Food for Free from our Hedgerows

In times gone by, when country householders almost always grew their own food, hedgerows were really an extension of their garden giving them an abundance of berries, fruits and nuts for the kitchen. Nowadays, we can still continue that tradition, although in these times, not a necessity, and harvest food for free from the hedgerows.

Autumn is the perfect time of year for hedgerow foraging. Go for a walk and enjoy the autumn sunshine but take a few bags with you ready for the harvest. And just think of the health benefits you are getting from the fruit, fresh air and exercise.

Take a walking stick with you or find a bent stick to help with reaching high branches but remember not to pick fruit exposed to vehicle fumes from busy roads, as they will have a chemical taste and would have absorbed some of the noxious gases. The secret of success is to be able to identify the plant and never eat anything you are not 100% sure about. A pocket size field guide is the essential companion for your forays.

Listed below are examples of what you can find, the season to pick, and of course, what you can do with your free food from the hedgerow.

Blackberries (autumn)

Everyone knows what a blackberry looks like and how delicious they are but they are also high in vitamins K and C as well as having good fibre content. They can be used in many recipes including, pies and crumbles, jellies and jams, many desserts and sweet wine. The most popular is apple and blackberry crumble with blackberry jam a close second.

Elder flower (spring)

The pretty cream fragrant flowers are used extensively in the kitchen and valued in cosmetics. The most famous product is elderflower champagne which has a light, delicate floral taste and very easy to make at home, while the more common uses are for ice-cream, cakes, biscuits, jams, and cordials; and even an addition to salads.

Hawthorn (spring, autumn)

Believe it or not the leaves and berries of the common hawthorn genuinely taste very good. The young leaves can be tossed in a salad or made into a refreshing tea but were most often used as a sandwich filling, hence the common name of “bread and cheese”

In autumn, use the berries for jam making or as an addition to a fruit loaf.

Nuts (autumn)

Hazelnuts and walnuts are a prize when found growing wild; and in certain parts of the country they are not uncommon. They are an excellent source of healthy fats and protein and are used widely in baking. If you are lucky enough to find some of these nuts, store them in a cool place and eat at Christmas.

Sloes (autumn)

Once bitten into, never forgotten. Sloes are the most horrible fruit to eat raw – yellow flesh, acidic, bitter taste and a stone far bigger than the flesh, and the bushes have viciously sharp thorns. However, all is forgiven with this plant as it’s at the very core of the exceptional Christmas Sloe Gin.  A simple recipe is 450g sloes, 230g caster sugar, 1 litre good quality gin. The method is simple. Prick the skins of the sloes and place the whole fruits in a sterilized jar. Add the sugar and gin and shake well. That’s basically it except for keeping the jar in a cool, dark place and giving it a vigorous shake every other day for a week, and then once a week for at least two months. The liquid may then be strained, with something like a sterilized muslin cloth, into another sterilized jar or bottle and there you have it… a smooth, dark, velvety gin liqueur

Apples (autumn)

Wild crab apples are a common sight in hedgerows and some trees can reach a great age with gnarled, misshapen trunks but still producing vast quantities of small, tart apples. Although too bitter to eat raw, crab apples make delicious jams whether used on their own or in combination with, for example, rhubarb, ginger, cinnamon or pears.

Rosehips (autumn)

This is a well known orange-red autumn berry of the countryside with high levels of vitamin C. Unlike most seeds and berries these turn sweeter after they have been struck by the first frost so resist picking until then. Rosehip syrup will not only give you a supply of vitamin C but it is perfect used as a topping on ice-cream.

Foraging from our hedgerows is a healthy, stress free pastime that can be enjoyed by all. A couple of things to remember is don’t pick beside a busy road for safety sake, and make sure that the shrubs do not belong to someone. Just use basic common sense really – happy foraging.

Published November 27th, 2014 by Jordan. Article ref 3382

Tags: crab apples, foraging, hedgerows, rosehips, sloes

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