[sandy]

This year I am determine to crop lot's of wild stuff and know where I can find garlic, raspberries, brambles etc but what about other stuff, idealy I would like a calender with what to find at what time of year, I have RIver Cotage but need something more simple, so, anyone knows what to eat, find pictures so I do not pick some trippy stuff (well maybe) and when it is ready to pick, I will be realy happy as I love to collect stuff while I am walking the dogs... Sandy

[rustyme]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Food-Free-Richard-Mabey/dp/0002201593

hello Sandy,
I have had a copy of this book for 30 years plus (the one on this link is a new updated version), and I have actually lived on the stuff gathered following the book. I did it to see if it could be done... , well it can , although it is a very different diet to the norm !!!     It is one of the best around, giving very clear descriptions, of where and when to find just about anything edible in the UK.     I think it maybe just what you need ?

cheers

Russ

[sandy]

Thanks, we have an Amazon voucher and will order it in a mo, ready for gathering all that free food, maybe I will loose wieght, my brother has been eating some herbs and his health has improved but is not sure if it is what he eats or co incedence, anyway, I will give it a try!!

[sandy]

Just ordered the book now and have also ordered a book on walks in the area, I love living in Clackmannanshire, so much to see and so much to explore, we love to find things durring our walks and hope to make things for CHristmas, my SOn in law had some slow gin, not sure hwere to get the berries so I will soon find out, Thanks, Sandy

[doganjo]

Sloes are the fruit of the blackthorn bush.  They are abundant in England as they have hedgerows planted with the stuff.  It's jabby though so wear gloves.  You can grow it here, John and I planted a hedge of it a number of years ago.  I must have a nosey next time I'm up north to see if the old man has pulled that out too.  He laid chuckies over hundreds of pounds worth of sleeping plants and killed them all.  If he'd said he was going to do it I'd have rescued tehm as I had a plan of the garden.

http://www.druidry.org/obod/trees/blackthorn.html

[sandy]

I thought I had not seen any here!! I used to be well up on plants as my brother is a Botanist and I used to know all sorts of stuff but I must have had a brain by pass as I forgot things. I also tasted some bramble Brandy, that was very nice, I still have loads of brambles from last year. I am going to buy an air rifle so we can go out shooting, we also need some farm to shot on

[doganjo]

Remember I have pointing dogs if you need any help finding things to shoot.  I think rabbits and pigeons are probably all you'll be allowed to shoot though as there is a close season for game birds, and an air rifle would need to be pretty up close to kill phessies or partridge anyway.  I've noticed too that farmers are often very precious about shooting on their land other than what they class as vermin.

[rustyme]

I hope you enjoy the book !!!! It will stand you in good stead on the foraging front. As for the air rifle , you will need a very powerful one to get bunnies , unless you make a hide and wait for hours freezing to death !!!..lol. My nephew hunts and he paid about £500 for a gas one to get bunnies....he has just sold it to get a Harris Hawk instead. My little air rifle is ok upto about 25 yards but you try and get that close to a bunny!!!! My longbow would be ok upto about 75 yards for a rabbit but it is illegal to use one on live prey . After 75 yards it would be just my poor shooting not the bow that would make me miss. I am still waiting for my nephew to come and hit the bunny population on my land. Sloes.....I have a few hundred yards of hedge of them , but they all go to waste really as I don't drink , so no sloe gin    I also have tons of blackberries when in season, so plenty of jam and crumble, still got to try to make jam with honey (from my bees) instead of sugar. I don't know if it will work ok ? it should do. If the bees make some honey this year (last year was really bad ) I must have a go . Got plenty of rosehips too , so I can keep up with the ole vitamin c thing , a large spoonfull a day is enough I think. Also got plenty of wild mushroom that pops up on the land , even magic mushrooms (which my dog eats and goes mental !!!) she really is out there on pluto after eating them . I try my best to clear them before she sees them ....only I could have a junkie dog !!!   

good luck foraging when you get the book 

cheers

Russ

[doganjo]

Hi Russ
Gosh you are a busy bee!  Even if you don't drink you could make use of the sloes.  Sloe or bramble(blackberry) gin or vodka is so easy to make and it would make excellent gifts.  You probably couldn't sell it, you know what the law is like, but I can see the potential for it being a good bartering tool 
Annie

[rustyme]

Hello Annie,
              you are quite right about the sloe/blackberry gin being good for gifts, but most of my family have either given up drinking almost completely or they have a problem there , so I wouldn't want to be the one to add to it... .  The bartering side may well come in handy though , if things keep going as they are . The only problem there is I am almost completely broke and couldn't afford the gin in the first place.....I have thought about making a still though , to make ethanol for fuel . Ethanol being alcohol so I could go into the moonshine buisiness...lol (that was a joke any customs men reading). I have enough scrap to make a still  , and can grow enough stuff to convert so , maybe worth having a go.....er for fuel that is ... not moonshine .... I watched the new version of Survivors on tv recently, and remembered the original from the seventies,so looked on youtube and there it was. It struck me about halfway through the first series, that I am doing what they were trying to do in the program...lol ...Oh well , if armageddon strikes I will be ok .
   Now where are those still plans.....?

cheers

Russ

[Wellieboots]

Sandy

If you are looking for sloes, head to Bridge of Allan, go up Blairforkie Drive (just after the Allan Water Cafe) and near the top of that road, by the end of the field on the left is a big blackthorn tree that bursts with sloes every year. There is also one further up on the same side & the Darn Walk between Bridge Of Allan & Dunblane is full of wild garlic come spring.
Also Drumdroles (my spelling here is rubbish) which is again further up the same road and next to a part of the darn path has a large old plum orchard that they are happy for you to pick plums from if you ask as they now just breed pheasants in there.
I've now moved up to near Blairgowrie so have to start the foraging map again! But already have gooseberries, chestnuts, brambles etc. map-marked!

[sandy]

Thanks, i can see a steady stream of TAS people gathering everything!!! I have never seen wild goosberries, I used to have some in a garden but they always got eaten before they rippened so I am amazed they can be cropped wild without being eaten. I still haven't got my book " Food For Free" it is on it's way, my brother is a botanist and spent years compiling information for the FLora and Forna of Great Britain and so, the group was asked to contribute to that book some years ago but they were very reluctant to pass on information as, at the time as they had put all the effort into gathering information from the whole of the UK, my rother spent many happy hours counting "weeds" Thanks again, Sandy

[garden cottage]

hi sandy, we have an old book called wild fruit and nuts by geoffrey eley ep publishing 1976, absolutely superb all uk hedgerow gathering food and loads of recipes for each one.............neil

[sandy]

Food for free arrived and I have found it facinating, I have a camper van (when it's back on the road) and I quite fancy taking a ride out later on in the year and gathering loads of stuff, with my partner and dogs. I also want to give wine a try and sloe Gin, I have never done it before. I think I will stay clear of mushrooms for now!!!! But it is certainly fun looking as I get board with just going for walks daily with my dogs and need something to collect, at the moment it is usualy weeds for the Chickens...Thanks, I will look out for that book, Sandy

[doganjo]

I'll come with you sometime when Steve is working.  I fancy doing some foraging too.