Atomic Shrimp - Tag - Summer2023-02-01T12:10:35+00:00urn:md5:c0b98cd55ab1d3c468ecdbd19e8bc1dbDotclearRosebay Willowherburn:md5:0b376e5b6d0b195200ae1c94f7009ec02016-07-26T20:18:00+00:002016-07-27T20:43:25+00:00MikeForagingHedgerowsSummerVideo<figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img alt="rosebaythumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/rosebaythumb.jpg" />
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<p>Rosebay Willowherb is a common plant of roadsides and riverbanks which has edible roots, stems and flowers.</p> <h3 class="clearleft">What Is Rosebay Willowherb?</h3>
<p>Chamerion angustifolium - also known as 'fireweed' and 'bombweed' on account of its tendency to appear on disturbed or scorched ground - this is a common plant, often seen in great patches along roadsides, path edges, river banks and wood edges.</p>
<figure style="margin: 0 auto; display: table;"><img alt="rosebay1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/rosebay1.jpg" />
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<p>It grows up to about two metres tall, producing a spike of pink flowers that open progressively over time - starting at the bottom end,</p>
<p>The leaves are long and slender and their arrangement on the stem is similar to that of some willow trees - which is where the plant get the 'willowherb' part of its name.</p>
<figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img alt="rosebay2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/rosebay2.jpg" />
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<p>The individual flowers have four petals surrounding a protruding and intricate arrangement of stamens and stigma.</p>
<p>The flowers are edible - I nibbled one and it was mildly sweet and slighty fruity to taste.</p>
<p>They can be infused in hot water to make tea, and are sometimes made into jelly by steeping in water, straining, then boiling the resulting decoction with sugar and pectin.</p>
<p>The plant produces thick creeping roots which can be cooked and eaten.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>
<figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img alt="rosebay4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/rosebay4.jpg" />
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<p>It's the stems that probably of most immediate interest to the casual forager. They contain a moist, slightly stringy pith that can be scraped out and eaten raw.</p>
<p>The pith is distinctly sweet and sticky. I have heard it described as tasting like melon, but I think that's probably a little generous - there's a faint cucumber-like taste - not at all unpleasant.</p>
<p>Each stem only produces a fairly small amount of the sweet pith, so it would be quite an undertaking to make a proper meal of this plant, but it's an interestng wayside nibble and even on a hot and sunny day, the juicy pith is quite refreshing.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>
<figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img alt="rosebay3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/rosebay3.jpg" />
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<p>The flowers are followed by long, slender seed pods which eventually split open like bananas and release hundreds of tiny seeds embedded in clouds of wispy fluff - this can be gathered and used as tinder to assist in the lighting of fires.</p>
<p class="clearleft">I found and ate this plant whilst on a foraging walk along the Meon Valley Trail - along with a number of other interesting wild edibles - the video below details some of the things we found:</p>
<p class="clearleft"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="287" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AxqrZbOUO-o" width="510"></iframe> </p>Bilberries - And The Test Run Of The Berry Pickerurn:md5:8a198ac3b47e9ed3765c1c695965b0162016-07-15T21:02:00+00:002016-07-15T21:02:00+00:00MikeBerriesFoodForagingSummerVideo<p><img alt="bilberriesthumb.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberriesthumb.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberriesthumb.JPG, Jan 2015" />An outing to The Devil's Punchbowl at Hindhead, Surrey, for a picnic lunch and a spot of berry picking. Bilberries are found in abundance here, and this trip has become an annual fixture for us.</p>
<p>This article originally written on June 29 2012 - Revisited Summer 2016 - with video.</p> <h3 class="clearleft">Video</h3>
<p>(Added Summer 2016)</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="287" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hSgPu2fJGKE" width="510"></iframe></p>
<h2 class="clearleft">What Are Bilberries?</h2>
<p><i>Vaccinium myrtillus</i> - Bilberries, also known as Blaeberries, Whortleberries, Hurts or Whinberries are - in all but name - northern European blueberries. They're smaller than American highbush blueberries - with fruits up to about one centimetre in diameter, growing on wiry plants that range in size from ankle-high scrub to willowy, waist-high bushes.</p>
<p><img alt="bilberries3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberries3.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="bilberries3.jpg, Jan 2015" /></p>
<p>The fruits are quite acidic in taste, delicately aromatic and juicy - the pulp and juice of the fruit is a deep maroon-purple colour throughout, indelibly staining everything it touches.</p>
<h2>Picking Bilberries</h2>
<p><img alt="bilberries2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberries2.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="bilberries2.jpg, Jan 2015" /></p>
<p>The bilberry plant is Ericaceous - so it is only found on acid soils - on heaths, moors and woodland.</p>
<p>The berries are usually borne on fairly new growth, which is often concentrated mainly at the top of the plant, but because of their branching habit, may in some cases be distributed throughout the whole volume of the bush.</p>
<p>When ripe, the berries are easily picked by hand, although the low growth habit can make prolonged gathering quite tiring on the back.</p>
<p>Considerable variation in fruit proliferation and size may be found within different microclimates in the same general location - for example, a south-facing, sunny slope may bear smaller fruit in large numbers - plants growing in more shady locations may produce fewer, larger fruits - although there are probably genetic factors affecting this too</p>
<h3>Super Food</h3>
<p>Blueberries are frequently called a 'super food' - because of the nutrients they contain - this is also true - indeed, more so - of wild bilberries. The dark, staining colour of the juice is attributable to a group of chemicals called <i>anthocyanin pigments</i> - these are powerful antioxidants and are reputed to be beneficial to human health.</p>
<p>The berries also contain vitamins A and C.</p>
<h2>Testing The Berry Picker</h2>
<p>Over <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2008/06/01/Berry-Picker">here</a>, I constructed a berry picker, consisting of a stiff wire comb attached to a cylinder - designed to speed the collection of bilberries. This outing afforded a chance to test it...</p>
<p><img alt="bilberries1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberries1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="bilberries1.jpg, Jan 2015" /></p>
<p>The first thing to say is that the machine performed exactly as expected - the wire comb is scooped up through the top part of the bush and it does indeed collect the berries there, mostly intact. The spacing of the tines was set largely by educated guesswork - the wires are spaced on about 7mm centres, leaving about a 5mm gap between them - which turns out to be pretty much optimal - any closer and the bushed would be stripped of their leaves - any further and some of the berries would just slip through</p>
<p><img alt="bilberries6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberries6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberries6.jpg, Jan 2015" />It's not by any means as neat and tidy as hand-picking, but it is easier, and in nearly all cases, I believe it's more efficient.</p>
<p>On bushes with only sparse fruits, it's probably about the same speed as picking by hand, but in those areas where the plants have many fruits, it really comes into its own and may be ten or more times faster than hand picking</p>
<p>We moved into a densely-fruited patch for about the last half hour of our two-hour session - and in this half hour, I was able to pick easily one and a half times as much fruit as in the previous hour and a half - the efficiency of hand-picking does not scale similarly, as it is already largely limited by the speed at which berries can be finger-picked and passed to the collecting container.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bilberries4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberries4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberries4.jpg, Jan 2015" />It's not perfect though - the machine does bruise the fruit a little and it collects indiscriminately - so the collection includes leaves, twigs and unripe berries - which need to be sifted out by hand afterwards, but even taking into account this extra time and effort, the fruit weight per unit time is considerably improved with the machine</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Crunching The Numbers</h3>
<p>My wife (who is quite dextrous in picking bilberries) was able to collect 450g of clean fruit (the leftmost container in the above picture) in the two hours.</p>
<p>My haul, after cleaning and picking over (an extra hour's work), was 1100g of cleaned fruit (the middle and rightmost, large containers) - so picking by hand, about 225g per hour is achievable (possibly rising to 300g per hour in a good picking spot) - with the machine, 350g per hour is the baseline, potentially rising to 1kg per hour or more, in well-fruited areas.</p>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>If the berries are to be used for juice, wine, jelly or anything else where the pulp will be strained, minimal picking over would be necessary and there is no question that the machine would be vastly more efficient than picking by hand.</p>
<p>In other cases, it's still more efficient, but the main benefit is in maximising the amount of fruit that can be gathered <i>per visit</i> - if you have limited time at the berry patch, but spare time when you get back home, it's great, but for perfectly intact berries, to be eaten raw or used as garnish, hand-picking remains the better method.</p>
<h3>In The Kitchen</h3>
<p>Bilberries have a wide range of potential culinary uses - including the obvious ones like pies or jam, but they can also be used to make a sauce for roast meats, baked into cakes or muffins, or of course just eaten fresh with cream, custard or ice cream.</p>
<p>One of my favourite ways to use them is to make a sweet shortcrust pastry case and bake it blind, then put 150g of bilberries in a pan with the juice of one lemon and a couple of tablespoons of sugar, simmering very gently until the berries start to release their juice.</p>
<p>A heaped teaspoon of cornflour mixed into a little water is then briskly stirred in, thickening the juice and the whole lot is poured into the flan case and left to cool. After a few hours, the cornflour will have set the berry and juice filling into a wonderful, velvety jelly - slices of the bilberry tart can be served with creme fraiche or ice cream.</p>
<h2>Eating</h2>
<p><img alt="bilberries5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberries5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberries5.jpg, Jan 2015" />There wasn't time for that today, though, so we just very gently warmed some berries with a little lemon juice and sugar, and served them over waffles with cream. Delicious.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Bilberries In Flower</h3>
<p><img alt="bilberries7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberries7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberries7.jpg, May 2010" />In spring and early summer, it's worth looking out for bilberry plants in flower - this should be a fair indication of the amount of fruit they'll bear later on.</p>
<p>The flowers are little waxy bells, white or pinkish - not always easy to spot from a standing position.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Greengagesurn:md5:1f3d329d008d1fcdf68d0e28b91c35dd2015-08-19T22:39:00+00:002015-08-19T23:09:18+00:00MikeFoodForagingHedgerowsSummer<p><img alt="greengages5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/greengages5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="greengages5.jpg, Aug 2015" />A bit of urban foraging right outside my workplace - I found a greengage tree.</p> <h2 class="clearleft">What Are Greengages?</h2>
<p><img alt="greengages1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/greengages1.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="greengages1.jpg, Aug 2015" /></p>
<p>Greengages are a type of plum - <em>Prunus domestica</em> - they differ from many other plum varieties and cultivars in that they remain green when ripe.</p>
<p>This attribute actually almost made me overlook them - at first glance, they're barely visible against all the green foliage.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="greengages3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/greengages3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="greengages3.jpg, Aug 2015" />There is one really easy way to be sure we're looking at greengages and not just unripe plums though - take a look on the ground. They're falling off the tree even though they are green - and an experimental squeeze with a shoe reveals them to be soft and squashy, so they are ripe.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Picking Greengages</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="greengages2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/greengages2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="greengages2.jpg, Aug 2015" />Picking greengages requires a little bit of patience. The fruits on this tree comprised a mixture of hard, unripe specimens and soft, juicy ones.</p>
<p>It's not worth picking the unripe ones, so it was necesary to test the fruits by pulling each one very gently - if they're ripe, they come away easily.</p>
