This is far from the best year for wild fruits, but there are still some ripe pickings out there. Hawthorn berries and rose hips can be found in abundance, but I have struggled to find decent patches for elderberries, sloes and cherry plums in London.
Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) Caution: Hogweed is a member of the carrot family which contains several highly poisonous species. Direct contact with the raw plant can cause phototoxic effects, so always wear gloves and long sleeves when handling. Hogweed is very widespread, growing in meadows, hedgerows and along the edges of fields. It has large pinnate…
Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) Unsurprisingly this common hedgerow plant tastes like both garlic and mustard.
Elderflower biscuit recipe (guest post from Miriam) I baked elderflower biscuits for Jason’s Parent and Child Wild Food Walk last weekend. I adapted a recipe for lavender biscuits which I have used with various wild flowers and blossoms, including Yarrow and Meadowsweet. It uses ground almonds which gives the biscuits a lovely texture and a…
Ramsons (Allium ursinum) There are around 10 different types of garlic that grow natively in Britain, but ramsons are what most people think of when they hear the words ‘wild garlic’. This is because it is easily the most common and profilic Allium species, as well as having the largest leaves, making it more usable and…
Hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) I did not have to go far to find this peppery little plant – I picked it from between the paving slabs in my back garden and then sprinkled it on my lunch. Hairy bittercress thrives in freshly disturbed ground, and is therefore most common in well weeded gardens, under orchards and…
Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) When I went for a stroll the other day I was quite surprised to see this patch of Alexanders flourishing so early in the year. Normally I wouldn’t expect them until late February/ early March, but it appears this year they are taking advantage of the mild winter to get a head start on…
Forage Wild Food 