Smudging is a custom that originated in the Americas. Indigenous tribes used the ritual of smudging to cleanse the air, banish negativity and bring positive energy into an area. It is also known as a Sacred smoke bowl blessing. Yes, you can use plants to drive away negativity.
We do not follow the indigenous tribes rituals but it does inspire us to create our own version of smudge sticks for individual use. If you have had a stressful day then a little bit of smudging will go a long way to creating a relaxing, peaceful environment.
How to make a homemade Smudge stick
Gather wild herbs. Sage is commonly used but other wild plants such as spruce sprigs, thyme, rosemary, lavender and rose flowers work well.
Bundle the herbs and tie them tightly at the bottom.
Wrap the string around the herbs, criss-crossing the string to ensure the herbs stay in place.
Cut off any excess string.
Now it’s time to light your herbs. Leave it burn for a couple of seconds before blowing out the flame. Now use the smoke to cleanse the air.
Use a heat resistent bowl filled with a cup of sand to distinguish the herbs.
Foraging for Smudge stick ingredients
Keep in mind that some herbs work well together and compliment each other. Lavender and Sage, Mint and Tarragon or Pine and Rose work well. At different times of the year there will be smudge stick ingredients available.
Tips for using Smudge sticks
Be careful when lighting any herbs of plants indoors. Always keep a bowl of sand near the smudge stick. Never leave a smudge stick unattended. Don’t over smudge.
We hope that you enjoy using your smudge sticks. To join us on some wild herb foraging adventures please get in touch with a member of our travel team.
Are you feeling tired all of the time? Do you suffer from insomnia? Sleep deprivation can be a common occurrence in our busy lives today. It is well documented that sleep loss disrupts our attention span and causes emotional stress. Symptoms include mood swings, memory loss, lack of motivation, increased appetite and irritability.
Ongoing lack of sleep can have negative effects of your immune system which means it could take you longer to recover from common illnesses.
Our first recommendation is always to take a long walk in a natural environment. Join one of our day tours in nature or look for your nearest park or coastal town, walk slowly, breathe in the fresh air and allow yourself to become immersed in the nature around you. Try to leave your phone at home. If you are struggling to fall asleep at night try using some relaxation techniques, listen to soothing music and sounds.
Here are three of our favourite wild plants that are known to help relax the mind and help you to get a better nights sleep.
Lavender
Lavender is treasured for it’s scent around the world, from perfumes to cleaning products to beauty products. It can be found growing throughout Europe. The lavender plant has multiple varieties. Studies have found that lavender can aid sleep through aromatherapy. To get a more peaceful nights sleep try placing a small bunch of lavender in your pillow case or lighting a lavender scented candle for a short time before going to bed.
Wild Chamomile
Chamomile is one of the most popular wild plants, used by herbalists and foragers around the world. It’s daisy-like flowers are easy to recognise. Both the flowers and leaves are edible. The dried flowers contain terpenoids and flavonoids, which are known to help with insomnia, anxiety and relaxing the muscles.
For a better nights sleep make a simple tea from the flowers or put a bunch of chamomile under your pillow and enjoy the scent until it rocks you to sleep.
Valerian
When many people hear the word today they may think of House Velaryon from Game of Thrones but long before Game of Thrones came to our T.V. screens the Valerian Plant was being used for medicinal purposes. This pretty plant prefers the sunshine and you will find it along the coastlines. The ancient greeks used to hang valerian in their homes to keep out evil spirits. When most people think of the Valerian plant they think of sleep as it is the most commonly used over the counter sedative in Germany. It is also said to reduce anxiety, stress and migraines. It contains calcium, iron and magnesium.
When preparing Valerian to aid sleep it is best to use the root of the plant and simmer is gently in water until it reaches boiling point. Drain away the root and sip on the remaining liquid. You can also use it as a foot bath and this is said to aid insomnia. Simply take a bundle of the herb (flowers and leaves), wrap it with string and add it to a basin of warm water, allow your feet to soak in the mixture for ten minutes. Let us know if this works for you.
These plants are readily available throughout Europe. They may be more obvious in the late spring and early summer months when the flowers start to bloom but the leaves can be just as effective.
If you are suffering from insomnia for a prolonged period of time than it is a good idea to see your doctor for recommendations.
For more information on any of our wild foraging tours please contact one of our travel experts.
Nowadays we know that everyone is living extra busy lives. Everyday we are bombarded with choices. It can start in the morning in your local coffee shop; what coffee will you choose? Latte, flat white, americano? In every decision we have to take there are so many options presented to us that it can seem overwhelming. If this sounds like you then there is a solution. Take time out in the natural landscapes around you.
Leave your phone in your bag or even at home, put on your walking shoes and make your way to the nearby mountains. Not only does it force you to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other, it also gives you freedom and time to let your creative juices flow. Not all good ideas come whilst you are sitting at the desk! A change of environment could be just what you need to stir up your imagination.
