3 Things You Can Forage For In March

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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 salt for a nutty, leaf crisp.

You can find a video recording of the Hawthorn Wednesday Weed Waffle here, also included are an audio recording and an accompanying eBook.

 

Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) grow just about anywhere but they particularly like waste ground and road side verges. I could literally fill a day with talking about nettles, but my favourite use for them in spring time is to make cordial for refreshing cold drinks and warming hot drinks.

You can find a video recording of the Stinging Nettle Wednesday Weed Waffle here, also included are an audio recording and an accompanying eBook.

Wild garlic (Allium ursinum). I can’t talk about spring without mentioning wild garlic. Although nasties grow alongside it, there’s nothing that looks like it and smells of garlic so you can’t really go wrong. Much like everyone else, my favourite use is to make cheese and wild garlic scones.

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Stinging Nettle Cordial

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It’s difficult to think of nettles in anything other than savoury but I hope this recipe will change your mind . The reason I like this recipe is because I wanted to find a use for the older nettle leaves that I can’t use for eating fresh like you do with the nettle tops. This is perfect with ice, goes nicely with a G&T and with tonic water.

I will often make this with the discarded nettle leaves I won’t use for making crisps.

Ingredients:

  • 200g nettle leaves.
  • 500g caster sugar.
  • 4 Squeezed Lemons or 4tbsp lemon juice.
  • 500 ml water.

Method:

  1. Put your nettles and water in a large pan and bring to the boil for 10 minutes.
  2. Strain the nettles out of the liquid through a fine mesh colander or a cloth.
  3. Take the strained juice and add the sugar to it.
  4. Put this back on the heat and warm slowly, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
  5. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
  6. Allow it to cool and place in sterilised bottles.
  7. Use within 6 months, once opened keep in the fridge and use within 2 weeks.
  8. Enjoy with sparkling water, water or add to jellies, ice lollies to give a wild nettle flavour.
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