Foraging: Discover Free Food from Fields, Streets, Gardens and the Coast

by Paul Chambers

Overview

“A useful and practical field guide” to finding delicious, indigenous edibles—full of color photos and including a forager’s calendar (The Countryman).
 
Long before there were convenient supermarkets, foraging for edible plants was as essential to survival as hunting and farming. For today’s forager, it’s a fun and practically free way to eat fresh and get to know your local environment. In Foraging, naturalist author Paul Chambers gives you the knowledge and knowhow you need to start going on your own foraging adventures.
 
Focused on the British Isles, this comprehensive guide includes lists of indigenous edible plants, arranged alphabetically and by region. A full range of environments are covered, from the fields and forests of the countryside to suburban gardens, city streets, and even the coast. Chambers offers practical tips for identifying, collecting, preparing, and preserving forageables, as well each plants’ historical, cultural, and medicinal meanings and uses.
 
Packed with helpful illustrations and trivia, this volume is the result of years of experience and a passion for naturalism, and shares more than one hundred plants suitable for eating.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781844689835
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date:	02/20/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	358,054
File size:	23 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Paul Chambers is an author and expert on edible plants.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

Garden and Urban

An early introduction to the wonders of foraging came about in my back garden. It was a warm summer's day and I was relaxing around a BBQ with friends when one of them remarked that there were three edible plants growing within a few feet of where we sat. These turned out to be hairy bittercress and dandelions, which were growing on the lawn, and a profusion of garlic mustard which had established itself in a neglected flowerbed. Based on my friend's advice, we added some of the leaves to our salad bowl. All agreed that the bittercress and dandelions were delicious but not everyone was convinced by the garlic mustard, it holding a somewhat unusual taste. This was an eye-opening moment which encouraged an interest in edible plants. Naturally enough, the first place I started to look was in my own backyard.

Foraging in gardens, parks and metropolitan sites can be very rewarding, not least because it will probably introduce you to the wonders of urban wildlife. It is usual to think of our crowded, sprawling towns and city centres as being the antithesis of Nature but there is always space enough for plants and wild flowers to thrive. There are, for example, gardens, parks, canal banks, commons, playing fields, allotments and unused railway cuttings (be wary of abandoned railway tracks as these may be polluted, see below). Some plants just need the smallest patch of soil and access to a modicum of sunlight and rain. Even the cracks in walls and pavements will play host to species of tenacious plants whose roots can exploit the thin soil that accumulates within.

The selective nature of human aesthetics means that many of the edible plants listed in this section are often labelled as weeds and so are uprooted and destroyed at the gardener's earliest convenience. For this reason well-manicured gardens are usually not the best to forage. Instead try looking in neglected gardens, round the edge of allotments or in urban spaces that have been deliberately left to grow wild (e.g. commons, heaths or the wilder parts of some parks and playing fields). When living in London I would look along the canal towpaths, in parks or travel to some of the larger open spaces such as Hampstead Heath or Epping Forest. There is always somewhere where wild plants will thrive in sufficient quantity to allow the forager to do their thing.

An alternative to urban foraging is to give over a part of your garden or allotment to wild flowers. Often 'weeds' such as cleavers, garlic mustard, nettles and plantains will be the first to colonise barren ground, so digging an area over at the end of winter and leaving it should ensure that some edible plants will make their presence known. Other edible plants can be deliberately sown by gathering their seeds (be sparing when taking seeds from wild plants) and sowing them in the garden.