<p>Another possibility would be to spread a soft cloth under the tree and just shake the branches to dislodge the ripe greengages and leave the rest on the tree for later.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Tasting Greengages</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="greengages4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/greengages4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="greengages4.jpg, Aug 2015" />Greengages are widely considered to be amongst the finest of plums and they certainly do have a distinct aroma and flavour.</p>
<p>In this picture, they are still not at the peak of ripeness, so this one was still a little astringent, but once they are ripened, they turn almost transparent and the flavour is quite delightful - aromatic, sweet and honey-like </p>
<p>They are best enjoyed as a dessert fruit eaten fresh - both because of their unique and delicate flavour, but also because the beautiful colour turns a sort of murky yellow if they are cooked into jam, which is a shame.</p>
<p> </p>
<div class="wikinote noteimportant">
<p class="note-title"><strong>Important</strong></p>
<p>Urban Foraging does call for a slightly different approach from the norm - the forager must consider a few extra questions:</p>
<ul>
<li>Might there have been contamination by pesticide sprays, vehicle exhaust or industrial chemicals?</li>
<li>Is it even permissible to be picking these, here?</li>
<li>Can I do this without causing damage to anything (including damaging the aesthetics of display)?</li>
</ul>
<p>Talking to the park keeper or landscaping staff might help to resolve these questions - I've tried this a number of times and have thus far always received a positive and helpful response - showing a genuine interest in the plants seems to be generally quite a good way to get on friendly terms with the folks who look after them.</p>
</div>
<p> </p>Penny Bun Mushroom - AKA Cep, Porciniurn:md5:828706ce1ce20d55e77b2581bd0b7cb82014-09-15T22:28:00+00:002015-04-01T21:55:30+00:00MikeAutumnFoodForagingFungiSummer<p><img alt="cepthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/cepthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="cepthumb.jpg, Sep 2014" /><span style="line-height: 1.6em;">The Penny Bun Mushroom (also known as Cep or Porcini) is possibly the most highly sought wild mushroom - I've picked it many times in the past, but for some reason, haven't written about it here, until now.</span></p> <h2 class="clearleft">What Is The Penny Bun?</h2>
<p>Boletus edulis - a large mushroom with a whitish stalk and a brown, domed cap (that when mature, really does look a bit like a bun). On the underside, where many other mushrooms have gills, the Penny Bun has sponge-like pores.</p>
<p><img alt="cep1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/cep1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="cep1.jpg, Sep 2014" /></p>
<p>Known in France as Cep, in Italy as Porcini and in Germany as Steinpilz, this fungus is one of the most highly prized culinary species.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Identifying And Picking The Penny Bun</h3>
<p><img alt="cep2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/cep2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="cep2.jpg, Sep 2014" />This fungus is a woodland species - it can be found any sort of woodland, including coniferous, but in my experience, it is most commonly found in open mixed deciduous woodland, in close association with oak trees.</p>
<p>It emerges from the ground as a hard, tight little domed mushroom with pale cream or white pores (often with an apparently glossy surface to them). As it develops, the cap becomes broader and thicker and the pores change through yellow, eventually becoming olive green.</p>
<p>The specimen shown here is about medium maturity - the perfect time to pick it - when the flesh and pores are fully developed, but decay hasn't begun. This one is sliced in half to check for infestation by insect larvae - a common problem (see below).</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="cep3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/cep3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="cep3.jpg, Sep 2014" />Here's a closer look at the pores and stem of a more mature specimen - note the conspicuous netted pattern on the stalk.</p>
<p>The top surface of the cap is brown (may be deep almost purplish brown in young specimens, or the colour may be obscured and rendered pale by a whitish bloom (see comparative picture further down the page). In dry weather, the cap may feel rubbery and slightly clammy - in wet conditions, it may be slippery.</p>
<p class="clearleft">Other diagnostic tips:</p>
<p>If any part of the fruiting body turns deep blue/green when pressed, it's not a Cep - it's probably Boletus badius (which is also edible).</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="cep4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/cep4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="cep4.jpg, Sep 2014" />It it's tallish, or has a cracked or velvety cap, or has any traces of red anywhere on the fruiting body, it's one of the many other Boletes - but in all cases, you must positively identify any fungi you gather for the table (the usual warnings and disclaimers apply - see below)</p>
<p>I picked a good basketful of these fantastic mushrooms in the space of a couple of hours, just wandering about in woodland in the New Forest.</p>
<p>(There's also a <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2013/08/19/Beefsteak-Fungus">Beefsteak Fungus</a> in the basket alongside them).</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">A Closer Look</h3>
<p><img alt="cep5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/cep5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="cep5.jpg, Sep 2014" />(Clockwise from top left) A mature, typical specimen, a young specimen found amongst undergrowth and a very young pair, showing the pale, bloom-covered cap that can sometimes be evident.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Habitat</h3>
<p><img alt="cep7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/cep7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="cep7.jpg, Sep 2014" />In my experience, the most promising locations for finding this fungus are open, grassy woodland and wood-edges - near to oak trees (and specifically, close to the 'drip line' - that is, a zone encircling the trunk, about the same diameter as the tree's canopy; the place where the canopy tends to shed any rain that falls on it.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Insect Problems</h3>
<p>Insects love munching on these mushrooms at least as much as humans do, so sometimes, it is disappointingly the case that a perfect-looking Penny Bun will turn out to be riddled with little maggots when sliced open. Of course, it could still be eaten, but the notion of deliberately consuming insect larvae is not aesthetically pleasing.</p>
<p>This problem seems more common in wetter years, so in the dryish early autumn conditions of 2014, I was delighted to be able to collect a good number of highly intact Penny Bun mushrooms.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">In The Kitchen</h3>
<p><img alt="cep6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/cep6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="cep6.jpg, Sep 2014" />Penny Buns can be cooked from fresh in all manner of mushroom recipes, but I sometimes find the texture a little unpleasant that way - so I decided to dry mine for later use. In fact, drying them intensifies their flavour to the extent that one or two slices, rehydrated, will be sufficient to deeply flavour a whole dish.</p>
<p>I sliced them into thin pieces - discarding any damaged or obviously bug-eaten bits (although these mushrooms were pleasingly bug-free) and spread them out on wire racks to dry,</p>
<p>I left these in front of an open window - a gentle breeze blowing across them helps with initial drying - by evening, they felt dry to the touch on their surfaces (which is important, as mould might have taken hold if they were left in a moist state overnight).</p>
<p>They'll take a few more days at least to dry out completely, after which, I'll store them in an airtight jar, to be used in soups, stocks and other savoury dishes.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">The Next Day</h3>
<p><img alt="cep8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/cep8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="cep8.jpg, Sep 2014" />Just 24 hours later, the slices of mushroom have shriveled, shrunk and dried considerably - to the extent that they will now all fit on one wire rack.</p>
<p>They have also developed a conspicuous, deep, musky-mushroomy aroma - really delicious and promising to be a fantastic ingredient for future use.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">After 48 Hours Drying</h3>
<p><img alt="cep9.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/cep9.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="cep9.jpg, Sep 2014" />Another 24 hours and the mushroom pieces are now very dry - the thinner slices snap when handled - the thicker slices feel like soft cardboard.</p>
<p>The aroma is now extremely strong - still only intensely mushroomy (in the way we expect dried ceps to be), but almost overpowering in the room. I'll be getting complaints for the family if this goes on much longer - fortunately, it won't, as I think everything will be dry enough to store tomorrow.</p>
<p>It's amazing how much everything has shrunk down though - a basketful of mushrooms has become just a handful of dried pieces.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="deertick1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/d/deertick1.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="deertick1.jpg, Sep 2014" />Foraging is not without its risks and costs though - and in this instance, I paid for my ceps with a tick bite. I discovered this deer tick on me about 36 hours after my trip out into the New Forest - I will have to carefully monitor the bite area in case of inflammation, which may indicate infection by Lyme disease.</p>
<p>Oddly, although I was only wearing shorts for my foraging trip, the usual precautionary advice (long trousers tucked into socks) would not have protected me here. I found this tick on the front of my shoulder, just above the armpit - I think it must have crawled up my shirt to get there.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Chickweed Pakoraurn:md5:07ebc66c5c0e0a18c827719113d1afd22013-10-12T21:05:00+00:002015-02-23T21:08:00+00:00MikeFoodForagingGardenSpringSummerVideo<p><img alt="chickweedpakorathumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chickweedpakorathumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chickweedpakorathumb.jpg, Oct 2013" />October 2013 - Nearly everything in the vegetable garden has come to an end now... except the weeds.</p>
<p>So to make use of a lush carpet of chickweed that has taken over, here's a recipe for making it into spicy pakora fritters.</p> <h2 class="clearleft">The Recipe</h2>
<h3>Ingredients:</h3>
<ul>
<li><b>For The Batter</b></li>
<li>2 or 3 heaped tablespoons of gram flour</li>
<li>1 heaped tablespoon of white self-raising wheat flour</li>
<li>1 teaspoon curry powder of your choice</li>
<li>Pinch of salt</li>
<li>Cold water (see recipe)</li>
<li><b>For The Filling</b></li>
<li>A large handful of clean chickweed shoots</li>
<li>A small bunch of chives</li>
<li><b>To Cook</b></li>
<li>Vegetable oil</li>
<li><b>To Serve (Optional)</b></li>
<li>Mango chutney</li>
</ul>
<h3>Method:</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chickweedpakora2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chickweedpakora2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chickweedpakora2.jpg, Feb 2015" /></p>
<p>Pick the chickweed, being very careful not to accidentally pick other, possibly poisonous, plant species along with it.</p>
<p>See <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2009/05/24/Chickweed">here</a> for identification tips for chickweed.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chickweedpakora3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chickweedpakora3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chickweedpakora3.jpg, Oct 2013" />If the chickweed is at all dirty (which is likely if it has rained recently), clean it in a big bowl of cold water - swish it about and any grit will sink to the bottom.</p>
<p>Chickweed wilts quickly once picked, so immersion in water is also a good way to keep it fresh and crisp for a few hours if necessary.</p>
<p>Drain the chickweed thoroughly before use.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chickweedpakora4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chickweedpakora4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chickweedpakora4.jpg, Feb 2015" />Put the gram flour, wheat flour, salt and curry powder in a bowl.</p>
<p>Add cold water in small amounts, whisking until a thick, sticky batter is formed - it needs to be just runny enough to fall off a fork or whisk - not as thick as a dough, but almost.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chickweedpakora5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chickweedpakora5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chickweedpakora5.jpg, Feb 2015" />Chop the chickweed and chives roughly and stir them into the batter.</p>
<p>Keep stirring until all of the leaves are well coated and a fairly uniform mixture is achieved.</p>
<p>Heat a frying pan and add a little vegetable oil - when this is hot, drop spoonfuls of the chickweed batter mix into the pan.</p>
<p>The mixture will flatten out into little patties - fry on one side for about a minute, then flip over, press down and fry the other side for another minute.</p>
<p>When golden brown and a little crispy, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease.</p>
<p>Serve as a snack with chutney, or as a meal accompaniment - these chickweed pakora fritters are delicious and also packed with vitamins and minerals.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chickweedpakora1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chickweedpakora1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="chickweedpakora1.jpg, Oct 2013" /></p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Video</h3>
<p>Here's a video version of the recipe...</p>
