Food from our hedgerows

Nick Miller led an early autumn foraging walk at his wonderful property at Tiger Hill, near Assington, for Greener Sudbury on Sunday 23 August.

This Site of Special Scientific Interest has a wealth of interesting plants and ancient woodland to explore, and participants enjoyed nibbling sour-tasting wood sorrel (good in omelettes), sampling the flesh of hawthorn berries (supposed to be good for the circulatory system), and smelling wild mint for a mood uplift!

A late summer/autumn list of foraging plants common in our woods and hedgerows is given below. These must only be picked and eaten if you are 100% sure you have identified the right plant, as many of our native species are poisonous. Do take care.

FOOD FOR FREE: LATE SUMMER – AUTUMN

FRUIT
Blackberry
Raspberry
Elder
Rosehips
Hawthorn
Sloe, Damson
Bullace
Cherry plum
Crab Apple
Rowan, Whitebeam

NUTS
Sweet Chestnut
Hazel
Beech

FLAVOURING
Peppermint
Hops
Hogweed seeds
Horseradish

FUNGI
Puff-ball
Boletus, Cep
Field Mushroom
Parasol
Blewit
Blusher
Oyster Mushroom
Ink-cap (not with alcohol)
Chanterelle

LEAVES
Watercress (must be cooked)
Wintercress

Remember, winter is a time for preserved food – dried, bottled, pickled, cured, jellied, sprouted or, of course, frozen.