recipes

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What foods can be Foraged in Springtime?

Discover the natural Spring flavours from the forests and coasts. Foraging in Springtime is a great way to get to know the plants around you. Whether you want to broaden your palette or simply get a taste of the woods, foraging is a great way to get a taste of the outdoors. Dandelions, Wild Garlic, Sea beet and Chickweed are just a few of the many tasty plants that you will find in grassy patches during the months of Spring.

Lets get to know where to find, how to pick and how to prepare a few of our favourite edible plants at this time of the year.

Sea Beet

This wild green edible plant is easy to find by the coast. Boil it or steam it to get the best flavour. It is known as the cousin of spinach and packed full of nutrients. Look out for glossy, bright green leaves on your next coastal walk.

Cow Parsley

Look out for fern like leaves when foraging for cow parsley. This plant grows tall just before the summer months. It likes the shade and grassy areas. You will find umbrella like bunches of tiny white flowers on the tip. Dont pick cow parsley if you can’t identify it as it is often mistaken for more poisonous plants such as hemlock.

Wild Garlic

Also known as ramsons, you might smell this plant before you see it if you are wandering in the woods in springtime. In May it is very easy to identify with it;s pointy small white petaled flowers. Common uses for wild garlic include making homemade wild garlic pesto, chopping it into salads and adding it to soups to give an extra punch of flavour.

Elderflower

If you live near any organic fruit store or hipster cafe you may have stumbled upon Elderflower cordial or better yet Elderflower champagne. This fragrant plant comes bursting to life at Springtime. Usually found in hedgegrows, on the banks of rivers and in wild wooded areas, it is easy to identify. All you need to make homemade elderflower cordial is a little bit of patience as it takes time for the mixture to set. Find our tried and tested recipe here.

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Dandelions

The health benefits of dandelions are now widely recognised. Containing plenty of antioxidants and vitamins this may be the most undervalued commonly found plant. This humble yellow flowers are often a source of pain for gardeners who like to keep their gardens clear of wild weeds. However dandelions are rich in pollen and nectar that feed the bees so try to hold off on mowing your lawn the second that spring arrives. To get your weekly does of dandelion, use it is a hot pot of tea or add the petals to your salads.

Nettles

Often feared for their stinging abilities, nettles are full of nutrition when picked at the right time of year. Most parks and wooded areas will have patches of nettles hanging around together in large crowds. They are rich in Vitamins C and K and contain more iron than spinach. Try this heart warming nettle soup recipe to get acquainted with this edible plant.

Linden Leaves

These nutrient packed leaves come from Linden trees. It has massive heart-shaped leaves with fragrant flowers that can be eaten fresh or dropped into any wild tea recipe. They are said to have relaxing properties like chamomile. Young Linden Leaves are a sweet addition to salads in spring and summertime.

If you have any plants to tell us about we would love to hear from fellow fruit and foraging enthusiasts.

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Spring Cleaning: 5 Ways to Use Cleavers

Cleavers aka Sticky Willies aka Goosegrass is a herbal treat in Springtime.

It is an annual sticky plant that you will find in your parks and woodland walks. They have small star shaped flowers attached to their pointy leaves. If you brush up against it you won’t need to pick it as it will naturally stick to any piece of clothing.

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Traditionally used to cleanse the blood and strenghten the liver, cleavers are particularly useful for a spring cleaning tonic. Native Indian tribes used this plant as an anti-inflammatory and to help with gonorrhoea. The cleansing properties can help to get rid of toxins in the body and decrease congestion. It has also been reported to help with Urinary tract infections and swollen lymph nodes. They can help to protect the lining of the bladder from irritation. Cleavers are also rich in silica, used to strengthen hair, nails and teeth. It may be worth adding a little cleaver smoothie to your beauty routine in Springtime.

Ways to Use Cleavers

Cleaver infused Water

This is the perfect afternoon refresher on a bright Spring day. Pick the young stems of the plant before they growth tall. Rinse them gently under water and chop finely. Add to a jug or bottle of water and let them infuse over night in the fridge. Add a slice of lemon to your glass and pour over the infused cleaver water.

Cleaver and Nettle Smoothie

Cleavers, nettles and pears are all that you need to make this delicious, healthy Spring smoothie. Packed full of nutrition and made to detox the body, this delicious smoothie is just what the doctor ordered. Blend 1 bunch of cleavers, 1 bunch of boiled nettles and 2 pears together. Add crushed ice, a squeeze of lime juice and a sprig of mint for extra flavour.

Herbal Cleaver Tea

Harvest your cleavers, leave them dry out for a few days, cut them into tiny pieces and use them with a spoonful of honey for a soothing cup of tea.

Cleaver Infused Oil

Dried cleavers and almond oil makes the perfect massage therapy. Put a half a cup of dried cleavers in a jar, fill the jar with almond oil and leave to infuse for two weeks. Enjoy this herbal skin treat.

Cleaver, Nettle and Wild Garlic Soup

Tis the season for green, wild soup and there are plenty of delicious plants out there to add to your homemade soup recipes. For this one we use 1 cup of cleavers, 1 cup of boiled nettles, 1/2 cup of chopped wild garlic or three cornered leek and two large potatoes. Boil the potatoes, add all contents to a pot of cold water and boil until bubbling hot. Add salt and pepper. Blend the ingredients together. Serve with some fresh, warm bread.

Note: Cleavers have a high tannin content and it is generally advised that you don’t use it or consume it for long periods of time.

