View Full Version : Eating from Natures larder
Hello, I had a small fire in the garden yesterday. As I decided at pretty short notice I couldn't forage for any food. So I would like to know as Autumn is pretty much upon us what ingredients/foods does nature provide for us and what are the best dishes to incorporate them into. i.e cattail, blackberries, hawthorn, beech leaves, nettles etc etc.
Tantalus
06-09-2004, 18:24
skip the hawthorn and beech leaves as they are best in spring when new and not so tough
this time of year ya should be able to find fruit and nuts ( haws are edible and so are beech nuts)
one of my favourites are sweet chestnuts which sadly dont seem to thrive up here
mushrooms and various fungi should be easy to find this year with the warm damp weather
look around places where wild garlic grew in the spring you should find little white garlic bulbs just lying on the ground, (scrape em with a nail and ya will know they are garlic ;) )
one thing i always find hard to get in the wild are starches and edible roots tho i guess farm / garden crops are all ripe too now
doesnt feel right pinching turnips tho even if it is my dads farm :roll:
would appreciate any suggestions for good "fillers"
Tant
skip the hawthorn and beech leaves as they are best in spring when new and not so tough
this time of year ya should be able to find fruit and nuts ( haws are edible and so are beech nuts)
one of my favourites are sweet chestnuts which sadly dont seem to thrive up here
mushrooms and various fungi should be easy to find this year with the warm damp weather
look around places where wild garlic grew in the spring you should find little white garlic bulbs just lying on the ground, (scrape em with a nail and ya will know they are garlic ;) )
one thing i always find hard to get in the wild are starches and edible roots tho i guess farm / garden crops are all ripe too now
doesnt feel right pinching turnips tho even if it is my dads farm :roll:
would appreciate any suggestions for good "fillers"
Tant
Thanks Tant
I'm abit wary about mushrooms and fungi as I have no experience with them and would rather go out for a walk with someone in the know who can point them out to me.
When I was up in epping forest the other day I was walking round the lake and saw lots of cattail, the roots of which are very starchy apparently. I think you can also eat the white parts at the base of the stem at any part of the year. Unfortunately I couldn't take one as I was with my uncle and he thinks I'm mad already.
Anything else? Any dishes I can incorpate the dishes into? What about greens and tubers?
Tantalus
06-09-2004, 18:51
yeah best to go with someone who knows their way around the shrooms
even books can be confusing especially if you are not sure what you are looking at
mushrooming does not seem to be as popular in the uk as other parts of europe and sadly much local knowledge may have disappeared
perhaps because our woodlands are generally smaller?
even variations between the mushrooms i ate quite happily in germany and the ones i find here in the uk make me a little wary
but hey i'm still alive :)
doesnt the forrestry comission do fungus foraging days?
as for cattail i am not sure i would recognise it, maybe it doesnt grow so well up here? like all these things ya get to know the names of the stuff ya find, perhaps i never found it yet?
Tant
Thanks Tant, I'll have to look into that. I thought I saw somthing about some kind of foraging days when I went to an information centre in the forest, Gary do you know anything about that?
Cattail are tall plants with a distinctive flower head. During the spring months the flower head is a down that is great for use with charcloth and steel or a firesteel.They are found close to water usually in boggy areas I think
here is a picture
http://www.tobymorris.com/toby/images/environment/full%20size/cattail.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~suzaplants/suzaimages/cattail.jpg
Tantalus
06-09-2004, 19:05
oooh i always called em bullrushes
not too many of them up here tho , guess i will have to stick with turnip greens for now:yuck:
Tant
TheViking
06-09-2004, 19:08
Cattail are tall plants with a distinctive flower head. During the spring months the flower head is a down that is great for use with charcloth and steel or a firesteel.
I lit my first fire with magnifyier using cattail down. :wink: It has to be dry and then conpressed to a thick bundle. When the black, burned spot is big enough, just blow very hard! :-) Well, it worked when I did it. :biggthump
Paganwolf
06-09-2004, 19:49
I can probably arrange one, what do you think? :?: Get your self Mushrooms by Roger Phillips pukka book bit big but very very good :wink:
I can probably arrange one, what do you think? :?: Yes, sounds like a good idea. I'd be up for it :biggthump
Moonraker
07-09-2004, 01:16
I can probably arrange one, what do you think? :?: Get your self Mushrooms by Roger Phillips pukka book bit big but very very good :wink:
FUNGI - MUSHROOMS:
They produced a handy pocket size version of the Roger Phillips book called:
Mushrooms: The Photographic Guide to Identify Common & Important Mushrooms
By Roger Phillips, Jaqui Hurst
Paperback, December 1986
ISBN: 0241117569
Like the big version the fungi named have gone though a fair amount of renaming but the photograph of each species and details help identify both edible and non and toxic.It is a very good ident book. Glad you are being cautious to start ;)
Good place to go to find updated botanical and comon names is the British Mycological Society (http://www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/) web page.
