Atomic Shrimp - Tag - Foraging2023-02-01T12:10:35+00:00urn:md5:c0b98cd55ab1d3c468ecdbd19e8bc1dbDotclearTrumpet Chanterellesurn:md5:fb160bcfced07296120d851e8bffc7d52016-10-22T04:12:00+00:002016-10-22T04:12:00+00:00MikeAutumnFoodForagingFungi<p><img alt="trumpetchanterellesthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/t/trumpetchanterellesthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="trumpetchanterellesthumb.jpg, Jan 2015" />Out for a walk in the woods, to enjoy the autumn foliage, I very nearly overlooked an abundant crop of Trumpet Chanterelles.</p>
<p>(Article updated October 2016 to include video and recipe)</p> <h2><img alt="trumpetchanterelles1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/t/trumpetchanterelles1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="trumpetchanterelles1.jpg, Jan 2015" /></h2>
<h3>On Video</h3>
<p>This page was originally posted on 11th November 2014 - updated October 2016 to include the following video detailing these lovely mushrooms - and a recipe for cooking them:</p>
<p class="clearleft imagecentre"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="287" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JZDqLFllxh8" width="510"></iframe></p>
<h2 class="clearleft">What Are Trumpet Chanterelles?</h2>
<p>That turns out to be a less-than-straightforward question - there has been uncertainty whether to place this fungus in the genus Cantharellus (alongside the famous Golden Chanterelle), or in the genus Craterellus (with the less-well-known, but highly regarded Black Trumpet) - recent molecular genetic studies suggest the latter.</p>
<p>Furthermore, there may or may not be several closely related, but distinct species, or they may all be one somewhat-variable species - at the time of writing, the jury is still out on that one, but from the point of view of the forager, it doesn't really matter whether it's called Cantharellus infundibularis, Craterellus tubaeformis, or any combination thereof.</p>
<h3>Finding And Gathering Trumpet Chanterelles</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="trumpetchanterelles2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/t/trumpetchanterelles2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="trumpetchanterelles2.jpg, Jan 2015" />The reason I say it doesn't really matter too much about the precise taxonomy of this fungus (or group of fungi) is that any remaining uncertainty does not impact edibility or ease of recognition.</p>
<p>The fungus has a dull brown cap - not initially easy to see amongst autumn leaves, but this is typically a gregarious organism - so finding a single specimen typically means many more will be found nearby.</p>
<p>The stalk is yellow (another common name for this mushroom is <i>Yellowfoot</i>), hollow inside and often contorted, flattened, ridged and sometimes branched - at the top of the stalk, the transition to the light greyish brown of the gills is quite abrupt.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="trumpetchanterelles3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/t/trumpetchanterelles3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="trumpetchanterelles3.jpg, Jan 2015" />The cap is convex and simple when the fungus is small, but as it matures, it becomes wavy and irregularly funnel-shaped - a hole emerges in the centre, connecting with the hollow centre of the stem.</p>
<p>(It's a good idea to slice the mushrooms in half vertically when preparing them for the table, so that any insects or debris can be brushed out).</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="trumpetchanterelles4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/t/trumpetchanterelles4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="trumpetchanterelles4.jpg, Jan 2015" />Trumpet Chanterelles are found in deciduous or coniferous woodland, especially near the edges where sunlight can penetrate.</p>
<p>It is described by all my references as a mychorrhizal fungus (growing in symbiotic association with trees), but nearly all of the specimens I found on this trip were growing directly from mossy, decomposing fallen branches or cut tree stumps, so it looks like it may also be saprophytic.</p>
<p>This is an interesting, variable, yet very easily identified fungus - which makes it a promising candidate for my shortlist of mushroom heroes... if only it turns out to be good to eat (actually, there's no doubt about that, as I'm by no means the first to try it).</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="trumpetchanterelles5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/t/trumpetchanterelles5.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="trumpetchanterelles5.jpg, Jan 2015" /></p>
<h3 class="clearleft">A Closer Look</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="trumpetchanterelles6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/t/trumpetchanterelles6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="trumpetchanterelles6.jpg, Jan 2015" />A closer view of the gills reveals them to be not separate structures from the flesh of the cap, but actually, gill-like wrinkles; this is a diagnostic feature of mushrooms in this group - as also is the fact that the gills branch and occasionally rejoin when traced from the stem outwards.</p>
<p>This particular species has gill ridges that cross the main radial patterning - that is, linking adjacent gill ridges - not very easy to photograph, but you can just about make out an example of them at the twelve o'clock position in this photo (amongst others less conspicuously in the same picture).</p>
<p>The gills are yellowish in very young specimens, turning greyish brown and darkening as the fruiting body matures.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">In The Kitchen</h3>
<p>When prepared and sliced, the raw mushrooms have a faintly fruity aroma with very subtle hints of a resinous, spicy smell, but this is elusive.</p>
<p>My usual mode of preparation for tasting any new mushroom would be to gently fry it and serve on toast, but I'm getting tired of that tradition, so I decided to cook a few Trumpet Chanterelles and serve them with noodles.</p>
<p>I gently fried the sliced caps of the mushrooms in a little vegetable oil for three minutes while I simmered some ramen noodles (don't judge me!), then I added the drained noodles to the frying pan and tossed them so that they could deglaze and pick up the caramelised juices of the cooked mushrooms.</p>
<p>I only cooked a very small portion of the mushrooms I gathered, as this was a between-meal tasting (I will use the rest later).</p>
<p><img alt="trumpetchanterelles7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/t/trumpetchanterelles7.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="trumpetchanterelles7.jpg, Jan 2015" /></p>
<h3 class="clearleft">The Verdict</h3>
<p>This is a delightful culinary mushroom - the texture is pleasant; firm and meaty, but not tough. The flavour is sweet, well-rounded and deeply wild-mushroomy - in short - a very well-performing wild fungus!</p>
<h3>Locally Abundant</h3>
<p>This fungus is often described in reference sources as 'locally abundant' - meaning that once you stumble across one specimen or a small group, you will probably be able to find many more close by - especially if you look for other examples of the same precise habitat nearby.</p>
<p>For example, I found the first of these growing on a decaying, mossy log at the edge of an area of mixed beech and conifer woodland - I found others on other moss-covered stumps, logs and banks, along a line parallel with the edge of the wood (the same approximate exposure to filtered light, weather conditions, distance from the water-filled drainage ditch, etc.)</p>
<p>I returned to the same area the following week and picked a whole basket full of these delicious mushrooms - the quantity was only limited by the time available - and our aniticpated capacity to cook and preserve them.</p>
<p><img alt="trumpetchanterelles8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/t/trumpetchanterelles8.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="trumpetchanterelles8.jpg, Jan 2015" /></p>
<p class="clearleft">Fortunately, these mushrooms preserve well - they can be halved and dried on wire racks in a warm airy place, or just chopped and cooked down, then packed in their own juices into containers for freezing - these can later be thawed and added to soups, casseroles, risotto, or other savoury dishes.</p>Upcycled Foraging Knifeurn:md5:66ef1f05ee3c00019bbd2cfab411c58d2016-08-04T23:09:00+00:002016-11-01T07:39:07+00:00MikeCraftForagingMetalworkProjectsRecyclingVideoWoodworking<figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img alt="knifethumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/k/knifethumb.jpg" />
<figcaption> </figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I wanted to make a one-off little knife to use when I go foraging for mushrooms. I made this one out of cheap junk.</p> <p class="clearleft"> </p>
<figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img alt="knife1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/k/knife1.jpg" />
<figcaption> </figcaption>
</figure>
<p>My foraging knife began life as a worn and broken decorator's knife that I picked up for 75p at a car boot sale - it had a thin and beautifully springy blade. I could see the potential.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>
<figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img alt="knife2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/k/knife2.jpg" />
<figcaption> </figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I removed the old handle and ferrule and I ground the blade, rounding off the tip where it had been broken.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>
<figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img alt="knife3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/k/knife3.jpg" />
<figcaption> </figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For the handle, I selected a piece of scrap hardwood that came from an imported pallet.</p>
<p>I don't know the exact species of wood. It smells like black pepper when cut - it's hard and fibrous, but sands to a very smooth finish.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>
<figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img alt="knife4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/k/knife4.jpg" />
<figcaption> </figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I cut a rectangular section of the timber and drilled a hole in one end.</p>
<p>Then I glued the tang into the handle using epoxy thickened with some of the sawdust from the drilled hole.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>
<figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img alt="knife5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/k/knife5.jpg" />
<figcaption> </figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The glue cured and formed a very firm bond between blade and handle.</p>
<p>Using a coarse file, I shaped the wood to form a proper handle. I didn't really have any idea what shape I wanted at first - I just sort of 'found' it within the wood.</p>
<p>I ended up with something that's actually lovely to hold - tapered in the middle and with a curved back, it fits the hand very nicely.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>
<figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img alt="knife6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/k/knife6.jpg" />
<figcaption> </figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Using an 80 grit sanding flap wheel, I took off the file marks and did some initial smoothing.</p>
<p>There were still some imperfections, but I decided I actually like them. The blade isn't new or perfect, so it is in keeping that the handle looks a little lived-in.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>
<figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img alt="knife7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/k/knife7.jpg" />
<figcaption> </figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Once the handle had taken shape, I quickly realised the blade looked too rounded and dumpy - so I did some more grinding - mostly along the back side, to introduce a slight curve and bring the tip to a point.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>
<figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img alt="knife8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/k/knife8.jpg" />
<figcaption> </figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I finished sanding the handle down to 400 grit - event though the wood is just scrap pallet timber, it finished quite flat and silky.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>
<figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img alt="knife9.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/k/knife9.jpg" />
<figcaption> </figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I rubbed on a little Linseed oil to finish the handle. It brought depth and shine to the wood grain.</p>
<p>It also did highlight some of the imperfections, but I am resolved to keep those.</p>
