[Birdie Wife]

Go for the nettles when they come up - they make a really really lovely soup and can be used as a vegetable steamed by itself or in risotto etc.  If you've never tried it, you'll be very pleasantly surprised  and it's really good for you, lots of iron.  Go for the young tops when they come up in the spring and stay away from patches near dog walking throughfares 

We are lucky enough to live where bilberries are relatively plentiful, I've also harvested cowberries (lingonberries by another name), bog cranberry (so much sweeter than anything you find in the shops, they're like little jewels full of nectar) and cloudberry - not in any great quantity, but it's a grand day out nevertheless.

[sandy]

Already noticed the recipe for nettle soup, I will give that a try, there are also lot's of ideas for young leaves in the book, particularly Hawthorn, all the hedges around will be bare!!! No but I will give them a try. Where abouts are you? I am in central Sotland and will have to look up all those fruits!!! I'm off to make tea now, just stuff from a supermarket for now, and not natures pantry, Thanks Sandy

[doganjo]

Sandy, we should have taken your book with us on our dog walk today!  Didn't think of it at teh time, might have given us some ideas.
Annie

[sandy]

Well there are always loads of nettles, where I go they may need a wash due to dogs!!!! anyway, nettle soup here we go!!!!!! we could have a cook in!!! P.S. Islay has a cut near her eye but is OK, Loved my tat tar, Sandy

[doganjo]

Oops, sorry about that - maybe need to get that muzzle for Hester.  What's the tat tar?

[sandy]

A lot of people take thier dogs for tatar's as in wave buy buy, or walkies, not sure of the spelling, I make words up that look OK....Out at work this weekend, in and out more than the people on a swiss clock!!!!!! Steve is logging with Tom and is loving it!!! must be the same farm you were tlking about, are they on this forum as the farm is hard to get t but is South of Gartmore, Sandy

[doganjo]

Rosemary may know if Jane is on here, although tbh I haven't seen sign of her. Didn't twig about the tat tars - oops again!  Not much in the way of 'walkies' for my lot today with all that rain.  Thank goodness they are happy to have a good run round the half acre at the back then for a change do the same at the front.  Fortunately Donald (my son) managed to re-fit the gates under the railway bridge so they can't get out of the front garden and onto the railway line now!  It was a bit scary when I found them missing one time and when calling them they appeared outside the garden!  They had run along the burn and under the bridge into the field across the lane!

[Wellieboots]

'ello again

if you decide to take your dogs for a walk up Dumyat, then the wee burn opposite the usual car parking spot on the Sheriffmuir road has a massive amount of mint as well!

oh & Dumyat is also good for magic mushrooms (ahem!) & heather tops for making heather beer

Lossburn Resi usually has loads of shaggy inkcaps when in season

And wild hawthorn leaves are quite good in a salad, I don't think they have a huge taste but they do have a nice crunch to them

The back road to Dunblane is also a treasure trove of foraging fun with wild garlic, wild chives, mushrooms etc. all usually in great abundance as no-one in "upper bridge of allan" seems to indulge in some wild food - they're all too posh, opps & I used to live there!

happy foraging, get the food for free book (the tiny pocket sized one is ideal) & for shrooms the river cottage handbook no1 Mushrooms by John wright is a bloody fun read but also chock full of piccies and ways of identifying 'shrooms - it has become my bible....

"if in any doubt, go without" is always a good moto when foraging for wild grub!

[sandy]

I carn't waite to get out forraging, it would be nice to get my VW camper back on the road as I can brew  up a tea or coffee to warm up or cool down!!! and have a break while I forrage and of course to load all the "goodies" into...I miss my V Dub bus, 1971 and still going stong, just needs breaks sorting  and a bit of  :Pwelding then...I'm offffffffffffffff..Thanks, my mouths watering already!!

[Birdie Wife]

Already noticed the recipe for nettle soup, I will give that a try, there are also lot's of ideas for young leaves in the book, particularly Hawthorn, all the hedges around will be bare!!! No but I will give them a try. Where abouts are you? I am in central Sotland and will have to look up all those fruits!!! I'm off to make tea now, just stuff from a supermarket for now, and not natures pantry, Thanks Sandy

I'm up in the far north, not far from Thurso.  You might be lucky enough to have some peat bog somewhere near you, all remaining areas of peatland are protected now and that's the place to look for cranberries.  I visited Kirkconnell Moss a few years back and it was 'polluted' with the things, as they say! Not sure about foragers rights in protected areas though, if it's looked after by one of the environment agencies they can be very sniffy about that. I don't think they can legally stop you though, leave enough for the next person and you should be okay. Bilberries - not sure where you are, you might need to head north west, but there are local patches in unexpected places.  Happy hunting!

[doganjo]

My sister bought me a cranberry plant at Christmas from Sterling in Tilly.  The blurb with it says it grows prolifically but it's a in a pot at the moment.  I'll probably transplant it into the ground once I find the best place for it.  Wish I'd bought more now - don't know if they still have them.

[Fluffywelshsheep]

count me in on that too
not to bad on tree/wildlife ident (well i did study both of them in college and my tutors would kill me ifi didn't know them by now lol)

also have plenty of books for clue
not very good on mushrooms though.

but we could start up a foraging group ?
early in the morning or something
linz

[doganjo]

What a great idea - Fife Foragers?

[Fluffywelshsheep]

forth Valley foragers? just an idea
might help with exercise for people in this new year?

Give me a location,  map or gps, and i'll am like a blood hound lol

[sandy]

Blimey, may need some sort of uniform or outfit, what do you think, pink wellies, so you can see what your feet are sinking into and of course to keep you dry, wooly hat, or maybe a balaclava, to protect the hair and face  from brambles etc, hiking trousers to stop thorns getting you!! underneath maybe some tights and thick socks, camoflague (not sure of that spelling)Jacket with swiss army style pokets everywhere as well as being waterproof, somewhere for your phone, flask, pen knife, plastic bags hanky first aid kit, sandwhiches, torch (just in case) map, pen and paper, glasses, and maybe lip balm and hand cream!!!!! We also MUST have bags or baskets!!! I can see us now, wish I could put a picture on here as I have an urge to draw somthing.....Great idea anyway, Sandy