They have a list available as a .PDF file download called 'List of Recommended English Names For Fungi in the UK' (http://www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/files/ENGLISH_NAMES.pdf)
They have quite a good site including details of regional and Local groups. For you in Essex it is the aptely named:
Essex Fungus Group (http://www.britmycolsoc.org/LFG/Essex.html)
they in termlink to the:
Esex Field Club (http://www.essexfieldclub.org.uk/)
£5 annum for under 18. They organise fungi group meetings. In October they have the following:
OCT 2004
Tues 5th
Fungus Group. Foray in Ingatestone area. Meet 2.00p.m. on the edge of the common land opposite the Cricketer's Pub. TL 636013. Leader Graham Smith (01277 354034).
Sat 9th
Fungus Group. Foray on Davy Down, South Ockendon. Meet 10.30a.m. at car park on road between Lakeside and South Ockendon, south of the Mardyke river. TQ 593798. Leader Mary Smith (01708 22
It says they welcome beginners. I would suggest calling them and seing if it is for you. They would be a reliable contact for starting out.
The BMS do forages but they are weekend long and quite expensive including accomodation etc.
here is another link with some other suggestions for groups that organise forages:
http://www.mycologue.co.uk/resources.html
Finally a very good fungi web site with good photos and reasonable descriptions:
First Nature-Fungi (http://www.first-nature.com/fungi/)
PLANT FORAGING:
A good place to start is a book that lists edible wild plants by season. One of the best ( in any sense) and certainly one of the best known is:
Food for Free
Richard Mabey
Paperback 256 pages (July 7, 2003)
Publisher: Collins (Gem Series)
ISBN: 0007151721
For the princely sum of £4.99 (amazon.co.uk. you can get it second hand or from a library) you get a great pocket size version of the original book (still available) :-). This is great value and great size for carrying in the field. Here is the official blurb to give you and idea:
Food for Free by Richard Mabey was first published in 1972, since then it has been reprinted 11 times. An all-colour, revised version produced in 1989 has sold over 30,000 copies in the trade. A guide to over 300 types of food that can be gathered in the wild in Britain, Food for Free explores the history and folklore of the foods as well as explaining how we identify them and the best ways to cook and eat them. The new edition will bring the subject right up to date. Organized by season rather than food type Food for Free will take us through the year. Richard Mabey's fully-revised text will be accompanied by stunning photographs, new recipes and a wealth of practical information on collecting, cooking and preparing. Beautifully illustrated, beautifully written and produced in a new, larger format Food for Free is designed to inspire us to take more notice of what is around us, how we can make use of it and how we can conserve it for future generations.
So it's over 30 years old (OMG I feel really old now having got an original copy for xmas :shock: ) but it is still inspirational and very useful including recipes etc.
The other 'classic' which I would thoroughly recommend is:
Wild Food
Roger Phillips
Paperback 160 pages (September 9, 1983)
Publisher: Pan
ISBN: 0330280694
Slightly different in style to his other ident books books by. He produced a range of books all using large format (A4) photographic illustrations back in the early 80's which are still used widely for plant, tree, fungi identification.
This is a little different from these in that he talks a lot more about the plants and provides recipes with each description. It covers plants (including seaweeds) and fungi. Advice on collecting mushrooms, drying and wine making. It covers species found both in Britain and Europe.
Great photos, a lot of descriptive text and lore about the plants and of course loads of recipes! Fairly old now but still very useful. £11.89 at Amazon and easy to find secondhand. I know they do smaller pocket size versions of some of the others but not sure on this one.