<div class="imagecentre"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="383" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/45o3q0cgYWQ" width="510"></iframe></div>
<h3>The Promise Of Another Project</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chickweedpakora6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chickweedpakora6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chickweedpakora6.jpg, Oct 2013" />Here's an interesting thing. When I was washing the chickweed for this recipe, I happened to notice that amongst the particles of dirt and debris in the bottom of the bowl, there were a load of little pale brown dots - very uniform in size and shape.</p>
<p>These, fairly obviously, must be chickweed seeds. The question is: what happens if I try to grow them as a micro-salad (like mustard and cress)?</p>
<p>There's only one way to find out - so I'll be trying this very soon.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Sorrelurn:md5:58de7b1d99b01037c1864e3fe99b3b3d2013-08-19T23:55:00+00:002015-03-21T00:02:12+00:00MikeFoodForagingSummer<p><img alt="sorrelthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/s/sorrelthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="sorrelthumb.jpg, Aug 2013" />19 August 2013 - Sorrel is a common plant of grazed or infrequently-mowed fields - I picked some lovely tangy sorrel leaves in a steeply sloping pasture in Somerset - just below Wimbleball Dam.</p> <h3 class="clearleft">What Is Sorrel?</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><i style="line-height: 1.6em;"><img alt="sorrel1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/s/sorrel1.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="sorrel1.jpg, Aug 2013" />Rumex acetosa</i><span style="line-height: 1.6em;"> - a relative of common dock, rhubarb and buckwheat.</span></p>
<p>It has fresh green oval leaves, up to about 10cm long with an arrow-shaped base, borne on slender arching stalks.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="sorrel2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/s/sorrel2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="sorrel2.jpg, Aug 2013" />The most conspicuous part of the plant is the upright flower stalk which grows up to about a metre tall, bearing branching side shoots densely covered with small bright pinkish-red flowers.</p>
<p>This is a good way to distinguish it from common dock - which has similar flower structures but they are thicker in growth and green, turning to deep brown as they ripen.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="sorrel3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/s/sorrel3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="sorrel3.jpg, Aug 2013" />The leaves are easily recognisable by means of the distinctive V-shaped arrowhead cutout at the stalk end.</p>
<p>NB: there are other plants with arrowhead-shaped leaves - most notably including the plants of the arum family, but you're unlikely to mistake those for these, especially if you're looking in an open grassy habitat, and have already located sorrel by its flower spikes.</p>
<p>The leaves have a delicious fresh acidity to them - most often compared to the flavour of lemons, but in my view, more similar to raw gooseberries or sour green grapes - these make a welcome and refreshing addition to salads or sandwiches.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Sheep's Sorrel</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="sorrel4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/s/sorrel4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="sorrel4.jpg, Jun 2013" />A similar and closely-related plant is Sheep's Sorrel (<i>Rumex acestosella</i>) - this one is more commonly found as a spreading weed in mowed or more closely-grazed grass.</p>
<p>It's a broadly similar plant - the leaves (not clearly shown here) are narrower and have a more distinct arrowhead shape, but it can be used in exactly the same way as common sorrel.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Wood Sorrel</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="sorrel5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/s/sorrel5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="sorrel5.jpg, Aug 2013" />Related only in name, this plant (<i>Oxalis acetosella</i>) is common on damp, shady woodland floors and riverbanks.</p>
<p>It has delicate, bell-shaped, five-petalled white flowers in spring and trifoliate leaves, each leaflet being heart-shaped with a conspicuous central crease.</p>
<p>Like its unrelated namesake, the leaves of wood sorrel have a sharp acid flavour - which in this plant is quite concentrated, so it is best used sparingly in a salad of mixed leaves, or as a garnish.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Sorrel And Oxalic Acid</h3>
<p>The acidity in sorrel comes chiefly from oxalic acid - which in large doses is toxic, but nothing to worry about in the small quantities contained in a handful or two of these leaves that you might typically pick and eat.</p>
<p>However, the toxicity of large doses of oxalic acid is related to kidney function - the substance combines with calcium to form calcium oxalate crystals. For this reason, it should be avoided by anyone with:</p>
<ul>
<li>a history of kidney problems</li>
<li>problems obtaining enough calcium from their diet</li>
<li>gout, arthritis or other inflammatory joint problems (the oxalate crystals can form in the joints)</li>
</ul>
<p>This is not intended to put anyone off trying this wild herb - it's widely eaten as a wild picked or cultivated vegetable, without any ill effect for the majority of people.</p>Beefsteak Fungusurn:md5:c6633d06fcf0773f0c4ed6558d0bb9682013-08-19T20:53:00+00:002015-01-21T21:08:04+00:00MikeFoodForagingFungiSummer<p><img alt="beefsteakthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/beefsteakthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="beefsteakthumb.jpg, Aug 2013" />I've been keeping an eye out for Beefsteak Fungus for quite a long time now - and on a brief camping trip to Somerset, I found an almost perfect specimen.</p>
<p>Later, I found more of them in the New Forest.</p> <h2 class="clearleft">What Is Beefsteak Fungus?</h2>
<p><img alt="beefsteak1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/beefsteak1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="beefsteak1.jpg, Aug 2013" /></p>
<p><i>Fistulina hepatica</i> - a fungus forming softly rubbery lobe-like brackets up to 25cm across - predominantly occurring on oak or sweet chestnut in the UK - the brackets are rough and brick red on top; the underside is creamy coloured and composed of many tiny pores.</p>
<p>Said to resemble meat, this is further reinforced by the blood-red liquid that is exuded when the fruiting body is cut or broken.</p>
<p>Edibility is better in younger specimens.</p>
<p>Infection by this parasitic fungus imparts a rich, dark colour to the timber of oak trees - the resulting 'brown oak' is highly prized by woodturners and cabinet makers.</p>
<p><img alt="beefsteak2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/beefsteak2.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="beefsteak2.jpg, Aug 2013" /></p>
<h3>Excuses, Excuses - Or, Why I Didn't Eat It...</h3>
<p>I was delighted to find this fungus, but unfortunately, not quite in a position to be able to sample it as food - for more or less the following reasons:</p>
<ul>
<li><b>Firstly, I was not absolutely 100% certain of its identity.</b> I have a rule (you could say I - quite literally - live by it) - I don't eat any wild fungus until and unless I know for sure what it is. Fungi aren't the only thing in the world where misadventure can lead to mishap - so in fact, I apply the rule to other things too.<br />
Anyway, I didn't have any of my mushroom books with me and I was in a place with no access to mobile internet - so this was an opportunity to make observations only.<br />
It did in fact turn out to be exactly what I thought it was, but I wasn't certain enough at the time.</li>
<li><b>Nextly, we were not returning to camp to cook that day</b> - so even if I had picked the fungus and later managed to ID it, we had no facility to keep it fresh until later.</li>
<li><b>Finally (and this is a bit lame) - we didn't have any butter</b> - I brought a frying pan and small stove on this trip, but forgot oil or butter. We could have bought some somewhere on the way back to camp, but the other two reasons above made it a bit pointless.</li>
</ul>
<p>So... Live and learn - at least I have now learned to identify this fungus unaided - and next time I will be ready...</p>
<h3>Like Or Dislike</h3>
<p>Opinions are divided on whether this is an excellent edible fungus or a complete waste of time - some people have described Beefsteak Fungus as unbearably sour or tough (I wonder if they picked specimens past their prime), but most of my wild food resources describe this one as good or excellent.</p>
<h2>Update - September 2014</h2>
<p>Last time I found Beefsteak Fungus (which was also the first time I found it), I wasn't able to collect it.</p>
<p>On a foraging walk in the New Forest in September 2014, I found a nice young specimen - and this time, I took it home and cooked it.</p>
<p><img alt="beefsteakfungus2_1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/beefsteakfungus2_1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="beefsteakfungus2_1.jpg, Sep 2014" /></p>
<h3>A Closer Look</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="beefsteakfungus2_2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/beefsteakfungus2_2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="beefsteakfungus2_2.jpg, Sep 2014" />The specimen I found was quite young, comprising a cluster of fruiting bodies at the base of an oak tree.</p>
<p>I cut if free with my pocket knife and it immediately started to exude blood-red liquid from the cut stalk.</p>
<p>The fruiting body is surprisingly heavy and solid-feeling for a mushroom - and it's easy to see why this thing bears such a meaty name - the top surface is red-brown and mottled; the underside is a sort of creamy skin colour - a mass of tiny sponge-like pores.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="beefsteakfungus2_3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/beefsteakfungus2_3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="beefsteakfungus2_3.jpg, Sep 2014" />There was also an older specimen growing on the same tree - I sliced a piece off to take a look at it (and to help me absolutely verify the identity of what I was picking).</p>
<p>It really does look like a piece of steak when cut.</p>
<h3>In The Kitchen</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="beefsteakfungus2_4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/beefsteakfungus2_4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="beefsteakfungus2_4.jpg, Sep 2014" />Beefsteak Fungus slices very easily and cleanly, and the juicy, cut pieces look very meaty and substantial.</p>
<p>I decided to cook it to a recipe named 'Butter Boiled Beefsteak' - as recommended by Roger Phillips in his book <i><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wild-Food-Complete-Guide-Foragers/dp/1447249968/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410795346&sr=8-1&keywords=wild+food+phillips" target="_blank">Wild Food</a></i>.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="beefsteakfungus2_5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/beefsteakfungus2_5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="beefsteakfungus2_5.jpg, Sep 2014" />The recipe comprises simmering the sliced fungus with chopped shallots, garlic, thyme and black pepper in a little water, then reducing it down with butter until the liquid thickens almost to a gravy-like consistency.</p>
<p>The appearance and smell were quite promising - mushroomy and mild. I dished it up onto a slice of toast (my go-to serving method for mushrooms, especially if there is juice or sauce to mop up).</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="beefsteakfungus2_6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/beefsteakfungus2_6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="beefsteakfungus2_6.jpg, Sep 2014" />The flavour was OK - not especially distinctive, although there was a tiny trace of bitterness. The texture, I didn't really like - too floppy and gelatinous - and at the same time, oddly crisp and crunchy.</p>
<p class="clearleft">I'm glad I finally got to satisfy my curiosity about this wild food, but it's not one I'll be in a hurry to try again.</p>Bilberry Pie And Bilberry Leaf Teaurn:md5:4df2746b1837af4cef0dc5a571bd30052013-08-12T22:46:00+00:002015-02-28T22:55:40+00:00MikeBerriesFoodForagingSummer<p><img alt="bilberrypiethumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberrypiethumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberrypiethumb.jpg, Aug 2013" />Bilberries are good this year - let's take a look at a couple of uses for this plant - Bilberry Tart and Bilberry Leaf Tea.</p> <h3 class="clearleft">What Are Bilberries?</h3>
<p><i>Vaccinium myrtillus</i> - <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2012/06/29/Bilberries-And-The-Test-Run-Of-The-Berry-Picker">Bilberries</a>, also known as Blaeberries, Whortleberries, Hurts or Whinberries are - in all but name - northern European blueberries. They're smaller than American highbush blueberries - with fruits up to about one centimetre in diameter, growing on wiry plants that range in size from ankle-high scrub to willowy, waist-high bushes.</p>
<p>The fruits are quite acidic in taste, delicately aromatic and juicy - the pulp and juice of the fruit is a deep maroon-purple colour throughout, indelibly staining everything it touches.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bilberrypie1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberrypie1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="bilberrypie1.jpg, Aug 2013" /></p>
<h2 class="clearleft">Bilberry Tart</h2>
<p>This is a really delicious tart, deep and packed to the brim with fruit - easy to make, but sure to impress.</p>
<p>Start with a 9 inch sweet shortcrust pastry case (I'm not going to bother with the recipe for the pastry, as it's easy to look up - or if you want, you can easily just buy a precooked flan case)</p>
<p>Put about 350g of fresh bilberries in a saucepan - add the juice of one lemon and about 75g of sugar.</p>