Urban foraging brings with it a heightened risk of inadvertent trespassing and pollution. Always follow the golden rules of foraging: do not be tempted to trespass; search carefully and considerately, being careful not to damage or disorganise property or ornamental plants. Urban pollution may come in several forms but most notably from the application of toxic herbicides or pesticides to control the spread of plants and insects (e.g. glycophosphate) and from heavy metals and other potential toxins residing in the soil. It is difficult to see at a glance which areas may be affected, but in general terms one should avoid manicured gardens and parks (where herbicides might have been used). Similarly, avoid old industrial sites, railway tracks, etc., where the ground may have been subjected to the byproducts of manufacturing or heavy machinery. Those who are worried about industrial pollution in an area could look through historical maps at a local library as these will reveal what was on a site in years gone by. Check the soil for industrial litter such as screws, nails, plastics, clinker and oil. Some plants will adsorb toxins more readily than others (e.g. brassicas) and if in any doubt of an area's suitability, then do not forage there. Other problems include animal faeces (dogs, cats, rats and humans), physical hazards such as broken glass and heavy masonry, and officious residents who may object to you foraging close to their house.

Borage – Borago offic inalis

'The leaves and roots are to very good purpose used in putrid and pestilential fevers ...'

Nicholas Culpeper, 1652

• Alternative Name: Starflower

• Etymology: Celtic borrach, a noble person

• Annual; generally gardens but sometimes in waste ground. England, Wales and southern Scotland. It has blue flowers, oval leaves and is very bristly.

Borage is a sturdy, hairy herb plant of Middle Eastern origin which was imported and cultivated in Asian and European gardens for use in cookery and medicine. The ancient Romans were fond of it and, according to Pliny, called it buglossus, which is Greek for 'ox tongue', because of the shape of its leaves. At other times it was known as euphrasynon (from the Greek/Latin for 'gladness') because of its alleged ability to enhance the happiness of a drunken crowd when added to their wine.

Borage leaves have a mild but refreshing cucumber-like taste and may be picked during the spring and summer; the distinctive blue, star-shaped flowers are also edible and have a sweet taste. They may be gathered from mid-spring to early summer.

Cookery: Although popular in historical times, both in culinary and medicinal terms, by the early nineteenth century borage had fallen out of general use. It was, according to the Georgian gardener Philip Miller, seldom used except 'to make cool tankards which are a pleasant and wholesome summer drink.

The use of borage to flavour cool drinks led to its inclusion in the original version of Pimms, an alcoholic drink that was created in the 1820s by the Londoner James Pimm (it was later replaced by mint). In continental Europe borage is still used as an ingredient in pickles, soups and salads.

Borage leaves may be picked, washed and used raw as an addition to salads or as a garnish for soups and light pasta dishes. The flowers have been used to add an attractive garnish to a variety of cold desserts, such as ice cream and fruit fools. Borage is one of the ingredients of 'green sauce', a mayonnaise-like concoction eaten in Germany, France, Italy and Spain which contains the leaves of several herbs.

BORAGE SUMMER DRINK (based on an 1803 recipe)

Place into a blender a generous sprig of borage, one peeled and diced cucumber and the juice of two limes or a quantity of lime cordial. Add approximately 0.8 litre of water and four tablespoons of sugar. Blend then sieve into a jug and add ice (dilute if too strong; add more sugar if not sweet enough).

Historical Uses: During medieval times the alleged ability of borage to induce happiness led to its being grown extensively as a medicinal plant. In the early seventeenth century Francis Bacon noted that 'the leaf of the borage hath an excellent spirit, to repress the fuliginous vapour of dusky melancholy, and so to cure madness'. This viewpoint is represented in folklore by the motto, 'with borage comes courage', and by the Elizabethan herbalist Gerard's belief that borage would comfort the heart, drain away sorrow and 'purgeth melancholie'.

Historical herbalists recommend that borage leaves are best used when fresh and that they should not be dried (although they can be distilled or boiled up into a syrup, jars of which would be found in many apothecary stores).

Scientific Notes: Borage is part of the Boraginaceae family and as such is related to comfrey and forget-me-nots. Borage seed oil (also called starflower oil) may be found in health food shops where it is marketed as a dietary supplement. It is rich in gamma-linolenic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, eicosenoic acid, erucic acid and nervonic acid. The dietary benefit of borage is untested but a clinical trial published in 2005 did suggest that the administration of gamma-linolenic acid derived from borage oil could lessen the effects of an alcohol-derived hangover. Borage seed oil has anticoagulant properties and is not recommended for those taking blood-thinning drugs such as Warfarin.