Another book you should at least try to look at is:
Poisonous Plants and Fungi: An Illustrated Guide**
Marion R. Cooper
Paperback 185 pages (September 11, 2003)
Publisher: The Stationery Office Books
ISBN: 0117028614
WHY? Because it gives a recent and well illustrated guide, with examples of poisoning both in humans and annimals, from an official government source. You will be suprised what is included! Fungi being included is useful. I truely think that we need to consider (as with fungi) the baddies first, then move into the field better prepared and safer to tackle the goodies :biggthump. £14.95 is not cheap but then nor is your life! I would imagine most main libraries would stock it or if asked would do so. Maybe other people can provide links to more suitable or freely available (online?) sources of this.
Finally I must include the VAST Plants For A Future (http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/index.html) resource with a superb database of plants, both British and worldwide. Really great resource and worth spending some time trying out the search options. Just start off with any you know and work up! It includes Edible, Medicinal or Other Uses.
Thee are LOADS of mushie/ fungi books and wild food books and web sites out there. These are just some tried and tested oldies but very goodies.
So Happy (and safe!) foraging :-)
Simon
ps We are fortunate in France in that, if you have any doubts about any fungi you have picked, you simply take it/them to your local parmacy where the parmacist will identify them for you (not 100% infallible but pretty close ;-) as it is part of their training and a free service here. Really there should be a similar scheme in the UK.
WOW lots of information ther moonraker, thanks :You_Rock_
Moonraker
07-09-2004, 16:54
Mon pleasure YB.
Nightfall
07-09-2004, 21:21
When it comes to mushrooms make sure that you know what you are eating. Like the old saying goes "when in dobut, throw it out". Cattail can also be used for a handdrill spindle.Use the flowering stalk,after clearing off the fluff.Find the first segment, cut about 3/4 in.or 2cm. before that. Works good with willow hearthboard. A hand full of pine needles seeped in almost boiling water provides more vitamen C than orange juice.
i just collected a big old bag of hazelnuts tonight... good starting point for your foraging.. ok so by now those bloody tree rats have had a lot of them.. but the ones which are still about are just right.. easy to identify and taste good :o):
Mushroom forays in Epping Forest ?, see http://www.fungitobewith.org/ look under the walks section .I think they have 3 or 4 forays organised this year.
For info on forays around the uk check out http://www.mycologue.co.uk/resources.html
Sorry for the delay in answering but I dont usually check out these threads.
Fungi forages - the field study council run the ones in Epping forest, cost is £25 (last time I went on one) and this is a really good day out.
Usually starts with a class room lecture or two followed by a forage - pub lunch - forage again - then back to the class room to I.D all the fungi collected.
The mycology experts who taught me didnt show any interest in edibilty so you might want to take a few books on edible species with you to cross reference with.
Overall I would say this type of course is good value for money.
Paganwolf
08-09-2004, 17:43
Moonraker im making you a Honoury Essex Boy !!! :super:
Moonraker
08-09-2004, 19:35
Paganwolf: :lol: Not sure if that's a threat or an honour :)
Gary: those look interesting forages. Shame they don't have a heads up for edibility though. But identification is all important. The frying pan comes later ;)
So what plants can you incorporate into salads/ soups?
ChrisKavanaugh
08-09-2004, 20:02
Often overlooked in foraging are simple ethics and conservation. While some plants naturally produce massive abundances, others may be comparatively rare or slow to repropagate in certain areas. I was in a California Botony course on a field I.D. session. I was elated to discover a very rare single plant specimen, only to watch in horror as another student yanked it out and put it in his press.
Quite right chris, conservation should always come first.
falling rain
09-09-2004, 11:22
Hello Young Bushman,
As regards roots
Burdock is a good root to gather about now. Look for the plants that are in their first year of growth. They'll have large leaves but no flowering stalks.
They're Biennials which means they have a 2 year growth cycle. Dig up the root and scrape off the outer (like you'd do with a carrot) Cut into pieces the size of the Maccie d's chips and fry in the frying pan. Taste a little like potato.
Plantain roots are another one I've tried. Dig up wash all the mud out of the strands and cut them off the plant and fry.
Dandelion - Dig up cut into small pieces, dry roast and use as Coffee
hope that is of a little help
Thanks Falling Rain and everybody else for your help.
Today I discovered that a tree in our next door neighbours garden is an apple tree and part of the tree comes over our fence. So, what kind of dishes could I incorporate the apple into other than the obvious bread.
I also would like to know what tree the fruits/leaf comes from and are the fruits edible.
