Foraging is such an integral part of my everyday life now, I sometimes forget that when I first started it felt like a totally crazy thing to be doing. Picking something in the wild that hasn't been vetted by for consumption by an expert? Mental! But also totally natural and incredibly liberating.
I remember the first foraged food I ever ate was at a Totally Wild foraging course years ago. It was a beautiful assortment of wild flowers that we added to a stir fry. I found it exhilarating but also had the safety of a professional telling me it was OK.
It was a good few years before I had the courage to do it myself at home. The food of choice was cleavers (aka sticky willy) fried with supermarket bought mushrooms. It's such an easy plant to identify as it literally sticks to you, so I knew I couldn't get it wrong. It was thrilling, but also petrifying. Despite my certainty, I spent the rest of the day wondering if I had poisoned myself. Did my stomach feel bad? Was I feeling queasy? No. I was just being paranoid.
That said, a bit of paranoia isn't a bad thing when foraging. But as with most things, knowledge is power. To help you get started, I have outlined below:
These thoughts are largely my own, but informed by my compulsive reading of foraging books over the past few years. Hopefully this will give you the confidence to start slowly and at your own pace.
But please, always do your research and consult a foraging book / plant ID guide - I have listed many in the resources section.
Why forage?
Good question. You can get all your food happily from the supermarket these days so what's the benefit of picking it yourself?
1) It increases your gut biodiversity
As I mention in my previous blog 'Searching for the Wild', modern agriculture only evolved 12,000 years ago. This means it’s existed for 5% of human existence. Before that, we ate a wide range of wild plants – thousands a year. As we settled to farm, that dropped to hundreds. Today, 12 species provide ¾ of our food – with half our calories coming from three crops: rice, maize and wheat.[i]
Renowned Scientist Tim Spector recommends eating 30 different plants a week to improve your gut biodiversity and overall health. That is made all the more achievable if you're foraging as you can pick a little bit of a whole variety of plants.
Currently, a group of 26 foragers are putting the theory that foraging improves your gut health to the test but going on an exclusively wild diet for a number of months - called the wildbiome project. This is a follow up to Mo Wilde's year eating foraged foods (which she talks about in her fascinating and inspirational book, the The Wilderness Cure). Following the project on instagram has been fascinating. If you want to find out more about the project and the motivations behind it, please check out a recent BBC radio 4 programme looking at wild food.
2) Wild plants are very nutritious
It's a sad fact that industrial agriculture has left our soils depleted and so vegetables grown today are less nutritious than they were 50 years ago. A recent National Geographic article says that:
"Scientists say that the root of the problem lies in modern agricultural processes that increase crop yields but disturb soil health. These include irrigation, fertilisation, and harvesting methods that also disrupt essential interactions between plants and soil fungi, which reduces absorption of nutrients from the soil. These issues are occurring against the backdrop of climate change and rising levels of carbon dioxide, which are also lowering the nutrient contents of fruits, vegetables, and grains."
Meanwhile, wild plants grow on soil that hasn't been disturbed by these processes and many of them have a higher nutrient density than shop bought veg. Robin Harford's Edible and medicinal plants of Britain and Europe, includes quite a few examples of this and is worth checking out.
To take an example plant people will be familiar with, Nettle not only is a rich source of vitamins A & C, iron, and potassium, but is also able to pull up trace nutrients including boron which supports bone density and muscle strength.
3) It's medicinal
Wild plants aren't just nutritious, they are also nature's medicine cabinet. Herbal medicine is a vast and wonderful subject matter area and I have some recommended books in my resources section. In particular, The Handmade Apothecary: Healing Herbal Remedies is very accessible and practical.
4) It's free
In these times of inflation, we are all seeing our food bills go up. But you can supplant some of your veg purchases with foraged greens and fruits at certain times of the year. This is quite a leveller - you don't get more dandelion in rich areas. Furthermore, while the headlines decry a pack of crisps costing less than an avocado (Ok I made that specific example up, but you get the gist), vitamin c rich wild rosehips are free.