<p>Bring to a gentle simmer, starting over a very low heat. The berries will burst and release a lot of juice - as this happens, you can turn up the heat a little and stir to dissolve the sugar. Taste and add a little more sugar if you think it's not sweet enough, but don't over-sweeten or you will overwhelm the delicious crisp acidity of the fruit.</p>
<p>While the fruit is heating, put four teaspoons of cornflour in a cup and add a quarter cup of cold water - stir to mix to liquid consistency.</p>
<p>The moment the fruit starts to bubble, pour in the cornflour mixture, stirring vigorously as you add it - keep stirring and heating and in the space of less than a minute, the fruit mixture will thicken dramatically.</p>
<p>Remove from the heat and pour the contents of the pan into the flan case - use a spatula to scrape everything out of the pan, then (if necessary) spread the fruit mixture out evenly in the pastry case.</p>
<p>Leave to cool for at least an hour - ideally longer - it should set to a thick, silky jelly-like texture - just thick enough not to run away when the pie is cut into wedges. Serve with something creamy - for example ice cream, clotted cream or mascarpone cheese.</p>
<p><img alt="bilberrypie2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberrypie2.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="bilberrypie2.jpg, Aug 2013" /></p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Bilberry Leaf Tea</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bilberryleaf1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberryleaf1.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberryleaf1.jpg, Aug 2013" />This was a bit of an experiment - some of my wild food books mention bilberry leaf tea in passing, or talk a little about the supposed health benefits of drinking it, but say little or nothing about the method of preparing it, or what it tastes like.</p>
<p>So at the end of a productive day of berry-picking, I cut (from a place where the bushes were growing in very great abundance) a couple of sprigs of bilberry leaves to take away. On returning home, I stood them in an empty glass and placed it on a windowsill to dry.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bilberryleaf2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberryleaf2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberryleaf2.jpg, Aug 2013" />The next day - quicker than I expected - the leaves had dried out. They were crisp and rustling, but not crumbly or brittle.</p>
<p>So I set about making my first cup of bilberry leaf tea.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bilberryleaf3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberryleaf3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberryleaf3.jpg, Aug 2013" />I picked about 20 leaves and placed them in a mug of boiling water.</p>
<p>I left this to steep for 5 minutes, then poured it through a strainer into a fresh mug, to which I added a thin slice of lemon.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bilberryleaf4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberryleaf4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberryleaf4.jpg, Aug 2013" />The end result is a pale straw-green beverage with a pleasant, slightly fruity aroma.</p>
<p>To taste, the drink is a little similar to green tea - pleasantly astringent and refreshing, ever so slightly tannic with an intriguing fresh, fruity-leafiness - something like a blend of tea, green apple and the subtle forest aroma of the bilberries themselves.</p>
<p>Altogether a very nice and refreshing drink.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bilberryleaf5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberryleaf5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberryleaf5.jpg, Aug 2013" />The dried leaves strip very easily from the twigs - although if I was picking them in greater quantity, I would not have cut whole stalks - as I suspect the leaf-stripped stems would sprout new leaves if left on the plant.</p>
<p>The dry leaves can be stored in an airtight jar for later use.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Grasshoppersurn:md5:f62533e9b543265be37b88d5988fea7a2013-07-27T21:57:00+00:002015-01-19T22:08:22+00:00MikeFoodForagingInvertebratesSummer<p><img alt="grasshoppersthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/grasshoppersthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="grasshoppersthumb.jpg, Jul 2013" />Here's something I've been putting off for a long while - deliberate consumption of insects.</p>
<p>But the time has come! - so I caught, fried and ate grasshoppers.</p> <p class="clearleft">July has been a hot, dry month in my part of the world - and the heatwave has turned the tall grass to straw, but it's been a great time for insects - I've never seen so many grasshoppers.</p>
<p><img alt="grasshoppers1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/grasshoppers1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="grasshoppers1.jpg, Jul 2013" /></p>
<p><img alt="grasshoppers2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/grasshoppers2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="grasshoppers2.jpg, Jul 2013" />Despite their great abundance, it took me and my son three quarters of an hour to catch a dozen grasshoppers - if I was doing this for sustenance, some kind of net would have been a good idea.</p>
<p>The insects are still quite small at this time of year - about 2cm long.</p>
<p>We gave four of the grasshoppers we caught to our pet gerbils - this might seem an odd thing, but in the wild, insects form a significant part of the diet of these desert rodents, so it's not only right and proper that they should have them, but it's their favourite thing - they pursue, catch and devour the grasshoppers with eager enthusiasm.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="grasshoppers3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/grasshoppers3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="grasshoppers3.jpg, Jul 2013" />I put the box containing the remaining 8 grasshoppers in the deep freezer to kill them - they would be impossible to handle in the kitchen otherwise!</p>
<p>Two minutes later, they were dead and starting to freeze, so I put a pan on the hob with a little oil in it and prepared to cook them.</p>
<p>I'm not sure how many different species of grasshopper I've got here, or if they're all just different-looking members of the same species - some were green and tan, others pure green - some that I saw (but that escaped capture) were green with some purple markings.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="grasshoppers4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/grasshoppers4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="grasshoppers4.jpg, Jul 2013" />I prepared some seasoned flour, rinsed the insects under the tap and rolled them in it - the idea being to give them a sort of southern fried style coating.</p>
<p>This didn't really work in the end - the floured coating mostly fell off in the pan, but this wasn't a problem (read on to find out why)...</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="grasshoppers5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/grasshoppers5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="grasshoppers5.jpg, Jul 2013" />I dropped the grasshoppers into the hot oil to fry.</p>
<p>They sizzled and turned deep golden red in colour almost straight away - this must be a similar thing to what happens when prawns are cooked.</p>
<p>I expected them to shrivel a little, but they actually puffed up as they cooked and became crispy.</p>
<p>This isn't the absolute first time I've eaten insects, but on all previous occasions they were packaged and dried - this is the first time I've tried them fresh.</p>
<p>I was expecting them to be crunchy - they're not. They are crispy, but <i>softly</i> crispy - a little chewy, but in a really good way - like crispy chicken skin - In fact, the texture and mouthfeel was almost exactly like eating little strips of crispy chicken or duck skin.</p>
<p>The flavour was subtle, but quite pleasant - toasty, a little sweet and maybe a little bit nutty and buttery. Very good - not at all unpleasant in any way, and quite nice in several ways. If I can work out how to catch them in greater quantity, I'll be doing this again - in fact, I could happily eat them frequently.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="grasshoppers6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/grasshoppers6.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="grasshoppers6.jpg, Jul 2013" /></p>
<h3>Insects - Food Of The Future?</h3>
<p>Insects are considered an unusual food in some parts of the world, including Britain, but really, it's us, not everyone else, that's doing something unusual - the consumption of insects is actually normal for more humans than not.</p>
<p>But insects could be in some ways a more viable food for humans in the future than conventional farm animals such as cows or pigs. Insects reproduce and grow fast, they can be farmed in very compact spaces, they're highly nutritious and because they are typically consumed whole, there's less waste.</p>
<p>They can be farmed in places where it would be unacceptable to keep vertebrate livestock, they can be fed on crops or weeds that are no use as food for people, or on waste products from cereal production or other horticulture.</p>
<h3>Free Range</h3>
<p>One of the things I like about the idea of catching them 'in the wild' (actually, it was along the margin of a cultivated field) is that they're a pretty clean food - if they had been exposed to pesticides, they wouldn't be jumping around trying to evade capture.</p>
<p>I am definitely doing this again - maybe I'll try netting them with my big shrimping net or a small hand net.</p>Garlic Mustard Seedsurn:md5:d0eb1e5a04e5de6bb976a98eea217de92013-07-20T07:56:00+00:002016-07-27T20:41:59+00:00MikeExperimentsFoodForagingSummerVideo<p><img alt="garlicmustard3_thumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/garlicmustard3_thumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="garlicmustard3_thumb.jpg, Jul 2013" />I've already given this plant (Garlic Mustard) two chances as a wild vegetable - and found it disappointing. Let's have one more go.</p>
<p>But this time, instead of the leaves, I'm going to try eating the ripe seeds.</p> <h3 class="clearleft">Garlic Mustard Seeds</h3>
<p>We've had a few weeks of very hot dry weather and the plants of <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2008/04/20/Garlic-Mustard-%28Jack-By-The-Hedges%29">Garlic Mustard</a> are transformed to gaunt, straw-coloured branched upright sticks.</p>
<p><img alt="garlicmustard3_1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/garlicmustard3_1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="garlicmustard3_1.jpg, Jul 2013" /></p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="garlicmustard3_2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/garlicmustard3_2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="garlicmustard3_2.jpg, Jul 2013" />The branched structures are actually slender seed pods - each containing about a dozen cylindrical brown/black seeds.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The pods split open easily at the slightest touch once ripe - I found that the best way to harvest the seeds without losing too many is to crush and massage the whole plant and its pods and allow everything to fall into a large plastic container below.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="garlicmustard3_3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/garlicmustard3_3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="garlicmustard3_3.jpg, Jul 2013" />A little more crushing and rubbing by hand released most of the remaining seeds from the pods.</p>
<p>It was then possible to winnow away the pods by gently blowing into the container.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="garlicmustard3_4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/garlicmustard3_4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="garlicmustard3_4.jpg, Jul 2013" />I collected what I considered an adequate quantity of seed for experimentation.</p>
<p>Once cleaned, this weighed in at 17g of seed, but they need fully drying before anything else.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="garlicmustard3_5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/garlicmustard3_5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="garlicmustard3_5.jpg, Jul 2013" />The plan is: dry the seeds fully, grind them with a granite pestle and mortar, then blend them with water and a little vinegar to make a condiment.</p>
<p>This is, after all, a mustard plant, and these are mustard seeds - so let's see if we can make mustard...</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="garlicmustard3_6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/garlicmustard3_6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="garlicmustard3_6.jpg, Jul 2013" />After 24 hours on a sunny windowsill, the seeds had shrunk a little, hardened and turned uniformly dark brown.</p>
<p>They had also lost a few grammes as they dried - equivalent to about 17% of their original weight - this was what I hoped for and expected, as dry seeds would be easier to grind.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="garlicmustard3_7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/garlicmustard3_7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="garlicmustard3_7.jpg, Jul 2013" />I ground the seeds to a coarse powder using my granite pestle and mortar. At this stage, they gave off a rather unpromising grassy, earthy aroma, but I kept going.</p>
<p>Dividing the batch into smaller portions (about 1 or 2 teaspoons full) made it easier to grind to a finer texture.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="garlicmustard3_8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/garlicmustard3_8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="garlicmustard3_8.jpg, Jul 2013" />The resulting mustard powder looked a little like ground black pepper - I probably could have achieved a finer grind either just by working longer, or perhaps by wet-grinding - that is, performing the mixing steps (next) with the mortar and pestle.</p>
