In this article, we will delve into the world of foraging, discovering where to find these natural wonders, key identification features, and the endless possibilities of what you can create with them.

So, grab your basket and let’s dive into the fascinating world of foraging in South West England!

Why Foraging is a Thriving Trend

Foraging has experienced a revival in recent years, capturing the attention of both seasoned chefs and nature enthusiasts alike. The desire to source sustainable, local food and connect with nature has propelled foraging into the spotlight. As Martin Bailey, the expert forager behind Go Foraging in Bristol, explains, “It’s an integral part of being human, harkening back to our hunter-gatherer days when foraging was vital for our survival.”

The lockdown during the spring of 2020 further fueled the interest in foraging, as people sought solace in the great outdoors and sought to engage with nature in meaningful ways.

A Closer Look at the South West England’s Abundant Offerings

The South West England is a treasure trove for foragers, boasting diverse ecosystems that harbor a myriad of edible delights. From ancient woodlands to hedgerows, these landscapes are teeming with edible plants waiting to be discovered. Helen Keating, content manager at the Woodland Trust, suggests exploring woodland and hedgerow habitats, where you’re likely to encounter an array of edible plants such as hawthorn leaves, nettles, garlic mustard, wild garlic, blackberries, elder, and sloes, depending on the season.

Woodlands:

The enchanting woodlands of the South West England offer a forager’s paradise. As you wander through these ancient groves, keep an eye out for delicious finds such as wild garlic, also known as ramsons. With its distinctive scent and delectable leaves and flowers, it adds a delightful twist to salads, soups, and sauces.

The leaves of hawthorn trees also make a tasty addition to green salads, sandwiches, and potato salads. Their pleasant nutty taste is a delightful surprise.

Hedgerows:

The South West England’s hedgerows are a completely teeming with edible delights. Here, you’ll discover an abundance of delectable treats, including nettles, blackberries (candied stems in spring), and elderflowers. Nettles, often regarded as a pesky weed, are packed with nutrients and can be transformed into delicious dishes. Their leaves, rich in iron, vitamins A and D, and minerals, are perfect for making nettle tea, soup, or even beer. Blackberries, with their juicy sweetness, are perfect for pies, jams, or enjoyed fresh off the bramble. Elderflowers, with their delicate fragrance, are ideal for infusing drinks, making cordials, or even indulging in homemade elderflower fritters.

Coastal Delights:

The South West has an abundance stunning coastline, offering a whole new world of foraging opportunities.

Sea buckthorn, with its vibrant orange berries, is a coastal gem with a tangy, citrusy flavor.

Marsh samphire, also known as sea asparagus, adds a salty crunch to salads and makes a delightful side dish when steamed or stir-fried.

Along the coast, you may also stumble upon laver, a dark-colored seaweed used to make the traditional Welsh dish called “Laverbread.”

Where to Forage in the South West England

Foraging may conjure images of idyllic woodland walks, but fear not if you don’t have access to remote forests. You can start right in your own backyard! We suggest exploring your garden if you have one, picking three or four plants to delve into. Reliable sources can guide you on what to pick, what each part does, and how to use them in your culinary creations.

If you don’t have a garden, head to your local park, starting close to home before venturing further afield. Your local park may surprise you with an abundance of forageable treasures. Rensten recalls finding 180 different plant species in his local north London park alone. So grab your gathering basket and embark on an exciting foraging expedition right in your neighborhood.

Once you’ve familiarized yourself with what’s available nearby, it’s time to explore the wider South West England region.

From the woodlands of Devon and Cornwall to the coastal cliffs of Dorset and Somerset, there’s a vast playground awaiting your foraging endeavors.

The Legalities of Foraging

Before setting off on your foraging adventure, it’s important to understand the legalities surrounding this ancient practice. In general, foraging is permitted in most public spaces, including parks, beaches, nature reserves, woodlands, and hedgerows. However, there’s a crucial rule to keep in mind: it’s illegal to uproot or remove a plant without permission from the landowner or occupier. This includes algae, lichens, and fungi.

Additionally, certain species are specially protected, so it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the local regulations. The Association of Foragers provides a list of protected species for reference. When in doubt, it’s always best to speak to the landowner before embarking on your foraging expedition.

It’s also crucial to forage responsibly, ensuring you do not deplete habitats or harm the ecosystem. Gather smaller quantities from different patches, ensuring the plant population remains healthy and thriving. Remember, we are part of the local ecosystem and have a responsibility to preserve and respect it.

Is foraging legal in the UK?

Foraging is A Year-Round Adventure

One of the joys of foraging is its year-round appeal.