<p>I intended to put a layer of shellac varnish over the oil, but in the end, decided against it - I actually really like the soft sheen of the oiled wood handle. It will take on more colour and character as it ages, and as it is handled.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>
<h3>The End Result</h3>
<p>This knife turned out much nicer than I hoped or expected. I'm really pleased to have taken what was essentially a workman's tool, fit for disposal, and given it a new life where it will be loved and cherished. It makes me feel good.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>
<figure style="margin: 0 auto; display: table;"><img alt="knife10.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/k/knife10.jpg" />
<figcaption> </figcaption>
</figure>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>
<p>I've a mind to do some more things like this. In case you can't tell, I've been watching Trollskyy's channel on YouTube, and finding it quite inspiring.</p>
<p>I can't ever hope to be an expert knifemaker like him, but I do intend to explore a little more. I like the idea of upcycling an old file into a strong bushcraft knife - that might be coming soon here...</p>
<h3>Video</h3>
<p>Here's a video that goes into a little more detail of this upcycling project.</p>
<p class="imagecentre"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="287" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zfrEkyg246s" width="510"></iframe></p>Rosebay 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" />
<figcaption> </figcaption>
</figure>
<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" />
<figcaption> </figcaption>
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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" />
<figcaption> </figcaption>
</figure>
<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" />
<figcaption> </figcaption>
</figure>
<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" />
<figcaption> </figcaption>
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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>Wood Blewitsurn:md5:a8cae6907ace7b47281185a24c0ddf212015-11-09T00:13:00+00:002015-11-10T18:45:16+00:00MikeAutumnFoodForagingFungi<figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img class="media" alt="blewittsthumb.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blewittsthumb.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p>Here's an interesting thing - Blewits are supposedly quite a common woodland mushroom - and I spend a fair bit of my foraging time in woodland - these should have been one of the first mushrooms I wrote about, but despite looking, I never managed to find them, until now.</p> <figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img class="media" alt="blewitts1.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/.blewitts1_m.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p>Out for a Sunday afternoon walk, I spotted a patch of mushrooms pushing their way up through the leaf litter beneath some oak trees in a shady wood edge.</p><p>They had a bluish-lilac tinge to the caps - especially the younger specimens - could it be that I had finally found Wood Blewits?</p><h3>What Are Wood Blewits?</h3><p><em>Clitocybe nuda</em> (although most of my books refer to it by the deprecated name <em>Lepista nuda</em>) - this fungus grows in piles of decaying leaf litter. This rather neatly attractive mushroom has variable colour that can be pink, pale lilac or buff (or any combination of these).</p><p>The cap is up to about 15cm in diameter - becoming convex and wavy as it matures - the stem is stiff and fibrous, but breaks apart or crushes easily (I first suspected that my specimens had been infested by maggots, but this turned out to be the normal texture of the stalk). The top of the cap is slightly sticky when moist.</p><p>The base of the stalk is often asymmetrically bulbous and (because it grows in leaf litter) is easily uprooted, revealing the fluffy whitish mycelia.</p><p>Apart from the colour, the most distinctive attribute of this fungus is the smell. My books describe it as 'scented' or 'strongly perfumed'.</p><p>The smell was certainly conspicuous, but I found it really hard to pin down and describe - at times, it was just richly mushroomy, but on breaking the flesh, I thought I detected hints of mango - but when I went back for another sniff, I thought maybe it was more like lavender.</p><p>When I cut them up to cook them, the bowl of cut pieces had a smell a bit like fresh green apples, but always with a funky, mushroomy, forest-floor note to it.</p><p>Suffice to say that this mushroom is fragrant in a fruity-perfumed-mushroomy way that, once you experience it, you won't soon mistake for anything else.</p><figure style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;"><img class="media" alt="blewitts2.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blewitts2.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p><span style="line-height: 1.6; text-align: center;">I picked half a basketfull of these beautiful mushrooms.</span></p><p>Unless required for later identification, I always cut the base of the stalk off my mushrooms before placing them on their sides in the basket.</p><p>This means that if they tip over upside down, there's less chance of dirt falling into the gill structures, which would make them unpleasant to eat.</p><figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img class="media" alt="blewitts3.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blewitts3.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><h3>Positive ID</h3><p>Blewits can possibly be mistaken for one or more species of <em>Cortinarius</em>, which are found in similar habitats, and have purplish colouration and generally similar appearance.</p><p>The <em>Cortinarius </em>species don't have the distinctive smell of Blewits, but if you've never experienced that, what do you do?</p><h3>Spore Print</h3><p>The definitive test is a spore print. Trim off the stalk of one of the mushrooms and place it gills-down on a sheet of paper or card, and cover it with a cup or bowl to isolate it from air currents which might blow the spores away.</p><p>Leave it like that for a couple of hours, then carefully lift away the bowl and examine the spore print. <em>Cortinarius </em>spores are rich, rusty brown in colour; Blewits have spores that are creamy-buff to pale pink in colour...</p><figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img class="media" alt="blewitts4.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blewitts4.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p>...So pale in fact that my first spore print on white paper wasn't visible at all. In order to determine that there even was a spore print being produced, I tried again, this time, slipping a piece of black card under half the mushroom.</p><p>And there is is - a pale creamy-buff spore print. Definitely not <em>Cortinarius </em>then. Off to the kitchen!</p><p class="clearleft">First though, let's just take another look at these mushrooms - they really are about as neat and pretty a fungus as you might ever hope to meet - especially the young specimens - perfectly round, very handsomely convex, with tidy and orderly gills, and a subtle, but pretty stylish sense of colour co-ordination.</p><figure style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;"><img class="media" alt="blewitts5.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blewitts5.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img class="media" alt="blewitts6.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blewitts6.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p>But on with the show!</p><h3>Cooking Blewits</h3><p>I wiped the tops of the mushrooms with a moistened paper towel to remove traces of dirt and leaves, then sliced them into pieces.</p><p>(This was the point at which the aroma was most notable and fruity).</p><p>I also chopped up a couple of shallots and fried them a little in a little butter, then turned up the heat and tipped in the mushroom pieces.</p><figure style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;"><img class="media" alt="blewitts7.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blewitts7.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p>They very quickly shrank down in size and released quite a lot of liquid. I kept going and cooked them hot until this was reduced down to a glossy coating and the mushrooms were soft and beginning to break apart.</p><div class="wikinote notewarning"><p class="note-title">Proper Cooking</p><p>At this point, it should be noted that this species of mushroom requires <strong>full and thorough cooking</strong> before it is eaten.</p><p>Blewits will make you ill if you eat them raw or undercooked.</p></div><p>I added a pinch of salt, a good couple of grinds of black pepper, a sprinkling of mixed dried herbs, then a dash of brandy (and flamed off the alcohol), then I added a little cream and simmered to reduce yet further.</p><p>I placed the creamy mushroom mixture into the bottom of ramekins, then added a layer of crushed cooked potato, a little butter and a few shreds of grated cheese and placed them under the grill to brown and crisp up the top.</p><figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img class="media" alt="blewitts8.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blewitts8.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><h3>The Tasting, And The Verdict</h3><p>Well... after all that, I have to say: this is not my favourite mushroom.</p><p>I found the texture a little bit too soft and slippery - almost slimy.</p><p>Also, the flavour was just... weird. I suppose I like my mushrooms to be either deeply and robustly savoury - like the <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2014/09/15/Penny-Bun-Mushroom-AKA-Cep%2C-Porcini">Cep</a>, or subtle and mild as a foil for other flavours - like the <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2009/08/28/Oyster-Mushrooms">Oyster Mushroom</a>.</p><p>Blewits, however, retain their distinctive perfumed flavour through cooking, and I just didn't really like it that much.</p><p>So I am glad to have satisfied my curiosity, and happy to have met this pretty little fungus in the real world, but I probably shan't pick it again - I'll focus my efforts elsewhere - both the new, and the other species that I already know and love.</p>White Helvellaurn:md5:8afa4578c339bb3790b17f0f6fd51f8e2015-11-08T22:26:00+00:002015-11-15T22:02:49+00:00MikeAutumnForagingFungi<figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img class="media" alt="helvellathumb.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/h/helvellathumb.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p>Early autumn was quite dry this year and many of the earlier fungi species weren't very abundant - but now, late autumn has turned very wet - and some of the later species are springing up in huge numbers.</p><p>I found a lot of white Helvellas on the green outside my house - but in the end, I decided against picking and eating them - read on to find out why...</p> <h3>What is White Helvella?</h3><p><em>Helvella crispa</em> - a fungus found in wood edges and grassy places - it is whitish-cream in colour and has a hollow, fluted stem and a cap that is crumpled and wavy - the flesh is rubbery and thin, but quite fragile.</p><figure style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;"><img class="media" alt="helvella2.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/h/helvella2.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p>Mine were found growing near oaks. I found half a dozen of them alongside one path, then across the road on another piece of grass (also near an oak tree), I found a large patch where there were more than a dozen specimens.</p><figure style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;"><img class="media" alt="helvella3.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/h/helvella3.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p>My reference books describe this fungus as edible (although some also say it's not especially good - either without giving a reason, or on account of the hollow stem and curled cap making it difficult to clean and rid of insects.</p><figure style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;"><img class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/h/helvella1.jpg" alt="helvella1.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p>That alone wouldn't have put me off trying it, but further research reealed that this species has been found to contain monomethylhydrazine. This substance is toxic - in the immediate sense that it can cause poisoning, but it is also suspected to be a carcinogen. If monomethylhydrazine sounds familiar, it may be because the chemical is used as rocket fuel.</p><p>Apparently it's possible to remove the toxin either by boiling and draining, or drying the fungus and reconstituting it, but really, I think I'd rather just not bother. This is one that I am happy to be able to identify, and then just leave alone.</p><figure style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;"><img class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/h/helvella4.jpg" alt="helvella4.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p> </p>Hedgehog Mushroomsurn:md5:cb8bfd9f6cb4489fb8a0047d59fd08a62015-10-31T20:38:00+00:002015-11-04T21:18:38+00:00MikeAutumnFoodForagingFungi<figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img class="media" alt="hedgehogmushroomthumb.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/h/hedgehogmushroomthumb.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>