Burdock – Arctium lappa; A. minus

'The roots have a sweetish taste at first, followed by a slight austerity and bitterness.'

Benjamin Barton, 1837

• Alternative Names: Bur, Clot Bur

• Etymology: Greek arktos, a bear, from the roughness of its burrs

• Biennial; waste ground and hedgerows; A. minus occurs across much of Britain while A. lappa has a more southerly distribution. It has purple flowers and large heart-shaped leaves.

This common plant grows readily on waste ground as well as in neglected gardens and by roadsides. It is familiar because of the mass of sticky burrs that are eagerly stripped by schoolchildren and then hurled at their colleagues, the hope being that they will cling to their clothes. Similarly, the burrs will frequently turn up in the shaggy coats of dogs, cats and sheep. In times past children would allegedly throw the burrs at bats' wings as this was said to cause them to fall to the ground.

The stems and roots are edible (see Introduction regarding the uprooting of wild plants) and have an earthy taste that reminds me of celery but which is more usually compared to that of the artichoke (the root is more bitter than the stems). It may be foraged for during late spring and summer. Cookery: Modern British cuisine does not utilise burdock other than as a flavouring in 'dandelion and burdock', a soft, naturally effervescent drink which dates to medieval times and is alleged to increase milk yield in breast-feeding mothers. Dandelion and burdock is readily available on supermarket shelves but many mass-produced cordials and canned drinks contain, or are enhanced with, artificial flavourings rather than using extracts from the plant. Other than this, burdock is only widely eaten in eastern Asia and especially Japan.

There are two parts of the burdock plant which are edible. The first is the young stems which should be picked before the flowers arrive and stripped of their bark. In historical times these would be boiled or eaten raw like asparagus with oil and vinegar, but they can be added to salads and are deep-fried in Italy to produce 'battered frittata'. The second, more common, edible part is the taproots which are thin, wiry and may extend for some distance underground (see Introduction regarding the uprooting of wild plants). These roots, when cleaned, have quite a harsh taste and may be dried and then powdered in a spice grinder. Alternatively, the roots may be shredded, soaked in water and then used in stir-fries in conjunction with other crisp vegetables such as carrots.

DANDELION AND BURDOCK DRINK

Take one large saucepan with 600ml of boiling water and add one and a half teaspoons each of powdered dandelion and burdock root. (Raw roots, two for each plant, may be used but should be chopped roughly and boiled for half an hour before adding other ingredients.) Take a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger and finely chop; add this to the water with a teaspoon of lemon juice. Simmer the mixture for 20–30 mins, then filter through a straining bag or very fine sieve. Add 300g of sugar and stir until dissolved (if necessary put on a gentle heat), then dilute with cold water/sparkling water/lemonade at a ratio of around one part mixture to four parts water. This should make a refreshing summer drink.

Historical Uses: Burdock was not a well-liked plant in times gone by and was considered by most to be a weed. 'Few quadrupeds, except the ass, will touch this plant,' muttered one Victorian gardener although an earlier authority, Dr Jonathan Stokes, noted that 'a horse eats the burrs; birds eat the seeds; and snails and caterpillars eat the leaves'. At one time it did have a place in some medicinal gardens as an herb that could be used to detoxify the body and purify the blood, although most physicians preferred to use sarsaparilla for this task. One old herbalist recipe recommends adding dried burdock roots to three pints of boiling water then evaporating this down to two pints. The ill patient was then given a pint of the strained juice each day until they recovered.

Scientific Notes: Burdock is in the Asteraceae family of plants and is related to the daisies and thistles. In recent times extracts of burdock root oil have found their way into a variety of hair care products such as shampoos and conditioners. This is because of its alleged ability to strengthen hair, promote its growth and to effect a cure for a variety of skin complaints such as dandruff and psoriasis. Burdock root is also an ingredient in essiac tea which is claimed to have immune-enhancing and disease-fighting properties. However, the only proven medicinal property of essaic tea is that it is a laxative. Burdock is generally high in fibre and amino acids.

