Foraging forumagers

Boletus of some kind... look a bit nibbled!

Thanks very much.

Went to a wedding yesterday and did some impromptu foraging between the hotel and the train station today. Will be putting them in a beer with some elderberries

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My elberberry wine is bubbling away nicely in the demijohn. Really confused me though when I came downstairs late in the evening after popping the airlock in earlier to hear this wierd metronomic knocking sound. It was the bubbles passing through the airlock!

Got crab apple jelly to get set and potted up this eve. Made the mistake of drinking some of the boiled up juice straight from the bowl after it had strained through the muslin - so tart!

If anyone is in West Yorkshire, Hardcastle Crags was full of blackberries.

Apples, elderberries, a few damsons and Some hazelnuts. Not a bad haul. Planning to get some wine and cider going tomorrow.

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Not quite this ...

but

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/shortcuts/2018/sep/19/is-magnet-fishing-the-uks-most-dangerous-hobby
https://youtu.be/SnpKoUzQRJs

Suppose its foraging but could be in Bikes and Bits thread.

Never bought (whole) Allspice before. Required for Damson Chutney.
(Was also sub-labelled as 'Piment de Jamaique').

Mespilus germanica :) found yesterday.

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Aer you going to eat them? They look like they need a good bletting first!

Is that your total forage or do you have more? The sole local tree I know has a very poor crop this year.

@jdp am going to store them until they’re ready and then decide :)
@mespilus lifted them from a national trust garden so was being cheeky. The place had four trees and they were groaning with fruit :(

Picked these mini pears in Burgess Park, they are now in a ginger spiced syrup. I made a chilli sauce with them last year which was great. May have to go get some more.

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Pear Chilli sauce recipe? Would like.

Think it was this one without the pineapple and with the chillies I had grown in my garden, is very nice with pork.

https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/hot-sauces/sweet-ghost-pepper-pineapple-pear-hot-sauce/

Please tell me the sauce is marvellous, that might just suppress my need to find and punch the appallingly smug author.

It is, I didn't read any of their smuggery which helped

Neat, cheers

My dog has developed a taste for hawthorn berries. I tried one raw and it was horrible though, just tasted of pure mud. Is it worth bothering making them into a jelly or sauce?

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'Mealy', meaning floury is the routine disparaging description of the haw. Must admit I haven't tried any this Autumn.

You did observe the first rule of foraging?

I'm of the opinion that it is worth making something each Autumn. It ties you in with the seasons, there is satisfaction in the making process and when you serve your hawjelly through the 6 months of gloom & darkness, you will be reminded of the extraordinary Summer of '18.

What's the first rule of foraging then, make sure you don't poison yourself? I know nothing about anything but was assured by someone who seemed pretty sure that they are defs hawthorns.

I will make something for sure, about to make a foraged / homegrown plum, apple and chilli chutney, but I wonder whether haws are really tasty enough to bother. Think there are some rosehips around so might try them instead.

Never pick anything below the dog pee line.
Those being consumed by your dog certainly look like haws, (the leaves' colour & shape, the way the haws are growing along the slender branches).

Rosehip syrup is good!

Oh yeah, I was smart enough to pick high up. Might try the rosehips. Cheers

Made a load of rosehip syrup plus crabapple and rosehip jelly. Loads and loads of both still around.

Anyone know if these are edible?

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