<p>We took a Saturday morning walk in the woods near Rufus Stone in the New Forest and returned home with a basket full of delicious Hedgehog Mushrooms</p> <h3 class="clearleft">What are Hedgehog Mushrooms?</h3><p>Hydnum repandum - a highly-regarded edible mushroom that grows in loose groups in deciduous or coniferous woodland (I found it in mixed deciduous forest, in association with beech and possibly holly)</p><figure style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;"><img class="media" alt="hedgehogmushroom1.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/h/hedgehogmushroom1.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p>The fungus is characterised by the unusual structure of its underside - where many other mushrooms have gills, this species has densely-clustered spines - hence the name 'Hedgehog'.</p><figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img class="media" alt="hedgehogmushroom2.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/h/hedgehogmushroom2.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><h3>Finding Hedgehog Mushrooms</h3><p>The cap of this fungus is typically bright, creamy-white in colour - which makes them quite easy to spot from a distance in open woodland - the first time I gathered this mushroom, I was aided in identifying it by a kindly stranger (who was very familiar with the species) - who described the appearance as 'like a handful of whipped cream thrown on the ground'.</p><p>This is an apt description - especially in describing the more mature specimens - younger ones are often quite regular mushroom-shaped, but as they grow, they tend to become wavy, scalloped and quite irregular. They may reach a size of 25cm or more in diameter.</p><p>In younger specimens, the cap may be yellowish-tan in colour to the extent that the mushrooms almost resemble <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2007/07/17/Chanterelles">Chanterelles</a>.</p><p>All parts of this mushroom will tend to stain yellow-brown if cut or bruised (this is normal - and is also one of the identifying characteristics of the species).</p><figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img class="media clearleft" alt="hedgehogmushroom3.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/h/hedgehogmushroom3.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><h3>A Closer Look</h3><p>Let's take a closer look at those spines - they're the key identifying characteristic of this fungus.</p><figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img class="media clearleft" alt="hedgehogmushroom4.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/h/hedgehogmushroom4.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p>They are tightly-packed conical spikes - shorter toward the edge of the cap. They are quite fragile and fall off if they are brushed or if the mushroom is roughly handled.</p><h3 class="clearleft">Gathering</h3><p>The fruiting body of this fungus is quite delicate and will break apart if handled roughly - the stem may also be quite short and the clustered spines below are very prone to picking up dirt and debris - I recommend the use of a sharp knife - carefully cut the stem where it grows, trim off any parts that still have loose debris on them and place the mushrooms in a flat basket with the spines downwards.</p><figure style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;"><img class="media" alt="hedgehogmushroom5.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/h/hedgehogmushroom5.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p><img class="media clearleft" alt="hedgehogmushroom6.jpg" style="text-align: center; line-height: 1.6;" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/h/hedgehogmushroom6.jpg" /></p><p>This is quite a slow-growing fungus, and you may well find them in all stages of maturity - the best ones to pick are neither the smallest nor the largest specimens. Small ones tend to be thin and fragile, lacking substantial flesh - very large ones may be significantly eaten away by slugs and beginning to decay.</p><h3 class="clearleft">Preparng, Cooking And Eating</h3><p>A little care is needed in the preparation of this fungus - even if the greatest care has been taken during gathering, there will probably still be small pieces of dirt, leaf-litter and small invertebrate life nestled in amongst the spines.</p><p>Wipe off any dirt from the top of the cap with a piece of kitchen tissue; cut into pieces with a sharp knife, then use the point of a small knife to flick out any dirt from amongst the spines</p><p>It is said that larger specimens may be bitter and require blanching in hot water - although other informations sources say this is not so. I find it best to blanch them anyway, because it softens the spines and prevents them all falling off when the pieces are added to the pan. I just cut up the mushrooms into thumb-sized pieces, put them in a bowl and poured on boiling water. I left them for a couple of minutes, then drained them.</p><p>This is a meaty, substantial mushroom with a great flavour, so it stands up well against other ingredients - I fried off some lardons of streaky bacon with finely-chopped shallot - once this was cooked, I added the pieces of blanched mushroom, a knob of butter, a small sprinkle of chopped herbs and a couple of grinds of black pepper.</p><p>I fried this gently for a few minutes - the mushrooms released some juices as they cooked, which reduced down to a sort of sticky glaze. At this point, I turned the heat right up, added a couple of tablspoons of brandy and flamed off the alcohol, then I added a splash of cream and some grated mature cheddar and stirred it all together to make a creamy sauce.</p><p>While this was all happening, I had made a large, thin omelette - I tipped the creamy mushroom mix onto one half of the omelette and folded it over. I served my creamy wild mushroom omelette with sliced potatoes, baked crisp in the oven, and tender green peas. Supremely tasty and satisfying!</p><p>Many other sorts of mushrooms would have been lost in amongst the onion, bacon, cheese, herbs and cream, but not this one. It has a robust and deep wild-mushroom flavour that is very nicely balanced in this serving method.</p>Blackberry Jelly Tarturn:md5:ada4bab64bcd90f4c2601613749e9ec22015-09-20T20:47:00+00:002015-09-20T21:46:41+00:00MikeAutumnBerriesFoodForagingRecipesVideo<figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img class="media" alt="blackberrytartthumb.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrytartthumb.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p>Here's a recipe for a delicious tart with the intense and aromatic flavour of blackberries, but none of those annoying pips</p> <h2 class="clearleft">The Recipe</h2><p><b>Serves 8 portions</b></p><h3>Ingredients:</h3><ul><li><b>For The Base</b></li><li>200g Digestive biscuits</li><li>100g Butter</li><li><b>For The Jelly Filling</b></li><li>800g Blackberries</li><li>2 Lemons</li><li>6 Tablespoons white sugar</li><li>4 Tablespoons Cornflour (Cornstarch)</li><li><b>Additionally</b></li><li>Fresh cream or Creme Fraiche to serve</li></ul><h3>Method (video):</h3><p><iframe width="510" height="287" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k6dPet3NTA4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> </p><h3>Method:</h3><p>Melt the butter over a low heat - while it is melting, smash the biscuits into crumbs (either with the end of a rolling pin in a large bowl, or put them in a strong plastic bag and crush them with your hands).</p><p>Mix the biscuit crumbs and butter together, then press this mixture into the bottom of an 8 inch, loose-bottomed baking tin, then place this in the fridge for at least an hour to set solid.</p><p>Place the blackberries and the juice of the lemons in a saucepan and cook over a medium heat for 5 to ten minutes, until the fruit has released lots of juice, then strain this mixture through a sieve over a large bowl - use a large spoon to rub the fruit pulp through the sieve, then discard the seeds.</p><p>This should yield about 500ml of juice. Return it to a clean pan, sweeten with the sugar (you may need more or less than stated here, so add a little at a time until it tastes sweet enough (but still with a bit of a sharp tang).</p><p>Mix the cornflour with enough water to make a pourable liquid.</p><p>Heat the sweetened juice until it starts to bubble, then, whisking rapidly with one hand, pour in some of the cornflour mixture until the juice thickens like custard (you may not need all of the cornflour mix - stop adding it when the mixture thickens).</p><p>When it first thickens, the mixture may be opaque and milky - heat it a little longer (30 seconds should do it), whisking vigorously until it turns darker and more transparent, then remove from the heat.</p><p>Allow the thickened juice to cool for at least half an hour, then pour it over the biscuit base, then return the tin to the fridge (make sure it's placed flat and level). It will take several hours to set.</p><p>When the filling is completely set, remove from the tin - serve slices with cream, creme fraiche, ice cream or just on its own.</p><figure style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;"><img class="media" alt="blackberrytart1.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrytart1.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p> </p>Musselsurn:md5:329730bccfb85e056cc265e0faf44e842015-08-28T15:32:00+00:002016-05-03T21:30:48+00:00MikeFoodForagingSeashore<p><img alt="mussels2thumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mussels2thumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mussels2thumb.jpg, Aug 2015" />During a short coastal break in Cornwall, I found many of my favourite and familiar wild foods - including some lovely mussels.</p>
<p><strong>NB: This article contains an important addendum about safety. Please read in full before doing any of the things described here.</strong></p> <p> </p>
<p> </p>
<div class="wikinote notewarning">
<p class="note-title">Important Safety Note</p>
<p>This article has been updated to include some important safety information relating to the outcome of this wild food (mis)adventure. Please read the end section before reproducing any of the activities here.</p>
</div>
<p>I've collected and eaten wild mussels before (notably <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2010/08/22/Mussels">here</a>, where I made the mistake of gathering the biggest I could find - and discovering that they were full of mussel pearls, which was interesting, but made them hard to eat).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This time, although the big ones were there for the taking, I purposely chose smaller, younger specimens.</p>
<h2 class="clearleft">The Location</h2>
<p>We were staying in Mawgan Porth - a lovely little village clustered around a sandy cove a few miles north of Newquay - popular with surfers (especially learners, it seems).</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mussels2_1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mussels2_1.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mussels2_1.jpg, Aug 2015" />We took an afternoon trip a little further north to Bedruthan Steps - another sandy cove, but this time, only accessible via a steep and rather slippery rock staircase, zigzagging down the face of a sheer cliff.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mussels2_11.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/.mussels2_11_m.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mussels2_11.jpg, Aug 2015" />The beach can only be visited at low tide - for a couple of quite compelling reasons:</p>
<p>Firstly, there's a gate that is locked at high tide...</p>
<p>...but more importantly (and the reason underlying the locked gate), there<strong><em> isn't a beach</em></strong> at low tide. The incoming sea completely inundates the sands and the waves - straight off the Atlantic - crash on the rocks and cliffs.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mussels2_2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mussels2_2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mussels2_2.jpg, Aug 2015" />On the beach, the extent of this inundation can be easily seen in the form of the mussel beds - the dark, lower band on the rocks in the centre of this photo.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mussels2_3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mussels2_3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mussels2_3.jpg, Aug 2015" />On closer examination, the mussel beds are found to extend from a little above the level of the sand, to a point quite high above my head - perhaps twelve feet or so from the base level of the sand.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mussels2_4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mussels2_4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mussels2_4.jpg, Aug 2015" />In places, the mussels encrust the rocks so densely that they're all you can see (I assume there's a rock under there, but the surface is completely covered with shellfish of all sizes.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mussels2_5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mussels2_5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mussels2_5.jpg, Aug 2015" /></p>