Each season brings its own unique offerings, allowing you to immerse yourself in the ever-changing natural world.

In the UK’s changeable weather, seasons don’t fit neatly into categories, there’s often a lot of crossover. For example, nettle leaves are best picked in the first few weeks of spring, but they can be harvested again until early summer if they’ve been cut back.

Observing the seasons and noting the changes in plants adds an exciting element to your foraging journey. The more you visit a particular spot throughout the year, the more you’ll learn and discover. Witnessing the transformation of a plant from its first tender shoots in spring to its mature fruits or seeds in summer or autumn is a truly captivating experience.

In addition to seasonal variations, certain plants are endemic to specific environments, adding to the thrill of exploration. With some of my favourites being sea buckthorn along the coast, bilberries on heathland and moorland, cobnuts in Kent, and laver along the West Coast of Britain. Each locality has its own unique treasures waiting to be discovered and savored.

One of our Springtime Favourites: Wild Garlic Pesto

Now that you’ve explored the wonders of foraging in South West England, it’s time to bring your harvest to life in the kitchen.

Let’s celebrate the arrival of spring with a vibrant and flavorful recipe: Wild Garlic Pesto.

Ingredients:

• 100g wild garlic leaves
• 50g pine nuts
• 50g Parmesan cheese, grated
• 150ml extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Wash the wild garlic leaves thoroughly and pat them dry.
2. Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan until golden brown, then set aside to cool.
3. In a food processor, combine the wild garlic leaves, toasted pine nuts, grated Parmesan cheese, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
4. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the food processor is running until the mixture reaches a smooth, creamy consistency.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Transfer the pesto to a jar and store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

This vibrant and aromatic wild garlic pesto is a versatile delight.

Serve it with pasta, spread it on crusty bread, or use it as a sauce for grilled vegetables or roasted meats.

Foraging is not just a solitary pursuit; it’s a chance to connect with like-minded individuals and be part of a vibrant community. The shared passion for nature, sustainability, and culinary exploration brings people together. Engage with local foraging groups, attend workshops, and participate in expert-led walks to expand your knowledge and forge meaningful connections.

As you embark on your foraging adventures in the South West England, remember to approach nature with an inquisitive mind and a deep respect for the environment. Let the wonders of the natural world captivate you, and revel in the joy of discovering and creating using the gifts of the land.

Happy foraging!

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So what can you forage in March? Here are our top five picks for the month.

What to look for when Foraging in March

You can click on the species below to be taken to our full identification guides;

Here’s a nice spring Foraging Video guide we made with Forager Gavin

Birch sap 

One of my all time favourite wild ingredients, that’s only available for a short window(typically the last 2 weeks of March into April) Birch trees store their energy in the form of sap over winter and as the temperature rises and the tree gets ready to produce new growth the sap makes it way from the roots up to the new shoots. The sap can be drunk straight from the tree, it contains betulinic and salicylic acids and is a great tonic or you can boil the sap down and turn it into Birch Sap syrup which in my opinion is even better than Maple syrup. Read more about harvesting birch sap here. 

Gorse

A common plant/shrub that you typically find on coastal cliffs and moors, it can flower at any time of the year. When there’s not much other colour around these flowers are great added to salads and desserts and have a mild pea flavour. Just watch out for the long, sharp thorns!

Hawthorn leaves

The leaves of Hawthorn are at their best in March before they’ve toughened up and become bitter. Add them to salads or gently wilt them like spinach. Traditionally the leaves and young buds were known as bread and cheese, they don’t really taste of either they have more of a mild nutty flavour.

Cleavers

Sticky weed, sticky willy, goosegrass or cleavers is a plant with lots of common names and one that most people are familiar with. It’s related to coffee and the seeds later in the year do make a good coffee alternative but March is a good time to gather the young shoots before they’ve developed their ‘sticky’ hairs. It can be eaten raw or gently steamed and has a mild cucumber flavour.

Glistening Inkcap 

A fairly common species that gets its name from the fine ‘mica’ coating on the caps, this coating gives it a ‘glittery’ appearance. They can look very similar to the Common Inkcap which is toxic so only harvest specimens where the coating is obvious. They can be cooked but tend to disappear to nothing. I salt them and use them as a squid ink replacement to make risotto and pasta dishes.

Recipe of the month when Foraging in March

Birch Sap Syrup Sticky Pudding

This soft sticky pudding with sultanas and a birch syrup flavoured custard topping is an absolute winner, that’s a true celebration of birch sap syrup.