5) Wellbeing
The last reason I think you should get out foraging is that it's really fun! It gets you outside, in the fresh air, moving around and really engaging with the wild plants. In a day and age when we are all so busy it forces you to slow down. In a time when we are disconnected from natural cycles it forces you to pay attention to the seasons, and to be patient. There is also a freedom in relinquishing control - you never know exactly what you're going to find and when it will be at its peak. So you have to go with what the earth gives you. And you learn to appreciate that bounty.
So now that I've hopefully convinced you that it's a great idea, you're probably wondering how to get started? Great! I have some thoughts below.
Rules for foraging
1) Take no risks
The first rule is that plants can be pretty badass so never ever taste a plant you can't 100% identify. Poison Hemlock and Hemlock Water Dropwort will kill you. The former is shown in the first photo below and looks a lot like cow parsley. It was Socrates' alleged cause of death. The latter looks like celery and apparently smells nice... but if consumed but constricts your muscles in such a way that that you die from asphyxia and with a sardonic grin on your face. Neither fate appeals, so I generally avoid most plants in the carrot family unless they are very easily distinguished from these two.
Some plants are even dangerous to touch - Giant Hogweed (second photo below - also in the aforementioned carrot family) causes such skin sun sensitivity that people who touch it break out in enormous blisters and often are hospitalised. Lords and Ladies reportedly causes the sensation of chewing on broken glass. None of these things are good. So: get to know the bad boys as well as the edibles. And as a general rule, just don't touch anything unless you really do know what it is.
A final note is that even some wonderful edibles are not recommended for people that are pregnant or breastfeeding (ie one of my favs, yarrow), people with certain conditions or on certain medicines. So, do your research. Hawthorn, for example - a wonderful edible used for cardiovascular purposes in herbal medicine - can interfere with heart medication.
2) Start with easily identifiable plants
Have I sufficiently scared you? Good. So now onto the fun stuff. Some plants are so easy to identify that you can be 100% sure you've got the right one. These are the best place to start. And it doesn't have to be complicated. Most people know what a dandelion and a daisy are - both are highly nutritious though you may want to do some research on the best way to consume them.
I recently introduced a very surprised friend to the concept of eating daisies during a recent trip to Germany and she was taken with the simplicity of it. A few days later she sent me a photo of a salad with some daisies scattered through it. So simple, but so beautiful. And created with knowledge of a plant she already had!
Beyond this there are plants that have a very distinguishable feature - for example wild garlic, garlic mustard and three cornered leek smell and taste like .... garlic! The latter's stem also has three corners. Cleavers (aka sticky willy) are, well, sticky. Nettle stings. You get the gist.
There are lots of resources available to guide you on this journey, from foraging books to plant ID books. I have collated some information on some of my favourite ones on my resources page. Do your research and don't pick anything until you feel confident you have the right plant. If you're able to, take foraging class because there's nothing like somebody showing you and giving you pointers to build your confidence. Again I've listed some great providers on my resources page.
Even now, I tend to observe a plant for a while, and throughout different seasons, before foraging it. I do a lot of research, and I get to the point where I know the plant. That means I see it and instinctively I know what it is. It's a bit like seeing an old friend. Plants can look different throughout the year and also within different years of growing (garlic mustard for eg is a rosette in its first year and sprouts up with different shaped leaves in its second year - see first 2 images below).
3) What part to pick
So, you're 100% sure the plant you're looking at is the one you think it is. That's great. But it's also worth being aware of which parts you want to be consuming when. A general rule is that that leaves are best eaten when fresh in the spring, flowers once they bloom in the summer, fruit in the autumn, and roots in the winter. That's not to say you can't eat any leaves in the summer or the winter (if indeed there are any) but just keep an eye out for what looks the freshest and it's also a matter of taste!
So, it's not a hard and fast rule - and it does depend on the plant. Nettle leaves for example are best eaten before the plant goes to seed, after which point they can limit calcium absorption. The seeds however can be harvested (make sure you've got the female ones, which are the most nutritious).
I mostly like to pick the freshest and newest leaves on the stem of most plants I forage. Some are only really edible in this state, for eg bramble leaves are great added to a stir-fry before they've opened. Any later and they're spikey.
Also as you would in a supermarket only go for leaves, fruits and seeds that look fresh and healthy.
The other thing to be aware of is the law. Evidently you can't trespass and it is also illegal to dig up roots in England without the permission of the land owner, according the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) and some plants are specifically protected (see the woodland trust). Generally it is said you can forage the 3 Fs: flowers, foliage and fruits.
4) Where to pick
Wild plants can absorb pesticides, so try not to forage next to a field used for agriculture unless you know it's organic. Equally, foraging next to a busy road is probably not the best idea. Though I have seen mention of research that suggests that less pollution is absorbed than you might expect, I generally prefer to pick from places which look and feel clean.
This is honestly the aspect of foraging that causes me the most stress, and especially the pesticides element - because it's out of my control and you never know what has and hasn't been sprayed. If in doubt, you can ask the local council or land owner. As with point no1 - best just not to take risks. This isn't a survival situation, and eating something that might jeopardise your health goes against the general principle of trying to improve it.
5) Be mindful of how much you pick
One of the biggest criticisms of foraging is that it can damage wild plant and fungi populations. Of course, it can if it is done to excess. However, generally speaking foragers care about the plants they are foraging and only take what they need being mindful of not damaging local quantities.
Different foraging books give opinions on what percentage you should pick. Personally, I make it a rule that the patch I'm picking from should look no different when I leave it to when I arrived.
To be honest, I prefer to take a little bit from different plants from various locations. This is partially because although foraging books come with great recipes of what you can make with what plant - I'm just not that great at cooking, and I don't massively enjoy it. As I explain below, I find it easier to chuck what I've foraged into what I would ordinarily cook!
How to use what you've foraged
I'm definitely someone who enjoys the identifying and picking of the plants more than I enjoy the processing. At first I found this to be a bit of an obstacle - ugh I've picked all this great stuff and now what to do with it?! But I've relieved the pressure from myself somewhat and I keep it simple.
A lot of plants are interchangeable so:
For meals - I mostly find it easier just to include in a little bit of what I've picked into whatever I'm cooking (ie wild pesto). Or a wild salad is an alternative option but evidently then you have to take into consideration things like nettle stings and cleaver texture (neither would make the cut for a salad!). And both options include non wild veg too!
A wild berry syrup can be made pretty much the same way for all berries, though rosehip has fine hairs that will have to be sieved out (see my rosehip and wild berry syrup recipe)
Teas are generally easy - and a great way to use foraged herbs (nettle, cleavers, hawthorn just to name a few). Cold infusions are also great - cleaver and cucumber is yummy!
Alcohol, vinegar, honey or oil infusions - all have different names in herbal medicine but the principle is the same - you cover the herbs with whatever you're infusing in a sterilised jar and make sure the organic matter doesn't touch the air. They a great way for preserving herbs and getting more flavours into your diet.
Seeds - many are edible and an easy way to get more diversity into your diet. A personal favourite is hogweed seed, which is as distinctive as any imported spice (just be sure you've identified it correctly - it's in the carrot family and could be confused with poison hemlock or more likely giant hogweed - both of which I've mentioned above). Other examples are nettle seeds which give you an energy boost and evening primrose seeds are great for your skin.
I will continue to add to the recipes section of my blog but they'll be simple and easy because that's how I like to cook. Flavour fred, on the other hand, has some GREAT ideas. Definitely check his insta out if you're a culinary fan and want to be inspired.
Final thoughts
I can often be found walking through the woods with my basket, and frequently I get asked what I'm doing by other walkers. There is a genuine interest when I explain and I do sense an appetite for people to get more involved, and for this vital connection to be restored. As I say in my mission statement, my main motivation for creating this website is to encourage a reconnection with these wild plants that grow all round us. That's because if we have a relationship with them, we will protect them. And I really believe this is the best thing for the planet and also for ourselves.
I hope you have found this blog helpful, and as always please do leave any comments or questions below :)