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Todays harvest
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judyofthewoods



Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire
PostPosted: Mon Jul 30, 07 8:52 pm    Post subject: Re: Todays harvest Reply with quote
    

cab wrote:
judyofthewoods wrote:

Golly, cab, you live near the equator?


Its odd, but for such a small island, Great Britain has massive variations between the regions for what is ripe when. Would you believe I also spotted the first ripe hawthorn berries of the year on Saturday?


I have noticed huge differences even on my trip into town (12-13 road miles), with some plants being well over a month apart in their development. I did spot the first ripe blackberry in a sunny spot today, but all ohers are still green and small.

Judith, you lucky so-and-so! I have been looking out for them every few days in a spot I first discovered them last year, but nothing yet. Give it a few more warm days after all this rain, and they should be growing like, eh, mushrooms.

Has anyone tried Marsh Cinquefoil berries? I spotted some a couple of weeks ago, one almost ripe, but when I went back today, most were on the ground, not ripe yet - slugs perhaps or the foul weather. Looks like a strawberry, and of comparable size to a big wild strawberry. The PFF database only mentions edible leaves, but there is no known danger either. Whether the berry is not very nice, or it was an oversight of PFF I don't know. Probably the former, as they talk in detail about how they propagated and grew the plant, if that was the case they must have spotted the berries. Would be nice if it was as nice as a strawberry, 'couse on top of it, its a most stunningly beautiful flower.

gil
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18409

PostPosted: Mon Jul 30, 07 8:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Today's forage : a colander of wild redcurrants. Going back for more tomorrow, as the bush is laden. Also picked my own redcurrants.

cab



Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

PostPosted: Mon Jul 30, 07 9:21 pm    Post subject: Re: Todays harvest Reply with quote
    

judyofthewoods wrote:

Has anyone tried Marsh Cinquefoil berries? I spotted some a couple of weeks ago, one almost ripe, but when I went back today, most were on the ground, not ripe yet - slugs perhaps or the foul weather. Looks like a strawberry, and of comparable size to a big wild strawberry.


I've eaten berries that looked like strawberries but were bland as anything, then later wondered whether they could have been marsh cinquefoil...

judyofthewoods



Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire
PostPosted: Mon Jul 30, 07 9:27 pm    Post subject: Re: Todays harvest Reply with quote
    

cab wrote:
I've eaten berries that looked like strawberries but were bland as anything, then later wondered whether they could have been marsh cinquefoil...


I tried one of the near ripe berries which had come off the plant to see if there was any indication of flavour, and it was indeed very bland. May be what you had then, and might be why they are not mentioned in foraging books. But having said that, Common knapweed is listed as edible in some publications - well I spat it out quicker than you could say "ugh".

cab



Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

PostPosted: Mon Jul 30, 07 9:33 pm    Post subject: Re: Todays harvest Reply with quote
    

judyofthewoods wrote:

I tried one of the near ripe berries which had come off the plant to see if there was any indication of flavour, and it was indeed very bland. May be what you had then, and might be why they are not mentioned in foraging books. But having said that, Common knapweed is listed as edible in some publications - well I spat it out quicker than you could say "ugh".


Foraging books seem to copy bland but readily identified things from each other. Or, worse, nasty edible things. Rats tail plantain and rose bay willowherb, why even list them as edible when they're so very biter?

Knapweed has to be really young. Then its still not worth it, but it ain't yucky.

judyofthewoods



Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire
PostPosted: Mon Jul 30, 07 9:58 pm    Post subject: Re: Todays harvest Reply with quote
    

cab wrote:
Foraging books seem to copy bland but readily identified things from each other. Or, worse, nasty edible things. Rats tail plantain and rose bay willowherb, why even list them as edible when they're so very biter?

Knapweed has to be really young. Then its still not worth it, but it ain't yucky.


The very young shoots of Rosebay Willowherb are quite acceptable, not at all bitter. The knapweed was not very young, but not flowering either, and extremely bitter (ugh to me). I agree, plantain (Ribwort is what I tried) is very bitter, but so good for you, that its worth considering. There are few wild greens I would consider tasty enough as a pot vegetable, but mixed in with other food will add a nutritious extension. Edible and palatable don't always go together, alas, and people's tastes and tollerance vary too. I guess it all depends on your reasons for eating wild food, and under what circumstances.

gil
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18409

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 07 6:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

More wild redcurrants, and a surprise encounter with next-door downhill's bull, last seen very purposefully heading up the (public) road towards next-door uphill's heifers.

toggle



Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 11622
Location: truro
PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 07 8:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

ok, mixture of foraged and off the plot,

a couple lbs of baby onions, they are just gonna rot in damp soil, so i'll eat em now.

a handful of thyme, to go with onions in a stewpot.

a single radish, semi obscene

8lbs of blackberries

10lbs of small plums

judith



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire
PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 07 9:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

toggle wrote:
a single radish, semi obscene


Enough to enter in the rude veg competition?

frewen



Joined: 08 Sep 2005
Posts: 11405

PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 07 9:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

A neighbour has just asked me what some trees in her back garden are and can she do anything with the fruit.

She has a plum, damson and greengage - result

tahir



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45389
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 07 3:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Frewen wrote:
A neighbour has just asked me what some trees in her back garden are and can she do anything with the fruit.

She has a plum, damson and greengage - result


I take it you told her "No, nothing at all, let me pick them and dispose of them for you"

dottyspots



Joined: 28 Jun 2007
Posts: 286
Location: South Yorks
PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 07 10:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We managed 5 blackberries

Mind you, there's a shedload of fruit ripening so I'll be going back regularly to make sure I stock up.

gil
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18409

PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 07 2:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

More bilberries - just a couple of handfuls in passing, cos there's too much else to do.

cab



Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 07 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I wish we got wild bilberries here

frewen



Joined: 08 Sep 2005
Posts: 11405

PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 07 6:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

tahir wrote:
Frewen wrote:
A neighbour has just asked me what some trees in her back garden are and can she do anything with the fruit.

She has a plum, damson and greengage - result


I take it you told her "No, nothing at all, let me pick them and dispose of them for you"


Of course I didn't - I offered to show her how to make jam and wine with them.


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