Makes 6 puddings

Ingredients:

• 200g sultanas
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200g self-raising flour
• 90g non salted butter, cubed
• 2 tbsp birch sap syrup
• 100ml full fat milk
• 150g brown sugar

Method:

1. Put the sultanas in a bowl and put in the microwave on high for 1 minute to soften them, remove and stir in the vanilla extract
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour and bicarbonate of soda
3. In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together, add the eggs and birch sap syrup a little at a time and beat until it’s all in
4. To this mixture fold in the flour in a figure of eight, half of the flour and half of the milk to begin, adding it slowly until it’s all combined, then pour in the sultanas. (it may look like it’s splitting a little but that’s fine)
5. Spoon this mixture evenly between 6 small pudding tins – about 200-250ml – and put in the oven preheated to 180C for 20 minutes

For the Sauce:

• 50g brown sugar
• 250ml double cream
• 6 tbls birch sap syrup

Method:

1. Whilst the pudding is baking, put the sugar, butter and half the cream in a saucepan over a medium to low heat until all the butter has melted.
2. Stir in the birch sap syrup and allow the mixture to simmer for 3 minutes – stirring to make sure it doesn’t burn.
3. Remove from the heat and beat in the remaining cream.

To serve:

1. Remove the puddings from the oven and leave to cool for 3 minutes, using a palette knife, or something similar, tease each the puddings out of their moulds on to your serving plates
2. Pour over your warm sauce and enjoy (or leave in the fridge for 1 day to make it extra sticky, then microwave before eating)

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You should always consult a qualified herbalist or homeopath for advice on the use of plants for any medical condition.  But Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine, put it nicely when he said:

Let food be your medicine and let medicine be your food.

I take that to mean that by eating healthy food on a regular basis you are keeping your body in the best condition to fight off illness and infirmity. Or in other words, prevention is better than cure.

Back in the day, when we were hunter-gatherers, we would have eaten a huge variety of different plants as we followed the changing abundance of herbs, seafood, mushrooms and berries through different habitats with the turning of the seasons.  Since the agrarian revolution, our ever-increasing dependence on farmed foods and, more recently, our busy lifestyles and ease of access to pre-packaged food, has led to our dependence on a greatly reduced variety of foods.  We are seeing increases in chronic conditions like obesity and type II diabetes.  These health conditions have been linked to reduced diversity of microbiota in our gut microbiome.  Research has shown that people with a higher diversity of microbiota in their gut microbiome live longer and experience a better quality of life, in terms of their health.

The best way to increase the diversity of our gut microbiota is to increase the diversity of the food we eat.  Of course we could increase that diversity by being more imaginative with our shopping list and more creative with the food we prepare, but why not increase that variety by adding some wild foods to your diet?  Wild foods have a naturally high concentration of plant chemicals built into their structure – that is what enables them to survive pests and diseases and compete with other species.  Those plant chemicals are what we call vitamins, minerals, proteins, fatty acids, and so on.  There are so many wild plants with amazing health benefits but here are five to consider.

The Health Benefits of Foraging these Five Wild Species

Hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna

A small tree, often managed as a hedge, which blossoms in May, adorning field margins and roadsides with masses of white (occasionally pink), five-petalled flowers.

The whole tree contains flavonoid antioxidants that are extremely beneficial to the heart and blood circulatory system, protecting the blood vessels and arteries, moderating blood pressure – whether it be too high or too low, and lowering cholesterol.

Young leaves can be added to a salad – they don’t add much flavour but are worth adding just for their health benefits. Or you can flash fry the young leaves and sprinkle them with salt for a tasty snack.  Fresh flowers can be added to salads as well, giving a mild almond flavour.  That almond flavour can also be infused into water for a tea, or to make syrup by adding sugar to the infusion and simmering to reduce it to the desired thickness.  Don’t worry too much about the association between almond flavours and cyanide – you’d have to eat a whole tree’s worth of flowers before it would affect you.  So, please don’t eat a whole tree’s worth of flowers!

In September the berries (haws), with their apple-like flavour, are good for chutneys, ketchup, fruit leather or for adding to jams to help them to set, due to their high concentration of pectin.  Haws are high in Vitamin C and several B vitamins.

The leaves, the buds, the flowers and the haws are all good, so combined together have excellent health benefits. For example, add leaves, flowers and buds to a bottle of gin in the Spring, with some sugar.  In the Autumn add some haws to the mix.  By the following spring, you’ll have a tasty tonic for the heart.  Or try this delicious Hawthorn Bakewell Tart

Click here to see our Full Hawthorn Foraging Guide

Nettles, Urtica Dioica

A concentrated source of vitamins A, B, C, and K, all the major minerals, fatty acids, and all the amino acids we need; Nettles are one of the most nutritious plants on the planet.  They have two growth spurts – one in Spring and one in Autumn and these are the best times to harvest nettles for culinary purposes.  The leaves can be cooked and used like spinach, as a vegetable in their own right or in soups, casseroles or quiches, or use nettles to make a healthy pasta or bread to enjoy with nettle pesto, washed down with nettle cordial, wine or beer.

