Wild Food Gathering as a Part of Camping
Recently I have been looking into using natural ingredients to use in cooking, thanks to a suggestion on our forum I thought it would be great to look into collecting and making my own food while out camping. Ray Mears is an expert at this but I thought I would try and find a few simple recipes to start with. The idea of being in the wild and collecting my own ingredients is something that I would love to be able to do. So far I have been researching what I could do and thought I would share these with you as well as some identification tips and benefits of using natural ingredients. In the near future we are looking to go and try these recipes ourselves but first I will take a simplified look at three different forms of wild food gathering over three articles:
1. Edible leaves
2. Fruits and berries
3. Fungi/mushrooms
Part 1: Edible leaves.
An easy one to start with:
Nettle Tea
Pick young, small nettles (be careful!)
Wash and then boil with water.
Remove the nettles when the water goes slightly green, if you leave the nettles in the tea it may be quite bitter.
Nettles are plentiful and easy to find and identify. The benefits of nettles in your diet are iron, calcium and a loads of vitamins including A, C and E.
Herb Salads
There is a huge list of wild food salads that can be made out of a combination of herbs and leaves that are common throughout the UK. Below is a list of some of those that are edible; I have not included all, as some can be easily confused with poisonous species and varieties.
Ivy toadflax leaves – Found growing near walls, the leaves have five lobes, are smooth and green on top and reddish-purple underneath. Better to eat when young as the leaves can become bitter.
Hairy Bittercress – Found on woodland floors and disturbed soil. Exploding seed capsules, leaves are hairy on stems that smooth and erect, branched from base.
Wood Sorrel – Sometimes referred to as a shamrock because of the leaflets being clover-like; three heart-shaped leaves with a fold down the middle. Often found in shady areas and verges of woodlands. Can be used in small quantities if cooked, be careful when using.
Wild Marjoram – Found in limey soils; in grasslands, hedge banks, and scrubland. Round, dense, flower clusters of a purple colour. A popular herb from the oregano family.
Dandelions – Often thought of as a weed and the bain of most gardeners , the leaves are supposedly very tasty in salads, if picked when young and tender, usually during the spring. There are many inventive recipes that can be found online that incorporate dandelion leaves and also their flowers.
Hedge Mustard/ Garlic Mustard/ Jack-by-the-Hedge – Loaded with vitamin C, a popular addition to salads, pesto and stews.
Wild garlic (Ransoms) – Broad, bright green leaves, flowers are white with elongated petals. Found in moist established woodlands and hedgerows, in season in spring. Known to help to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol especially by consuming the bulb.
Sow thistle – Found mostly along roadsides, have yellow flowers and bluey-green leaves.
Things to keep in mind:
Have a plant ID book with you, make sure you know what you are looking for and have identified your plants correctly.
Avoid picking in heavily polluted areas or near rivers and streams as plants may be contaminated.
Wash everything very well.
Don’t eat anything unless you are 100% sure of what it is and any effects it may have on you.
Looking into wild food gathering has made we realise what a lost art this is. While this used to be an everyday part of living it had now become almost a forgotten source of food in our diets. Knowledge in plant identification, seasonal plants and fruits, best time for picking, which part to pick, and preparation are all essential in gathering wild food. Ray Mears makes it look easy but he has spent his life researching, gathering and preparing food in the wild. So while I have listed only simple ideas I felt that a lot more time and knowledge is needed before commencing to more difficult stages! Look out for upcoming parts soon.
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