Welcome Spring's Wild Food

The things that get us excited around here! We were so happy to reacquaint ourselves with some of our favourite spring tasty wild foods as we walked about the farm today.

First, has to be nettles. They grow everywhere and they are a nice size now. Nettle tea from fresh, new shoots - so good for us! And so good to drink during pregnancy too! What a lot of uses nettles have.



Ear fungi. Lots of it growing on a dead elder branch. Nice to stew up for about 45 minutes in stock. Make sure you have identified it properly! Wash well and cook it well or it will taste rubbery. Sol really loves these.



And a special favourite here - Ramsons (wild garlic). We all eat lots of these. Forget taking a picnic to the woods, we all had a little nibble there in the ramson patch. Then back home for houmous and ramson sandwiches. Fresh young shoots can be added to just about any meal for that onion/garlicky flavour. Flowers and roots can also be eaten.





And lots more wild foods are starting to grow so beautifully!

Rosehips

Since Autumn, on our walk abouts, we have been gathering rosehips which grow abundantly around the farm - wild and organically. Rosehips are a precious wild food, best known for their very high content of vitamin C, and also contains vitamins A, D and E and flavinoids.

My most favourite use of rose hips is to brew them into tea. For tea, dried or fresh rosehips can be used. Up until now I've picked some whilst out walking and then brewed them up after returning home but have also dried a good amount to see us through the winter months.

To make tea, I simply add around 15 rosehips to a small teapot and leave it to brew up.

We also love rosehip syrup which we add to natural yoghurt, add a drop or two to a cup of chamomile tea, or drizzle a bit on pancakes. To make rosehip syrup, rinse and dry rosehips. Place in a pan and cover with a little water. Bring to the boil and then simmer until soft. Sieve off the liquid then add one part honey to two parts heated, strained rosehip juice. I pour it into a clean jar and it keeps for about two weeks. This dodgy looking concoction is my rosehip syrup! The boys love it!

There are so many uses for these amazing rosehips. They can be added to soups and stews and even made into delicious fruit leather. They are coming to an end now and I shall miss gathering them but at least I have some stored up.