Let’s spend some time in nature, learning about the ancient outdoor food traditions that still exist today. Before the arrival of commercial farming we relied heavily on these foraging and food picking techniques to provide us with our weekly dose of nutrients.
Collecting Peri-winkles by the Seashore
Middens containing large deposits of winkles, cockles and whelks dating back to the bronze age can be found on the coast of the Wild Atlantic Way. Our ancestors certainly knew a thing or two about foraging. Today, the tradition of collecting shellfish is passed down from one generation to the next, making it a major part of our childhood memories. Join us for a Taste of Ireland on our Coast to Coast foraging adventure.
Truffle Hunting in the Italian Hills
Poet Cicero called truffles earths offspring and it is no wonder why. These treasured foods are hidden beneath the earth. In the 1700s hunting for the beloved truffle became popular in Italy. The Truffle is celebrated with festivals throughout Italy and chefs today consider them some of the most prized foods for their dishes. Hunt for luxurious truffles in Northern Italy.
Pear Cider Making in France
Early Normans in France opted to drink cider as the grapes didn’t grow well in the cooler Normandy climate. Many french people drank cider instead of water when a plague struck the region in the 1400’s. The Pays d’Auge region in Normandy today has a famous Cider route where you can drive from farm to farm tasting delicious varieties. Discovering the poirés ciders is an amazing way to learn about traditional farming and how the French public produce these tasty drinks. Book this pear cider experience today.
Grape picking in the Douro Valley
Grape pips from 4000 B.C. have been found in archaelogical sites from the Douro Valley. This area is devoted to producing some of Europe’s most delicious wines in the most spectacular landscapes. The terraced vineyards of the Douro region are a UNESCO listed heritage site and will leave you with a lifelong appreciation for wine production in Portugal. Join a Guided Douro Valley experience today.
Mushroom Hunting in Hardwood Forests of Europe
The tradition of mushroom hunting (mushroom foraging) has been passed down through from one generation to the next. As well as a fascinating number of species, mushrooms are a treat for the table. Fungi of all sorts (button mushrooms, gentle puffballs, famous chanterelles and delicious Cep mushrooms are just four of over 38,000 varieties of fungi that have been recorded around the world. As well as a fascinating history like the Siberian shamans consuming the deadly fly agaric hallucengenic mushrooms during religious ceremonies, mushroom picking is often stirs up a nostalgic feeling. Join us to explore the world of mushrooms on a foraging experience in Ireland.
There is so much on offer from the landscapes around us if we take time to listen, look and learn. Ready for your next food adventure. Let’s go!
For more information on any of the above experiences that encourage us to switch off please contact one of our travel team.
Take a walk in the woods or by the sea at any time of the year and you are bound to stumble upon an abundance of free wild tea flavours that you can add to your next cuppa. There are many to choose from but we have handpicked a few of our top choices when it comes to making a home brew for our Wild Tea Workshops.
Wild Jasmine
There are many varieties of jasmine that bloom throughout the summer months. If you are looking for the most flavour choose the ‘poet’s jasmine’, recognised by its small white flowers.
Honeysuckle
AKA woodbine produces a sweet scented creamy flower that comes to life in the summer months. It is easily identified and climbs trees to look for light in woodland areas.
Dandelions
This common weed, often considered a nuisance for gardeners but treasured by foragers from near and far, is the perfect herbal tea addition. It contains lots of anti-oxidants and the health benefits coming from the roots are highly sought after today.
Ox Eye Daisies
Usually found in fields at the edges of coastal areas, the Ox eye daisy is full of nutrients.
Raspberry Leaves
Raspberries burst into life in summer and autumn seasons, giving us plenty of fruit to enjoy. However many people disregard the leaves and these young green leaves can make a lovely addition to your wild tea recipes. If they are dried correctly they can taste just like a black cup of tea.
Meadowsweet
Just when the Elderflowers start to fade we begin to see heads of meadowsweet appearing in the fields and woodlands. Not a pungent as elderflower or honeysuckle but a nice soothing addition to your wild tea recipes.
Gorse Tea
You can’t miss the yellow carpet of Gorse (Aka furze) across the Irish landscape in Autumn time. The flowers are edible and known to taste a little like almonds.
Red Clover Flowers
Another flower that you can’t miss in the summer months is the red clover which is actually purple in colour. These short purple flowers hang around in gangs by coastal areas and are a tasty and healthy addition to tea recipes and salads.
All of these flavours make for tasty wild tea with friends. Some of them also work well together. For example, raspberry leaves and meadowsweet compliment eachother and give honeysuckle and gorse a try if you fancy a delicious cup of summertime tea.
