FORAGING FOR FOOD
Some of the tastiest food you ever eat can come out of the hedgerows and countryside. At most times of the year you can pick up something very tasty to put in the salad or make into a delicious pudding. Now that we have the fast summer plant growth we can go foraging.
Some of the tastiest food you ever eat can come out of the hedgerows and countryside. At most times of the year you can pick up something very tasty to put in the salad or make into a delicious pudding. Now that we have the fast summer plant growth we can go foraging.
We might have to wait a while to get certain fruit. Crab apples, sloes and rosehips are still too young yet, but hawthorn leaves are out in abundance. It might surprise you that these young leaves are extremely tasty and make a great addition to any salad. The berries later on in the year are also edible and are very high in vitamin C.
A few plants to look out for
Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica). We have just had our first stinging nettle soup of the year and delicious it was too.
Ransoms (Allium ursinum), -also known as wild garlic. Walking along the paths of Swan Park in Buncrana you will see swathes of this plant. It will complement many dishes.
Gorse (Ulex europaeus). This thorny plant makes a beautiful backdrop to the hillsides of Inishowen as it burst into intense yellow blooms. The plant's flowers are intensely flavoured and make a colourful (and tasty) accompaniment to any salad or wine ingredient. Just be careful how you pick them!
Bogland heather (Calluna vulgaris). Young tips can be used to make mead or ale. The flowers are also edible and make a colourful addition to a hedgerow salad or a boiled pudding.
Primrose (Primula vulgaris) and Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinal ) Both have tasty flower heads for a salad.
Garlic mustard (Allaria petiolata) This common hedgerow plant has tasty leaves full of vitamin C that make an excellent addition to any salad. The leaves also have antiseptic qualities and can be added as a preservative to stews or sauces that you want to freeze.
Sheep's Sorrel (Rumex acetosella) These leaves are very common around the peninsula. The leaves and stems of the plants are edible and can be eaten both raw or cooked. However, like all the sorrel family the plant is high in oxalic acid, which is mildly toxic and interferes with digestion. However, cooking the plant by blanching in hot water leaches out the chemical and renders it safe for consumption, it will remind you of spinach.
A few plants to look out for
Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica). We have just had our first stinging nettle soup of the year and delicious it was too.
Ransoms (Allium ursinum), -also known as wild garlic. Walking along the paths of Swan Park in Buncrana you will see swathes of this plant. It will complement many dishes.
Gorse (Ulex europaeus). This thorny plant makes a beautiful backdrop to the hillsides of Inishowen as it burst into intense yellow blooms. The plant's flowers are intensely flavoured and make a colourful (and tasty) accompaniment to any salad or wine ingredient. Just be careful how you pick them!
Bogland heather (Calluna vulgaris). Young tips can be used to make mead or ale. The flowers are also edible and make a colourful addition to a hedgerow salad or a boiled pudding.
Primrose (Primula vulgaris) and Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinal ) Both have tasty flower heads for a salad.
Garlic mustard (Allaria petiolata) This common hedgerow plant has tasty leaves full of vitamin C that make an excellent addition to any salad. The leaves also have antiseptic qualities and can be added as a preservative to stews or sauces that you want to freeze.
Sheep's Sorrel (Rumex acetosella) These leaves are very common around the peninsula. The leaves and stems of the plants are edible and can be eaten both raw or cooked. However, like all the sorrel family the plant is high in oxalic acid, which is mildly toxic and interferes with digestion. However, cooking the plant by blanching in hot water leaches out the chemical and renders it safe for consumption, it will remind you of spinach.
I must stress here that when you are foraging for food in the hedgerow; make sure you know what you are picking. Don’t let children just eat any old thing, especially not mushrooms until you give them the all clear.
Elderflower cordial
Later on in the year we will be getting elder berries to make jam and wine but for now we can be using the flowers for a refreshing cordial
Elderflower cordial is a delicious summer tonic that you can make yourself. Julie’s mother makes plenty of bottles of this tasty drink every year and it goes down really well with children and adults alike.
This recipe is best made with fresh flowers, which have been picked on a sunny day when they are still creamy in colour and before they fade to white. At this time they have the highest amount of pollen, which contains the yeast.
4.5 litres (1 gallon) of water
1.8kg (4lb) cane sugar
Juice and thinly peeled rind of 6 unwaxed lemons
70 grams of citric acid (2.5 ounces)
40 elderflower heads. Shake them well to remove live insects and only wash if picked beside a road.
(The ingredients are very open to interpretation, you might like to use less lemons or use 30ml (2 tblsp) of cider or wine vinegar in place of the citric acid) There is also a recipe for elderflower champagne which only uses 2 flower heads.
Method: Bring the water to the boil and pour into a sterilised container. Add the sugar, stirring until dissolved. When cool add the lemon rind and juice, also the citric acid (or vinegar) and elderflowers. Cover with several layers of muslin and leave for 24 hours. Stir 3 times a day for 5 days. Filter through muslin into strong glass bottles. The drink is ready after two weeks. Serve chilled, diluted with still or carbonated water to taste. It is best used within three months but it has been known to last up to two years.
For an extra special treat at dinnertime, why not dip the fresh flower heads in batter and deep fry.
Photo: Make a refreshing cordial with elderflowers
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