<p>But I quite like wholegrain, coarse-textured mustard, so I left it like this.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="garlicmustard3_9.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/garlicmustard3_9.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="garlicmustard3_9.jpg, Jul 2013" />To make the mustard, I first measured the amount of my ground seeds (6 heaped teaspoons) - to this, I added two teaspoons of cider vinegar, about a quarter of a teaspoon of salt and enough ice cold water to make the mixture into a paste of approximately the expected consistency.</p>
<p>The seeds were darker than ordinary mustard seeds (which are golden yellow or tan), so my Hedge Garlic Mustard is quite dark when mixed.</p>
<p>Mustard really is a strange thing to make - see below for more details.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Hedge Garlic Mustard</h3>
<p>There was enough mustard mix to just fill a tiny jar, with a little left over in a little dish - I put this all in the fridge and left it for a couple of hours before tasting.</p>
<p>I spread some on top of some little pieces of mature cheddar on thin crackers.</p>
<p>The result was interesting, delicious - definitely recognisable as mustard, moderately, but pleasantly pungent, but with an amazing nutty, earthy aroma. I have never tasted anything quite like it.</p>
<p><img alt="garlicmustard3_10.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/g/garlicmustard3_10.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="garlicmustard3_10.jpg, Jul 2013" /></p>
<h3 class="clearleft">At Last!</h3>
<p>So at long last, I've managed to make something not only edible, but delicious, from this stubborn plant!</p>
<p>I'll taste it again after 12 and 24 hours from when it was first made - and report the results here, but even at this stage, I'm calling this a resounding success.</p>
<h3>Update</h3>
<p>After 12 hours, the mustard had developed more heat (as expected).</p>
<p>24 hours after initial mixing, the flavour is really quite excellent - good and hot, but not harsh or searingly eye-watering - the flavour is now very nicely balanced - still very deep and complex with nutty and earthy notes, but also with a bright, horseradish-like freshness. I am absolutely delighted with this amazing, tasty condiment!</p>
<p>The only things I might do differently next time: grind either much finer, or a little coarser - the texture is not unpleasant, but it's neither smooth nor coarse.</p>
<p>I'd also add a little more liquid to the mix. during the initial 24 hours development, it thickened to a dryish paste (this must just have been absorption into the grounds, as it happened inside the sealed jar) - this was easy to adjust afterwards with just a little more water/vinegar, but if I was making this mustard to give away, I'd add more liquid, so as to make it ready to use immediately on opening.</p>
<h3>Mustard Theory</h3>
<p>More like chemistry than cooking, the process of making mustard is quite a strange one that requires care and consideration.</p>
<p>When the ground mustard is mixed to a paste, compounds from the mustard seed react with each other and the water, but this takes time to happen, so freshly-mixed mustard is relatively tasteless and usually lacks any of the heat and pungency normally associated with the condiment.</p>
<p>Over the course of a few hours though, the mixture develops the classic mustard flavours - and as quickly as it arrives, it may also disappear - the very best mustard is made from freshly-ground seeds, in small batches.</p>
<p>Making it with hot water may prevent this from ever happening - resulting in a mild flavoured mustard (this is why I used cold water) - the addition of vinegar also helps to develop and preserve the heat and aroma.</p>
<h3>Video</h3>
<p>Here's a video (added 27th July 2016) of the process of making mustard condiment from these seeds:</p>
<p class="clearleft"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="287" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HjTLVXWQgu4" width="510"></iframe></p>Lime Flower Cordialurn:md5:4388dccff73b2e461a5263ba943ac7e12013-07-15T22:53:00+00:002015-04-01T22:01:18+00:00MikeForagingSummer<p><img alt="limeflowercordialthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/l/limeflowercordialthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="limeflowercordialthumb.jpg, Jul 2013" />15 July 2013 - Another summer flower cordial - it's quick and easy to make using Lime flowers.</p>
<p>It can be diluted with still or sparking water to make a delicious summery drink, or can be frozen into ice cubes for flavouring other drinks.</p> <p class="clearleft"><img alt="limeflowercordial1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/l/limeflowercordial1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="limeflowercordial1.jpg, Jul 2013" /></p>
<p>I've described the Lime (Linden) tree in <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2008/07/12/Lime-Flowers">other</a> pages - this year seems especially good for the flowers; they're a little late, but very large and abundant.</p>
<p>If you're looking for Lime trees, you're actually likely to smell them before you see them - when in full flower (as here), they fill the whole area with a powerfully sweet aroma - unlike some other trees where the smell is pleasant only from a distance, Lime flowers are just delicious, even close up.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="limeflowercordial2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/l/limeflowercordial2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="limeflowercordial2.jpg, Jul 2013" />Pick a large number of lime flowers - they tend to come away from the tree in little bunches, so it's worth picking them early in the season - that way, you get fresh flowers and unopened buds, rather than open flowers and some brown, dead ones.</p>
<h3>Making Lime Flower Cordial</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="limeflowercordial3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/l/limeflowercordial3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="limeflowercordial3.jpg, Jul 2013" />The exact quantity you gather doesn't matter, as this recipe is scalable - I picked enough flowers to three-quarters fill a 2 litre ice cream tub.</p>
<p>On returning home, spread the flowers out on a tray and pick them over for any foreign bodies and insects.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="limeflowers4.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/l/limeflowers4.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="limeflowers4.JPG, Jan 2015" />Place the flowers in a large bowl or bucket and add enough cold water to completely cover them - press them down with a spoon or spatula.</p>
<p>Cover the container and leave to infuse for half an hour - it helps if you come back occasionally and give them a stir.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="limeflowercordial5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/l/limeflowercordial5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="limeflowercordial5.jpg, Jul 2013" />After infusing the flowers, the liquid will be pale greenish yellow in colour - strain it off into a clean jug.</p>
<p>I use a 2 stage straining process to get it nice and clear - initially, through a colander to remove the bulk of the flowers (this means you can also squeeze out more of the liquid), then again through a coffee filter paper in a funnel - to remove any loose petals, stray bugs, grit, etc.</p>
<p>Interestingly, even after infusing and draining the flowers once, they still have plenty of fragrance - see below for detail.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="limeflowercordial6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/l/limeflowercordial6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="limeflowercordial6.jpg, Jul 2013" />Measure the volume of liquid, then for each litre (approx 1.75 UK pints, or 1 US quart), you will need to add:</p>
<ul>
<li>The strained juice of two lemons</li>
<li>200g (approx 7 ounces or 1 cup) of granulated white sugar</li>
</ul>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="limeflowers7.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/l/limeflowers7.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="limeflowers7.JPG, Jan 2015" />Warm this gently in a pan to dissolve the sugar, then turn up the heat and bring it to the boil - allow to boil for no more than a minute (or you will boil out the aromatic flavours) then take off the heat.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="limeflowers8.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/l/limeflowers8.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="limeflowers8.JPG, Jan 2015" />To bottle, either sterilise the bottles, then fill them (carefully!) with the hot cordial and seal them whilst still hot - these can be stored in a cool dark place for months without spoiling, but once opened will need to be refrigerated.</p>
<p>Or just allow the cordial to cool, transfer into clean bottles and store them in the fridge - they'll keep for a few weeks.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">To Serve</h3>
<p>To Serve Lime Flower Cordial, dilute it about 1 part cordial to 5 parts chilled water (or sparkling water) and serve with ice and lemon. It's a delicious, refreshing summer drink with a sweet, fruity, melon-like aroma.</p>
<p>The undiluted cordial can also be frozen in ice cube trays - the ice cubes will add their delicate flavour to any drink.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft"><img alt="limeflowercordial9.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/l/limeflowercordial9.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="limeflowercordial9.jpg, Jul 2013" />Lime Flowers - Packed With Flavour</h3>
<p>Although Lime flowers have quite a gentle flavour, they have a lot of it - after the initial steeping to make the cordial, the flowers are still very fragrant and can be re-used.</p>
<p>To re-use the flowers, immerse them again in cold water, infuse for half an hour, then drain and strain the liquid - this time, it will have enough in them to make a Lime flower drink that doesn't need dilution.</p>
<p>Filter the liquid directly into a serving jug, add the juice of one lemon and a few tablespoons of sugar - stir to dissolve (taste some and adjust the flavour with more sugar and lemon juice if needed) - cover the jug and chill it in the fridge until ready to serve.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Wild Cherriesurn:md5:7513a4528ffc70d35f1814861b4c7daa2013-07-14T20:44:00+00:002016-07-02T23:09:23+00:00MikeBerriesFoodForagingHedgerowsSummer<p><img alt="wildcherrythumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/wildcherrythumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="wildcherrythumb.jpg, Jul 2013" />July 2013 - Wild cherry is quite a common woodland tree, but frequently overlooked - let's take a closer look.</p> <h3 class="clearleft">What Are Wild Cherries</h3>
<p><i><img alt="wildcherry2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/wildcherry2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="wildcherry2.jpg, Jul 2013" />Prunus avium</i> - Wild cherry is a medium-sized tree with a rounded crowm - when grown in the open - as in this photo - these wild cherry trees are planted in a park - it takes on a sturdy spreading habit - when found in its more usual woodland habitat, it is more often slender with long, reaching, whippy branches.</p>
<p>The leaves are oval with toothed margins and in early spring, the tree is covered with abundant blooms - white to very pale pink and slightly fragrant.</p>
<h3>A Closer Look</h3>
<p>The fruits, which ripen in mid summer, are small - up to about 1cm in diameter, hard until fully ripe and sour to the taste even then.</p>
<p>They are somewhat variable - some trees will produce fruit that are little more than a stone with a thin layer of skin over it, others are more recognisably cherries - with juicy red or yellow flesh (but almost invariably still very sour).</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="wildcherry1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/wildcherry1.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="wildcherry1.jpg, Jul 2013" />You may also sometimes find feral cherries - that is, the chance offspring of cultivated varieties of cherry - perhaps grown from a stone that someone discarded into a hedgerow, perhaps stolen and dropped by a bird.</p>
<p>Feral cherries will often retain a little of the character of their cultivated parent - that is, larger, sweeter fruit and perhaps a different colour from the standard orange-red.</p>
<p>Once, on a camping trip to Yorkshire, I discovered a feral cherry tree heavy with perfect, large, dark purple fruit- the tree was growing alongside a layby on a quiet country road - obviously, grown from a seed discarded from someone's picnic lunch many years previously. picked several pounds of big, sweet, juicy cherries - they were delicious!</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="wildcherry3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/wildcherry3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="wildcherry3.jpg, Jul 2013" />Sometimes, you'll find the cherry tree, but it won't seem to have any fruit on it, even in season - but often if you get underneath it and look up through the canopy, you'll see what you were missing on first glance.</p>
<p>Unlike cultivated cherries, the fruits tend to ripen progressively over the space of a few weeks - in a way, this is good - because you're more likely to find them, but it does also mean you're not ever likely to pick a lot in one place.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="wildcherry4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/wildcherry4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="wildcherry4.jpg, Jul 2013" />From wild-growing and planted wild cherry trees within walking distance of home, I managed to pick a good double handful of cherries.</p>
<p>Even the sweetest, juiciest one of them was extremely sour - but quite aromatic. I decided to make cherry brandy.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="wildcherry5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/wildcherry5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="wildcherry5.jpg, Jul 2013" />I removed the stalks and scored the cherries around their equators with a sharp knife, then put them in a preserving jar.</p>
