Foraging for Berries

I took the dog out the other day for her afternoon walk on a patch of land near our house. A fellow dog walker was picking elder berries, not for jam, as I have done, but for making cordial for her son who has allergies to various manmade ingredients in regular cordial. She told me the recipe was on a website called Eat Weeds and here it is

http://www.eatweeds.co.uk/elderberry-cordial-syrup

I have just had a quick look and the site looks very interesting :) will delve in more when I have some spare time.

A few years ago I went a bit crazy with making preserves as, like this year, there was such an abundance of free food. Hedgerow jelly was a hit with crab apples, blackberries, rosehips, hawthorn berries, sloes, all free to pick. I have not had the time this year (any spare is taken up with crochet!). I did have a walk though the fields with the dog yesterday and spotted some berries.

Blackberries

Hawthorn Berries

Rosehips

Sloes

 

 

 

Only this morning there was talk of a bumper crop of hedgerow berries on the news

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29249685

Though not all fruit are doing so well. Two of my clients have very little apples this year - and its not my pruning!! A number of people have mentioned this same issue, maybe something to do with the wet Spring? You never know what nature will throw at you.

Well, there's going to be a lot of well fed creatures this Autumn, including our new addition of a squirrel that has taken up residence in our heavily laden hazel tree. The fella better watch it though, the dog loves a tree rat and I have now discovered Ronan, our big ginger cat, reckons he can take it on, though I really hope he doesn't corner it as squirrels can cause a lot of damage with those sharp claws!!

Get yourselves out there and pick your free food. Just please be sure you know what you are picking.