This plant is natures way of telling us that we need to Spring clean our bodies as well as our houses. There are so many ways to use cleavers in your foraging recipes but hopefully the above tips will give you some food for thought. This plant is one of the reasons why foraging in Springtime is so much fun.

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Wild Recipe: Beech Nut Butter

If you love peanut butter on toast than beech nut butter is the recipe just for you! It is the healthy wild food alternative to this delicious snack.

Ingredients

  • Beech Nuts
  • Oil
  • Sugar or Honey

How to make Beech Nut Butter

The trick with all wild food preparation is patience and this is especially true when working with wild food.

  • Gather your nuts. Now is the perfect time to gather your nuts. You will find them scattered on the forest floor, in your local park and woodlands.
  • Shell nuts. This can be tricky as beech nuts have small spikes on them but take your time and enjoy the process.
  • Roast on a low heat for 15 minutes. Be careful not to burn the nuts.
  • Rub off skins. Give the nuts a gentle rub. If you put the nuts into a tea towel and rub them together you will get off a lot of the excess skin.
  • Blitz in blender until the nuts become a paste. This is the fun part where you see the nuts turn into a golden paste.
  • Add small quantity of oil. Be careful not to add too much oil as it won’t keep that buttery texture.
  • Add sugar or honey & a pinch of salt
  • Add whole nuts for a few seconds at the end if you like it crunchy
  • Spoon into jars & store in refrigerator

If you don’t have the time but would love to try some delicious beech nut butter please get in touch with us or you can join one of our foraging adventures to collect your own sometime.contact-us-button-orchards-near-me

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Wild Tea Party: Wild Herbal Tea and Recipes

If you are interested in building a long-lasting healthy habit then herbal teas with natural anti-oxidants and health benefits may be just for you. Both hot and cold teas are a refreshing way to relax in the evenings.

Now that the summer is over and we have spent time experimenting with our favourite wild flavours we are ready to share our collection of Wild Herbal Tea recipes with the world.

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Foragers and herb enthusiasts from around the world will have different ways of using their dried herbs and we are no different. From combining wild herbs with traditional herbs and spices we have come up with our top choices when it comes to foraging for wild teas. You can get a copy of our full Wild Herbal Tea recipe collection including our favourite iced teas and detox juices here.

Here are some easy wild tasty tea recipes to try out at home:

Dandelion Tea

 

  • 1 Cup of freshly picked Dandelion Heads
  • 1 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
  • 1 Teaspoon of Honey

Add all ingredients to water, gently simmer for 15 minutes and bring to a boil!

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Yarrow Tea

  • 1 Cup of Dried Yarrow Flowers
  • 1/2 Cup of Dried Raspberry or Blackberry Leaves

As one of our favourite herbs we stock up regularly so if you are looking for Yarrow head over to our Be Wild Store. Add all ingredients to water, gently simmer for 15 minutes and bring to a boil!

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Clover Tea

  • 1 Cup of Dried Clover Flowers
  • 1/2 Lemon juice
  • 1 Teaspoon of Honey

Add all ingredients to water, gently simmer for 15 minutes and bring to a boil!

Infused Pine Needle Teawild-herbal-tea-recipe-collection-orchards-near-me-cover

  • 1 Cup of chopped up Pine Needles
  • 1 squeeze of lemon juice

Add all ingredients to water and gently bring to a boil! For extra flavour you can leave the pine needles in the water overnight and bring to the boil when you are ready the next morning.

For our full collection of recipes visit the Be Wild store and for more information about foraging for wild foods please get in touch with us anytime.

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5 Unique Ways to Use Cranberries at Christmas Time

Like no other fruit cranberries are a symbol of Christmas time. The red berries matching perfectly with the warm glow of heat from the first, the neatly hung Christmas stockings and of course Santa’s red outfit. No other fruit will do at this time of the year.

Do you have cranberry sauce with your turkey at dinner time? Everyone knows that turkey meat is dry so the cranberry jazzes it up and brings a little fruity flavour to the Christmas dinner table.

Cranberries aren’t just a symbol of Christmas, they represent the cosy atmosphere we yearn for in the winter months. Besides the worshipped cranberry sauce there are so many things we can do with this tarty fruit during the holiday season. Here are a few of our favourite ways to use cranberries:

1. A Cranberry Christmas cocktail
Vodka and cranberries go hand in hand. This is so simple and so tasty. Take one shot of cranberry, crush 3 – 4 ice cubes, add fresh cranberry juice, a slice of lime and a few mint leaves. Voila, you have yourself a festive cocktail for visitors during the holiday season.

2. A slice of warm cranberry pie is the perfect way to finish off your Christmas feast. Check out this great easy cranberry pie recipe on the Country Living magazine.

3. Homemade Cranberry Body Scrub
Three ingredients will give you a fruitful cranberry scrub that acts as an exfoliant for up to a month. Simply blend cranberries, coconut oil and sugar into a jar and store in the fridge when you are not using it.

4. Cranberry decorated candles and centre pieces
Wer love these unique ways to decorate your Christmas table with cranberries from Berry World. A little bit of holly, a handful of carnberries and a lot of love will give you a fruitful table for all to enjoy.

5. Cranberry Muffins for Breakfast

Last but not least the humble cranberry muffin (best served with a large spoonful of freshly whipped cream). This is a tasty treat morning, noon or night. A soft bun with sprinkles of cranberries and lots of sugar goodness. What’s not to love. For an easy follow cranberry muffin recipe you can check out A Taste of Home.

For more fruit filled recipes and to enquire about our fruit picking tours please contact one of our travel team.

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