Have you experimented with homemade tea? If so we would love to hear about the plants and flowers you have used. Join our foraging workshops each month to enjoy learning about the landscapes and getting a taste of the wild or book a Wild Tea Workshop with our local Foragers for you and friends.
Drinking a freshly made pot of herbal tea is one of our favourite ways to relax in the evenings. This is going to be short because it is easy to do if you take a little bit of time.
First you need to select your favourite herbs to use in your herbal tea. As budding foragers we love to pick wild herbs. Some wild herbs that we use include meadowsweet, red clovers, peppermint, dandelions, daises and rose petals. Going in search of some wild herbs for your tea is great fun and you can bring the whole family along or join one of our foraging trips.
To make the tea simply pick off the stems of the plant. With most edible herbs the flowers and leaves are fine to eat but always double check in advance. For example, elderflowers are a delicious addition to your herbal teas but you have to avoid using any part of the stem.
Now you are ready to put the herbs in a pot, dry roast for 2 – 3 minutes, now add your cold water. Let the water boil for 10 – 15 minutes. Drain the liquid and voila you have made your very own herbal tea. Maximum flavour requires extra steeping and many people will dry out the herbs fully (either roasting or sun drying) before they use them in their herbal teas.
Enjoy discovering the flavours of nature. Feel free to join us on any of our foraging adventures. You will find upcoming day trips here and for foodie lovers you can check out all of our food filled experiences here.
We all crave some sunshine and nature therapy these days. Who wouldn’t want to spend more time walking the forest paths? Foraging is all about taking time out to appreciate the land around us. This doesn’t mean trampling on natural habitats or stealing from the orchards. Picking fruit and wild plants is more than that. It brings us closer to the wildlife around us and connects us with a forgotten way of life.
Believe it or not there are some rules when it comes to foraging and wild plants aren’t something you want to be messing with if you don’t know what you are doing. Here are some simple do’s and don’ts when it comes to foraging:
DO leave at least a third of the blossom, flowers, berries, seed heads, nuts, leaves, seashore vegetables and seaweeds on the plant and cut, don’t pull.
DON’T attempt to cook any plant you don’t know.
DO venture off the beaten track to find wild plants.
DON’T be afraid to get your hands dirty.
DON’T break branches to make gathering easier.
DON’T pick or bring home fungi that is over mature.
DON’T venture into private land without permission.
DON’T pick plants in conservation areas where there is a Department of Environment notice that states you should not do so.
DO avoid using chemical herbicides and toxic pesticides if you are re-planting.
DON’T forget to pick up litter if you see some along the way.
DO take care where you park your car. Don’t block farm gates.
DO close all farm gates after you. DO bring all your litter home.
DON’T dig up wild plants.
DO have fun in the wild and explore your surroundings.
For more information about our foraging and fruit picking adventure please contact one of our fruit loving team. If you want some foraging tips you can get your 6 Foraging tips for beginners here.
Getting acquainted with the Irish countryside is one of the best ways to spend a few days discovering the land around you. With our unique foraging experiences you can get back to nature, learn about the wild foods around you and spend time getting to know the local food experts.
I have been foraging the Irish coastlines and woodlands all of my life. The joy of stumbling upon a pool of peri-winkles or a patch of chanterelle mushrooms will brighten any day. The beauty of foraging is that no two tours are the same. Each time you head out on the trails you don’t know what to expect and the best part is using your recently picked treasures to cook up some fresh and delicious. Here are some of our top foraging experiences to try out in Ireland:
Enjoy the spectacular landscapes in the garden of Ireland while taking the time to get to know the plants around you. On this day tour we be immersed in the peaceful countryside, taking you along quiet forest tracks and giving you a taste of the land. Look out for wild mushrooms, elderflowers, edible leaves and more.
These tours are a live and learn experience. We take small groups of eager nature enthusiasts to the countryside to give them a taste of the wild foods growing all around us. This half day tour is designed to give you a true taste of nature. We will identify wild plant species and show you how we use these edible goods to cook up something delicious.
If you are planning a trip to the west coast of Ireland than this short day tour will delight your senses. We take a coastal walk smelling the fresh sea air and forage for some of Ireland’s hidden shellfish. Mussels, winkles, seaweeds and seabeet are just some of the goods you can expect to discover on this unique adventure.
For more information or to book your next foraging experience in Ireland please contact one of our foodie experts.
Last week, myself and my fellow forager Emily headed for the wooded mountains of Wicklow to seek some freshly foraged wild goods. Although both of us enjoy foraging and have a reasonable knowledge of the wild plant species around us, neither of us pretended to be a mushroom expert.
We started in the stunning little town of Rathdrum which is perched high on a hill in the middle of the Wicklow countryside. For a small village, it has a bustling atmosphere and some pretty cafes to stop in for a well needed morning cuppa before we got going. We walked the jubilee loop, taking some detours along the way when our senses guided us deeper into the woodlands.