Thanks.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v414/YoungBushman/100_0770.jpg
Paganwolf
10-09-2004, 21:14
elder berrys they be :wink: you can make wine from the fruit (not yet though eh give it 5 or 6 years :o): ) apple and elder berry pie :shock: mmmmmmmm pie...also the flowers can be used for winemaking and can be dipped in a tempura batter and deep fried and drizzled with golden syrup mmmmmm syrup.... :shock: or made into a cordial, theres probably dosens more things you can make, help me out guys.. what about apple sauce or apple pie or apple sponge cake or mmmmmmmmmmm cake :rolmao: :rolmao: :rolmao:
also the flowers can be used for winemaking
I had a batch go through a second ferment after they had been bottled for about a year or so. It made a lovely sparkling wine.... aswell as a mess on the floor before I got the corks wired down :-)
Ed
Moonraker
10-09-2004, 23:14
I also would like to know what tree the fruits/leaf comes from and are the fruits edible.
As Paganwolf says , It looks like Elder (Sambucus nigra).
A word of caution though about identing plants. From that view it is difficult to be positive on identification. Can I suggest a similar shot but ALSO with a close up of fruit, leaf structure and stem (all in one shot is fine. I don't mean just for this thread/ example but for any photos, which are useful for this).
Why? Because elder gives us a prime example of why we have to be careful.
Elder (Sambucus nigra) is a very useful forage plant with the flowers picked in late Springtime and used, for example, in elderflower cordial or wine or better still elderflower champagne! The berries as shown are also widely used in wine making, for a really nice jelly to go with game and for the purposes the Romans introduced it into Britain, as a natural dye, amongst many other uses. So it is a berry used for thousands of years as a food/ medicine, dye etc by man.
BUT it is POISONOUS! :shock:
The raw berries are poisonous and so are the leaves, bark and roots, both in humans and animals. Source: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Foods 'Poisonous Plants & Fungi. An Illustrated Guide'. p. 33. ill. p. 17.
Poisonous Substances: Sambucus species contain a substance that causes vomiting and diarrhoea, and also cyanide-producing glycosides; all parts are poisonous.
Poisoning: human poisoning is most likely to occur from eating raw berries; even a few berries could lead to nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, diarrhoea, weakness and coma. In 1983, fruit juice, prepared by crushing elder berries, with their leaves, caused symptoms of poisoning within 15 minutes in a party of people in a remote area of California; the eight most serverely affected had to be flown to hospital by helicopter but all recovered quickly.
Presumably because of its bitter taste, animals do not eat Sambucus, but symptoms similar to those of human poisoning have been seen in pigs that ate the leaves. In one outbreak 14 of 50 pigs died; they had rapid breathing and heart rate, trembling and paralysis.
Professional advice should be sought if the symptoms are severe.
NOTE: heating destroys most of the toxicity, and the flowers and berries used for wine making or in pies are not harmful
note: I gave full details of this publication earlier in this thread. The work of MAFF is now overseen by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
Also it could easily be confused by the uninitiated with 'Dwarf elder' or danewort (Sambucus ebulus) which has an extremely bitter taste and poisonous like the other Sambucus species.
Poisoning, even mild cases if bad enough in normal day environments but when out bushcrafting it could be a lot more serious.
What does this mean? Be careful! But don't be put off foraging just be cautious and steer clear if you are at all unsure; and do take the time to read up beforehand either from books or the many resources on the net ( try to stick to more official sites to begin with as there is a lot of misinformation too).
To get an good idea of uses on Elder and many other wild plants you REALLY want to check out the 'Plants For A Future' web database (based in the UK but with a wordwide list) as it is an excellent resource both for plant usage and lots more detail. Here is the link to the PFAF Elder page to illustrate this:
Plants For A Future - Elder (http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Sambucus+nigra&CAN=COMIND)
just to show how important it is to check around though, on that page they state:
The fruit of many species (although no records have been seen for this species) has been known to cause stomach upsets to some people
When in fact a recorded incident from a reliable source is cited above.
Happy (and safe!) picking :wink:
Simon
Tantalus
11-09-2004, 01:32
looks like elder to me too
personally i wouldnt bother with them as a food, like others have said, raw they can have side effects
did make wine from them once upon a time but thats hardly bushcrafty lol
the leaves are useful for keeping flies at a distance, they used to tie em into horses bridles for this purpose
i often pick a leafy switch and wave it around my head, it seems to work well
Tant
Ok so the fruits are poisonous raw but can be incorporated into things like, pies and made into sauces once cooked?
