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10:44 pm
Sat 12-Aug-06
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Perhaps the concept of hedgerow Harvesting of food for free is mainly concentrated in the harvest months from June to October.
But surely there must be foraging opportunities the whole year around? Maybe not the succulent damsons and wild cherries, but maybe greens and suchlike?
Never knowingly underfed
6:05 am
Supreme Being
Mon 21-Sep-09
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Apparently the dreaded weed ground elder makes a spinach substitute and that is one of the first plants to come through in the new year. If you have it in the garden at least you can make use of it even if it is a pain. I shall be giving it a try next year
12:09 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
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I don't have ground elder but I do have wild garlic. The leaves are excellent in mashed potato.
I'll try that again!
12:59 pm
Sat 12-Aug-06
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We do have ground elder in abundance 
and I know it is edible but we have never had the courage to try it.
I believe that wild garlic is a treasure. Do people guard the locations with great secrecy, Toffeeapple, or is it growing in your garden?
Never knowingly underfed
1:08 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
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It's in the garden, I bought a pot on one of our trips to North Wales and it seems to like the spot I chose for it. I also use the flowers in salads, the flavour is gentle not like the cloves.
I'll try that again!
3:46 pm
Councillor
Tue 22-Sep-09
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Ground Elder is pretty foul, but perhaps it just wasn't to my taste!
The leaves of garlic mustard come early in the year and they are just excellent chopped up in all sorts of things- very garlicky and spicy tasting.
This time of year I'm usually seeking out things to make christmas decorations with- hips, berries,seedheads- and a not too large, good twiggy branch to suspend from the ceiling above the table ( use fishing line so it looks like it is hovering in the air) and hang baubles from.
Kateuk makes things at http://www.etsy.com/shop/finkstuff and sometimes she does this too http://www54paintings.blogspot.com/ and also this http://finkstuff.weebly.com/
6:33 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
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I like the sound of your levitating branch, that would look lovely wit baubles dangling from it.
I'll try that again!
10:21 am
Enthusiast
Wed 23-Sep-09
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Sea beet is pretty good right now, and is a green that can be used pretty much throughout the year, though it is at its worst when seeding and just after.
Wild garlic is pretty ubiquitous round here.
I don't think I've mentioned one of my experiments this year which has been one of my great successes, to my mind.
When the wild garlic was in but, just before the buds opened (with the idea of minimising contamination by bugs), I picked a few dozen buds, poured them and a litre of olive oil (bought on a bogof, of course) into an empty coffee jar, let them infuse for a couple of weeks, then seived out the buds and rebottled.
I still have a bit left, but use it for frying anything that needs a touch of garlic and it works beautifully.
My sister did much the same, and used some of the buds in cooking successfully, but left the buds in the oil, which went off in a couple of months.
David
8:02 pm
Sat 12-Aug-06
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Hi David
Great idea, we have wild garlic growing in the garden. Roll on next Spring.
10:06 pm
Senior Class
New members
Mon 20-Sep-10
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I am laughing at the idea of keeping wild garlic a secret - if you've ever been to the Gower peninsular in the spring you will know what I mean. There is masses of it - ad the smell is quite pungent as you drive past on the way to the beaches. I'm feeling quite homesick!
10:23 pm
3rd Grader
New members
Tue 21-Sep-10
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Have been reading a book called Plants for a future, it gives comment on many plants that are edible and useful. Am hoping to work some of the ideas into our place here. Well worth a borrow from a library...
7:07 pm
Supreme Being
Mon 21-Sep-09
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I think part of the problem is that the wild garlic could do the way of the cowslips and become rare because too many people pick too much. Foraging is not a problem for things like fruits and nuts as there are always those that are out of reach anyway but wild garlic could be picked over and not much left - though it is eaten here in Latvia and there is still plenty of it, maybe they are just more careful.
7:15 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
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If the banks of the River Wye are anything to go by there should be no lack of wild garlic for many years to come.
I'll try that again!
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