Wild Food Diary

After a slow start the fungi season is in full swing at least in this part of the world with many of the old favourites making an appearance.

If you manage to collect more than you can eat it is possible to store them for future use either as made dishes left in the freezer or drying them is perhaps more convenient and certainly more space saving. We dry ours on racks either next to our wood burner or beside our central heating boiler and have also made racks suspended on the radiators and used an oven on a very low heat. These methods work well with finely sliced mushrooms but whole caps can be strung and suspended in a warm dry place until ready. Which ever method you choose ensure they are completely dry before storing them in sealed containers as the slightest amount of moisture may cause the whole batch to become mouldy.  Alternatively it is possible to store fungi in oil for future use and you need to boil them in vinegar before doing so. It is worth experimenting with this, however we have found that the boletes can get very mushy and it is best suited to firmer varieties.

Without a doubt fungi remain one of the wild foods we most seem to fear when gathering due to the danger of severe and in some cases fatal poisoning which may occur if specimens are misidentified.
It is very important to be completely confident in your identification and do not eat or in some cases handle fungi you are not completely confident in identifying. The following images and explanations are meant as a guide and further assistance may be needed to make a positive identification.

We should also always have a mind for conservation over gathering may be detrimental to future stocks and rare species may also be damaged. Please follow the mushroom pickers guide at all times. http://www.bms.ac.uk/Code.html

Wood blewit

At first glance it is difficult to imagine this fungi as being edible. It often has a beige coloured cap but can be quite vivid purple underneath. Despite the dramatic colour this species is perfectly edible although some people have been known to react to it. It is strongly advised that this is cooked before consumption as cooking destroys the noxious chemicals. For this reason it is not a good candidate for drying. Be aware that even with cooking some of you may have an adverse if not fatal reaction so try a little at first. That aside its vivid colour makes an interesting and unusual ingredient to soups, stews and risottos.

Bay boletus

The boletus family are perhaps on of the safest family of fungi to gather. They produce spores on the underside of the cap as opposed to gills and can be found in large numbers. You should however familiarise yourself with the few inedible and even poisonous members of this family which are fortunately quite rare. From a culinary point of view, the bay boletus is reckoned as only second in flavour to the cep although John must admit he cannot tell the difference. Often found in large numbers and frequently growing in association with birch trees this species bruises a blue colour after a light touch of the finger on the underside and after picking. Great addition to game stews on those short autumn days. It also reasons well to drying for future use.

Amethyst Deceiver

This is a real gem again very bright purple and often found in large numbers, it was the first wild mushroom we ate grilled kebab style with salami over a fire and this is still one of our favourite methods of cooking it. It is possible to dry these fungi but it tends to reduce to almost nothing and so we wouldn’t bother and tend to eat them straight away fried up with butter and a little hint of garlic.

Cep

One of the most sort after species of mushroom around commanding a high price in restaurants and as dried porcini on supermarket shelves. Another boletus with pores instead of gills it can resemble a round loaf of bread hence its other name of penny bun. This is a great one to dry and store the flavour if anything intensifying after this process.

Honey fungus

This is a much maligned species the scourge of gardeners due to its reputation as a destroyer of trees and shrubs. In the woods it is not such a problem as other fungi area able to keep it in check. As the name suggests it is a lovely golden colour and tends to grow in groups always associated with stumps, logs or sickly looking trees. We have never tried drying this one so are not sure how it would respond. John has also heard rumours that it may be carcenogenic although he has not been able to confirm this.

Brown birch boletus

One of the key ways to tell these fungi is the black striations which form on the stem. Another pore bearing species it is always found in association with birch trees forming a symbiotic relationship with the roots. It is not as highly rated as some of the genre as this is due as much to it rather moist consistency. When dried it flavour is very palatable and therefore worth the gathering. Its cousin the orange birch boletus is much firmer and therefore more suited to immediate cooking.

Meadow sweet is currently in flower in the wet and boggy areas of our landscape, the flower fronts are unmistakable rising from damp ditches like candyfloss and smelling sweetly of honey. In fact in times gone by the flower was used to flavour mead when honey was in short supply. The plant is also a powerful medicine containing a form of salicylic acid, nature’s aspirin and can be used for complaints which respond well to aspirin. For this reason you should only use it in moderation.

Take a good handful of flowers and infuse for 8 minutes in water just of the boil, the resulting brew can be drunk as a hot and sweet tasting tea or chilled and served with ice for a really refreshing drink.

Elderflower sambucus nigra literally washes or hedgerows in brilliant white florets standing out starkly against the deep green of the leaf. This is a strange one in that most of the plant including the uncooked berries can have quite a dramatic and even dangerous effect if ingested. The flowers also need cooking or subject to heat to destroy the mildy poisonous alkaloids. You can use them to flavour jams or to make a cordial which can be made in large batches and stored for several weeks by freezing.

To make the cordial boil 1 litre of water with 1.8kg of sugar into a rolling boil and add zest of 2 lemons and then slice these lemons while still hot. Add 75gms of citric acid (from any good chemist) approximately thirty good sized elder flower heads and remove the stalks and insects.. We left ours for 24hours to soak well and then strained it through muslin. Boil gently for another 5 mins and then bottle it straight away -some will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks, the rest we have stored in the freezer. It is great to add to jams for that extra flavour. You need the sweetest, most delicate heads that have just opened.

We are lucky in that still now in June (May is best time), we are finding such specimens and they end up as fritters, a family favourite! Dipped in a light batter, these form doughnut like crispy scented delights which are great with either maple syrup or a sprinkling of sugar. Try a few wild strawberries for a delicious garnish!

For hayfever sufferers- Nettle tea is said to give hayfever sufferers relief if drunk daily. Use the tips for the freshest pot.

• Four litres of nettle tops Urtica dioca
• Four good hand fulls of Jack by the Hedge Alliaria petiolata
• Two fairly large potatoes
• Six ramson bulbs Allium ursinum
• Two vegetable stock cubes
• Sprig of Lady's Smock Cardimine pratensis - this is quite spicy and a bit like turbo water cress
• Cream to taste
• Salt and pepper

• Add stock cubes to two litres of water and bring to the boil
• Peel and chop potatoes and boil until soft
• Add Nettle tops, Jack by the Hedge and Ramson bulbs
• Cook until the nettles soften and lose their sting
• Blend mixture
• Season to taste
• Serve with cream and a sprig of Lady's Smock

• Alexanders Smyrnium olusatrum
• Pig nut Cono podium majus
• Baby dandelion Taraxarum offinale
• Primrose Primula vulgaris
• Dog Violets Viola riviniana
• Wood sorrel Oxalis acetolsella

Drinks

Beech Leaf Noyau
We made this last year with some success and gave it out as Christmas presents! Not as nice as our Sloe Gin but it does have a kick and a certain aquired taste. We made it with the recipe from Roger Phillips book 'Wild Food'. This year we are going to add a bit more brandy. According to Richard Maybes 'Food for Free' he says the liquor should be green but ours and our staff who have made it have all turned out a brown in colour - Richard used an earthen ware jug but we used glass. This time we are going to leave it in a dark cupboard and hope that the new green leaves impart their colour. You have to make it with the youngest of beech leaves Fagus sylvatica.

How to make it..Pack a jar full of clean new leaves and fill with gin to make sure the leaves are covered. Leave in cupboard for about 2 to 3 weeks- remove leaves and to every 600ml add about 400gm of sugar which should have been boiled in 300 ml of water to dissolve it first. Also add a glass (or two!) of brandy and be seated when drinking as it is very strong.