How do I tell the difference between the normal elderberry and the dwarf elderberry?
I'll take some closer pictures later.
the berries are poisen?????????? :yikes: i have been eating them off the tree for years had a munch just last weekend doesnt seem to have done any harm.
Paganwolf
11-09-2004, 19:32
I think you will be ok if you are able to tipe !!! :rolmao: you have got to eat a lot of em matey dont write your will just yet, er what sort of knife have you got?? :rolmao: :rolmao:
Moonraker
11-09-2004, 19:58
I have eaten them too tomtom ;)
The main point I was trying to make was that someone starting off in foraging can be better prepared than we were when eating the wild stuff. Sure, with a lot of this it is possible to eat stuff and not become ill through luck or judgement. But I think it is better people get educated about it and avoid the dangers. After all, few people would go out and nibble fungi in a similar way because there is a higher level of wariness so lets treat plants with the same respect.
Well I went out today for a little forage and found apples, blackberries, rosehips, hawthorn ( I think), rowan fruit (I think), dandelion root, nettles and beech leaves.
Am I right in thinking this is rowan?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v414/YoungBushman/100_0778.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v414/YoungBushman/100_0779.jpg
and am I right in thinking that this is Hawthorn?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v414/YoungBushman/100_0776.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v414/YoungBushman/100_0777.jpg
Here is a picture of some of the bits.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v414/YoungBushman/100_0780.jpg
Thanks
Paganwolf
11-09-2004, 21:12
not bad scotty, true words though stick to what you know and if in doubt leave it out :wink:
Moonraker
11-09-2004, 21:50
More On Poisonous Plants including Elder
To discuss eating poisonous plants. It is possible to eat them and not drop dead immediately. But there are many variables when it comes to toxicity of any individual plant. Again, as an example, the levels of the toxic components of Elder will vary depending on, age of plant; local ecology (growing conditions etc), genetic variation (through breeding etc), climate, even time of day! amongst others. So one Elder will vary in level of toxicity from another, even in the same hedgerow.
From what I have read the situation is this. The principal toxins in Elder are cyanogenic glycosides. By chewing the fresh plant material you release hydrogen cyanide (prussic acid), one of the most potent, rapidly acting, poisons known. Why can we 'get away' with eating some elderberries? It is explained here:
Cyanides inhibit the oxidative processes of cells causing them to die very quickly. Because the body rapidly detoxifies cyanide, an adult human can withstand 50-60 ppm for an hour without serious consequences. However, exposure to concentrations of 200-500 ppm for 30 minutes is usually fatal. Aside from death, acute cyanide toxicity at small doses can cause headache, tightness in throat and chest, and muscle weakness. The effects of chronic (long-term) exposure to cyanide are less well known.
Source: The atmospheric chemistry of HCN, CN and NCO. David Lary & Ralf Toumi.
Also:
Cyanogenic glycosides in the leaves and stems of plants are not toxic unless acted on by the plant or rumen microorganism enzymes, b-glucosidase and hydroxynitrile lyase, to form HCN [1,27]. Enzymatic conversion of the glycosides is enhanced when plant cells are damaged or stressed as occurs when the plant is chewed, crushed, droughted, wilted, or frozen. In the process, the glycosides, which are normally isolated in cell vacuoles, come into contact with the cell enzymes and HCN is formed. Generally most parts of the plant contain cyanogenic glycosides; the young rapidly growing portion of the plant and the seeds contain the highest concentrations.
The flesh of the ripe fruits is edible. Drying the plants decreases their cyanogenic potential especially over time........... The concentration of cyanogenic glycosides in plants varies with the stage of growth, time of year, soil mineral and moisture content, and time of day. Cool moist growing conditions enhance the conversion of nitrate to amino acids and cyanogenic glycosides instead of plant protein. As the glycosides accumulate they further inhibit nitrite reductase in the plant, favoring the conversion of nitrate to cyanogenic glycoside rather than to amino acids. Nitrate fertilization of cyanogenic plants therefore has the potential to increase the cyanogenic glycoside content of plants. Frost and drought conditions may also increase cyanogenesis in some plant species. Young plants, new shoots, and regrowth of plants after cutting often contain the highest levels of cyanogenic glycosides. Application of herbicides (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid [2,4-D]) can also increase the cyanogenetic glycoside content of plants.
