :)