Spring Foraging
Spring sees a burst of energy and life outside in nature. It is a great time to explore and get our children out on adventures. There are so many visible changes that children can see, touch, hear, smell and sometimes taste.
Foraging is a great way of learning about what nature has to offer us, as well as adding some interesting additions to our plates.
Obviously when foraging you need to be 100% sure of your plant identification and know for sure that it is edible - but there are some plants that are easy to identify and make palatable treats, so these are a great starting point if you are new to foraging.
Dandelions
The dandelion is a perfect example of this. Not only do they grow in abundance, so foraging them won’t impact the wildlife, but they are easy to identify and edible too.
Nearly the whole of the dandelion is edible, only the fluffy seed head isn’t. The leaves can be eaten raw in salads or cooked into soups, stews and curries.
The roots can be steeped in boiling water to make a refreshing tea. And the flowers can be added to salads or made into a delicious dandelion ‘honey’.
Wild Garlic
Wild garlic is another fantastic plant to forage, it is easy to identify and is versatile in many different recipes. The leaves are dark green and wide long oval in shape, and when crushed in your hand they have a very distinctive garlic smell. Wild garlic is widespread across the UK and found in deciduous woodland and areas of chalky soil. From early summer the plant has a cluster of small white flowers which are edible too.
There are many different ways to use wild garlic, but mixing it into butter and making a simple garlic bread is a great starting point and an easy recipe for children to get involved with.
Nettles
Nettles are another great plant that is easy to identify, they grow in abundance and is edible. It is understandable to shy away from this option due to the nature of the plant, with its bristly hairs that give the ‘sting’ of the nettle. But if you wear gloves to forage them and then they are cooked before eating, then the ‘sting’ is no longer a problem.
These edible greens are packed with nutrients, they are said to be as nutritious as spinach, and are incredibly versatile too. They work well added to soups, stews and curries, or can be steeped in freshly boiled water to make a nutrient packed tea.
But our favourite recipe is Nettle & Apple Fruit Leathers - easy to make, cheap and nutritious tasty snacks. Perfect!
Gorse
Gorse is a plant that is easily overlooked when we think of wild edibles. This spiky shrub can be found growing in heathland, chalk land and areas of scrubland.
The spiky nature of the shrub and the vivid yellow flowers make it easy to identify, with the flowers having a gentle almond and coconut flavour. The flowers can be eaten raw, steeped in hot water to make refreshing tea or made into a tasty syrup that works well with ice cream.
These are all great plants to start with on your foraging adventure, and remember to follow these few simple rules to make your foraging experience a success.
When foraging be sure of your plant identification, if you feel unsure it can be wise to take a course (click here for our recommended course) this can help boost your knowledge and confidence around plant ID and foraging, allowing you to enjoy tasty wild edibles safely. There are also some great foraging field guides too, it can be handy to have one with you when you head out foraging, a great way to double check your plant ID.
Also be considerate to the habitats and wildlife around you. Be careful not to trample and damage delicate ecosystems while foraging. And only take what you need, don’t take so much that there will be waste and don’t take so much that there is none left for wildlife or other foragers alike.
If we all forage thoughtfully and sustainably, then we can all enjoy the incredible tasty treats that nature has on offer.