On this quiet trail you pass through a meadow of ferns and dandelions that greet you as the first foraging stop along the way. We carefully plucked a few dandelion heads and red clovers before heading deeper into the Irish jungle. Before entering the crowded forest we found that there were several Elderflower trees leading us towards the woods. Yes, we had a picking good time. It would be rude not too.
The weather was good to us as the sun was out but the previous three days had been damp and rainy. I just knew that we would stumble upon some fungi. Once we found out first patch of field mushrooms we saw them jotting up from the wet earth everywhere we looked. We were after the much prized chanterelles but it was much too early in the year.
However we did manage to get up close and personal with many different varieties of mushrooms. Luckily we had our guidebook with us so we could check up on the species as we came across them. It is a well known rule of foraging that you should never pick what you cannot identify. Here are some of the shrooms we encountered along the way:
Mushrooms included: the Butter Waxcap/Hygrocybe ceracea, the Star Pinkgill/Entoloma conferendum, the False Chanterelle and the Phallus Impudicus.
Towards the end of our trip we looked up and found a tree bursting with heads of honeysuckle. The smell is sweet and delicious. This would later be boiled into a syrup.
Although our trip was a fun adventure we are looking forward to our next trip when we have studied the mushroom varieties and maybe bring a mushroom foraging guide to help us along the way.
When we think of summer Elderflowers naturally come to mind. If you are walking through the pack, taking a hike in the woods or strolling by the canals in summer you will smell the sweet, cream Elderflowers.
Elderflowers are pretty easy to forage. The large white heads that hang out in groups will catch your eye. However be sure not to mistake Cowslips for Elderflowers, they look alike and grow along the same paths. Cowslips are whiter in colour and have longer stems. To be sure just lean in for a sniff of the flower and the scent will guide you.
Now, how do you forage for pine needles? This is an easy one. Look out for gigantic Christmas trees and you will be in luck. You only need a handful of this green giant so don’t be greedy.
These two ingredients make the perfect summer party combination; fun, easy to make and delicious.
Here is our Elderflower Summer cocktail recipe with a splash of pine juice:
INGREDIENTS
1 Large pot of Elderflowers (approximately 10 healthy heads)
2 cups of pine needles
Vodka (your brand, your choice)
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 lime
A spring of pine to garnish
HOW TO MAKE
First you need to prepare your Elderflower cordial. To do this you need to shake the heads of the Elderflowers to remove any insects, cut off any stems and place them in a large pot of water. Allow this mixture to simmer for at 30 minutes, making sure the heads are covered with water at all times. While this pot is bubbling away gently wash your pine needles, and cut them or pull them away from their branches. Place the needles in a bowl and add two shots of vodka. Use a blender to whizz up these two ingredients and extract all of the pine juices. Sqeeze the juice from half of a lime over the mixture. Let’s get back to the Elderflowers. Use a tea towel or cloth to strain the pot or flowers (you should be left with a yellow clear liquid now. Add this flavoured water to a fresh pot, add 1 cup of granulated sugar and let it dissolve over a low heat. Remove from the heat and let it cool in the fridge. Ready to put these pungent ingredients together? Pour the pine needle juice first, followed by half a cup of Elderflower cordial, add an extra shot of vodka for a good kick and a spring of needle to garnish. You are ready to serve up your Elderflower summer cocktail. Enjoy!
If you have any foraging tips we are always on the look out for tips, ingredients, nature lovers!
Giant strips of sugar kelp are often left over once a tide has receded. We picked up some delicious kelp on a coastal foraging adventure last weekend so we decided to do a little more research on this natural sweetener.
WHAT IS SUGAR KELP
This is a very impressive looking seaweed, often found washed up on the wild atlantic coastline. It is easy to identify due to it’s large size and distinctive pattern. When fresh it should look wet and slippery. Ideally you would cut this seaweed gently from its source but as it is usually hiding in the deep waters before the tide it isn’t easy to cut it from it’s nature habitat. As it dries you will see a coating of mannitol (a sugar alcohol) forms on the outside. The high levels of mannitol in sugar kelp make it a sweeter seaweed than most.
HOW TO MAKE SUGAR KELP CRISPS
Sugar kelp crisps can be made in two ways. For a super healthy crisp use the oven and for an extra crispy version deep fry in some heated vegetable oil.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF KELP
An excellent source of Iodine which can help you to keep a health metabolism. It is also known to help detox the body and balance the level of cholesterol. Kelp also contains Vitamin k, Vitamin A, Vitamin B-12, calcium, magnesium and iron.
To see some of this amazing sugar up close you can join us on a coastal foraging experience along the Irish seashores. If you would like to learn more contact one of our travel team.