<p>Faced with such bountiful supply, it was possible to be very discerning and only pick the very nicest-looking specimens - the ones with clean shells, clear of barnacles and obvious signs of age or hard life.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the shells were quite a variety of different colours, besides the normal deep blue-black.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mussels2_6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mussels2_6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mussels2_6.jpg, Aug 2015" />I ate my sandwiches and then collected enough mussels to fill the now-empty lunchbox.</p>
<p>I filled the box with clean seawater and left them in the shade for the remainder of our visit, then drained them and put the lid on to carry them back to the holiday cottage.</p>
<p>(We left the beach maybe half an hour ahead of the point where the tide would have stranded us in one of the inlets - but there were still people coming down the steps as we went up!).</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mussels2_7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mussels2_7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mussels2_7.jpg, Aug 2015" />Back home, I chopped a little onion, red chilli and garlic and set aside half a glass of Cornish cider.</p>
<p>I gently heated the chopped vegetables to soften them...</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mussels2_8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mussels2_8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mussels2_8.jpg, Aug 2015" />...while that was happening, I scrubbed and scraped the mussels in clean tapwater, pulling off the 'beards' with which they attach themselves to the rock.</p>
<p>In point of fact, they hardly needed any cleaning (because I picked such nice mussels to begin with) - don't they look fantastic?</p>
<p class="clearleft">I turned the heat right up under the pan, then tipped in the drained mussels and added the cider.</p>
<p>By the time it had come to the boil, the shells were already opening - they only required about three or four minutes cooking.</p>
<p>I tipped them into a bowl and served them with big hunks of rustic bread and a glass of wine. Nothing much else is required.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mussels2_9.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mussels2_9.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="mussels2_9.jpg, Aug 2015" /></p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mussels2_10.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mussels2_10.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mussels2_10.jpg, Aug 2015" />They were really delicious!</p>
<p>Not the biggest mussels I've eaten - in fact maybe the smallest, but what they lacked in size they made up for in tenderness and sweetness. Really lovely.</p>
<p>The broth that is made when cooking them (a combination of the cider, the juices of the onion and chilli, and the salty juices of the mussels) is perfect for sopping up with morsels of bread.</p>
<p>I always find mussels to be an enormously satisfying meal - even though if you think about it, the serving probably comprises about half a cupful of meat and a few bits of bread, there's something about the hands-on process of eating them that makes this simple, frugal meal always seem like a real feast.</p>
<h2 class="clearleft">What Happened Next...</h2>
<p>Two hours after eating these mussels, I became suddenly and violently ill. I was the only one in the group who ate these shellfish and the only one who became sick, so the correlation does indicate causation here.</p>
<p>The sickness was very unpleasant and lasted 24 hours, followed by feverish exhaustion that is still partly with me as I write this addendum, nearly 72 hours later.</p>
<h3>What Went Wrong?</h3>
<p>Clearly I had eaten contaminated shellfish. Folk wisdom states that you should only eat shellfish in a month with an R in the name (i.e. not the warmer months), but I had been following more recent advice to the effect that this didn't matter, as long as you pick and eat healthy, undamaged specimens, from clean beaches, in areas where they are inundated at every tide, which I definitely did.</p>
<p>Possibly what may have happened here is that rain may have caused runoff from agricultural land, and some of this material may have spilled into the bay I visited to be captured by the mussels, which are indiscriminate filter-feeders. Since eating these shellfish naturally involves consuming the undigested contents of their gut, I may have been exposed to bacteria such as E.coli, or a sufficient dose of the toxins produced by these bacteria to cause toxic (rather than infectious) food poisoning.</p>
<p>Alternatively, the mussels may have been accumulating toxic compounds from algae growing in the water (which again may be due to agricultural runoff, or just warm weather).</p>
<p>The incident has left me quite weak and at the present time, I am not sure I will ever be able to face eating mussels or clams again. Even looking at the images in this article while previewing this edit is triggering a slight aversion reaction.</p>
<p>So... I'm not sure what advice to give at this point. I don't think I'll be doing this again, but obviously the rest of the world has been gathering wild mussels for centuries, so I am not about to overturn that tradition. I was unlucky, but it's not a chance I care to court again.</p>
<h3>In Retrospect</h3>
<p>It was full-blown food poisoning, developing into every one of the classic symptoms for the whole of day 3, Subsiding on day 4 leaving me feeling very fragile, but on the road to recovery...</p>
<p>In hindsight, it might not even have been the mussels that caused the problem - there were several other things I ate that day that nobody else in the group did - including my picnic lunch of egg and tomato sandwiches at the beach. I'll never know for sure.</p>
<h3>Further Note</h3>
<p>I thought it worth mentioning that a couple of days later, further evidence arose to suggest that it wasn't even food poisoning at all. My wife and son both fell ill with similar symptoms to mine - even though they had not eaten the shellfish. It's entirely possible that we actually all fell victim to a 'sickness bug' such as Norovirus. Either way, I ended up with quite a lasting aversion to bivalve shellfish.</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>Sweet Chestnut Biscuitsurn:md5:449eef28233e5abbfa3f8b53ab3cabe82014-10-06T23:31:00+00:002015-01-10T21:37:51+00:00MikeAutumnBiscuitsFoodForagingNutsRecipes<p><img alt="chestnutbiscuitsthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chestnutbiscuitsthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chestnutbiscuitsthumb.jpg, Jan 2015" />Another great year for sweet chestnuts - too many for the squirrels and jays to cope with, so I was able to collect a large basket full of them.</p>
<p>Let's see what we can make with this wild bounty - starting with Sweet Chestnut Biscuits.</p> <p class="clearleft"><img alt="chestnutbiscuits2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chestnutbiscuits2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chestnutbiscuits2.jpg, Jan 2015" />We really did well for chestnuts this year - on a woodland walk just a mile or two from home, we found a group of maybe half a dozen sweet chestnut trees - so heavily fruiting that, even though there was much evidence of squirrels having eaten their fill, there were still a great many nice plump chestnuts lying about on top of the leaves and grass - already fallen away from their viciously spiky outer casings.</p>
<p>In the end, we had to stop gathering them not because the chestnuts ran out, but because the basket was becoming uncomfortably heavy!</p>
<p>So there might be a few more chestnut recipes coming along shortly, but let's start with a theme that has been stuck in my mind since I first started foraging as a child - the use of chestnuts in baking as a substitute or supplement to flour.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chestnutbiscuits3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chestnutbiscuits3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chestnutbiscuits3.jpg, Jan 2015" />I started with a small colander full of chestnuts...</p>
<p>(Probably about 250g of raw chestnuts - I didn't weigh them, but don't worry! - the recipe I'm going to give here can be easily scaled to whatever amount of cooked chestnut meal you end up with - it's very nearly a weigh-the-same recipe).</p>
<p>Make a small cut in the top of each chestnut, or pierce it with a skewer - this is to allow steam to escape during cooking.</p>
<p>Place the chestnuts on a metal tray and bake in a preheated oven at medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Boom!</h3>
<p><img alt="chestnutbiscuits4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chestnutbiscuits4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chestnutbiscuits4.jpg, Jan 2015" />One or more of your chestnuts will probably explode in the oven. This always seems to happen, even though they are pierced.</p>
<p>(Although if you don't pierce them, they will all explode, so this is not a reason to avoid that precaution).</p>
<p>Allow the nuts to cool for 10 minutes before attempting to handle them.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chestnutbiscuits5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chestnutbiscuits5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chestnutbiscuits5.jpg, Jan 2015" />Cut each chestnut in half and scoop out the crumbly cooked middle into a large bowl.</p>
<p>this is easier and quicker than trying to peel away the brittle shells - if you try to peel a lot of them whole, a sharp fragment of shell will eventually jab you painfully right under the fingernail.</p>
<p>You'll end up with a bowl of coarse chestnut meal that looks and feels quite a lot like cooked potato.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">The Recipe (Quantities)</h3>
<h3> </h3>
<h3>Ingredients:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Any amount of sweet chestnut meal (I used 150g)</li>
<li>Self raising flour - equal weight to the chestnut meal</li>
<li>Caster sugar - equal weight to the chestnut meal</li>
<li>Salted butter - 80% of the weight of the chestnut meal (so 120g butter for 150g of chestnut meal)</li>
<li>Vanilla extract - about a teaspoonful per 150g of chestnut meal</li>
<li>A little cold milk to mix</li>
</ul>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chestnutbiscuits6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chestnutbiscuits6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chestnutbiscuits6.jpg, Jan 2015" />Preheat the oven to 180C (350F, Gas Mark 4)</p>
<p>Put the coarse chestnut meal into a food processor. It's too sticky to blend on its own, so add the self raising flour, then process together until finely mixed.</p>
<p>When the chestnut meal and flour mix is processed to a fine-grained texture, add the butter, sugar and vanilla (but not the milk yet).</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chestnutbiscuits7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chestnutbiscuits7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chestnutbiscuits7.jpg, Jan 2015" />Process again until completely mixed and looking like fine crumbs.</p>
<p>Add a very small amount of milk (a couple of teaspoons - no more) and process again for a few seconds).</p>
<p>Remove the lid from the food processor and pinch the crumbs together - if they don't quite stick together into a dough, add another very small amount of milk and repeat.</p>
<p>Once the mixture has formed a dough, turn it out onto a thoroughly floured surface and press together into a single lump, but don't knead it repeatedly, or the biscuits may come out 'bready' rather than crumbly.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chestnutbiscuits8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chestnutbiscuits8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chestnutbiscuits8.jpg, Jan 2015" />Roll the dough out to about 3 or 4mm thick.</p>
<p>Cut into any shape you like and transfer to a greased cookie sheet (no need for these to be circles - you could just chop it into squares or triangles if you want).</p>
<p>Bake in the oven for 7 or 8 minutes - just until the edges start to turn light brown (keep an eye on them because thin biscuits like this burn really easily).</p>
<p><img alt="chestnutbiscuits9.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chestnutbiscuits9.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chestnutbiscuits9.jpg, Jan 2015" />Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before transferring carefully to wire racks - they will be too soft and fragile to move when they are hot.</p>
<p>Once cooled, store in an airtight tin or box.</p>