As they come into flower, nettles accumulate crystals of calcium carbonate in their leaves which gives them an unpleasant gritty texture and can cause pain in the kidneys.

In their Latin name, Urtica Dioica, the Dioica part means two houses.  This refers to the fact that there are male and female plants and they are often segregated into blocks of male or female stands. The male and female flowers are difficult to tell apart without a hand lens, but it is easy to recognise the female plants when they come into seed.

The seeds weigh the flowers down, so they hang in drupes from the leaf axils.  Seeds are high in protein and stimulating.  A drink made with nettle seeds is like drinking a triple expresso coffee and the histamine and choline help to boost your mood.  It’s best to use the seeds to make a smoothy as, if you try to make a tea the seeds just float on the surface.  The flowers and seeds do have hairs so they can sting you a bit but blending them should take care of that.  However, it’s recommended you don’t have more than 25g of nettle seeds in a day or you won’t be able to sleep!

Click here to see our Full Nettle Foraging Guide

Learn more about the medicinal uses of nettle seeds here

Dandelion, Taraxicum officinalis

Rich in Vitamins A, B, C and K, antioxidants, and minerals including potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, and beta-carotene. The Taraxacum part of their Latin name refers to their anti-inflammatory properties.  Taraxacum officinalis further endorses this property as ‘officinalis’ indicates that they were kept in the Officine of monasteries, where all the best foods and medicines were stored.

Dandelions are widely known for their diuretic properties – hence, for example, the French name for the flower, Pissenlit (wet the bed!).  As a mild diuretic, they support kidney function in filtering out toxins and reducing water retention, while replacing minerals lost through the expulsion of fluids such as potassium and other electrolytes. Potassium is important in maintaining the balance of fluids in the body as well as maintaining the correct functioning of the heart.

The roots and leaves can be used to make tea and beer.  The roots can also be toasted to make a mild coffee substitute.  Leaves can be eaten raw in salads or wilted to go with cooked root vegetables or stews and casseroles. Unopened flower buds can be made into capers.  Dandelion flowers have a soft honey flavour to counterbalance the slight bitterness of the leaves or to make into vegan honey.  The milky latex in the hollow stem can be used topically on skin conditions such as warts.

Click here to see our full Dandelion Foraging Guide

Seaweeds

Seaweeds are the most highly mineralised vegetables on earth, accumulating and concentrating minerals directly from the sea; they contain high levels of vitamins, particularly A and C, and have an excellent protein and amino acid profile. Their high iodine content makes them beneficial to the thyroid gland and they are high in soluble fibre which is good for digestion.  Most seaweeds have the ability to satiate the appetite, so act as an excellent diet food.  One exception to this is the kelps which have the opposite effect.  Kelps contain glutamic acids, from which monosodium glutamate (MSG) is derived. MSG has appetite-enhancing properties, so they make you feel hungry even after you have eaten.

Different seaweeds are found in different coastal regions and different zones of the tidal reach. It is well worth visiting your local stretch of coast to see which seaweeds are to be found as they all have tremendous health benefits. Please see my blog on Foraging for Seaweed for an overview and visit our Foraging Seaweeds Guide to access identification guides for different seaweed species.

Sea Buckthorn, Hippophae rhamnoides

The medicinal and nutritional benefits of Sea Buckthorn are referred to in an eighteenth-century Tibetan medical text.  The author of the text, Sibu Yidian, devotes thirty chapters to this plant regarding its health benefits and its value in balancing Yin and Yang energies.

The vitamin C content of Sea Buckthorn can be up to ten times higher than other citrus fruits. It also contains minerals including magnesium, iron, potassium, and calcium as well as vitamins A, E, and B-complex vitamins, including vitamin B12; an important nutrient for people who have removed meat from their diet. With a fat content of 7% and lots of healthy fat-soluble vitamins, the fruit allows your body to process the nutrients directly.

Sea Buckthorn also contains quercetin, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory flavonoid.  It’s high antioxidant content and intense pigmentation makes Sea Buckthorn valuable in convalescence.  Capsules containing Sea Buckthorn juice are often given for skin issues and low energy. The seeds, flowers, bark, and leaves are used in decoctions to aid many ailments from treating acne and bedsores, to blood pressure.