Common Chickweed – Stellaria media

'It is a fine, soft, pleasing herb under the dominion of the moon.'

Nicholas Culpeper, 1652

• Alternative Names: Winterweed, Chickenwort

• Etymology: Latin, stella, a star, from the shape of its flower

• Annual; generally on waste ground across all Britain. It has white flowers, ovate leaves and a hairy line down the stem.

There are several British species of chickweed but here we are dealing with the commonest which may frequently be found as a garden weed. It produces small white flowers and may spread across open ground quickly. Traditionally the flowers have been used as a makeshift barometer: when they are open the weather will be fine but if they are closed then 'let the traveller put on his great coat'. Chickweed also exhibits what used to be called 'the sleep of plants', which means that at night its leaves move to cover up the plants' tender shoots.

Chickweed is said to get its name because birds, including young chickens, are fond of eating it, and it was at one time fed to songbirds. It is a classic green vegetable with a taste that may be compared with that of spinach. The leaves and flowers may be picked and eaten in the spring and autumn.

Cookery: There are few acknowledged uses for chickweed in British or European cookery, although there is an eighteenth-century reference to 'its tender shoots and leaves, when boiled, being scarcely distinguished from early spinach, and are in every respect as wholesome'.

In modern cookery chickweed leaves should be picked with scissors during the spring and autumn, when the plant is fresh and succulent. It is best eaten raw and should be thoroughly washed for use in salads (add one or two handfuls). The leaves also taste great when added into light vegetable or chicken soups; add a handful or so at the early stage of cooking. The chopped leaves may also be added to Mediterranean dishes such as risotto and pasta.

Historical Uses: Chickweed has been afforded a number of medicinal qualities. When boiled with pig's grease it is said to calm convulsive children, while its juice was used to treat painful ears, itching eyes, ulcers, liver complaints, cramps and scabs. Modern herbalists have been known to prescribe chickweed for skin complaints and joint pains.

Scientific Notes: Chickweed is one of the few commonly foraged plants within the family Caryophyllaceae (sometimes called the 'pink family') of flowers which includes the campion and pearlwort species. The traditional medicinal properties afforded to chickweed do not seem to have been assessed scientifically.

Coltsfoot – Tussilago farfara

'Coltsfoot is not altogether a useless plant.'

Robert Mudie, 1837

• Etymology: Greek, tussis, a cough, related to a medicinal use for the plant

• Perennial; waste ground and gardens across all Britain. It has yellow flowers and angular leaves which have a downy texture underneath.

According to herbalists, coltsfoot could be used to help with lung complaints and especially chesty coughs. It was also widely smoked as a mild tobacco ('northern tobacco' because the practice was prevalent in the north of England) which probably did nothing to help the lungs. The practice of smoking coltsfoot has recently been revived in some parts of Europe where smoking bans have been enacted in public places. One British confectionery firm sells 'coltsfoot rock', a hard sweet which incorporates the plant and whose taste is unusual but not unpleasant.

In my opinion (which I know is shared by some other foragers) coltsfoot tastes far too bitter to be considered truly edible. The plant is rarely gathered for food and its main use focuses on spring flowers which can be utilised in brewing wine and beer.

(Continues…)

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Copyright © 2010 Paul Chambers.
Excerpted by permission of Pen and Sword Books Ltd.
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Table of Contents

Preface,
How to Use this Book,
Chapter 1 Garden and Urban,
Chapter 2 Hedgerows and Meadows,
Chapter 3 Woodlands and Forests,
Chapter 4 Grasslands and Heath,
Chapter 5 Wetlands and Streams,
Chapter 6 The Coastal Fringe,
Chapter 7 Seaweeds,
Chapter 8 The Forager's Calendar,
Chapter 9 A Summary of Plants,
Bibliography,
Acknowledgements,