<p>These delicious biscuits are similar in texture to semolina biscuits, but with a lovely nutty flavour.</p>
<p>They are sweet enough to eat all on their own (surprisingly sweet, in fact - and much of that sweetness comes from the chestnuts, not the sugar); they also work very well as an accompaniment to ice cream or cream desserts such as Blackberry Fool.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chestnutbiscuits1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chestnutbiscuits1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="chestnutbiscuits1.jpg, Jan 2015" /></p>Chequers - Wild Service Treeurn:md5:de04e7e75c10dd31439fe001bfb3b7ea2014-09-28T23:57:00+00:002016-07-02T23:08:42+00:00MikeAutumnBerriesFoodForagingHedgerows<p><img alt="chequersthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequersthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chequersthumb.jpg, Jan 2015" />A few weeks ago, I found a Wild Service tree alongside a footpath near my home, fruiting very prolifically.</p>
<p>I returned at the end of September to collect some of the fruit.</p> <h2 class="clearleft"><img alt="chequers1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequers1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="chequers1.jpg, Jan 2015" /></h2>
<h2> </h2>
<h2>About The Wild Service Tree</h2>
<p>The Chequers tree is <i>Sorbus torminalis</i> - a relative of Rowan and Whitebeam.</p>
<p>In spring, it bears clusters of creamy white flowers reminiscent of hawthorn - these are followed by small, russet, berry-like fruits shaped like squat pears, up to about 1.5cm in length.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chequers2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequers2.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="chequers2.jpg, Jan 2015" /></p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chequers3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequers3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chequers3.jpg, Jan 2015" />The lobed leaves are superficially maple-like, but not especially regular or symmetrical - variations in the symmetry, the degree to which the lobes are pronounced, and their arrangement, can often all be observed on the same tree</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chequers5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequers5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chequers5.jpg, Jan 2015" />I picked about half a basket of the fruits - cutting off whole bunches of them along with their stalks (tearing the stalk away from the fruits might cause them to spoil quickly).</p>
<p>I also found some excellent sweet chestnuts.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Why Chequers?</h3>
<p>The exact reason for the name 'Chequers' seems to be lost to history - it may be something to do with the mottled, speckled appearance of the fruit - (which is especially noticeable when it is ripe - see below).</p>
<p><img alt="chequers4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequers4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chequers4.jpg, Jan 2015" />This does look reminiscent of the squares of a formal chequered (checkered) pattern - the effect is somehow more noticeable in real life than this photo does justice - you may just have to trust me on this.</p>
<p>Or it may be that the name is related to the pattern of the bark on older trees, which can sometimes be gridlike and rectilinear.</p>
<p>Other theories exist that require two or more connections, perhaps tenuous, to heraldry, the Romans, beer - we just don't really know.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">A Closer Look</h3>
<p><img alt="chequers6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequers6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chequers6.jpg, Jan 2015" />Slicing through one of the ripe fruits reveals it to be not a berry, but a pome (the same form of fruit as apples or pears)</p>
<p>At this stage of development, the fruit it crisp and a little juicy, but quite sour and astringent.</p>
<p>This is the reason that these fruits have fallen out of popularity - because, like medlars, they need to be 'bletted' before they can be eaten.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Bletting</h3>
<p><img alt="chequers7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequers7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chequers7.jpg, Jan 2015" />Bletting is often (and incorrectly, in my view) described as 'allowing the fruit to rot'.</p>
<p>Actually, it's really just waiting until the fruit is fully ripe - in the case of Chequers (and medlars), this ripening is accompanied by a marked change in colour, texture and firmness, but it really is only the same process as ripening.</p>
<p>In this picture, from left to right, we see an under-ripe fruit, one that is ripening, and a fully ripe (bletted) specimen.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Ripe Fruit - And Eating Them Raw</h3>
<p><img alt="chequers8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequers8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chequers8.jpg, Jan 2015" />Once it's ripe, the flesh of the Chequers fruit is translucent, golden-brown and soft - to the extent that the skin bursts when cut.</p>
<p>The flavour when eaten raw in this state is quite remarkable - fruity, delicious and moist - like a blend of apples, pears and with a distinct dried-fruit flavour like raisins or dates.</p>
<p>The texture is soft, but with a slight crunchy granularity, like a ripe pear. There is a hard core containing the seeds, which are not edible.</p>
<p class="clearleft">In days gone by, before the common availability of highly sweetened foods, I can well imagine these being a welcome autumn treat - they ripen a few at a time, so a bowl of them picked and left in a cool place might provide a steady supply of ripening fruit for a couple of weeks or more.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chequers9.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequers9.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chequers9.jpg, Jan 2015" />My intention is to make them into a preserve, so I trimmed off any damaged or shriveled fruit and spread the intact ones in a shallow layer on paper in a mesh tray.</p>
<p>I will leave this covered with another sheet of paper in a cool place until a good number of them are properly ripe, then I will boil and strain them, then make a sweetened paste or jelly out of them.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">One Week Later...</h3>
<p>In the week after picking, about half of the fruits achieved the dark, fully-ripened state and all of the others were at the golden, slightly soft stage. I thought this would be the right time to make something with them.</p>
<p>I was wrong about that, but something interesting occurred to me while I was de-stalking the fruits into my big saucepan: Half of them were dark brown in colour, the other half were bright golden.</p>
<p>Half dark, half light... could this be the origin of the 'chequers' name?</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chequers10.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequers10.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="chequers10.jpg, Jan 2015" /></p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Attempting To Cook Chequers</h3>
<p>This is where it all went wrong. I cooked the mixed ripe and bletted chequers fruits in a little water for 20 minutes, then I mashed them and forced the pulp through a sieve. My intention was to make a thick, jelly-like paste that could be sliced and served with cheese - like Spanish Dulce de Membrillo.</p>
<p>I got about 600g of fruit pulp, into which I mixed 400g of white sugar and put in a pan to boil, but two things weren't right: the mixture kept burning on the bottom of the pan (and there didn't seem to be any way to prevent this), but worse, the mixture was unbelievably bitter and astringent.</p>
<p>The bitterness was down to the mid-ripe fruits. I just shouldn't have used them in this state. The burning... well, not sure how to fix that - maybe I should have spread the mixture out and baked it dry like fruit leather.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Next Time</h3>
<p>I'll pick these again, but I've learned a lesson that I think will make them more palatable in future - wait until they're fully bletted before using them!</p>
<p>The fact that they ripen progressively, a few at a time from each bunch might have posed a problem in the past, but not today - what I will do next time is to let them ripen in the tray, then every couple of days, pick out the properly ripe specimens and drop them into a box or bag in the freezer - then I'll be able to cook them all together in one go, in their properly ripe state. Roll on Autumn 2015...</p>Blackberry Foolurn:md5:666d5dcd48f1a3a2beafb2ac35ef74012014-09-18T23:31:00+00:002015-02-28T23:41:12+00:00MikeAutumnBerriesFoodForagingRecipes<p><b><img alt="blackberryfoolthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfoolthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfoolthumb.jpg, Sep 2014" />September 2014</b> - The blackberries seem a bit late this year, but now they're here, they're fantastic!</p>
<p>Let's make something that really shows off their delicious flavour and aroma - Blackberry Fool.</p> <h3 class="clearleft">Blackberries</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool12.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool12.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool12.jpg, Sep 2014" />I often think the delicious smell of freshly-picked blackberries is equal to anything about the way they taste - and in many blackberry recipes, this aroma is lost or overpowered.</p>
<p>However, with this recipe for blackberry fool, that fresh-picked aroma comes through in the finished product - it's about as blackberry-flavoured a thing as can be without just being a blackberry.</p>
<h2 class="clearleft">The Recipe</h2>
<p><b>Serves at least 6 people</b></p>
<h3>Ingredients:</h3>
<ul>
<li>500g Fresh (or thawed frozen) blackberries</li>
<li>300ml Double cream (48% fat)</li>
<li>150g white sugar</li>
<li>150g Greek style yoghurt</li>
<li>Juice of half a lemon</li>
</ul>
<h3>Method:</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool2.jpg, Sep 2014" />Pick out and set aside about 10 or 12 of the best-looking, most plump and ripe of your blackberries - to be used as a garnish when serving.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool3.jpg, Sep 2014" />Place the blackberries in a saucepan and add the lemon juice - don't worry if the lemon pips go in, as the whole lot will be strained after cooking.</p>
<p>Don't add the sugar yet.</p>
<p>Place the pan over a gentle heat and allow it to come up to a simmer.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool4.jpg, Sep 2014" />While the blackberries are cooking, crush them with a potato masher or slotted spoon, to release their juice.</p>
<p>It should only take about 10 minutes of gentle cooking for the fruit to completely break down - remove from the heat as soon as this happens.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool5.jpg, Sep 2014" />rain the fruit through a sieve - work it around with the back of a spoon so that both juice and fruit pulp come through.</p>
<p>Keep going until no more pulp is dripping through the sieve and the remaining contents of the sieve start to seem dry and clingy.</p>
<p>Scrape the pulp off the bottom of the sieve with a clean spoon, so as not to waste it. Dispose of the seeds.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool6.jpg, Sep 2014" />Add about three quarters of the sugar to the pulp mixture and stir it in to dissolve.</p>
<p>Reserve one quarter of the sugar until the juice mix is cool - and only add it after tasting - depending on the acidity of your blackberries and lemon, you may or may not need it at all.</p>
<p>The flavour of the sweetened juice and pulp should still be sharp and acidic - not unbearably sour, but not syrupy sweet either.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool7.jpg, Sep 2014" />When the juice is completely cool, whip the cream in a large bowl.</p>
<p>beat to the point of 'soft peaks' - that is, thick enough not to settle back flat when the whisk is pulled out, but not so thick that it starts to 'break' or look rough.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool8.jpg, Sep 2014" />Add the yoghurt to the cream and fold it in with a spoon.</p>
<p>You can use unflavoured Greek style yoghurt, but for an extra bit of sweetness, I used yoghurt flavoured with a little honey.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool9.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool9.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool9.jpg, Sep 2014" />You could now just mix everything together into a uniform mix, but I think it looks nicer (and is more interesting to taste) if there is some marbling, so:</p>
<p>Transfer three quarters of the cream/yoghurt mix into a serving dish. Set aside the remaining quarter.</p>
<p>Add about two thirds of the blackberry mix to the cream in the serving dish. Stir it together thoroughly.</p>