The berries can be made into jams or jellies for serving with savoury dishes or cheese, or can be made into juice, caramel or sorbet.

Sea Buckthorn Caramel

240g Sea Buckthorn  berries

240g Caster sugar

350ml water

Bring the berries and sugar to the boil until they form a light caramel  Add the water, boil again, then mix in a blender and pass through a fine sieve.

Sea Buckthorn Sorbet

1 litre Sea Buckthorn berry juice

800g caster sugar

2 vanilla pods, seeds only

100g glucose, warmed

4 leaf gelatine (soaked and metled with a drop of Sea Buckthorn berry juice

Mix all ingredients together until dissolved then pass through a fine sieve.  Churn in an ice cream machine.

In Conclusion on The Health Benefits of Foraging

In addition to providing unusual, tasty and colourful additions to your meals, and an abundance of nutritious ingredients, there is great satisfaction in eating something you found while out enjoying the fresh air and local scenery, whether that be a park, a beach, a woodland, meadow or hedgerow.  There are so many edible wild plants to choose from.  The more we make use of them, the more we appreciate them and recognise their importance in nature as well as their nutritional benefits.  Its a great way to reconnect to and remember our own place in the natural world.

Happy Foraging!

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Trees provide us with all sorts of environmental services – as well as just looking nice and making us feel good they can also act as windbreaks, and as screens that reduce noise and pollution from busy roads. They provide us with shade and cool us down in heatwaves. And of course they don’t just exist for our benefit – they are part of the complex web of species that all depend on each other and have done way before us humans came on the scene and started rearranging the landscape.

But did you know many trees are also edible?  Of course, like any other type of foraging, you need to remember that there are also many poisonous species and you need to practise identification skills to make sure you’ve got the right one. Also for the sake of your teeth, I wouldn’t recommend just taking a chomp out of the trunk. But read on to find out how to get fed from six very common trees that you can easily find in the UK – and one to avoid. 

So, if you are wandering through a park, through a wood or along a hedgerow somewhere and asking yourself… Can I eat those trees? 

Cherry – Yes! Both Wild Cherry (link) and the larger flowered ornamental varieties 

 you get in parks and gardens have edible flowers. Basically as long as you can confidently tell it’s some species of cherry, the flowers are safe to have a nibble on. Some taste sweeter than others, almost all will have a slight almondy after taste. 

Image from @foragedbyfern

The Ornamental ones don’t usually grow any fruits, but the wild ones do –  the wild cherries are usually very sour but sometimes the tree might be a hybrid with a domesticated sweet cherry variety. You’ll just have to try them to see whether its sweet or sour, and decide what recipe to do accordingly. Avoid eating Bird cherry though – the fruits are poisonous unless you process them . 

Hawthorn – Yes! The leaves, flowers and fruits  (or Haws) are all edible. Its usually the first tree to start bursting into leaf in Spring, and those new tender leaves make an excellent snack. The Flowers taste faintly of almonds, and the haws make an excellent ketchup. 

Ash – Yes!  The young shoots can be steamed and the seeds can be pickled. 

Oak  – Yes!

The whole tree contains high levels of tannins, making it all very bitter – but if you process the acorns the right way, they are incredibly nutritious and make a great addition for porridges and stews. Ground down into acorn flour,

the possibilities for cakes, biscuits and bread are endless – though because acorn flour is gluten free it wont behave the same way as normal wheat flour, so if you want your bread to rise it light be worth mixing a bit of both and experimenting with different proportions, 

Pine – Yes!

You need to make sure you aren’t confusing this with the poisonous Yew tree, which also has evergreen needles. But its a bit easier to tell the difference with Pine species than with other Christmas tree- looking conifers – The needles of pine species never join onto the twig by themselves. They always have at least one friend attached to them  – for Scots pine they join together as a pair, other species in clusters of three or more. As long as the needles aren’t single, it’s going to be a Pine tree, and If It’s Pine, It’s Fine (to safely have a nibble, that is) The needles taste citrusy and make a lovely tea, and can be used to flavour syrups and alcohols.

Blackthorn – Yes!

The flowers are edible and like its distant cousins the Cherry and Hawthorn, they taste slightly almondy. But its in autumn that the real payload appears – Blackthorn is also known as Sloe bush, as in delicious sloe gin! The tiny plum shaped sloe berries are incredibly sour and astringent tasting, so although they won’t harm you I wouldn’t recommend eating them raw.  Soak them in alcohol instead to get the sweet and fruity flavours activated. 

