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Foraging - Gourmet_Mom - 04-12-2009
Maryann and Linda have been talking about gathering wild onions and horseradish on here lately, and I know of others that forage for mushrooms. I decided to start another thread and ask what else you guys gather. I'm thinking of getting the Ag Agency out here next week and see what I can find and stake my own sites for wild produce.
So, what good things do you forage for in the woods and fields in your area?
Re: Foraging - cjs - 04-12-2009
good wines....
Re: Foraging - bjcotton - 04-12-2009
I don't do foraging because I don't think I'd recognize anything...better safe than sorry, AND because of the limited things the 800 pound gorilla will eat.
Re: Foraging - esgunn - 04-12-2009
About the only things we forage are blackberries.
Re: Foraging - Old Bay - 04-12-2009
In Texas it's dewberries and muscadine grapes--along with the web--everything else stings or bites!!
Re: Foraging - labradors - 04-12-2009
I gather dust. Does that count?
Re: Foraging - iBcookin - 04-12-2009
Daphne, ever hear of the Foxfire books? These date from my misspent youth, circa the "Mother Earth" days. Well, in looking for my answer to horseradish, I started going through those books, they deal with the old inhabitants of Appalachia and all that handed down wisdom. Long story short, there was a chapter in Foxfire 2 on foraging spring plants, everything from sassafras, morels, sorrel, dandelion greens, lambs quarters, milkweed and plantain. There is a feast out there!
There are pretty decent illustrations, I'll bet you might recognize some of the plants. You could probably order the book through the library.
Re: Foraging - Old Bay - 04-12-2009
Quote:
I gather dust. Does that count?
There is much dust in Texas--especially now--
" They're rioting in Africa
there's strife in Iran,
hurricanes in Florida,
and Texas needs rain"
So be it. Now and forever more
Re: Foraging - Gourmet_Mom - 04-12-2009
Very funny Jean and Labs....LOL!
As far as the berries, I know about those, but do not have any on the property. We're hoping to include some along the way though. We love wild berries. William used to gather wild brier berries/blackberries for his grandmother so she would make him brier berry pies.
Grape vines are close on the horizon! The only reason we have not done the grape vines is the fear of loosing them all to the birds. But we will find a way. My dad and grandfather always had vines. My earliest memories of my grandfather's is the muscadine vines. One of the greatest tragedies after the loss of my grandmother during Hurricane Fran was the loss of the many pecan trees and my favorite magnolia tree which fell and destroyed the grape vines at my grandfather's farm. I will have grape vines again.
Thanks Linda! I remember the Foxfire books from college at Appalachian State! I'm checking it out this week!
Re: Foraging - iBcookin - 04-13-2009
We are dating ourselves, LOL! Plus the fact that when I want info I head to my beloved books before I hit the web!
I think we have just had such a long, cold, snow-laden winter that we are all itching to do something with spring. My blueberry plants have arrived and fortunately we didn't plant them last week before the snowstorm. We "borrowed" some rhubarb plants from my mom to start at our place and we are checking the asparagus area daily. Next on the list is to borrow red raspberry plants from my father-in-law.
One other thing that we gather this time of year is cowslips. That was always an adventure for dad and girls, since they grow in swamps. So it made for an outing with the barn boots which always ended up with the barn boots full of water! But much cherished memories!