Source:Plants Causing Sudden Death. A. P. Knight and R. G. Walter .20-Aug-2002
You can read the full monty on this and other types of plant poisoning here:
Plants Causing Sudden Death (http://www.ivis.org/special_books/Knight/chap1/chapter_frm.asp?LA=1)
In summary then the toxicity of the plant dependants on many factors. The young, fast growing parts and notably the seeds contain the highest concentrations. The toxic substances are released when the plant/seeds are physically broken down through chewing but also wilted, droughted, frozen etc. The actual fresh of ripe fruits is edible. The danger (as with other plants containing cyanogenic glycoside including everyday fruits such as apples and pears) is chewing the seeds and releasing the cyanide in the form of HCN.
In elderberries the problem practically is that elderberries are small fruit with little flesh on each seed. naturally you are more likely to munch through a bunch. The other problem is how to tell what is a safe amount to eat?
Again this applies to other plants containing cyanogenic glycosides and the principal applies to all plants containing poisonous substances, not just this example of Elder.
We eat apples and pears and we don't die ;) Why? because we are taught not to chew the pips as kids (and the need to eat a lot of fruit in this way to get to these dangerous levels). This is common knowledge even today given such knowledge is fast disappearing with modern convienence eating and living. Knowledge is our best ally when dealing with the unknown of 'wild food'.
I am sorry for the long post/s but I think it is an important element of the 'craft', of which we seek to learn; especially for beginners and when teaching/ sharing the enjoyment with kids.
Happy (and safe!) picking :wink:
Paganwolf
11-09-2004, 22:12
try Rivercottage.net forum for more foody stuff scotty lots of knowledgable folks in the foody world :wave:
Moonraker
11-09-2004, 22:44
Well I went out today for a little forage and found apples, blackberries, rosehips, hawthorn ( I think), rowan fruit (I think), dandelion root, nettles and beech leaves.
Nice photos Scott! Much more useful.
From what I can see:
Am I right in thinking this is rowan?
Yes. At least it is a species of Sorbus. Rowan's botanic name is Sorbus aucuparia. Again, without actually seeing the tree it came from etc it is impossible to be 100% sure. In a remote rural location most probably. In a rural/ suburban location it could be another related species planted for ornamental purposes i.e. as a street tree or garden specimen. But this is not so important because these would be edible like Rowan. This is the case for 'Whitebeam' (Sorbus aria).
Checking 'Poisonous Plants & Fungi' MAFF (see other posts for details) it says:
Sorbus species. garden and wild trees. Eating a large number of berries, especially when unripe, can cause mild digestive-system disturbances. Rowan is used in wine making and also commonly used to make a jelly.
and am I right in thinking that this is Hawthorn?
Yes. But is it Black, Common, Downy, English, Midland or Scarlet Hawthorn?!:shock: :-) All of which can be found in Britain (and other related ornamental species). Actually looking at the leaves it is either 'Common Hawthorn' (Crateagus monogyna) or 'Midland Hawthorn' (Crateagus laevigata. also known as May or English Hawthorn. It does not just grow in the Midlands and is a native).
Do something for me. Squeeze one of the ripe fruits. If it has one stone it is Common Hawthorn. If two, it is Midland Hawthorn. A nice trick to show people in the field :wink:
Here is a picture of some of the bits.
The apples if they came from a hedge are probably a self-seeded crosses between the Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris) and cultivated apple species grown in the garden. Sometimes apple is planted in the hedgerow (as was and still partially is the case in this area of France where all available property was productive).
Dandelion tap roots dug up in the Autumn can be treated like Salsify. So you could try out this recipe subing the Dandelion root for Salsify and use your Apples too :wink:
Salsify and Apple Sauté
Cooking Time: 25mins
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
4 Salsify[Dandelion] Roots, peeled
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Black Pepper
2 small Apples, peeled and cored
[I would add a bit of sugar if the apples are not fully ripe]
Instructions
1.* Place the lemon juice in a bowl of water which is large enough to hold the salsify.
2. Cut the salsify into batons about 12mm/1/2 inch x 12mm/1/2 inch x 5cm/2 inches long, immediately submerging them in the lemon water to prevent discoloration.
3. Cut the peeled apples into quarters then cut each quarter into three pieces.
4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.
5. Meanwhile, drain the salsify and dry on kitchen paper then add to the frying pan and sauté gently for about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Add the apple slices to the pan and continue to cook for 5-8 minutes, turning, until golden brown.
