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What to Forage |
Autumn
Autumn is almost upon us, and with it brings the delights of a new season’s wild food. Find some easy foraging finds, tips on processing wild food, and guidelines for responsible foraging.
Foraging is one of the many joys of connecting with nature and the passing of the seasons. We must make sure we are being responsible when foraging for wild food - below are some guiding principles for our foraging to help keep our impact as minimal as possible, whilst enjoying the larder of delights Autumn offers.
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Take only what you need – only collect where there are fruits, flowers, seeds and plants in abundance, leaving plenty for other foragers, and most importantly the local wildlife that rely on these food sources. It is helpful to know what you want to do with your wild foods before picking them, this helps to minimise waste.
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Know what you can and can’t collect – both by law (rare & protected species), and what is safe to eat. NEVER pick wild food if you are unsure of it’s identification. You can always take photos/videos to refer back to later if you want to look it up for future reference – google/wild foods apps/foraging handbooks can help with identification. Be especially careful with mushrooms, follow the rule if you’re not 100% sure it is safe to eat, leave it where it is.
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Know where you can and can’t forage – don’t disturb areas of Special Scientific Interest (SSI) and only forage on private land where you have permission to do so.
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Don’t damage the habitats whilst foraging for wild food – using the correct tools such as a foragers knife, and picking carefully can help avoid damage.
Hawthorn berries (Crataegus monogyna)
Find me: Hedgerows, woodland and scrub
Looks like: Tiny red apples!
When to find: September to December
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Hawthorn berries, also known as haws are a hedgerow staple throughout Autumn and, once cooked, are an excellent staple to make ketchups, sweet and sour sauces, or jams or jellies. They are a round fruit, with a centred single stone, around 1cm in size. These berries grow in clusters, and can typically be found from September to December. Not the easiest to pick (you might want some gloves) or process, but worth the effort. Best picked when they are a deep scarlet red and fully ripe with some softness to the touch.
Rosehip (Rosa canina)
Find me: Hedgerows and edges of woodland
Looks like: Orange/Red seed pods
When to find: September to November
Rosehips are the seed pods of rose plants commonly seen in hedgerows, and are a beautiful red/orange colour depending on ripeness. Typically found from September through to November, they are an excellent source of hedgerow goodness containing high levels of Vitamin C – turned into wines, jams, syrups, cordials and ferments such as kombucha, they are deliciously sweet once cooked and processed. The pods contain hairy seeds that need to be thoroughly sieved during the processing. A labour of love as with most wild foods, but very much worth the effort.