<p>Add the rest of the cream and some more of the blackberry mix into the centre of the blended mixture. You can also reserve a little serving jug full of the blackberry juice for pouring over at the table.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool10.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool10.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool10.jpg, Sep 2014" />Finally, using a table knife, swirl the contents of the bowl about to partially mix and marble them.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool11.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool11.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool11.jpg, Sep 2014" />Place in the fridge for at least an hour - the blackberry fool will thicken further as the acid content reacts slightly with the cream.</p>
<p>Serve chilled with crisp biscuits or cookies, garnished with whole blackberries.</p>
<p>Serve chilled, garnished with whole blackberries and accompanied by crisp biscuits or cookies. (I used some cinnamon sugar crackers, and this was a very nice combination).</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="blackberryfool1.jpg, Sep 2014" /></p>
<p class="clearleft"> </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>Bullacesurn:md5:10b7d6e2cc80c28e9105e53f28df4f872014-09-14T21:46:00+00:002015-03-24T21:30:51+00:00MikeAutumnBerriesForagingHedgerows<p><img alt="bullacethumb.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullacethumb.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullacethumb.JPG, Aug 2009" />Bullaces are a variety of plum that produces small, round fruits, usually with a dark blue-purple skin and greenish flesh.</p> <p class="clearleft">August 2009 - I found a bullace tree on the edge of woodland near my home.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace1.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace1.JPG" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="bullace1.JPG, Aug 2009" /></p>
<h3 class="clearleft">What Are Bullaces?</h3>
<p><i>Prunus domestica var. insititia</i> - a variety of plum that produces small, round fruits, usually with a dark blue-purple skin and greenish flesh.</p>
<p>There is much confusion and debate over the distinction, if any, between bullaces and damsons (another variety of plum) - as they share many characteristics - particularly the culinary properties of the small, astringent, aromatic fruit.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace2.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace2.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace2.JPG, Aug 2009" />The tree resembles an ordinary plum tree in almost every respect. it sometimes bears a few thorns, though not as many as <a href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2014/09/14/st/content/sloes" target="_blank">Blackthorn</a> (sloe) - to which it is obviously related.</p>
<p>It's an attractive-looking fruit - two to three centimetres in diameter and <i>fiercely,</i> proudly purple.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace3.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace3.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace3.JPG, Aug 2009" />I only found the one tree and so I picked just a couple of handfuls of bullaces - but that's more than I need for what I have in mind...</p>
<p>They can be used to make a jam with excellent depth of flavour and colour, but I'm going to preserve them in brandy syrup - a bit like the method for sloe gin, except this will be an ingredient and dessert condiment, rather than a drink.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace4.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace4.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace4.JPG, Aug 2009" />A lot of my books say they're not ripe until September - but these were almost ready to fall off the tree.</p>
<p>I began by washing the fruits, then slicing them right to the stone, around their equators.</p>
<p>The flesh clings quite tightly to the stone, but that doesn't matter as I will be using the whole thing.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace5.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace5.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace5.JPG, Aug 2009" />Next, I packed them into a jar - weighing as I went</p>
<p>My jar contains 250g of fresh bullaces - to which I added 100g of brown sugar.</p>
<p>Later on, when all of the sugar has dissolved and some of the juices have been drawn out, I will taste it and I may add more sugar if I think it needs some.</p>
<p>(And if I think it will dissolve)</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace6.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace6.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace6.JPG, Aug 2009" />Then I topped it off with some good brandy.</p>
<p>I'm not sure how much - but it was just enough to immerse all of the fruit.</p>
<p>I put on the lid and gave it a good shake to start the sugar dissolving. Over the coming days and weeks, I'll give it an occasional shake to dissolve any remaining sugar and to agitate some of juices and flavours out of the fruit.</p>
<p>When it's ready (probably near the end of the year), I'll be using it to make grown-up versions of some favourite desserts such as sundaes and trifles.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">A Week Later</h3>
<p><img alt="bullace7.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace7.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace7.JPG, Aug 2009" />A week later and the sugar has all dissolved - some of the colour has come out of the skins into the liquor.</p>
<p>I tasted a little of the syrup - I think it's sweet enough, so all that remains is to invert the jar once a week to agitate the contents - for at least the next couple of months...</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Bullace Syrup</h3>
<p>I didn't find enough fruit to make jam, so I'm making these into a syrup for my ingredient cupboard.</p>
<p>Later on, I'm hoping to use it for a variety of dessert recipes - ice cream sundaes, trifles, pancakes and more - I can hardly wait!</p>
<h3>Update</h3>
<p>December 2009 - I used some of the bullace brandy to transform my <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2009/12/05/Chocolate-Beetroot-Muffins">chocolate and beetroot muffins</a> into a rather special little dessert.</p>
<p>September 2014 - Out on a circular walk not far from my home, I again found bullaces in a hedgerow. I decided to try to make Bullace Jelly.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace2_1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace2_1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="bullace2_1.jpg, Sep 2014" /></p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace2_3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace2_3.jpg" style="line-height: 1.6em; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;" title="bullace2_3.jpg, Sep 2014" /></p>
<p>I picked about a kilo of bullaces, which I sorted, washed and placed in a saucepan over a gentle heat.</p>
<p>I added just a little water to help the start of the cooking process - just so the fruit wouldn't burn on the bottom of the pan.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace2_4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace2_4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace2_4.jpg, Sep 2014" />After about 10 minutes of cooking, the fruit was becoming soft enough to be crushed and mashed (I used a potato masher for this).</p>
<p>A further 10 minutes and it was nearly all separated from the stones.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace2_5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace2_5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace2_5.jpg, Sep 2014" />I poured the cooked pulp into a sieve and forced it through with a spoon - this was quite hard work, as the mixture was very thick and not juicy at all.</p>
<p>I ended up with 450g of thick, dark purple sieved pulp (I weighed the empty bowl first, then subtracted it from the final weight).</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace2_6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace2_6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace2_6.jpg, Sep 2014" />I put the pulp back in a clean pan and added 375g of white sugar. Interestingly, even before this was heated, it changed the consistency from a thick, opaque pulp, into a dark, semitransparent syrupy liquid.</p>
<p>I boiled this for just a few minutes. The low initial moisture content meant that it reached setting point very quickly indeed - I only just had enough time to sterilise jars to put it in.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace2_7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace2_7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace2_7.jpg, Sep 2014" />I ended up with one large and two small jars of very dark purple jelly, plus a little bit left over in a small bowl.</p>
<p>The taste at this point, although sweet, is also quite astringent. I'm not sure if this will mellow in storage - if it does, this will make a nice accompaniment to cheese or roast meats.</p>
<p>If it stays sour/bitter, it will probably only be useful as a roasting glaze, or as a minor ingredient in sauces.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Bullace vs Sloe</h3>
<p><img alt="bullace2_2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace2_2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace2_2.jpg, Sep 2014" />The bullaces I found this year are small - but still distinct from sloes in size (see below for comparison - sloes on the right, bullaces on the left).</p>
<p>There are other distinguishing characteristics - the tree/bush on which they grew is more open and willowy, less thorny, and has larger leaves than blackthorn.</p>
<p>I tasted one of the bullaces raw though, and it was face-puckeringly sour/bitter - just like a sloe.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Foxtail Milleturn:md5:cfe335f6baffa718c05c5a1f435956032014-09-06T22:23:00+00:002015-03-04T22:38:48+00:00MikeFoodForaging<p><img alt="foxtailmilletthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/f/foxtailmilletthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="foxtailmilletthumb.jpg, Aug 2014" />September 2014 - On a footpath through the middle of a cornfield, I grabbed a random ear of grass from the field margin and noticed that the seeds were quite large - which made me wonder if they could be harvested and eaten.</p>
<p>The grass turned out to be Foxtail Millet.</p> <p class="clearleft"><img alt="foxtailmillet1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/f/foxtailmillet1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="foxtailmillet1.jpg, Aug 2014" /></p>
<h3>What Is Foxtail Millet?</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><i><img alt="foxtailmillet2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/f/foxtailmillet2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="foxtailmillet2.jpg, Aug 2014" />Setaria spp</i> - although I'm not exactly sure which species of Setaria I have here - possibly S viridis - it's an annual grass with metre-tall stems, topped with bristly heads containing the seeds.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="foxtailmillet3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/f/foxtailmillet3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="foxtailmillet3.jpg, Aug 2014" />On closer examination of the seed panicles, it becomes clear why this plant bears the name 'foxtail'.</p>
<p>In some species, the bristles have barbs which cling to the fur of animals and the clothing of humans - but this one has fairly smooth bristles.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="foxtailmillet4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/f/foxtailmillet4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="foxtailmillet4.jpg, Aug 2014" />As the seeds ripen, they are ejected from the panicle, a few at a time.</p>
<p>From a distance, the ripening seed heads looked like they were infested with flies, but it was just the seeds coming out.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="foxtailmillet5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/f/foxtailmillet5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="foxtailmillet5.jpg, Aug 2014" />Harvesting the seeds by hand was pretty simple - just massaging the heads gently in hand and allowing the seeds to drop into a container below.</p>
<p>I did get one piece of bristle painfully stuck in my finger though - I reckon it might have just been an unlucky interaction of bristle and skin pore, but it was easy to remove with tweezers. By and large, the bristles stayed on the plant.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="foxtailmillet6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/f/foxtailmillet6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="foxtailmillet6.jpg, Aug 2014" />The collected seeds were absolutely teeming with small insects ans spiders.</p>
