The Forager's Calendar: A Seasonal Guide to Nature’s Wild Harvests

Product Information

These tiny, delicious red berries will ripen first in sunny locations and the further North you live they will fruit closer to mid-June. Violets, both the leaves and flowers, contain high amounts of vitamin C and vitamin A. Wild Violets are used to make syrups, teas, and baked goods. Flowers can be added to salads and soups as garnish. Moderation is important, as this plant does contain a compound called saponin, so eating violet flowers and leaves in excess may cause digestive issues. Wild strawberries (Fragaria vesca) The Cornish make a delicious cheese using them, the Nepalese make curries and some people even use them for clothing. Nettle soup/Credit: Getty Images

Our expert monthly foraging guide explains how to forage safely, the law and what's in season each month. What is foraging?Vitamins A, D, B complex, C, iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese, sodium, copper, silica

This was produced by me, James Walters, as a personal project to help stop climate change by inspiring others to grow, eat, and live sustainably. Remember to wear protective clothes since these bushes have many thorns to keep berry hunters away from their treasure troves. In this post you can find a link to a simple uk foraging calendar that gives typical dates that wild foods can be foraged for you to use in home cooking and brewing. For many people, fragrant elderflowers are synonymous with summer and they’re at their best from late May to June depending on where you live. The flowers and berries are the only edible part of the elder tree and require cooking to remove the small amounts of toxic chemicals. Plenty of fungi, including oyster mushrooms and winter chanterelles, will be appearing in woodlands, although it’s always safest to head out with a mushroom expert if you’re not sure. Medlars are in season at this time of year too, and hawthorn berrieswill be at their sweetest towards the beginning of the month. The tiny crimson fruits are good for making liqueurs and jellies. DecemberJune is a great season for greens. Stinging Nettle is a great find for beginning to mid-June. Stinging nettle will lose its sting upon boiling or steaming. Stinging nettle is highly nutritious. It was used to treat arthritis and ancient Romans rubbed it on their skin to stay warm.

Leave enough for wildlife and avoid damaging habitats.Many animals rely on plants for survival, so never take more than you plan to eat as this could also deny wildlife from a valuable food source. Be mindful about wildlife habitats and avoid disturbing or damaging. Real wild strawberries usually grow in woodland areas. They have tan seeds in dimples in the berry’s skin. You might also find the “Indian strawberry,” which grows more often in fields, and has red seeds that stand out from the berry’s skin. These have no flavor but can be safely eaten. Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) There is so much inspiring information to give you ideas of how to help climate change by growing, eating, and living sustainably, you can: The Cornish make a delicious cheese using them, the Nepalese make curries and some people even use them for clothing. Bilberry and Almond Streusel CakeI created this UK foraging calendar (access here) on Google Sheets that is free for all to copy, use, and improve. UK Foraging Calendar Explaining the calendar Bilberries look like small blueberries, and they are closely related, but their taste is much more intense and sharp. You will need to work hard to find them. Extremely difficult to grow and therefore rarely cultivated, bilberries are a real treat for a forager. The very beginning of June is a favorite for many, Wild strawberries. These little berries are a smaller version than what you find in the grocery store. The strawberries are sweet, tart, and oh so juicy!

Foraging is fun, and free, but it is important to gain experience. Even after reading and researching you can go out with all the enthusiasm, with pictures of wild foods in your head, then when you get to what you thought was Garlic Mustard you can be left wondering if it’s actually something poisonous. On my first foraging trips I found myself becoming an expert at identifying plants that could kill me but wondering if anything was out there that I could eat. That’s why I combined the seasonal calendars that I found in various foraging books into the one that I am sharing with you in the post. Your UK Foraging Calendar If you are passionate about helping climate change, please consider supporting Nafford Junction, you can: Not many people can resist tempting chocolate, but Charlotte Flower, the Loch Tay chocolatier, takes temptation up a notch! From her home at Acharn in Highland Perthshire, Charlotte explores the shores of the loch and nearby woodland in search of Scots pine, wild mint, wood sorrel and elderflower, which she uses to flavour her captivating confectionery. If you’re in the area, ring ahead and drop in to see her before exploring the lovely Acharn Falls nearby. Harris Gin It can be cooked and served like spinach. They are nice and tender earlier in the season when they’re young.Foraging is a great hobby and life skill that anyone can learn. It can be done with family, friends, or by yourself. Foraging is one of the best ways to reconnect with nature. While foraging is easy to learn it can be hard to master. Here’s a little cheat sheet for those just starting or those who just want to add to their list of what to keep an eye out for while adventuring. Ramps (Allium tricoccum)