What do you forage?

DelcoMama82

Power Conserver
Joined
Jan 20, 2020
Messages
34
Reaction score
50
Points
38
Here, in south eastern PA, pa pa have tons and tons of wild raspberry bushes, blackberry and wine berry bushes. And tons of them pesticide free in our local state park. They start ripening between May and July depending on the weather. I’ve taken my kids out the last 3 years and end up with about 10 pounds and a hell of a lot of scratches. But hey! Free berries!!!
We’ve also found this park is a great place to find rosehips (for tea) and crab apples (for jelly) in the late fall and early winter.
So I want to know: what do you forage? Where? What time of year? And what do you use it for?
 

NH Homesteader

Sustainability Master
Joined
Sep 6, 2016
Messages
7,800
Reaction score
6,665
Points
347
Blackberries and raspberries, and crab apples on our property. Chaga anywhere we find it, we'd like to forage for other mushrooms but we're mildly afraid of poisoning ourselves so that and chicken of the woods is about all we're brave enough to get. Fiddleheads, dandelions...
 

Lazy Gardener

Super Self-Sufficient
Joined
May 14, 2017
Messages
4,626
Reaction score
5,876
Points
292
Location
Central Maine, Zone 4B
Unfortunately, I do not know where to forage fiddleheads, though I have a friend who let me do some picking on her property a couple years ago. Fiddleheads rank right up there with asparagus in terms of being delightful to eat. If I had to choose between the 2, I'd choose fiddleheads. Therefore... they just might be my favorite vegetable. They can be bought here when in season. There is an Indian reservation about 25 mi. away. Those folks harvest and sell a lot at good price in the College town that their reservation island abuts. Also, many Mainers collect and sell fiddleheads at road side when they are in season. Absolutely yummy, buttery flavor, with melt in the mouth texture. They MUST be well cooked, otherwise, they are toxic.

People guard their picking places, thus... I can't get anyone to take me out harvesting! Similar to hunters who won't tell anyone where their favorite hunting spot is... or Mushroomers who guard their morrel sites! Or, fishermen never telling WHERE they caught the big one.
 
Last edited:

Britesea

Sustainability Master
Joined
Jul 22, 2011
Messages
5,676
Reaction score
5,732
Points
373
Location
Klamath County, OR
chokecherries, elderberries, wild plums, "feral" apples (planted long ago on land that no one's living on now), nettles, purslane, dandelions, mullein... I've been watching a baby wild blackberry that started last year by the river, but no berries yet.
 

Latest posts

Top