Very similar looking to Blackthorn but less common is the Damson tree – its basically a hybrid of a Blackthorn and a domesticated Plum, so it has bigger and sweeter fruits. These make excellent jam

Yew – Nope! …well, only a tiny bit… 

Yew is the tree that we teach beginners to avoid, as almost all of it is very poisonous and it could be confused with many edible conifer species because of its evergreen needle-like leaves.  However one of the key ID feature is that unlike the other conifers, it produces little red berries instead of cones. Because they look so gorgeous and tempting, they are a real hazard to small children, and the seed is so poisonous as to be deadly if too many are eaten. But! Here’s an interesting thing that not many people know. The red bit (or aril) on the outside of the seed is actually edible, and quite sweet. You just have to avoid chewing or swallowing the round seed! Because its a tricky one, we would recommend to avoid Yew unless you are really confident, and definitely teach your children not to eat those tempting red berries. At least until they are able to understand the danger difference between the aril and the seed. 

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Foraging in September is brilliant, September marks the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, it’s the month for berries, nuts and seeds. The wetter weather also marks the beginning of ‘mushroom season’ and you’ll see fungi springing up almost everywhere you look.

So what can you forage in September? Here are our top five picks for the month.

What to look for when Foraging in September

You can click on the species below to be taken to our full identification guides;

Hawthorn berries

An underused berry in my opinion, they are flavoursome and packed full of goodness. Lots of guidebooks recommend waiting until after the first frost but I tend to pick them as soon as they are ripe and freeze them for a couple of days to increase their sweetness. Once defrosted they’re really versatile and can be used in sweet and savory recipes.

Elderberries

One of the most nutritious berries that you can find, they are high in antioxidants and vitamins that boost your immune system, reduce inflammation and protect your heart, they also taste pretty good too! Use them in pies, crumble, jellies and liquors. While you’re picking them keep your eyes open for the Jelly Ear mushroom, they’re normally at their most striking now.

Acorn

A lot of people are under the illusion that acorns are toxic when in fact they are an incredible, edible resource. They can be used to make flour and coffee alternatives or used as you would any other nut. They are high in tannic acid which needs to be ‘leached’ out first which is simple but can be a bit time consuming.

Sweet chestnut

LIke acorns are an incredible edible nut, not to be confused with Horse Chestnut or conkers that are toxic but surprisingly can be used to make soap. Sweet chestnuts are traditionally roasted on an open fire at Christmas time but they can also be used to make flour, coffee, porridge and beer.

Hedgehog fungus

These little mushrooms could be my all time favourites, I love their flavour and texture and they keep a lot longer than many other species. They are quite common in woodlands from September until November and are very beginner friendly. The name comes from the ‘spines’ that cover the underside of the mushroom and are a key ID feature to look for.

Recipe of the month – Elderberry Pontack sauce

Elderberry Pontack sauce might be one of those things you’ve never heard of, but once you’ve tasted it you’ll never forget it. It’s difficult to describe but it’s a bit like if Worcestershire sauce, port & ketchup had a little party under a fruiting elder tree and created their own off-breed super sauce.

It goes specifically well with earthy flavours, think salt-baked beetroots or venison burgers, I often use it as a straight substitute as a more adult version of ketchup.

Ingredients:

• 400g elderberries, try to remove as much berry from the stalks as possible – I use a fork to help with that.
• 200ml white apple cider vinegar
• 200ml balsamic vinegar
• 100ml worcestershire sauce (or similar like hendersons)
• 2 red onions, peeled & diced
• 150g brown sugar
• 1 thumb ginger
• 1 tsp hogweed seeds or another spice of your liking for example cumin or coriander

Method:

1. Put all of the ingredients apart from the sugar in a slow cooker & allow it to stew over 4 hours (add a little extra liquid if it looks like it may dry out but it shouldn’t)
2. After a couple of hours use a potato masher to mash everything up and get as much of the juice out as possible.
3. Strain through a sieve or muslin cloth to remove and thick or woody bits and the fruit
4. Pop in a pan and bring to a simmer & add the sugar stirring until it’s nicely dissolved.
5. Bottle & enjoy
6. You can keep it on the pan for a bit if you’re after a thicker, more sticky sauce – that’s up to you.
7. It can be eaten straight away but it’s best left to mature for a week or two if you can resist it.

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Mayday traditionally marks the beginning of summer and May can often be one of the warmest and driest months of the year, foraging in may can be fruitful. Spring greens are still out in force and the warmer weather means the next wave of edibles is just beginning.

So what can you forage in May? Here are our top five picks for the month.

What to look for when foraging in May

You can click on the species below to be taken to our full identification guides; 

Hawthorn

In May the hawthorn bushes are in full bloom. Their flowers are a signature of May and their thorny branches feature in May Day traditions all over the UK. The flowers have an amazing almondy flavour and are great added to salads, used in deserts or infused in alcohol.

