Wild fruit and berries
This week it’s:
THERE is considerable skill in successful foraging for food from hedgerows and common land, and it is now when foragers are particularly looking for fruits and berries. These are some of the most rewarding of foraged edibles as, unlike leaves, roots and fungi, wild fruits often don’t require preparation or cooking. This makes them good for beginners and, because of their sweetness, they can sometimes offer instant gratification. Which fruits are out there?
■ Nuts are, of course, the fruits of certain trees. However, they’re not ‘fleshy’ like blackberries or sloes, so I’ve excluded chestnuts, hazels, walnuts, acorns and beech nuts, all of which can be picked wild. I’ll cover these in the future.
Brambles and blackberries
WE grow named blackberries in our gardens, but the common wild hedgerow fruits are the species bramble. It can be found anywhere in the UK, and its powerful roots grow quickly in almost any environment. Ripe, juicy brambles have a high vitamin C content and can be eaten raw or cooked; add them to pies, crumbles, jams, wines, jellies or vinegar. Because of its thorns, though, be careful when picking:
