Skip to main content

Berry Nice Bonanza Indeed!

Amazing! Spent two fabulous weeks in Devon this summer and armed with my coastal foragers book I was looking forward to discovering the plethora of plants not usually available to the city dweller. High on that list was Sea Buckthorn and Sea Holly. Sea Buckthorn remained elusive but I did find a substantial horde of Sea Holly (needless to say due to it's status and the fact that it's the roots that are edible I opted to take only pictures, albeit ridiculously, excitedly!). Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I was out walking in inner city Leeds and lo and behold I stumbled across a healthy and berry loaded Sea Buckthorn tree. Two days later I returned harvested a modest crop of the berries (which smell absolutely divine) and from which I have since made a very fine jelly indeed. Since then, I have discovered in excess of ten Sea Buckthorn trees but they are far too close to a very major road to tempt me into picking/eating. Amazing that a tree associated with the coast is in Leeds and apparently thriving! Aside from the Sea Buckthorn tree this year is proving to be a great year for berry harvesting and amongst one of my favourites is the Guelder Rose which when blended with wild apples and sugar produces a fabulous jelly (not bad considering it's revolting taste in raw state and odour that is only slightly less off putting). Elderberries are in proliferation also, have produced some very fine cordial to last through the winter months, just need enough now to get a Elderbery/Blackberry wine on the go and an Elderberry/Runner Bean wine (both of which are superb and will give any shop bought £10-£15 wines a run for their money). Happy harvesting! C
Labels:

Comments

  1. Anonymous10 October 2013 at 17:29

    Sea Buckthorn is quite commonly planted now by councils as a roadside shrub which makes it easier to find in town but like you say all to often too close to the road.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Japanese Quince Jelly, Syrup and Sweets

Japanese Quince is one of my autumn favourites and one I make a beeline for every year. You can read more about these delightfully scented,  mouth-puckering and fabulously versatile little fruits here:  https://edible-leeds.blogspot.com/2017/11/quince-quince-glorious-quince.html   Japanese Quince Jelly   This beautifully sharp, sweet and dreamily aromatic jelly is one of the creations that go into my JQ Knickerbocker Glory, it also works well spread on to warm toast or served alongside game meats, particularly wildfowl and is great added to sauces to provide an edge of acidity, sweetness and aromatic attitude. There are many other applications for this jelly, so get busy gathering, creating and playing... 1kg Japanese Quince 750g Golden Granulated Sugar Water Wash the fruits to remove any dirt and then place them whole in a large pan. Add water to cover, (approximately 800ml) and bring to the boil, once boiling, reduce heat and simmer until all the fruits split. Po...
Post a Comment
Read more

Chicken of the Woods

Wild mushrooms have a special place in my heart. My wild food and foraging journey stemmed from an interest in them before branching out into plants and seaweeds. The 'silent hunt', as Antonio Carluccio so beautifully and aptly put it, is one of my favourite things. To find yourself at ease, wandering and treading gently, on the fringes of or deep within and beneath, the multi-layered, multi-coloured patchwork of woodland canopies, or in ancient meadows, in anticipation of the sometimes elusive, yet always magical and mysterious organisms that comprise the 5th kingdom is a pure delight. Fungi are truly fascinating, yet the great majority of the uk population have yet to discover just how awesome, intriguing, fascinating and tasty they can be. Most people think the best time of year for finding wild mushrooms is in the 'autumn' and, although there is some truth in this, it's not the whole truth. Spring, summer and winter can prove very fruitful (fung-ful) when it ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Japanese Knotweed: The Terribly Terrific Tasty Terrestrial Triffid

It really is one of those 'love, hate' relationships, depending on which side of the proverbial fence you find yourself. Personally, I love Japanese Knotweed. I love it's potential as a diverse food & drink resource, I'll delve deeper into that arena later. I also find it to be a striking and handsome plant. I've read some very interesting academic, scientific and medicinal literature, both mainstream and non, which raised many a question regarding Japanese Knotweed; how it's perceived professionally, and thus culturally, and how this determines and affects it's subsequent treatment by humans. I heartily recommend the book 'The New Wild' by Fred Pearce - a book all nature lovers, conservationists and environmentalists should consider reading. Like so many, I too was led to believe that Japanese Knotweed aka Fallopia japonica was a botanical nightmare, especially with regards to its reportedly negative impacts on our beautiful countrys...
Post a Comment
Read more