<p>To this, I added about 500ml of Spanish brandy and half a cup of white sugar, then sealed down the lid and shook it up.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="wildcherry6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/wildcherry6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="wildcherry6.jpg, Jul 2013" />I'd have liked to use a few more cherries even for this small amount of brandy - so I left a bit of headspace in the jar. Over the next week or so, I'll pick more wild cherries and add them in.</p>
<p>Once the first lot of sugar has dissolved, I'll add another half cup - cherry brandy should be sweet - and the mixture needs to be syrupy enough to draw the juices out of the cherries.</p>
<p>I'll leave the fruit to soak for a couple of months at least, then I'll strain it off into little bottles - I'm going to save it to drink at Christmas.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Finding Wild Cherries</h3>
<p>The fruits of the wild cherry, although bright red, are not always very conspicuous. Here are some tips on how to locate the trees (some of them require patience!</p>
<h3>The Bark</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="wildcherry7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/wildcherry7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="wildcherry7.jpg, Jul 2013" />The bark of wild cherry trees is slightly glossy silver-grey, sometimes with a purplish-bronze hue and has distinctive, horizontal raised streaks of rough, corky brown.</p>
<h3>In Spring</h3>
<p>Look out for the blossom - White to pale pink, falling like snow in the woods in spring (NB: there are other relatives of the cherry - notably the Cherry Plum and Blackthorn - that produce similar blossom at the same time - but these are also good wild foods, so finding those won't be a disappointment.</p>
<p>Make a note of where you saw the blossom and return back there in summer for the fruit.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Look On The Ground</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="wildcherry8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/wildcherry8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="wildcherry8.jpg, Jul 2013" />When wild cherries are in full fruit, birds will be visiting the tree to eat them - the ground beneath the tree may become quite conspicuously covered with half-eaten fruit.</p>
<p>As is very often the case with foraging for things that grow on trees, the very best specimens are just out of reach - the temptation is to return with hooks and ladders, but I prefer to just visit more trees, pick those that I can reach and leave the higher-hanging fruit for the birds.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Elderflower Cordialurn:md5:3432370cfff541e38df1885532925d672013-06-30T21:19:00+00:002015-03-04T21:33:27+00:00MikeForagingHedgerowsSummer<p><img alt="elderflowercordialthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/e/elderflowercordialthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="elderflowercordialthumb.jpg, Jun 2013" />30 June 2013 - This cordial captures the fragrant grape-like flavour of Elderflowers, but is much quicker and easier to make than Elderflower Fizz.</p>
<p>It can be diluted with still or sparking water to make a delicious summery drink, or can be used as a light syrup for fruit salads or cocktails.</p> <p class="clearleft"><img alt="elderflowercordial1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/e/elderflowercordial1.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="elderflowercordial1.jpg, Jun 2013" />The Elder tree (<i style="line-height: 1.6em;">Sambucus nigra</i>) is a fast-growing tree with upright, pithy branches. In early summer, it produces large, flat umbels of creamy white, fragrant flowers.</p>
<p>(Harry Potter fans may note that this is the tree from which the Elder Wand is made)</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="elderflowercordial2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/e/elderflowercordial2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="elderflowercordial2.jpg, Jun 2013" />But it's the flowers with which we will be making magic here.</p>
<p>Select the flower heads that are fully open and creamy yellow-white in colour - these are the best ones of flavour - if they've turned pale white, or brown, or if they have dark centres instead of yellow, they will be no good for making cordial.</p>
<p>Pick whole umbels of flowers - the quantity you pick is up to you - I gathered about half a plastic grocery shopping bag full, which was enough to make two bottles of cordial.</p>
<p>It's worth inspecting the flowers for large insects before they go in the bag - green caterpillars are quite common - transfer them to another part of the plant so that they can continue their lifecycle (or so they can provide food for other wildlife).</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="elderflowercordial3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/e/elderflowercordial3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="elderflowercordial3.jpg, Jun 2013" />Inspect the flower heads again for small insects such as flea beetles and shake these off.</p>
<p>Using sharp scissors, cut the flowers away from the thicker branches of stem - discarding as much stem as possible, but keeping the flowers - it's OK to keep the finer branched stems though.</p>
<p>Allow the flowers to fall into a large bowl or pan.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="elderflowercordial4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/e/elderflowercordial4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="elderflowercordial4.jpg, Jun 2013" />Pour over enough cold water to completely immerse the flowers - press them down to ensure they're fully submerged.</p>
<p>Cover and leave to infuse for half an hour - an occasional stir will help to infuse the aroma of the flowers into the liquid.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="elderflowercordial5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/e/elderflowercordial5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="elderflowercordial5.jpg, Jun 2013" />After the flowers have infused, the water will turn pale greenish yellow in colour and slightly cloudy.</p>
<p>Don't worry about all the bits floating about - or if there are any remaining small insects swimming/drowning - because the next stage is to strain the liquid.</p>
<p>Strain off the liquid through a fine sieve, jelly cloth, muslin or (as here) coffee filter paper.</p>
<p>Discard the flowers (they can be composted).</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="elderflowercordial7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/e/elderflowercordial7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="elderflowercordial7.jpg, Jun 2013" />Measure the quantity of liquid</p>
<p>For each litre of liquid (approx 1.75 UK pints, or 1 US quart), you will need:</p>
<ul>
<li>The strained juice of one lemon</li>
<li>200g (approx 7 ounces or 1 cup) of granulated white sugar</li>
</ul>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="elderflowercordial8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/e/elderflowercordial8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="elderflowercordial8.jpg, Jun 2013" />Transfer the liquid to a large pan, add the sugar and lemon juice, then warm over a moderate heat until the sugar is dissolved.</p>
<p>Then turn up the heat and bring to the boil - allow to boil for no more than a minute (or you will boil out the aromatic flavours) then take off the heat.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="elderflowercordial9.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/e/elderflowercordial9.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="elderflowercordial9.jpg, Jun 2013" />There are two options for bottling, depending on whether you intend to keep the cordial refrigerated.</p>
<p><b>Either</b> sterilise the bottles, then fill them (carefully!) with the hot cordial and seal them whilst still hot - these can be stored in a cool dark place for months without spoiling, but once opened will need to be refrigerated.</p>
<p><b>Or</b> just allow the cordial to cool, transfer into bottles and store them in the fridge - they'll keep for a few weeks - but this cordial is so delicious, the relatively short storage life won't be a problem.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="elderflowercordial10.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/e/elderflowercordial10.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="elderflowercordial10.jpg, Jun 2013" />Dilute one part cordial to five or six parts cold still or sparkling water to taste.</p>
<p>It can also be used undiluted as a dressing for fruit salad, or frozen in ice cube trays to make tasty ice for summer drinks.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Elderflowers, And Things That Are Not Elderflowers</h3>
<p>Around the same time as Elder is flowering, there are a number of other things about that may look superficially similar, but should be avoided - mostly, just because they're not nice, but in some cases, because they could be poisonous.</p>
<p>These include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Guelder Rose (<i>Viburnum opulus</i>) - a tree of similar size to elder, but with smaller, rounder flower heads, and roundish leaves that have an orange tinge.</li>
<li>Rowan or Mountain Ash (<i>Sorbus spp</i>) - this actually flowers a bit earlier than elder - the smell of the flowers is quite unpleasant - reminiscent of decayed food or urine.</li>
<li>Cow Parsley - or other plants of the carrot family - these are herbaceous plants so shouldn't be easy to mistake for Elder, except that they are sometimes found growing right up through the middle of an Elder bush - however, a cursory examination of the flowers and stems is all that's needed to tell the difference.</li>
</ul>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Red Cloverurn:md5:0b436bd53c7820ae688e739975e090412013-06-04T22:34:00+00:002015-03-15T22:44:39+00:00MikeForagingSummer<p><img alt="redcloverthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/redcloverthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="redcloverthumb.jpg, Jun 2013" />04 June 2013 - We took a pleasant evening stroll along footpaths through some local fields and picked some early flowers of Red Clover to make Red Clover Syrup.</p> <h3 class="clearleft">What Is Red Clover?</h3>
<p><i><img alt="redclover2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/redclover2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="redclover2.jpg, Jun 2013" />Trifolium pratense</i> - a sprawling, sometimes slightly bushy herbaceous perennial, instantly recognisable by its globular clusters of flowers ranging in colour anywhere from from baby pink to deep magenta.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="redclover1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/redclover1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="redclover1.jpg, Jun 2013" /></p>
<p>The trefoil leaves are dark green with a paler green chevron marking and are borne on the end of slender, slightly wiry stalks - unlike some other species of clover, the leaflets of red clover are somewhat pointed.</p>
<p>Red Clover is commonly found on roadsides, amongst long grass and at the edges of cultivated fields. It tends not to thrive in lawns, where white clover (a more compact, mat-forming plant) is more common.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Making Red Clover Syrup</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="redclover3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/redclover3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="redclover3.jpg, Jun 2013" />Red Clover syrup is easy to make - pick a good quantity of the flowers on a dry, sunny day (when the plant will be producing plenty of nectar) - pull off any excess stalk and leaves as you go, as this will make handling simpler back in the kitchen.</p>
<p>Back at home, spread the flowers out on a tray or dish and pick out any foreign bodies, leaves, insects etc and pack them fairly firmly, but without crushing, into a container to get a measure of their volume - I had about a cup and a half, when packed down.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="redclover4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/redclover4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="redclover4.jpg, Jun 2013" />Whatever volume of flowers you have, put the same volume of water in a pan and bring to the boil.</p>
<p>Drop in the flowers, then reduce the heat and simmer very gently for just a couple of minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="redclover5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/redclover5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="redclover5.jpg, Jun 2013" />Transfer to a jug or bowl and cover up with a lid or plastic film.</p>
<p>Allow to cool, then place in the fridge overnight to infuse.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="redclover6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/redclover6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="redclover6.jpg, Jun 2013" />The following day, strain off the liquid into a pan. Squeeze the flowers in a cloth jelly bag or by pressing between two plates (or as I did, using a citrus juice press).</p>
<p>Make sure you have strained out all the little bits of flower, as these would spoil the appearance of the finished syrup.</p>
<p>At this stage, the liquid smells quite unpromising - not unpleasant - just green/grassy and not very fragrant. Don't worry about this - it gets better.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="redclover7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/redclover7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="redclover7.jpg, Jun 2013" />Place the pan on a gentle heat and add sugar - the same volume of white granulated sugar as flowers and water the previous day (so in my case, a cup and a half).</p>
<p>Heat gently, stirring in the sugar until it is all dissolved.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="redclover8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/redclover8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="redclover8.jpg, Jun 2013" />Once the sugar is completely dissolved, turn up the heat and boil hard without further stirring, and without a lid on the pan.</p>
