A year in the life of a forager....

[Steve M]

Quite right, but not edible.

To which comment?

[Harvestman]

To which comment?

To the Herb Robert.

[Steve M]

To the Herb Robert.

I was under the impression it was edible, even though I don't like it much.

[Harvestman]

I was told it was poisonous, but I've never tried it, so I could be wrong. I'd better defer to someone with more experience than me.

[xylaria]

On thew sliding scale I never put herb robert on posionous , it dont go on edible eiter, it goes on rub on forehead and the midge are a bit put off by smell.

[Steve M]

I've published a summary of the first season of my Wild Food and Natural Resources Course (which is also available on Facebook).

I think it complements this thread well.

[Iona]

I'm with Fi on the Herb robert, definitely not edible (yuck) but not poisonous either, in fact, when I was researching it a couple of years ago I found it was quite the opposite! http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/fr...rb-robert.html Pretty amazing stuff eh?

[Iona]

I'm with Fi on the Herb Robert, Not edible (yuck!) but not poisonous either... in fact when I was researching it a couple of years ago, I found it was completely the opposite! http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/fr...rb-robert.html Pretty amazing stuff eh?

[The Big Lebowski]

Bit of an update... Visited a friend over the weekend, taking a stroll/forage at his local coastal reserve.

Elderflower and dog rose. Sambucus nigra/Rosa canina respectively.
Both the flowers/berry's of elder, and the 'hips' from dog rose have multiple uses,
mostly revolving around drinks/cordial/deserts ect.


Burdock- Arctium lapp. Everyone knows its distinct flavor from the drink,
but the root system is very popular in Asian cooking.
The leaves can also be used to wrap/cook food over a bed of coals.


Set a prawn trap overnight in a new area. I think the mesh size is a little too large,
or the several dozen mixed crabs I captured had prawn for tea
All crabs are edible, brown (minimum size in law) shore crab, velvet (ninja) and spider.
Pictured a small brown (in trap) and a common shore crab (in puddle looking angry).
Brown- Cancer pagurus. Shore- Carcinus maenas. Always collect the largest you can find for both meat and morals.


Common periwinkle- Littorina littorea. Great steamed in half malt vinegar/water with real butter and fresh bread.


Supper last night... Nom nom


Dog welk- Nucella lapillus. Same as above, bit more chewy though!


Common Limpet- Patella vulgata. Everyone should know these from childhood if you played on a shoreline.
Very, very chewy... But make a great fish stock.


I'll be doing some seaweed pictures in the next few weeks, battery/s died half way through forage

[Steve M]

Top tip for those net traps ... cat food

[Steve M]

Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus various)



I've been told not to take them from Yew.

[Steve M]

Here's another jolly game of "spot the food".



Link to a big version here. There is a handy magnifying glass on the page.

The habitat is woodland pathway and the time of year is early June.

[The Big Lebowski]

Nice one steve

I'll update this early next week... Been away but found some horse mushrooms, larch bolete, hopefully puffballs and off to 'forage' some sea bass in the morning!

[Steve M]

off to 'forage' some sea bass in the morning!

Ledger, spinner or fly?

[The Big Lebowski]

Spinning/redgill on light tackle...

Fingers crossed and all.

[The Big Lebowski]

Right... Update at last! Although a slightly fishy one

Sea bass- Dicentrarchus labrax. Just a smudge over the MLS. I prefer them larger (3-4lb) but this one would not return despite our best efforts.
Another 23 where released to fight another day. It was sent off to the great pond in the sky with some wild fennel and samphire.


Crayfish (signal)- Pacifastacus leniusculus. You need consent of the landowner and also a license (I have both) to trap them, but its worth the effort
and paperwork if you do get access to a pond/lake. The natives are long gone from this whole area sadly.


This lot was destined for the BBQ Nom, nom.


Rock samphire- Crithmum maritimum. A new discovery yesterday as its not native locally.
Smells wonderful crushed (like lemongrass) but reviews are mixed. I might stuff some fish with and see what happens.


I'll be back out soon and have also been taking pictures of some previous stuff in flower to help with general ID.
Things are much easier to spot when you get an idea of what the flower color/shape are as a pointer.