<p>In a survival situation, it would actually be desirable not to clean the seed of all these little critters, as they represent an excellent source of vitamins, but I decided I just wanted the seeds.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="foxtailmillet7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/f/foxtailmillet7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="foxtailmillet7.jpg, Aug 2014" />The easiest way to do this (and a technique I've used for other wild-gathered foods in the past) is just to spread them all out on a tray and leave them alone.</p>
<p>Over the course of a few hours, all the little bugs just crawl away.</p>
<h3>Hand Havested Grain</h3>
<p>Millet like this might well have been amongst the earliest of grains harvested and eaten by humans - and one of the things I like very much about this kind of wild food experimentation is the feeling of connection with a forgotten and distant past.</p>
<p>Foxtail Millet is sometimes planted as a fodder crop - and as I found this in the margin of a cultivated field, it may just be a remnant of a previous year's crop, however, the plant does occur in the wild in exactly this form.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="foxtailmillet8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/f/foxtailmillet8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="foxtailmillet8.jpg, Sep 2014" />The seed was fairly clean at the start, but it did need just a little winnowing to remove a few husks and stray bristles.</p>
<p>If I'd been processing a large quantity of seed, I'd have waited for a windy day and tossed it in the air in a large shallow basket, allowing the wind to carry off the lighter debris, but with this small amount, I just put it in a shallow bowl and blew on it, shaking and agitating to keep the debris moving to the top of the pile.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="foxtailmillet9.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/f/foxtailmillet9.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="foxtailmillet9.jpg, Sep 2014" />The plan was to grind it into some kind of flour or meal, then bake it into cakes or biscuits.</p>
<p>So I pounded and ground it with my granite mortar and pestle.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="foxtailmillet10.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/f/foxtailmillet10.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="foxtailmillet10.jpg, Sep 2014" />The result was 30g of reasonably fine meal.</p>
<p>I mixed this with 15g of butter and 15g of honey - it formed a sort of crumbly paste.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="foxtailmillet11.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/f/foxtailmillet11.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="foxtailmillet11.jpg, Sep 2014" />This wasn't any kind of dough, so I couldn't knead or roll it.</p>
<p>So I used a metal ring form to make it into two flattish biscuit shapes on a nonstick sheet.</p>
<p>I placed this in a preheated medium oven for 10 minutes.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="foxtailmillet12.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/f/foxtailmillet12.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="foxtailmillet12.jpg, Sep 2014" />When they came out, they were extremely soft - so I left them to cool a little.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">The Result</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="foxtailmillet13.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/f/foxtailmillet13.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="foxtailmillet13.jpg, Sep 2014" />They smell great; they hold together (although I think the caramelised honey helped with that).</p>
<p>They actually tasted OK too, except the texture was awful.</p>
<p>Extremely, sharply, painfully gritty - not remotely edible.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">What Went Wrong?</h3>
<p>In retrospect, it seems pretty obvious that the uncooked meal probably wasn't adequately hydrated - although butter and honey both contain water, there probably wasn't enough of it (or enough time) to soak into the meal and soften it.</p>
<p>I haven't given up on this plant as a potential wild food just yet - plan B will be to gather some more of this seed and try something else with it - maybe cook it in boiling water, like rice or quinoa -watch this space...</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Further Experimentation</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="foxtailmillet14.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/f/foxtailmillet14.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="foxtailmillet14.jpg, Sep 2014" />I picked some more seeds and tried boiling them for 20 minutes in plain water.</p>
<p>The water turned dark green-brown and the smell was very similar to that of boiled rice.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="foxtailmillet15.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/f/foxtailmillet15.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="foxtailmillet15.jpg, Sep 2014" />I tasted a few grains - although they were plump and easily chewed, they were still tough and gritty-feeling on the teeth. It's the seed coat that is the problem - it's just very tough and fibrous.</p>
<p>Crushing a few of the grains between two spoons, it was obvious that there is a starchy centre in there, so these things do have potential food value, but getting it out in palatable form will not be simple.</p>
<p>So I am going to stop there. If I pick this grain again, it will be for my pet gerbils, who love it (and are adept at cracking open tough seeds to get at the nutrients inside).</p>
<p>If large quantities of the grain were available, there are a number of ways in which it might be worthwhile processing them, including:</p>
<p>Grind and sieve - as for wheat flour. The grain could be finely ground, then filtered through a fine cloth or mesh, so as to separate out the starch grains.</p>
<p>Soak (or cook) and crush, then wash out the starch. Maybe it could even be malted to make beer - now that might be interesting, because it is guaranteed to be unusual.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Three Cornered Leek - Invasion Of The Pickled Onionsurn:md5:e27c51e6b698ad3ecda57da2c9b9daed2014-05-03T15:36:00+00:002015-03-21T15:43:58+00:00MikeFoodForagingVideo<p>May 2014 - I have the dubious convenience of having an inexhaustible supply of a wild onion species - Three-Cornered Leek - right on my doorstep.</p>
<p>In fact, it's in my garden - it's everywhere in my garden. This beautiful, but invasive plant wants to take over.</p> <p class="clearleft"><img alt="threecorneredleek1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/t/threecorneredleek1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="threecorneredleek1.jpg, May 2014" /></p>
<h3>What Is Three-Cornered Leek?</h3>
<p><i>Allium triquetrum</i> - also known as Onionweed, Triquetrous Garlic or Three-Cornered Garlic, this member of the onion family produces upright bright green stems and leaves, about 30cm tall, with flower heads of about 8, drooping white bell-shaped flowers.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="threecorneredleek2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/t/threecorneredleek2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="threecorneredleek2.jpg, May 2014" />In its proper context - river banks and shady woodland - this plant forms carpets of nodding white flowers - and in places like this, where the soil is of only average fertility and nutrient, it behaves no better or worse than many a forest floor herb.</p>
<p>The pendulous, swaying white flowers are similar to the white form of English bluebells - alongside which it is often found growing.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="threecorneredleek3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/t/threecorneredleek3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="threecorneredleek3.jpg, May 2014" />There's no denying that the flowers themselves are very pretty - the delicate, translucent white petals have a neat central green stripe on them - and the flowers provide a copious nectar source for bees.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="threecorneredleek4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/t/threecorneredleek4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="threecorneredleek4.jpg, May 2014" />A cross-section of the stem illustrates how this plant got its name - the flower stems are concave-triangular in shape - the leaf blades too, have a keel ridge underneath (which gives them the rigidity to stand upright) - so they too are roughly triangular in section.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="threecorneredleek5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/t/threecorneredleek5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="threecorneredleek5.jpg, May 2014" />Every part of the plant is edible - the leaves have an onion-garlic flavour approximately similar to spring onions and the plant produces lots of small white bulbs underground.</p>
<p>It's probably best to use either the bulbs or leaves on their own - rather than trying to slice up whole plants in the manner of preparing leeks or spring onions, as the loose structure of the lower stems does tend to trap a great deal of soil.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="threecorneredleek6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/t/threecorneredleek6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="threecorneredleek6.jpg, May 2014" />The bulbs can be separated out just by rinsing off the soil (I placed the harvested bulbs and roots in a container of cold water to soak), then squeezing them by hand.</p>
<p>The outer layers of stem and leaf will split and the small, hard white bulbs inside will just pop out cleanly.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="threecorneredleek7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/t/threecorneredleek7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="threecorneredleek7.jpg, May 2014" />The collected bulbs look a lot like small 'silverskin' onions - they are hard and crisp and I think they would pickle well.</p>
<p>So that's exactly what I intend to do with these - pickle them.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="threecorneredleek8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/t/threecorneredleek8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="threecorneredleek8.jpg, May 2014" />I pickled a couple of jars of the onion bulbs in a spiced chutney recipe - with apples, prunes and dark brown sugar - (the pickling process is detailed in the video below).</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I now have to wait a couple of months for the chutney to mature before I can taste it. I'll try to remember to update this page with the results of tasting...</p>
<div class="clearleft imagecentre"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="383" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IucBlx8cT6M" width="510"></iframe></div>
<h3 class="clearleft">Eradication</h3>
<p>I don't know exactly how this plant arrived in my garden, but it does unfortunately have to go - it's just too vigorous and in the space of two or three summers, has gone from being one solitary stalk, to vast mats of stems and leaves, choking out many other plants.</p>
<p>In fact, I'm just astounded at the sheer volume of vegetable matter we have had to remove when digging it out - at the time of writing this page, we must have taken half a ton of onions to the civic amenities site (where it will be hauled off for high temperature composting, which will destroy the seeds and bulbs).</p>
<p>So unless you have an enormous country garden (of the sort where you often say things like "I think I saw deer in the western copse this morning"), don't even think about introducing this plant to it. And if you gather any as a wild food, don't compost any trimmings in case they include viable seeds or pieces of bulb.</p>Chickweed Seedsurn:md5:14a31c72892adfba6ca010ea96e7645c2013-10-14T21:13:00+00:002015-02-23T21:26:17+00:00MikeExperimentsFoodForagingGarden<p><img alt="chickweedseedsthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chickweedseedsthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chickweedseedsthumb.jpg, Feb 2015" />October 2013 - After washing some chickweed, I happened to notice the seeds that had collected in the bottom of the bowl - and I began to wonder if it would be possible to collect them and sprout them as a micro-salad.</p>
<p>Well - I didn't intend to wonder for long - so here's the experiment - and as a bonus, a microscopic close-up look at chickweed seeds.</p> <p class="clearleft">October 2013 - After washing some chickweed, I happened to notice the seeds that had collected in the bottom of the bowl - and I began to wonder if it would be possible to collect them and sprout them as a micro-salad.</p>
<p>Well - I didn't intend to wonder for long - so here's the experiment - and as a bonus, a microscopic close-up look at chickweed seeds.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chickweedseeds1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chickweedseeds1.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chickweedseeds1.jpg, Oct 2013" />As I was trying to collect a large number of the seeds, I thought I could probably get away with less discriminate picking than usual (but I was a bit wrong, as discussed further down).</p>