<p>Check the temperature periodically using a cooking thermometer - keep boiling until the temperature reaches 110 Celsius (230F).</p>
<p>(If you don't have a suitable thermometer, chill a plate in the fridge and use this to test the thickness of the syrup - drip some onto the plate and allow it to cool down, then run your finger across it to gauge how sticky/thick it's getting - aim for something around the same consistency as maple syrup.</p>
<p>I found it took about ten minutes of hard boiling before it reached the right consistency.</p>
<p>Pour the boiled syrup into clean, sterilised jars and cap them immediately.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">The Result</h3>
<p>Red Clover syrup is a beautiful clear, deep rose colour.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="redclover9.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/redclover9.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="redclover9.jpg, Jun 2013" /></p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Clover Syrup</h3>
<p>Red Clover syrup has a pleasant, mildly floral-fruity flavour - a little bit reminiscent of honey, but with a gentle astringency that makes it ideal for combining with things that are already sweet, without ruining them by making them cloying.</p>
<p>It's suitable for pouring over ice cream or waffles, or adding to fruit salads, or it can be added to sparking water to make a refreshing soft drink.</p>
<p> </p>Ribwort Plantain Shoot Em Upurn:md5:eedc72647d4ec9f3d22577cab543e6552012-08-11T23:01:00+00:002015-03-15T23:02:31+00:00MikeGamesSummerVideo<p><img alt="ribwortplantainthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/ribwortplantainthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="ribwortplantainthumb.jpg, Mar 2015" />Back when I was a young lad, we didn't have computers, video games or the Internet</p>
<p>Instead, we had to play in a shared multiplayer fully-immersive actual-reality environment called 'outdoors'. Here's one of the things we used to do.</p> <p class="clearleft"> </p>
<div class="imagecentre"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="383" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BI90tvH7HqY" width="510"></iframe></div>
<h3>Ribwort Plantain</h3>
<p>Ribwort Plantain (<i>Plantago lanceolata</i>) is a very common plant of grassy places such as fields, roadsides and gardens. It forms a rosette of strap-like leaves, from which wiry, ridged stalks arise, bearing green/brown cone-like compound flower heads, surrounded by a halo of tiny cream-coloured bracts, held on hair-thin stalks that allow them to quiver in even the slightest breeze.</p>
<p>Because of the brownish colour of the inflorescence, it's easy to dismiss this plant as unattractive - but take a closer look - it's really rather beautiful in its own way.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="ribwortplaintain1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/ribwortplaintain1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="ribwortplaintain1.jpg, Mar 2015" /></p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Shooting Ribwort Plantain</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="ribwortplaintain2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/ribwortplaintain2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="ribwortplaintain2.jpg, Aug 2012" />Pick a long stalk - tough-stemmed ones with short, fat inflorescences work best.</p>
<p>Hold with the flower pointing away from you, then bring the base end of the stalk around and fold it in a loop just below the flower.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="ribwortplaintain3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/ribwortplaintain3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="ribwortplaintain3.jpg, Aug 2012" />Grasp the stalks firmly in both hands and pull the loop upwards to the neck of the inflorescence.</p>
<p>The stalks are slightly elastic; hopefully, the stalk will snap just below the flower and it will be catapulted forward up to a dozen feet.</p>
<h3>Conservation</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="ribwortplaintain4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/ribwortplaintain4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="ribwortplaintain4.jpg, Aug 2012" />Normally, the picking of wild flowers is not really recommended, however, Ribwort Plantain reproduces quite prolifically - there's very little risk of this species being driven to extinction by kids playing this game - and anyway, by the time they're ready for ballistic use, they already contain some viable seeds, so maybe you'd actually be helping.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Bog Myrtle (Sweet Gale)urn:md5:0dc84681e0f3cccde0367b561d2255672012-07-22T22:16:00+00:002015-01-22T22:33:08+00:00MikeFoodForagingSummer<p><img alt="bogmyrtlethumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bogmyrtlethumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bogmyrtlethumb.jpg, Jul 2012" />This summer of rain finally let up, so we headed off to the New Forest for a walk; I picked some Bog Myrtle to make Gale Beer.</p> <h3 class="clearleft">What Is Bog Myrtle?</h3>
<p><i>Myrica gale</i> - Also known as Sweet Gale is a wiry shrub common on peaty lowlands, river margins and bogs, growing to about 3 feet tall.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bogmyrtle1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bogmyrtle1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="bogmyrtle1.jpg, Jul 2012" /></p>
<p>Before the introduction of hops to Britain, Sweet Gale was used to flavour and preserve beer - and that's what I'll be trying.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bogmyrtle2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bogmyrtle2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bogmyrtle2.jpg, Jul 2012" />The dull green leaves (pale green underneath) are strongly aromatic when crushed, having a spicy resinous smell.</p>
<p>The small waxy fruits - produced later in the year - have historically been gathered to use in the production of candles. This sounds like a lot of work, but I might give it a try sometime.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Making Gale Beer</h3>
<p><img alt="bogmyrtle3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bogmyrtle3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bogmyrtle3.jpg, Jul 2012" />I gathered a few sprigs of leaves - totalling about a double handful when stripped from the twigs.</p>
<p>I boiled a large pan of water, then dropped in the leaves and left them to steep for ten minutes.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bogmyrtle4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bogmyrtle4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bogmyrtle4.jpg, Jul 2012" />Meanwhile (brewing purists please look away now) I put 1.5kg of spray dried malt in a large fermenting bucket, together with three big spoonfuls of black treacle and another three spoons of honey.</p>
<p>I dissolved these sugars in a few litres of cooled boiled water, which I topped up to 20 litres with more boiled water and the strained infusion of Sweet Gale. (In fact, I steeped the strained leaves in a further two pans of water during the process, to maximise the extraction).</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bogmyrtle5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bogmyrtle5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bogmyrtle5.jpg, Jul 2012" />I left the bucket covered to cool (this took a dozen hours - 20 litres of water holds a lot of heat), then I added the beer yeast, covered it again and left it to work.</p>
<p>At this stage, the aroma of the Sweet Gale was quite discernible - it's got an almost gingery scent.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bogmyrtle6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bogmyrtle6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bogmyrtle6.jpg, Jul 2012" />The next day, I peeked under the lid and it was fizzing and bubbling away nicely.</p>
<p>I had expected there to be a foamy layer of yeast working on the top, but there wasn't - it may just be that this strain of yeast is a bottom-working one, or maybe there's something about the slightly waxy resinous nature of the Sweet Gale that makes it do this.</p>
<p>After a week, fermentation subsided and the beer cleared - I set about bottling it.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bogmyrtle7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bogmyrtle7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bogmyrtle7.jpg, Jul 2012" />I've got loads of 1 litre clamp-top bottles, but they need a really thorough clean and I couldn't find a long enough bottle brush, so instead, I got a piece of brass lamp chain and cleaned each bottle by quarter-filling with detergent and water, then swirling around vigorously, so the chain scoured the insides clean.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bogmyrtle8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bogmyrtle8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bogmyrtle8.jpg, Jul 2012" />Once the bottles were cleaned and sterilised, I added a heaped teaspoonful of white sugar to each one.</p>
<p>This will permit the yeast to work just a little bit more - and in the enclosed environment of the sealed bottle, this will force Carbon Dioxide into solution, hopefully giving the brew a bit of sparkle.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bogmyrtle9.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bogmyrtle9.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bogmyrtle9.jpg, Jul 2012" />I siphoned the beer into bottles - 21 of them, but despite my great care, it still looked a bit cloudy - maybe I should have left it longer to clear.</p>
<p>But I didn't want to wait too long in case it spoiled once fermentation was over - too late to go back now, so I stacked the bottles in a crate and moved them downstairs to the cool and dark of the garage.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bogmyrtle10.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bogmyrtle10.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bogmyrtle10.jpg, Aug 2012" />Another week, and things were looking good - the beer is looking quite bright and clear - with the cloudiness having settled to the bottom.</p>
<p>Obviously, this means there will be a thin layer of sediment at the bottom, but that's normal for a bottle-conditioned ale. I just need to leave it now for at least a few more weeks - the sediment layer will 'set' on the bottom so it doesn't get mixed back in when the beer is poured.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">I Couldn't Wait</h3>
<p><img alt="bogmyrtle11.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bogmyrtle11.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bogmyrtle11.jpg, Aug 2012" />5th August 2012 - I couldn't resist cracking open a bottle - the lid flipped open with a satisfying pop!, and bubbles started to rise inside.</p>
<p>I poured myself a pint of foaming Bog Myrtle Ale - it's really good - malty, with just the right balance of acidity and sweetness. The spicy aroma and slightly bitter taste of the Bog Myrtle makes it a tasty and refreshing brew.</p>
<p>The sediment from bottle-conditioning hadn't completely set - this isn't a problem if the contents are poured in a single movement (i.e. nearly two pint glasses) - setting it back upright and pouring again was enough to disturb it and make the second pour a bit cloudy.</p>
<p>I didn't bother with the necessary measurements to be able to empirically state the alcoholic strength of this beer, but judging solely by flavour and 'feel', I'd say it must be somewhere around 4.5% ABV.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Dandelionsurn:md5:a2536d36fe87369aa38d3543f7abdb122012-05-18T19:49:00+00:002015-02-22T19:55:56+00:00MikeFoodForagingSpringSummer<p><img alt="dandelion1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/d/.dandelion1_t.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="dandelion1.jpg, Feb 2015" />Our rabbit and guinea pigs love dandelions, especially the flowers - and I've always known they could be eaten by humans, just never really quite got around to trying them.</p> <p class="clearleft">Well, some folks on the Straight Dope Message Board were talking about eating the flowers fried like breaded mushrooms - that sounded pretty good, so I went off and picked a few</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="dandelion2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/d/dandelion2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="dandelion2.jpg, Feb 2015" />I didn't pick many, as I wasn't sure how good this was going to be - and they were picked late in the day, so they were starting to close up - not exactly ideal. Anyway...</p>
<p>Also in there are some flowers from wild three-cornered leeks that are growing in the woods near my house.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="dandelion3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/d/dandelion3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="dandelion3.jpg, Feb 2015" />I made a quick batter from an egg, an ounce or so of plain flour and a pinch of curry powder.</p>
<p>I washed the flowers carefully and coated them in the batter.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="dandelion4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/d/dandelion4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="dandelion4.jpg, Feb 2015" />Then I shallow fried them, for about three minutes in total, turning once in the middle of cooking.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="dandelion5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/d/dandelion5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="dandelion5.jpg, Feb 2015" />They came out looking like this. Crispy and fluffy.</p>
<p>I sprinkled them with a little salt and we all tried some. Everybody agreed they were really very good. A definite thumbs up for this wild food.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Other Uses For Dandelions</h3>
<p>The young leaves can be eaten in salads. I've made <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2010/10/03/Ersatz-Coffee">coffee substitute</a> from the roasted roots - and that was pretty good - tolerably similar to coffee, but with dark, syrupy licorice tones - which made it good in its own right.</p>
