Honouring Nature: Winter Foraging

We had our first frost on Tuesday ~ time to pick sloes if you’re making gin ~ and there are loads of mushrooms on the cemetery, which got me thinking about foods that can be foraged at this time of year.

You might imagine that with the wet and cold there wouldn’t be much, but this is far from the case.

Mushrooms 

There are plenty of mushrooms available from November to February in the UK. From the Common Oyster to the Winter Chanterelle, the most important factors are knowing 100% what you are picking (you’ll only eat the wrong mushroom once), and more importantly leaving enough for animals and invertebrates, who will be looking to sustain themselves over the winter.

Sloes (Prinus spinosa) 

There has always been a bit of a debate as to when the best time to pick sloes is, but the general consensus seems to be that sloes for gin should be picked after the first frost. You can make all sorts of things with sloes; jams, jellies, chocolate, wine.

Sweet Chestnuts (Castanea sativa) 

Not to be confused with “conkers” from the horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), sweet chestnuts are amazing cooked on an open fire. They’re high in vitamins B and C, and can be used for nutroasts, stuffings, cake fillings and more.

Hawthorn Berries 

Hawthorn berries ~ “haws” ~ are at their most ripe in November. Surprisingly you can make quite a few things with haws - gin, ketchup, syrup fruit leather, and jellies.

Bullace (Prunus domestica) 

Bullaces are a type of plum that are a lot like damsons. I’ve not managed to find any around here yet! They can be used for all the usual plummy things - jams, chutneys, crumbles, wine and liqueurs.

Green and leafy things 

Chickweed, navelwort and dandelion can all be harvested for their leaves, which can be used in salads, sandwiches and stews.

Please follow the following foraging guidelines:

• Please take only what you need, or even better: less. The animals and local ecology come first. I actually took a break from foraging this year.
• Don’t eat anything you haven’t ID’d yourself.
• If you’re not 100% sure of what you’re picking: don’t pick, don’t eat.
• Don’t take unless you fully intend to use.
  
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