Foraging is a great way to slow down, explore the outdoors, and make the most of what nature has to offer—right on your doorstep. Across the UK, there’s something to find in every season, whether it’s the zingy green shoots of spring, juicy summer berries, or earthy autumn mushrooms. This…
Author: fez
Black Bulgar / Summer / Autumn / Inedible The Black Bulgar (Bulgaria inquinans), also known as Black Jelly Drops, is a distinctive woodland fungus that grows on dead or dying hardwood, particularly Oak. Its dark, gelatinous, disc-like fruiting bodies often appear in clusters, giving fallen branches a glossy, almost tar-like…
Ergot / Summer / Autumn / Toxic Ergot (Claviceps purpurea) is a fascinating yet highly toxic fungus that grows on the seeds of grasses and cereal crops, particularly Rye. Recognised by its dark, horn-like growths protruding from grain heads, Ergot has a long and notorious history—once responsible for mass poisonings…
I love the purity of this wild kefir chardonnay recipe and its ability to pass as a plausible white wine replacement when you can’t, or don’t want to, drink a glass of regular wine with dinner. This is great when you want something to drink that feels indulgent and has…
This Fermented Borscht soup is built around traditional Polish kvass, a ferment made with rye bread, beetroot and water. Winter is a great time to be fermenting, as it brings new energy to stored veg at a time of year when fresh food is scarce. It is based on a…
This Fermented Rosehip Honey Jam is a beautiful sweet treat! Rosehips are an exceptionally rich source of Vitamin C – just a teaspoon of this jam can give you as much of this essential nutrient as 5 large oranges. You can’t eat the hips straight off the bush, but honey…
The Fermented Sloe Olives are inspired by the hedgerows framing the stunning views across the fields and pine forest near my house in Dorset, I made these sloe olives with a simple aim in mind: to preserve this abundant wild, plummy fruit. I wanted to create something a little different…
This is a tea-based kombucha recipe, to which you can add lovely seasonal, garden-inspired twists (see below). It’s important to create a strong, vibrant flavour before adding your scoby, as kombucha is a tangy drink and delicate flavours can be overwhelmed. By Rachel Dethample Our Wild Kombucha Recipe Makes 1…
This Fermented Wild Garlic Pesto is a fantastic example of lacto-fermentation being used to create something with bags on flavour. It’s also a brilliant way to use up stacks of seasonal greens. One of the endless joys of this recipe is that it’s completely plant-based. The lactic acid produced during…
Winter is the perfect time to embrace the magic of wild fermentation, and what better way than with a batch of Wild Winter Mead? Written by Forager Matt… It is winter my friends. The harvest is in, the sun is gone, the ancient inhabitants of this rainy isle would now…