Wild, edible foods?

[Maddie_cat]

On another note, not that I would of course but... has anyone ever picked corn cobs from the field? On my running route there is a MASSIVE corn field and yesterday I got to thinking about when they would be ready. (for the farmer to pick of course)

If you look at them, you will notice that out of the top of each of the cobs, there are lots of green hay like tendrils. When they go brown, the cobs are ready.

[bulldogeagle]

Rabbits, Pheasants, Squirrels, Wild Boar, Deer(all varieties), Badger ???

[skippy]

Some realy common ones

Dandilions (blanched as a vegetable)
Nettles (blanched as a vegetable or raw in salads (roll them in newspaper first to unsting them))
Acorns (roasted as a coffee substitute)
Pine needles (infused in hot water as tea)
Rosebay willowherb (fireweed) (All parts of the plant (except the seeds) are edible, however best leaves /young shoot tips in salads or cooked as a vegetable. )
Wild garlic (just as you would expect)
Wood sorrell (leaves taste like crabapple in salads)
Ox eye daisy (bitter but nutritious)
Red clover (used in salads or as a vegetable (not to be eaten if pregnant or breastfeeding)
White clover (boiled as a vegetable - tastes like peas)
Duck weed (used as a vegetable or soup )

[preppingsu]

Might be worth putting something like this on yor Christmas list...

http://www.wildfoodschool.co.uk/

http://www.woodland-ways.co.uk/buy-onli ... age-2.html

http://www.soilassociation.org/practica ... n-foraging

[the7ps]

On another note, not that I would of course but... has anyone ever picked corn cobs from the field? On my running route there is a MASSIVE corn field and yesterday I got to thinking about when they would be ready. (for the farmer to pick of course)

If you look at them, you will notice that out of the top of each of the cobs, there are lots of green hay like tendrils. When they go brown, the cobs are ready.

Again, many thanks. Sod the books, ill just take you with me when we go forraging

I was doing a bit of digging into sloes and when to pick them and came across this, a forum dedicate to them. It's not as dull as it sounds; theres some great advice here plus advice on other berries. Worth a look IMO

http://www.sloe.biz/pip/index.php

[the7ps]

Had a little find today. We currently live on a housing estate of about 100 houses, only 3 of which are occupied (long story) so I did a little exploring today and struck gold. Well, not gold, purpley blue really. 4 Sloe trees that are in back gardens so out of the public view and full of sloes. So, I'm going to be patient and give them a couple more weeks until theyre really soft then pick.

Fingers crossed?

[mowdrops]

Horse chestnuts, or conkers are poisonous, please don't eat them.

[Moony]

Sloes should be picked after the first frost I believe, make some great sloe gin last year myself

[Haplo2481]

I made a few batches of sloe gin last year -sept,oct and nov. The best colour and taste was the november batch. the october batch was okay but the september batch was a very weak pink colour. I would recomend starting towards the end of october and continueing through november. I also made sloe vodka which was awesome.

[Moony]

Making Blackberry vodka atm while I wait for the sloes ! Got 3 litres on the go and I think it'll be ready a lot quicker than the sloe gin. I'll post an update when i give it a tasting

I'd recommended http://www.danish-schnapps-recipes.com/index.html for anyone who likes making their own fruity booze, I'm not a big drinker, but these free wild fruit based drinks do seem to taste so much nicer than mass manufactured pap on supermarket shelves !