Elderflower (Sambucus nigra) Elderflowers are in full bloom in June and are easy to spot with their creamy white, fragrant clusters. They’re fantastic for making cordials, syrups, and even elderflower fritters. Foraging tip: Only take a few heads from each tree to leave plenty for wildlife and later fruiting. Wild Strawberries (Fragaria vesca) These tiny, […]
This tastes a lot like honey, so is a brilliant substitute for vegans or anyone else avoiding honey. I prefer using the whole dandelion head. Not only is this quicker and easier, but I think the bitterness from the green parts of the dandelion adds to the complexity of the flavour of the finished honey. […]
First up is Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum). The stems are nice and chunky in May, hollow and grooved on the outside. They smell and taste like a floral version of celery and I’ll be eating them with salad cream and chopping them into stews. I found out recently that if you cut the stems into 5mm […]
Discover how military training principles can enhance your foraging skills. Learn battle-tested techniques for safe and accurate wild food identification.
First up is Ground Elder leaves (Aegopodium podagraria). Its primary common name comes from the fact that it grows low to the ground, and the leaves look a little like Elder tree leaves (although the two are not related). It has a strong “herby” smell, so I use it in salads, as a garnish for […]
First up is Hawthorn leaves (Crataegus monogyna). The leaves appear in early spring and have a distinctive, lobed shape. I’ll be eating the leaves raw in salads, and as a snack straight from the tree. My favourite use for them is to flash fry them in hot oil (10 seconds max) and sprinkle with sea […]
Chickweed is nutrient and medicinal component rich, and grows just about everywhere, and in large quantities. It tastes like a mild rocket leaf raw, and is so freely available that it’s a surprise that we don’t use it more. Habitat Stellaria media is widespread in North America, Europe and Asia. A cool-season annual plant native […]
First up is Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale). They sometimes persist through the winter and are always one of the first to appear in spring. I’ll be the leaves raw in salads, the roots for a flavoursome coffee substitute and when the flowers appear I’ll be making wine. You can find a video recording of the Dandelions […]
First up is ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea). It persists through the winter and is easily recognisable with its kidney shaped, scalloped edged leaves, and mint-meaty smell. I’ll be using it in stocks, gravies and sauces, as well as to flavour creams in desserts! You can find a video recording of the Wednesday Weed Waffle zoom […]
Jen Wiss-Carline is a speara and keen coastal forager. In this series of posts, she shares some tips on how to make the most of the free food waiting to be found along our shores. In my previous posts, I’ve introduced foraging on the coastline and what you can find along the seabed at low […]