Fairy ring champignons

A lovely late spring, early summer time mushroom, They get their common name as they grow in rings. The rings can vary greatly in size depending on the age of the parent mycelium.

The mushrooms contain high levels of sugar called trehalose, which prevents cell damage when the mushrooms become extremely dry. So even if the weather does get hot they still tend to be in a good condition.

Ox-eye daisy

I think this is one of the best tasting flowering plants, the flowers and leaves are both edible and delicious.

I pickle the unopened flower buds and use them as a caper alternative.

When the flower buds have fully opened they are lovely dipped in a tempura batter and deep fried or they can be simply tossed through a fresh salad.

The young leaves have a strong herbal flavour when raw and I add them finely chopped to salads; they can also be cooked in a similar way to spinach.

Irish sea moss or Carrageen

Carrageen is an increasingly popular seaweed due to its immune boosting properties, it can be found along most of the British coastline and it’s easy to ID. It’s a seaweed that most of us will have eaten perhaps unknowingly as it’s used a lot as a vegan thickener or stabiliser and appears in vegan milks, toothpaste and beers. 

Ladies Smock

A common member of the Cabbage family is at its best in spring. The flowers and leaves have a spicy, horseradish type flavour  that works well in a variety of dishes. Normally found in meadows, where it gets established it can become hyper abundant.

Recipe of the month for Foraging in May

Carrageen Pudding

This is a traditional Irish recipe that’s quite similar to an Italian panna cotta.

Ingredients 

10g dried carrageen moss 

600ml milk 

1 vanilla pod 

1 large egg, separated 

30g caster sugar 

300ml double cream

Instructions 

Soak the carrageen in warm water for about 10 minutes until it softens. 

Drain off the water and place the seaweed in a saucepan with the milk. 

Split and scrape the seeds of the vanilla pod into the milk and add the pod too. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. 

Put the egg yolk into a bowl with the sugar and mix well with a whisk. 

Strain the milk mixture onto the egg yolk, pushing through all the jelly-like, swollen moss with the back of a spoon. 

Add the cream and leave to cool, then pour into individual ramekins and refrigerate for 30 minutes or so until set. 

I like to serve mine with a fresh coulis made from wild berries.

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Ingredients:

• 1 Tin Mixed wild beans, drained (usually around 200g)
• 1/4 green cabbage, finely sliced
• 1/2 shallot onion, finely sliced
• Wild Salad ingredients (dandelion, vetch, sea purslane, Ground Ivy, the list goes on that will work here.)
• Vinaigrette

Method & Ingredients for Vinaigrette

I like to use a wild infused vinegar here but you can use the regular too (for my wild infused I put berries, plums or other fruit in apple vider vinegar and leave to infuse over a month – it will last forever so you can make a bunch with left over fruits from a glut.

1. 100ml vinegar (apple cider if not wild)
2. 1tbsp honey
3. 50ml water
4. 100ml oil, rapeseed or olive
5. pour it all in to a bottle and shake really well and you’re done!

Method for our Wild Bean Salad:

1. Add all of your ingredients to a bowl and mix dry
2. Then pour over your vinaigrette & mix well again
3. Season well and mix for one last time
4. Top with some more delicate wild ingredients & edible flowers if you have some and you’re done

Find more Wild Recipes right here

References

Find more Vinaigrettes here

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Edible flowers are Such a beautiful, nutritious and waste-free way to add vibrant colour to your recipes.

In theory you can use any edible flower for this purpose, even wild garlic flowers – which may give youa very interesting final flavour (although I have heard of people making ice cream with the stuff, which sounds mental to me – so who knows, maybe it would work)

However here are some of our favourite flowers to this with are:

• Primroses,
• Cowslip
• Cherry blossom,
• Hawthorn blossom,
• Dead nettles,
• Ground ivy,
• Dandelions,
• Daisies,
• Forget me not,
• Sweet violets,
• Gorse and many more….

What You’ll need for Crystalising Edible Flowers …

• Edible flowers and small leaves of your choice
• Granulated sugar
• Egg white or chickpea water (vg)
• A paint brush
• Parchment paper

Method…

1. Do each flower one at a time:
2. paint your flower in the egg white/ chickpea water so they are covered but not soggy and will keep their shape.

   

3. Sprinkle over granulated sugar on the face and underside.
4. Place face down on parchment paper ( I find this helps with keeping the shape as best as possible)
5. Leave to air for about 2 days until crisp dry.
6. These can then be stored in an airtight container for a couple of months.
7. Pop them onto cakes, desserts or anything you want to look and taste incredible –
8. here’s ours on top of some nettle cupcakes…

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I used a classic buttery biscuit recipe and added dried lavender to make these Blackberry Biscuits.