<p>I picked a full bowl of chickweed stems, along with their leaves and crucially, their little seed pods.</p>
<p class="clearleft">Back indoors, I filled the bowl with cold water, gave the weeds a good swish around, then pulled them out into another bowl, leaving behind only the water - well, and a load of dirt, and hopefully some seeds.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chickweedseeds2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chickweedseeds2.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="chickweedseeds2.jpg, Oct 2013" /></p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chickweedseeds3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chickweedseeds3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chickweedseeds3.jpg, Oct 2013" />There did turn out to be a few hundred seeds in the bottom of the bowl, but there was a whole load of silty mud there too.</p>
<p>Separating the seeds from the dirt wasn't easy, as both things sink - and even using a gold-panning type method, they didn't really seem to want to separate.</p>
<p>In the end though, I noticed that if I let a load of dirt and seeds wash up across part of the bowl, I could press my fingertip against it - and most of what stuck was seeds, not dirt - the seeds then came off my finger when I dipped it into a glass of clear water.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chickweedseeds4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chickweedseeds4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chickweedseeds4.jpg, Oct 2013" />A little while (and far too much effort) later, I had enough seeds to start the experiment.</p>
<p>I wasn't going to worry about a few stray specks of dirt and debris.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Better Methods Of Seed Collection</h3>
<p>Picking the seeds out from a load of sediment in water, as practiced here, was horribly laborious - there must be a better way.</p>
<p>I suspect it might be easier to collect bunches of (cleaner) plants, then leave them on a wire rack over a large tray - and allow the seeds to drop out naturally as they dry and ripen.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chickweedseeds5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chickweedseeds5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chickweedseeds5.jpg, Oct 2013" />I spread the seeds out across a couple of layers of damp kitchen paper towel and put this inside a plastic bag to prevent it drying out too fast.</p>
<p>The bag will not be completely sealed, or else all sorts of nasty anaerobic things might happen.</p>
<p>That all happened in the evening of 15th October - further updates will appear as and when they develop...</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">But Meanwhile...</h3>
<p>I thought it might be interesting to take a closer look at chickweed seeds.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chickweedseeds6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chickweedseeds6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chickweedseeds6.jpg, Feb 2015" />The seeds are borne in little oval pods which droop down on short stems beneath the plant - there are up to maybe a dozen seeds in each pod, but as each plant bears hundreds or even thousands of these pods, it's little wonder that this is such a persistent weed.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chickweedseeds7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chickweedseeds7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chickweedseeds7.jpg, Feb 2015" />The seeds themselves are slightly flattened, roundish with a little crease in them, and knobbly all over.</p>
<p>Shown here against a pinhead for comparison - they're about 1mm in diameter.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chickweedseeds8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chickweedseeds8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chickweedseeds8.jpg, Feb 2015" />Closer still, the knobbly bumps on the seeds are revealed to be little star-shaped bumps. All this makes me wish I had a better microscope....</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chickweedseeds9.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chickweedseeds9.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chickweedseeds9.jpg, Oct 2013" />19th October (4th day) - some of the seeds have sprouted and produced shoots about half a centimetre tall.</p>
<p class="clearleft">24th October (7th day) - the sprouts are more than 2cm tall and have greened up a little, however they are very spindly and insubstantial - and on reflection, there's a reason for this - the seeds are tiny, so unlike mustard or mung beans, they contain very little food reserve for the growing seedling.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chickweedseeds10.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chickweedseeds10.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chickweedseeds10.jpg, Oct 2013" />I tasted a couple - and they're OK - texture of cress, but with the nutty, earthy taste of chickweed.</p>
<p>However, it's just not worth growing them like this - only about ten percent of the seeds germinated, and the amount of micro-salad produced here was tiny.</p>
<p>A better plan might be to collect the seed pods whole, dry them and store in a paper envelope, then plant in a pot of compost on the window sill in the depths of winter - and allow the plants to grow to 10cm tall or more before cutting.</p>
<p>So that's the end of this experiment - interesting, but not very fruitful. Oh well - can't win 'em all.</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>Blackberry Balsamic Vinegarurn:md5:1161ec5496a6f146cc918c06d245eee02013-09-01T23:18:00+00:002015-02-28T23:28:23+00:00MikeAutumnBerriesFoodForagingRecipes<p><img alt="blackberrybalsamicthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrybalsamicthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberrybalsamicthumb.jpg, Sep 2013" />September 2013 - This is an attempt to make something similar to balsamic vinegar, from blackberries.</p> <p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberrybalsamic2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrybalsamic2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberrybalsamic2.jpg, Aug 2013" />I started with a 2 litre box of freshly picked, beautiful wild blackberries - these were huge and very ripe and juicy.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberrybalsamic3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrybalsamic3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberrybalsamic3.jpg, Aug 2013" />The plan was to extract the juice from them without cooking - because I primarily wanted juice without too much pulp.</p>
<p>I decided to attempt this using a mesh jelly straining bag and my little citrus press.</p>
<p>I could only process about a handful of blackberries at a time - so this was laborious.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberrybalsamic4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrybalsamic4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberrybalsamic4.jpg, Aug 2013" />I was pleasantly surprised at the quantity of juice that came out, but a larger scale press would have been better for this.</p>
<p>- I'm going to try to get my hands on an apple press next year and extract some pure blackberry juice in bulk quantities - maybe as a blend with apples to make a blackberry-infused cider.</p>
<p>The pressed uncooked juice has an interesting apple-like aroma to it - of course, apples and blackberries are both members of the same botanical family, but I suspect the reason is simpler - the presence of malic acid in the fruit.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Carnage</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberrybalsamic5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrybalsamic5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberrybalsamic5.jpg, Aug 2013" />This was a horribly messy process - and I ruined the jelly bag in the process (it got caught on the edges of the plunger in the press).</p>
<p>I ended up with about a pint of pressed juice - probably about 50% of the volume of the fruit - which is not bad.</p>
<p>I set aside the pomace (the solid remnants of the pressing process) - see further below for more details.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Reducing The Juice</h3>
<p>The next thing to do was to reduce the juice by gently simmering it - this took about an hour over a low heat and the end result was a little over 100ml of dark, thick syrupy liquid - just under one fifth of the original amount.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberrybalsamic6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrybalsamic6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberrybalsamic6.jpg, Aug 2013" />Interestingly (although not at all relevant), about halfway through the simmering process (not as clear in the middle image above as it was in real life), the little clusters of bubbles forming on the surface of the reducing juice looked themselves just like blackberries.</p>
<p>Obviously a coincidence - but I find myself wondering if there's a word for this kind of phenomenon...</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Mixing The Vinegar</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberrybalsamic7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrybalsamic7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberrybalsamic7.jpg, Aug 2013" />I needed to blend the blackberry syrup with vinegar, but had to experiment a little with the quantity and type.</p>
<p>I found cider vinegar to be more compatible than wine vinegar, and the ratio I finally settled on was one part vinegar to two parts syrup - this seemed the best compromise in terms of flavour and balance of acidity.</p>
<p>The result was a little over 150ml of dark, very tangy, fruity blackberry balsamic vinegar - just enough to fill a little sauce bottle (pictured at the top of the page). A small amount left over went into a jug for immediate use.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Serving Suggestion</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberrybalsamic8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrybalsamic8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberrybalsamic8.jpg, Sep 2013" />I made a small salad of thin slices of apple and celery, halved sweet grapes and chunks of crumbly Cheshire cheese, garnished with slivers of pecan and a few thin wedges of fresh ripe fig.</p>
<p>I dressed this with a few teaspoons of my blackberry balsamic vinegar. This turned out to be a very good combination - the sharpness of the condiment works really well with these sorts of fruity, nutty elements.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Conclusion</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberrybalsamic1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrybalsamic1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="blackberrybalsamic1.jpg, Sep 2013" /></p>
<p>This was quite a bit of effort, but worthwhile - the result is considerably more fruity than ordinary balsamic vinegar and for this reason, I don't expect it will combine so well with some things - I tried it with tomato and although it was not unpleasant, it just didn't work as a combination, in my opinion.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Balsamic Vinegar</h3>
<p>Traditional balsamic vinegar is made by allowing reduced grape juice to mature and reduce further by evaporation in wooden barrels across the span of years or decades - very special, but hugely expensive.</p>
<p>So the commercial condiment known as balsamic vinegar (<i>'of Modena'</i>) attempts to approximate the same flavour by blending wine vinegar with caramel and/or reduced grape juice.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Blackberry Balsamic</h3>
<p>So that's what I've attempted to do here - blend vinegar with syrupy reduced blackberry juice - my expectation was never to recreate balsamic vinegar exactly, but rather, to create something that can be used in similar ways.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Blackberry Pomace</h3>
<p>It seemed to me that there would still be some flavour left in the remaining pulpy mass after pressing the fruit - and I was right.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberrybalsamic9.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrybalsamic9.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberrybalsamic9.jpg, Aug 2013" />Inspired by a similar process used when pressing apples - the pomace was sometimes mixed with water and pressed again to obtain a weaker extraction that could be fermented to make something called 'ciderkin' - I added water to the blackberry pomace, gave it a good mix, then strained off the liquid.</p>
<p>The result was one and half litres of deep red liquid that had a great fruity aroma - it only needed a little sugar and the juice of a lemon to make it into a refreshing jug of 'juice drink' for the dinner table - and this was declared delicious by the whole family.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>