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Foraging for me tea!

dawn2025

It was a dark grey day in mid-January when the other half suggested going on a foraging day…  Going on a what?


Initially,  I didn’t really fancy the idea of scrabbling around in the great outdoors for my supper, but as the other half explained the day, I warmed to the idea of learning which parts of a hedgrow are edible.


The day was planned to be held at Worcestershire Countryside Centre. Local people know that the Countryside Centre is a great dog walking centre with wooded areas and open fields, together with plenty of hedgrows…


I know dogs, and I know what they do on and in hedgerows..


As the day grew closer,  I got more nervous about eating things that had grown at or under leg cocking height…


I set my “I am not going to eat that” rule by the biggest dog I know; Scamp!



These are three dogs owned by a very good friend. They are Spoon, the famous Winnie and Scamp❤️


Scamp is on my list of runaway dogs (these are dogs that when I decide I have had enough and I run away over the hills and faraway, I am taking these dogs.


Scamp, in my surreal world over the hills and far away, is my bedwarmer) I digress!


We met up with our foraging guide and about 10 other exploratory eaters and made our way out across the fields of the countryside centre.


We were shown various plants, bits of foliage, and fungi. We discussed, sniffed, tasted, and spat out (politely😬 behind a tree) bits of plants that until today, in my limited world, had only ever been meadow and hedgerow plants.


My taste buds and sense of smell have been somewhat awry since having covid about 18 months ago. My  intolerance of salt means that I suffer from nausea when anyone offers me “salt and pepper?” As far as I am aware, it’s not a phobia, just my bodies new found intolerance post covid.


When our forager guide said, “try this, it tastes salty,” I was off to the back of the queue!



We sniffed elder tree leaves, and everyone else thought they smelt of dead mouse or slightly acidic like gone off food. For me, they smelt sweet, like walking into the sweep shop when I was a child… I was back to being about 8 years old, armed with my 20p piece to buy as many half penny sweets as I possibly could!


There were no sweets today, just green leaves and me left wondering what covid did to my taste buds and  nose!


Poison hemlock has purple blotches on its stem but looks, from a distance, very much like cow parsley. We were told it’s best to stay away from both at this stage in our foraging career. Advice we will certainly follow, particularly as our guide then advised us that poison hemlock paralyses you from the extremities in. With no cure, I shall not be consuming anything that looks remotely like cow parsley!


A word of advice, disclaimer if you will, my knowledge of foraging is very limited.


I am repeating below what I have learnt to date BUT do NOT rely on my knowledge. I have added a reference section at the end of this blog. Please refer to that and its subsequent information for a more reliable source of information.


Remember, my idea of cooking is to write the shopping list!!!


Hawthorn. The first leaves in early spring are very tasty.  They have a nutty flavour, which is apparently good in salads, and the blossom is edible, too. Later in the year, autumn, the Haw berrys when ruby red are great for setting jams. They are high in pectin, a setting agent.Haw berrys are good for heart complaints too!


Clover. Both red and white flowers. Bees love both and we can eat the flowers.


Again, they good in salads


Dog rose. Another salad ingredigent and something that can make pretty food decorations.



Yarrow. Yarrow contains flavonoids, plant-based chemicals that increase saliva and stomach acid to help improve digestion. Yarrow may also relax smooth muscle in the intestine and uterus, which can relieve stomach and menstrual cramps.

Lime tree or linden tree. When made into tea it is great for calming anxiety.



Yew. It is toxic. Do not eat it and stay away from all that grows on it or under its canaopy. The one thing yew trees are good for is making bows for archery! That got the other half excited, and now he is off into the forest with his axe!  (Only joking🤣)


Stinky bob. You can eat it instead of corinander, and it’s a good insect repellent

Bramble tips. You can eat these when the thorn spikes are soft. They make a good substitute for asparagus and can be candied too.


Mushrooms. Now, this is an area of foraging that is definitely not for the novice. Do a course in mushroom ID if you want to know more. However, we learnt that turkey tail mushrooms boost the immune system.


The best documentary ever is Fantastic Fungi (Netflix) and tells how the trees are chatting to mushrooms/fungi and how mushrooms rule our world. Believe it, it’s true. Watch Fantastic Fungi and then disagree 😉😊


Sticky weed, otherwise known as goose grass, is a prolific weed. In early spring, when at its sweetest, it can be finely chopped in salads and added to yoghurt dips. Water infusions made from crushed goose grass taste like fresh cucumber.


The seeds in autumn will dry and can be made into coffee.


Foraging can be labour intensive with its collection and planning for its use, but it is healthy and, of course, completely free.


Be warned! There are foraging rules, and sometimes, land owners’ permission should be gained. Otherwise, you could be seen as tresspassing.


More things to try…


Dandelion root coffee, naturally caffeine free! Oh wow, our guide bought some with her, and you wouldn’t know from the smell that it wasn’t coffee coffee. We have a lovely plantation of Dandelions in the garden, so we shall be digging them up and going caffeine free before you know it!


Red Dead nettle. This is a member of the mint family. If you take a flower, you can suck the nectar for a shot of sweetness.


Oxeye Daisy. You can eat the flowers and freeze them into ice cubes. Pickle them in apple cider vinegar and put their leaves in salads.



Elder tree. The most versatile tree with flowers to make cordial and berries to make more cordial or jams and jellies. The berries are high in vitamin C, and are great for cold remedies. You can make ice cubes of berry juice to use through winter and help stave off colds.


After foraging, we set up camp and cooked a meal. ‘We’, didn’t involve me… our guide had it all under control… we were treated to a starter of foraged kimchi pickle with rice cakes. Our main was jelly ear mushrooms with onions, cabbage and noodles, and dessert was vegan cream, digestive biscuits (foraged from Tesco🤣) with oxeye daisy to garnish!


We consumed a lovely feast that showed us with a little bit of knowledge, some time to forage and plan, we can create healthy food that is fun to “shop” for!


References:


Our foraging day was organised by Totally Wild. Click here for more information

Books to recommend are:



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Kennel Carradine & Dawn Carradine Inett
Email: kennelcarradine@outlook.com

Licenced by Wychavon District Council to Breed Dogs with a 5 Star Licence
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