<h3>Looks Familiar...</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="dandelion6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/d/dandelion6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="dandelion6.jpg, Feb 2015" />When I was washing and preparing the flowers, they kept reminding me of something, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was...</p>
<p>- then, suddenly, realisation dawned.</p>
<h3>Drowned Wasps</h3>
<p>Collectively, the flowers look like drowned wasps. That's what it was.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">What Do They Taste Like?</h3>
<p>Pretty good.<br />
Of course, the batter contributes quite a lot to the experience of eating dandelions, but the flavours of the flower do come subtly through.</p>
<p>They taste slightly nutty, faintly of honey, with a pleasant green vegetable tang, but also a hint of spicy aromatic freshness - like pine resin, perhaps.</p>
<p>These are inadequate descriptions. Summary: fried dandelion flowers in batter are very nice to eat - well worth trying.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Next Time</h3>
<p>Next time I'll pick some larger flowers, and get them in the middle of the day when they're wide open - as well as tasting just great, they should look a bit nicer fried, if they retain their circular shape.</p>
<p>I'll also try a different batter - maybe just beer and flour with no egg - the egg batter is nice enough, but does not stay crispy for long after cooking</p>Wall Pennyworturn:md5:2a2ced9293c58060d946a4b43331aafa2012-04-01T16:05:00+00:002015-02-08T16:15:20+00:00MikeFoodForagingSpringSummer<p><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><img alt="pennywortthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/p/pennywortthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="pennywortthumb.jpg, Apr 2012" />Wall Pennywort, also known as Navelwort, is a common plant on coastal cliffs, stone walls and banks, especially in the southwest of England.</span></p> <p class="clearleft"><span style="line-height: 1.2em;">What Is Wall Pennywort?</span></p>
<p><img alt="pennywort1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/p/pennywort1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="pennywort1.jpg, Apr 2012" /></p>
<p><i>Umbilicus rupestris</i> - A small perennial plant producing rosettes of slightly wavy, disc-shaped leaves with a distinctly dimpled centre (where the stalk attaches) - giving them a navel-like appearance that is the reason for both the botanical name and some of the common ones too.</p>
<p>The succulent, fragile leaves are typically pale to jade green and up to about 10cm across.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="pennywort2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/p/pennywort2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="pennywort2.jpg, Apr 2012" />The best leaves for foraging will be found on plants growing in more moist conditions (fortunately this is quite frequent, as it's not uncommon to find springs of water seeping or dripping from rock faces and stone banks) - and as long as they're fresh and green-looking, the bigger leaves are just as good as the small ones - they don't really seem to get tough or fibrous.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Picking Pennywort</h3>
<p>Picking Pennywort is a bit like gathering small mushrooms (which the leaves do superficially resemble) - the stalks are softly fragile and this makes it easy to snap away leaves with a short piece of stalk attached.</p>
<p>Plants growing in mossy earth may only be rooted quite weakly - in which case care should be taken not to uproot them in their entirety.</p>
<p>Find a spot where the growth is abundant and pick one or two leaves from each individual plant - not only does this minimise the environmental impact of your foraging, but it also allows you to select the best-looking leaves for your salad.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">In The Kitchen</h3>
<p><img alt="pennywort3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/p/pennywort3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="pennywort3.jpg, Apr 2012" />The plant has a flavour quite similar to crisp lettuce, although with an additional cucumber-melon sweetness and a slight salty-acidic tang that, all together, makes it a top-notch wild salad.</p>
<p class="clearleft">I picked this pennywort on a short break in Minehead, Somerset - and although the self catering facilities in my accommodation were quite ample, I decided to keep it simple and play on the similarity to lettuce and made myself a Bacon, Pennywort and Tomato sandwich - a BPT!</p>Horseradishurn:md5:78423f1d37d964772db26f34f68602472011-08-21T21:59:00+00:002015-01-12T22:11:27+00:00MikeFoodForagingHedgerowsSummer<p><img alt="horseradishthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/h/horseradishthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="horseradishthumb.jpg, Aug 2011" />All along a broad roadside verge near where I live, Horseradish grows - I've been noticing it for years, intending to forage some.</p>
<p>I finally got around to that - and picked some of the flowers to make fritters.</p> <h3 class="clearleft">What is Horseradish?</h3>
<p><img alt="horseradish1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/h/horseradish1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="horseradish1.jpg, Aug 2011" /></p>
<p><i>Armoracia rusticana</i> - horseradish is a perennial related to mustard and watercress, It forms dense clumps of large, robust upright leaves, wavy at the edges, arising from a thick, fleshy taproot that may grow down a couple of feet or more.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="horseradish2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/h/horseradish2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="horseradish2.jpg, Aug 2011" />These particular horseradish plants happen to have been cut down to the ground by mowing about a month ago - causing them to regrow quite vigorously.</p>
<p>The resprouted foliage has a variably pinnate, fern-like arrangement normally only seen in the smaller first leaves of the season.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="horseradish3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/h/horseradish3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="horseradish3.jpg, Aug 2011" />The further north you go, the less likely it is that horseradish plants will produce flowers. Down here in the south, they're not uncommon.</p>
<p>The flowers are pure white and four-petalled - very typical of plants in this genus - and are held on slender stems radiating and branching from a central stalk.</p>
<p>The open flowers have quite a distinctive and strong aroma - sort of musky honey-mustard.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="horseradish4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/h/horseradish4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="horseradish4.jpg, Aug 2011" />I picked some of the open flowers and some of the more tightly-packed heads of unopened buds. They have a similar appearance to sprouting broccoli or turnip tops.</p>
<p>At the younger, unopened stage, the stems were very tender and snapped easily - I might even try eating these raw sometime.</p>
<p>I do, of course, intend to go back later in the year and unearth samples of the real treasure - the pungent horseradish root.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="horseradish5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/h/horseradish5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="horseradish5.jpg, Aug 2011" />I gave them the treatment I usually prefer for leafy sprouts like these - dipping in a simple seasoned flour batter and frying quickly in hot oil.</p>
<p class="clearleft">The result was these tasty and substantial fritters. I expected them to be quite pungent - in fact, they were fairly mild, but with a good crisp crunch and flavour.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="horseradish6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/h/horseradish6.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="horseradish6.jpg, Aug 2011" /></p>
<p>Tasty on their own, they were made perfect by the addition of a little spiced plum jelly I happened to have in the cupboard.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Uses For Horseradish</h3>
<p>Horseradish is most commonly used as a sauce, made from the grated root - the process of shredding it causes the cells to release the eye-wateringly pungent chemicals for which horseradish is famous.</p>
<p>Classically, horseradish is a companion for roast beef (and this is a fantastic combination). It also works very well with oily fish such as mackerel or salmon, or smoked and preserved meats, salami and other cured sausages and strong cheeses. A teaspoon of grated horseradish root gives a great kick to coleslaw.</p>
<p>Medicinally, horseradish is useful for the relief of symptoms of colds and flu - the hot pungency is great for loosening congestion of the nose and sinuses and somewhat counter-intuitively, it's great for sore throats and tickly coughs.</p>Mulberriesurn:md5:a644e88970d132b375e13c747367a2482011-08-03T15:16:00+00:002015-01-31T15:27:51+00:00MikeBerriesFoodForagingSummer<p><img alt="mulberriesthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mulberriesthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mulberriesthumb.jpg, Aug 2011" />This is urban foraging, rather than true wild food, but it's still a great free food resource - Mulberries. Find some of these, and you're in for a real treat.</p> <p class="clearleft"><span style="line-height: 1.2em;">What Are Mulberries?</span></p>
<p><i><img alt="mulberries1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mulberries1.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mulberries1.jpg, Aug 2011" />Morus spp</i> - In this case, <i>M. nigra</i> - the black mulberry - which happens to be one of the best species for edible fruit, bearing heavy crops of large blackberry-like juicy, aromatic fruits.</p>
<p>You may also find other species such as <i>M. alba</i>, which is interesting in that it is the staple food of silkworms, but unfortunately, the pale-coloured fruit of that species is said to be disappointingly insipid in flavour.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mulberries2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mulberries2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mulberries2.jpg, Aug 2011" />The mulberry tree is robust, growing to a rounded conical shape. The leaves are large, fairly coarse and stiff, fresh green in colour and heart-shaped, with a raggedly toothed margin.</p>
<p>They're often found as specimen trees in parks and public gardens - certainly no arboretum would be complete without one.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mulberries3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mulberries3.jpg" style="line-height: 1.6em; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;" title="mulberries3.jpg, Aug 2011" /></p>
<p>The fruits ripen from mid summer onwards, over quite an extended period - so at any one time, there could be overripe fruits falling off the tree, and small, hard, greenish fruits yet to develop and ripen.</p>
<p>This is a boon to the casual urban forager, as it means the crop is highly unlikely to vanish all at once under the assault of birds, or any human competitors.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mulberries4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mulberries4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mulberries4.jpg, Aug 2011" />The fruits themselves are extremely juicy and delicate - tending to burst at even the gentlest touch - so that it is almost impossible to pick them without acquiring copious juice stains to the hands (and probably clothes).</p>
<p>When completely ripe, they will fall from the tree of their own accord - indeed probably the most efficient way to pick them in any quantity is to spread a large plastic sheet on the ground and gently shake the branches - however, this may not be practical if the tree is in a public space.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mulberries5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mulberries5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mulberries5.jpg, Aug 2011" />Their delicate nature is the reason these delicious fruits are seldom found for sale in the shops - but that commercial rarity makes them all the more special.</p>
<p>The flavour is sweet and aromatic, reminiscent of blackberries and raspberries, but with an exciting fizzy acidity and a fresh, surprising taste that I think resembles fresh figs (to which they are botanically related)</p>
<p>They look as though they ought to be very pippy, but this is not the case - they do have a few seeds inside, but they're crisp, not woody at all - like the seeds in a fig.</p>
<p class="clearleft">Mulberries make excellent jam, and I expect they would be delicious as juice or even wine, but my favourite way to enjoy them is fresh, straight from the tree in my lunch break in the park - returning to work with crimson juice stains on the cuffs of my shirt.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Urban Foraging</h3>
<p>You don't need to trek out to the countryside to find interesting food for free - even in the city, there are tasty treats to be found - if you know what to look for...</p>
<div class="wikinote noteimportant">
<p class="note-title"><strong>Important</strong></p>
<p>Urban Foraging does call for a slightly different approach from the norm - the forager must consider a few extra questions:</p>
<ul>
<li>Might there have been contamination by pesticide sprays, vehicle exhaust or industrial chemicals?</li>
<li>Is it even permissible to be picking these, here?</li>
<li>Can I do this without causing damage to anything (including damaging the aesthetics of display)?</li>
</ul>
<p>Talking to the park keeper or landscaping staff might help to resolve these questions - I've tried this a number of times and have thus far always received a positive and helpful response - showing a genuine interest in the plants seems to be generally quite a good way to get on friendly terms with the folks who look after them.</p>
</div>