They will be added as I take them.

[Steve M]

I think Rock Samphire tastes like a cross between carrots and petrol and would be interested in how people cook it into a nice tasting thing

[Ichneumon]

I'm with Steve on this one. Can't decide if it most reminds me of liquourice, aniseed or coal-tar soap.

[The Big Lebowski]

Mmmm.... you guys are going for the hard sell I'll have to try some now, just out of curiosity!

I'll update this soon, been absolutely lashing down here for two solid weeks. Found wood mushrooms yesterday and a few other bits.

[xylaria]

Mmmm.... you guys are going for the hard sell I'll have to try some now, just out of curiosity!

I'll update this soon, been absolutely lashing down here for two solid weeks. Found wood mushrooms yesterday and a few other bits.

The bloomin rain. I know wales is famous for its liquid sunshine, but I when out today to gather wild strawbs. Most of them have turned to mush on the bush. I am wiating for the pines to come into flower with pollen, but they need a dryness.

[The Big Lebowski]

I thought people where getting sun tans... It appears to be in fact, rust

Me mushroom friend is hoping it will be a good year for the ceps if the rain continues. Always a positive I guess!

[The Big Lebowski]

Finally managed to get out for a stroll today, man, this weathers lousy

I seem to be in a constant battle with mowers lately. My second growth of horse mushrooms where kindly shredded half an hour before I got there then the EA decided to mow my fennel/wild carrot patch,
middle of nowhere, no real public access so no reason to be 'pruned'. It does make you wonder sometimes where they get them from, and how much the remote control robot mower was.

Anyhoo~ Found some nice new chanterelle mushrooms- Cantharellus cibarius.


There where also signs of a few other bits and bob's growing such as the odd penny bun/cep ect,
so it should pick up again over the next few weeks

We had some friends over for my daughters 5'th Birthday, so I knocked up a basic salt marsh salad to introduce them to wild foods.
I now have a few converts!

[The Big Lebowski]

Two nice days in a row. Bonkers!

Lime flowers- Tilia Europoea. The lime tree produces edible leaves for a few weeks of the year, and then a month or two after,
the flowers make a great infusion in hot water. Its really worth trying and hugely popular in France. Limes pretty wide spread.


Bladder campion- Silene vulgaris. The young buds can be eaten, along with the leaves on more developed plants.
Tastes like mange tout. Taken in meadows.


Sandwurt- genus Arenaria (several in group). Tried this recently after someone pointing it out. Blanched and buttered it tastes like
young spring greens. Would go superbly with a few lamb cutlets or a small rack. Really nice, now in my top 5 Seashore.


Was supposed to be shrooming today, but the fair weathers returned and the tree's are sideways

[lannyman8]

i have been away for a while but as always thanks for all the hard work gents and ladies......

hope to have a shore forage this weekend, heading just over the border to the north east, should be a gooden....

regards.

chris.

[The Big Lebowski]

Arm yourself with a copy of edible seashore

You should find sea beet, asters, sand-wort, samphire (inc rock) and several other bits and bobs. Let us know how you get on!

[lannyman8]

Arm yourself with a copy of edible seashore

You should find sea beet, asters, sand-wort, samphire (inc rock) and several other bits and bobs. Let us know how you get on!

its with Andy by sea so i think he will give me a quick heads up as to whats about to eat, plan on getting some shore foods seaweed and critters, depending on how cold it is dive for some shell fish maybe, crabs and lobster..... never been to the area before so dont know what shell fish / fish are around.

will try and take some pics for the forum, and just incase i die....

[The Big Lebowski]

Another nice day! Anyone would think it was summer

Found these beauty's today, happy forager As posted above- Cantharellus cibarius.




The wild strawberry's (Fragaria vesca) are nearly ripe


Back out on Monday. Have a good weekend!

[Harvestman]

Wild thyme, Thymus polytrichus found on the old spoil heaps above Blaenavon

IMGP1789.jpg

[The Big Lebowski]

Off to the moot in the morning, so I'll update this on return with some new edibles

[Russell96]

Only a few posts from me but can I say what a fantastic thread. I have really enjoyed reading from the start. Thank you for all the effort.
Russ