[finleyfreyaseth]

Blackberry and elderberry gathering today.. blackberries for the freezer, elderberries bottled as a syrup/cordial.  Checked on the sloes last week and they're swelling nicely.. must resist a little longer to let them frost.

read somewere u dont need wait for frost for sloes jst freeze them it as same effect,dont know if its right?

[mike1987]

Blackberry and elderberry gathering today.. blackberries for the freezer, elderberries bottled as a syrup/cordial.  Checked on the sloes last week and they're swelling nicely.. must resist a little longer to let them frost.

read somewere u dont need wait for frost for sloes jst freeze them it as same effect,dont know if its right?

no wait for the frost to hit then they have had there full season growing and will be sweeter for it

[sion01]

Hazelnuts are getting to the size where their edible around here .Their far from mature but are nice,sweet and milky at this stage.Around here if you leave them to mature the squirrels eat them all so it's the only chance I get to taste them

[Janeymiddlewife]

Hazelnuts are getting to the size where their edible around here .Their far from mature but are nice,sweet and milky at this stage.Around here if you leave them to mature the squirrels eat them all so it's the only chance I get to taste them

Hah - managed to beat the squirrels this year - whacked the tree with a broom to "encourage" them to drop. Got pounds of them, but they're not as big this year as some years - any ideas what I can do with them - was hoping to utilise them into gifts at Christmas.

[sunshineband]

You could make hazelnut marzipan 

[sion01]

Hazelnuts are getting to the size where their edible around here .Their far from mature but are nice,sweet and milky at this stage.Around here if you leave them to mature the squirrels eat them all so it's the only chance I get to taste them

Hah - managed to beat the squirrels this year - whacked the tree with a broom to "encourage" them to drop. Got pounds of them, but they're not as big this year as some years - any ideas what I can do with them - was hoping to utilise them into gifts at Christmas.

That's fantastic.I'm a bit jealouse as it's been about 20 years since I've had more then a handfull of hazelnuts so recipes have been something I've had no use for unfortunatly What about musili or granola

[arugula]

Just curious really... Loads of wild fungi grow here and, as previously discussed, I'm far too wary to try and ID any myself so I don't pick them. I came across this yesterday, after some hours of heavy rain the previous day. I wondered what it is and is it that colour through being rain saturated?

Any ideas?

 

[sarajane]

Just returned from a walk in our local forest, delamere, and picked up 6 1/2 lb of chestnuts.  A far better size than last year.  I'll spend the week boiling them for 3 mins and then peeling and putting in the freezer.  The whole ones will be roasted for ten minutes with the spuds at Christmas and the broken bits put into the stuffing.

Quite time consuming job but they will be lovely  -  and free so get yourselves out there folks before the squirrels get em all 

[arugula]

Love Delamere! OH is from near there.

[sarajane]

Wow  -  small world they say.  We're just about 7 miles from delamere and have been going there since I was a nipper,  Probably nearly 50 years.  It was a free day out and Dad was lucky to have a car so we used to end up taking half of the street with us.

[tosca100]

We go there too, with the dogs. But we have a local supply in our village, courtesy of our local estate. Will have to wander down and see.

[ANHBUC]

Went for a walk on the lovely North Yorkshire Moors today and was amazed that there were still a few blueberries left.  Not enough to take home but a tasty snack which was a bonus.

[sion01]

Alexander's are getting harvestable here now.Sorrel is really obviouse in the hedges as it's almost the only green thing.Little tender nettle shoot's are also pushing up,full of iron.Just what you'r body needs after a long dark/cold/wet/miserable winter.Cornsalad and hairybitter cress is also really obviouse now.

Shake off those winter cobwebs forager's and get out there

[arugula]

Well done sion! Its good to know things are growing again.

[arugula]

Anybody picking or foraging in February?