7. Adjust the seasoning and serve hot.
Bonne Appetit!
Thanks all,
The Hawthorn has one stone in it so like you say, it must be common Hawthorn. Also thanks ALOT for that link to Plants For A future, it is very helpful! :biggthump
Moonraker
12-09-2004, 11:01
Thanks all,
The Hawthorn has one stone in it so like you say, it must be common Hawthorn. Also thanks ALOT for that link to Plants For A future, it is very helpful! :biggthump
Simple Native British Tree & Shrub Identification
Scott, the PFAF is a great resource but not great for photos or identifying the plants. A site which has a very good guide to the identification of 80 common British trees and shrubs can be found here:
SAPS-A Key for Identifying British Trees and Shrubs (http://www-saps.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/trees/home.html)
It is a very useful aid to identification including a section for those trees & shrubs you already know the name of and also a great section for identing those which you do not. It guides you first through how to use the site, then through a series of questions (in which you also pick up some important basic botany) which lead to the plant you have, assuming it is a common one.
Here is an example of how to use the site for identifying an unknown tree ( as it happens this example is our friend the Elder ;-) )
SAPS- How to use the key to identify a twig of Elder (http://www-saps.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/trees/elderintro.htm)
It is a resource intended for schools and therefore fairly simplified and not intended for the experienced forager. But the content was produced by Prof. Franklyn Perrin who is one of the best regarded botanists in Britain. Perfect for the beginner.
Happy picking :-)
Simon
Fantastic posts Moonraker :You_Rock_
ever thought of writing some stuff to help grow the Epaedia (http://www.bushcraftuk.co.uk/epaediahtml/index.html) in the 200 degrees section
Cheers for the handy link :biggthump
:-)
Ed
Moonraker
14-09-2004, 15:35
Fantastic posts Moonraker :You_Rock_
ever thought of writing some stuff to help grow the Epaedia (http://www.bushcraftuk.co.uk/epaediahtml/index.html) in the 200 degrees section
Thanks Stuart. Just sharing some info I found useful.
I am not too clear about how it is possible to add info to the Epaedia 200 degree section.
I like the idea but perhaps it needs to be more specific to bushcraft. Because there are many resources out their online already for general identification, medicinal uses, edibility (less so) and I think it is always better to avoid energy in repetition of stuff already freely available. For instance the PFAF database is pretty comprehensive and gives a lot of info we can use. It lacks a good plant ident content but others are there for this. Some decent links to the best sites would suffice.
Perhaps it could focus on providing more detail for uses i.e. a simple photographic guide/s showing plants and techniques for using them. I find photos help a lot more than just text (they don't have to be huge and can be small file size)
So it would be a bushcraft centric resource, focusing on common species (to start) with guides (illustrated are better) of how to use them e.g. Wood, Bark, Flowers, Fruit, Roots, simply done and easy to use/ understand.
To encourage people to contribute there should be some form of example online and/ or maybe a PDF format document which can be downloaded and used to compile the info in a standard format. Then this can be added more easily and give it some uniformity. Finally it could then be available in a A4 size PDF file which can be downloaded and used as Field Guides. The BBC do something similar for basic wildlife guides here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/wildbritain/field_guides/
Just some ideas.
There is a new website in the pipeline.... it should make it easier for the staff to manage and easier for members to submit articles and other pieces ;-)
If you are interested in writing article, pm tony for some guidelines.
:-)
Ed
Moonraker
14-09-2004, 17:07
Thanks for info Ed.
oooh i always called em bullrushes
not too many of them up here tho , guess i will have to stick with turnip greens for now:yuck:
Tant
People call em 'Reedmace' too but that's yer one alright. You'll get wet feet but get in there and grub up the roots from underwater, scrape em and boil em like spuds !!
One word of WARNING. If you forage for cattail roots in lakes or ponds that are frequented by fishermen, be careful of carelessly discarded hooks in the reeds (usually old n rusty too) A few species of fish will bolt to the reeds when hooked and rather than get in and untangle them, some fishermen simply cut their line and let the fish die in a tangled mess and leave line and hooks waiting for the unwary. I know, I got hooked !! They had to push the hook all the way through part of my hand coz of the barb and then cut the eye off with pliers so it would come out. Not to mention the tetanus jab in me bum !! :shock: Not impressed