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A Dairy Diary Snippet - The Ultimate Guide to Foraging

In streets, fields, woodland and meadows, food exists waiting to be picked. And not just any food: from plump blackberries to pungent wild garlic, crunchy hazelnuts and fragrant elderflowers, the delicious delights that line our field and hedgerows are often hiding in plain sight.
Dairy Diary
Posted 17-11-22

Foraging is, put simply, the act of gathering wild food. Although it’s gained greater popularity in recent years, foraging would have been a way of life for our distant ancestors. Our hunter-gatherer predecessors sustained themselves by hunting animals and picking wild fruits and vegetables from their immediate surroundings, until the invention of modern farming 10,000 years ago.

And foraging has often seen spikes in acceptance in times of hardship and need. As recently as the Second World War, for example. Importing oranges was banned due to wartime import restrictions, so foraged rosehips provided a source of vitamin C for hungry Britons and were often made into a syrup that claimed to banish coughs and colds.

Today foraging is back in fashion, driven by frugality and a shift towards sustainable diets. And it’s not just the preserve of rural lanes – seeking out wild food is often as achievable in large cities. Parks, riversides and small woodlands are often treasure troves of forage-able food.

As daffodils emerge from bare soil and birds return song to the skies, many edible wild plants are just getting going too. For some, the powerful scent of wild garlic is a sure sign spring has arrived. The leafy edible likes damp soil, so you’ll often find it carpeting river banks. Young leaves emerge by March or April. Snip leaves at the base, leaving the bulb intact. Use your bounty in stir fries, mixed into mash or in a wild garlic pesto.

By late May a different scent fills the air, both in city parks and country lanes – that of aromatic elderflower, blossom of the elder tree. The starry clusters of cream flowers can be picked in May and June. Elderflower cordial is the most well-known use for these fragrant flowers, but you can also make jellies, sorbets, flavoured gins and teas.

In summer, plants more often decried as weeds can also be enjoyed in meals. While dandelions and nettles probably aren’t top of your teatime menu, both have their uses. Instead of chucking them on the compost, try brewing up nettle tea or blending a nettle pesto. Dandelion greens can be added to salads, while the flowers make an alternative to honey when cooked with sugar.

By late summer and autumn, foragers will find rich pickings around the UK. Hedgerows are thick with luscious bounty, from apples and blackberries to the less routine mulberries, rosehips and hazelnuts. The latter ripen in September and October and are ready to eat once the papery coating starts to pull away from the nut. You can also pick hazelnuts ‘in the green’ and ripen in a paper bag somewhere cool and dark. Once ripe, remove the hard outer shell before eating as is or whizz into veggie burgers.

As the chill sets in, branches become bare and there’s less to forage. But early winter is the best time to pick sloe berries. Sloes are the fruit of the blackthorn bush, a spiny shrub that belongs to the rose family, and found across the UK in great numbers. The inky berries are traditionally used to make sloe gin, a sweet and aromatic liqueur. If you’re picking the berries to make this gin, it’s customary to wait until after the first frost when the fruits are sweeter. You can also use sloes to add a plummy flavour to jellies and syrups.

Beginners are likely to find success with quick wins that are easy to identify and straightforward to prepare, like blackberries. And often the thrill of the chase is as fun as the treasure, offering an excuse to discover your local area and perhaps find something utterly delicious for nothing.

 

Foraging Advise for Beginners

  • When foraging on public walkways, always try to pick items that are set back slightly from the main drag to avoid contamination by car fumes and animal activity.
  • Pick sparingly: the golden rule of picking wild food is to leave some behind, whether for other keen foragers, wildlife or to preserve the plant so it will continue to flourish and nourish year after year.
  • When picking in hedgerows, especially if on the hunt for sloes or blackberries, it’s advisable to wear gloves to avoid prickly branches. And of course, especially thick protection is needed to pick stinging nettles.
  • Err on the side of caution. If you’re not totally sure what you’re picking, it is wise to leave it behind. Plants that have the potential to be poisonous, such as mushrooms, should be left to the professionals.
  • Make sure you are not hunting for food on private property. Stick to areas you know have public right of way.
  • Several organisations now run foraging courses for those wanting to deepen their knowledge. Check out Wild Food UK and Totally Wild, as well as seeking out options in your local area.

 

If you’re looking for ideas for new hobbies, recipes and nature-friendly activities for the New Year, the Dairy Diary 2025 is packed full of inspiration. Hurry to pick up your copy in time for Christmas here.

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