Foraging

[Elsa TLC]

I think I'll enjoy this once I get into retirement.

At tye moment I'm collecting plenty of Blackberries to freeze for the winter months.

Anyone into Foraging?

 

[Mottie]

In the past, I’ve foraged wild garlic, mushrooms, chestnuts, blackberries, sloes and walnuts (there's a walnut tree on the green at the top of our road plus another in the local cemetery).

 

[Justin Passing]

Cultivated Blackberries and "Brambles" are different. The latter can be a bit of a let-down flavour-wise. They're not the same cultivar, though the hedgerow ones can be garden escapes. I don't know if there's a time when the commercial ones are very cheap, but it might be a good plan to buy some up then.
I got to find out about fungi at one time. There's an area near me which is often full of east Europeans, who seem to think you can go anywhere and strip the lot. In this particular case it's illegal. I've also seen some of their confiscated harvest, and looked at it carefully with others. A high percentage wasn't what they thought and was more or less poisonous. With some you need a high powered microscope and spore-print There are one or two easy to identify, reliable species, like ceps, but if you find some only take a few!
Pick-your-own strawberries are a good compromise, because a lot of the commercial ones are flavourless imports selected for size. Some roadside stalls are good . If they have loads, they'll do a deal. They don't freeze well but make good jam.

 

[Mottie]

Cultivated Blackberries and "Brambles" are different.

I bought some blackberry plants from one of those cheap pound shops and planted them over my allotment. They grew but were very thorny and just crept along the ground. My mum has a cultivated blackberry bush growing in her border that has grown underneath her fence from next door. That is thornless and the blackberries are at least twice the size of wild ones and are very sweet and juicy. I’m going to take some cuttings from that for my allotment next year.

 

[Justin Passing]

I bought some blackberry plants from one of those cheap pound shops and planted them over my allotment. They grew but were very thorny and just crept along the ground. My mum has a cultivated blackberry bush growing in her border that has grown underneath her fence from next door. That is thornless and the blackberries are at least twice the size of wild ones and are very sweet and juicy. I’m going to take some cuttings from that for my allotment next year.

Sounds like it's worth a punt.I just had a read. Thornless cultivated ones are reckoned to have less classic flavour. so??

For an investment like an allotment I would have thought it's worth paying a few quid - about 7 - for a bush from a nursery. Some are late/early etc. And you get results quicker with a bush. I imagine you have an allotment club or somesuch for sharing cuttings etc? Try a few!

 

[Odds]

I think I'll enjoy this once I get into retirement.

At tye moment I'm collecting plenty of Blackberries to freeze for the winter months.

Anyone into Foraging?

 

[Notch7]

Pick elderflowers in May / June to make cordial.

And then later in the year pick elderberries.

Both are of course great for wine making.

Don't Try mushrooms without lots of knowledge

 

[Exedon]

I bought some blackberry plants from one of those cheap pound shops and planted them over my allotment. They grew but were very thorny and just crept along the ground. My mum has a cultivated blackberry bush growing in her border that has grown underneath her fence from next door. That is thornless and the blackberries are at least twice the size of wild ones and are very sweet and juicy. I’m going to take some cuttings from that for my allotment next year.

Blackberry's are much better cultivated by 'tip layering '
Just pin down growing tip to soil in a couple of places keep damp and it will strike roots down in a matter of weeks.