wild picking

I am what you might call a forager .In autumn especially I go hunting for fruit of all kinds,crab apples,sloes,wild plums,rose hips,blackberries e.t.c. to make jellies or jams for free .I suppose the thought for something free is always exciting as in the finding.My locations are secret and sometimes nearer home than you would think.I never take more than I need leaving enough for the wildlife .I  do not pick mushrooms even thou now I can tell the difference but having had poisoning and survived its not a risk I would do again.I have eaten other plants and its really amazing what there is to eat that's free!but this year I wonder if "supplies" will be as good.A book I used to start with was food for free by Richard maybe.

I'm with you flowering rose. It's lovely in the middle of winter to have a pudding made from the blackberries in the freezer. I do eat mushrooms that come up in our field but I know it can be risky. The family of Nichols Evens who wrote .The Horse Whisperer' was poisoned by mushrooms and I believe one of them is waiting for a kidney transplant.

Be careful with other things too. There are plenty of lovely blackberries n the hedgerows along the lane on which we live. BUT picking them might not be a good idea, the fields were recently spread with the contents of the Chicken sheds from a nearby farm. Having had the stuff tested, it contains Salmonella, Listeria and E coli bacteria. I would be very doubtgyl about eating any fruit from round here.

i have strained a load of blackberry mash and ready to make a load of jam with it.

The damsons aren't quite ready yet, next week I think will be making jam and gin  

Crab apples are also on the list

yes your right about being careful .I think I might do some sloe gin,its so easy and tastes fantastic.I was wondering if any one had treid hawthorn berries?would you make it as a jelly or what ?