Welcome to our delectable recipe guide for mouth-watering Blackberry Biscuits! These scrumptious treats are the perfect blend of sweet, tangy blackberries and tender, flaky biscuit dough that will have you and your loved ones coming back for seconds (and maybe even thirds). Ideal for a delightful breakfast, indulgent afternoon tea, or a heartwarming dessert, our Blackberry Biscuits are sure to become a cherished staple in your home kitchen.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the simple steps to create these irresistible biscuits from scratch, using fresh, wholesome ingredients that harmoniously meld together to create a symphony of flavors and textures. You’ll also find handy tips and tricks to ensure your biscuits turn out perfectly every time, as well as suggestions for customizing the recipe to suit your personal preferences or dietary needs.

So roll up your sleeves, preheat your oven, and get ready to embark on a delicious adventure that will tantalize your taste buds and introduce you to the heavenly world of Blackberry Biscuits!

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour

• 3/4 cup butter 

• 3/4 cup sugar 

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 tsp dried lavender 

• A Pinch of salt

• 

Find our blackberry Foraging Guide here

Method

• Cream together the sugar and egg

• Then go to town and mix all your ingredients together!

• Refrigerate for an hour then roll out to cue some nice thick biscuits!

• Bake at gas mark 3 for 12 minutes!

Now top them with delicious icing! For the icing I boiled up a handful of blackberries and a few hawthorns flower until they were soft and then mixed in icing sugar until thick – it will get thicker as it cools! Spread the cooled icing on, and topped with dried lavender from earlier this year! 

️ The light floral taste of the lavender goes so well with the rich, sweet berry flavours! 

Words and imagery from @foraged.by.fern instagram

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Hawthorne flowers provide a very surprising and incredible flavour reminiscent of almonds – making them the perfect thing to turn in to a Bakewell tart and this is a perfect recipe from Sam – once you’ve made the syrup as well you can store it and use it wherever you’d like a sweet almond hit. forward from James.

Ingredients:

For the Hawthorne syrup

• Hawthorn flowers 2 handfulls of flowers on their stalks
• 2 cups of Sugar
• 2 cups of water

For the pastry

• 200g butter
• 1 cup of flour
• Some hawthorn syrup

For the frangipane

• 120g butter, softened
• 120g hawthorn syrup
• 1 egg
• 1 cup plain flour
• 90g cherry jam

For the icing

• Water
• 200g icing sugar

Method:

To make the Hawthorne syrup, put the sugar and water in a pan and heat until dissolved, allow to cool and then add the flowers, give it a little mix then cover and leave over night. Next day strain the liquid off and discard the flowers. This can be boiled again to sterilise and kept in air right jars for future use.

For the pastry

I don’t do rubbing in, it takes for ever and I’ve usually got dirt from foraging up my nails which I don’t want in my pastry. So in a food processor add butter and flour and wizz until bread crumbs (takes about 30 seconds! Compared to hours rubbing in!) then still in the processor add a little of the syrup until it starts to form a firm pastry, I usually do this a tableSpoon at a time. Leave to chill in the fridge for about 30 mins.

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly butter a 12 hole muffin tin. once the pastry has rested, use a 10cm circular pastry cutter to cut 12 circles out of the pastry sheet. Press the cut circles into the holes of the tin, making sure they come right up and slightly over the top – pushing out any creases. Scrunch up 10cm x 10cm squares of baking paper and then un-scrunch and use to line each of the pastry tarts, then fill with baking beans, rice or dried pulses. Bake for 10 mins, then remove the paper and beans and bake for 10 mins longer, until golden brown. Set aside to cool a little.

To make the frangipane

Make the filling by beating together the butter and hawthorne syrup until light and fluffy, then whisk in the egg, followed by the flour (the flour will prevent the mixture from splitting). Spoon a level tsp of cherry jam into each of the pastry shells, followed by a tablespoon of the frangipane mixture. Bake for 20 mins, until the frangipane is golden and springy. Set aside to cool completely. Neaten the edges of the pastry with a small knife or scissors if you like.
Mix the icing sugar with 2 tbsp water. Spread the icing over each of the tarts, top each with a glacé Cherry or some flowers , leave to set for 20 mins, then serve with tea

Tips or extra notes:

If you add too much jam you lose the favour of the Hawthorne.
Pink Hawthorne has a lot less flavour than the white but works really well for a striking and colourful garnish.

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