Hedgerow Harvesting

 A Seasonal Celebration of the Land, Garden & Nature

Harvest, Dahlias, Abundance, Summer Holidays, Corn dollies, Ripening, Sunflowers, Bare feet, Barbecues, Wheeling Swifts, Fruit & Berries, Summer Waning, Chillier Evenings 

Issue 26 August 2020

Hedgerow Harvesting

When think of the seasonal year I always imagine I'll be writing about harvesting in September or October. In my mind those are the traditional harvest months with orchards laden with rosy apples, ripe crops in the fields and the countryside all warm and golden in the dwindling light.

In reality, now at the back end of August, there are many wild fruits that are ready for harvesting  

Here are four of my favourites:

 

Elderberries (Sambucus nigra)

The Elder bushes around me in Hampshire are now laden with dark, antioxidant rich berries that can be used to make jams, dark berry drinks and wine. The small, dark red-black berries that hang in neat clusters are rich in vitamins A & C and antioxidants and they have antiviral properties. The berries boost the immune system and recent research suggests that the berries can stop viruses from attaching to your airways, preventing them from becoming established or replicating. 

I've been collecting elderberries over the last couple of weeks, taking a small amount from each bush and leaving plenty for the birds.  I'm freezing the berries with the intention of making a stash of elderberry cordials to help ward off colds and flu. Last year I made the cordial with cloves and have been drizzling it on porridge and cereal in the morning. This year I'm looking at recipes with honey, ginger, cinnamon and or thyme.

There's more information about Elder in see my BaldwinBotanica blog issue 17 from last June. 

Remember not to eat unripe berries which can make you poorly. 

  

TOP TIP : When your return home after collecting elderberries simply pop them  in the freezer for an hour or so. When they come out they will be easier to handle and you can use a fork to strip the berries off the stems. The berries are then ready to cook with,or to freeze until you need them.

 

 

Blackberries (Rubus fruticosus)

I think blackberry picking is a childhood memory many of us share. I certainly remember going out collecting as a child, with as many blackberries popped in my mouth as stowed in one of Mum's many Tupperware boxes! I've passed this memory onto my children making sure we go out to pick blackberries at least once together in the summer holidays.

Blackberry picking isn't just part of modern country living either. Blackberry seeds were found in the stomach of a neolithic man uncovered in Essex - proving cavemen went blackberrying!

 

There are believed to be more than 400 different sorts of blackberry in the UK, each with its own flavour, fruiting time and size. The berries have a high vitamin C content and are fantastic baked in a crumble along with apples, made into blackberry jam or as a compote to eat with yogurt and granola. We love them.

 

And yes the best, juiciest-looking  blackberries always seem to grow on the top of the bramble just out of arms reach. I'm advised to take a large stick with me to help reach these alluring treasures - but somehow I always seem to forget! The bramble hooks can be lethal too leaving sore finger tips, scratched arms and legs - so watch out!

 

I think Richard Mabey's description perfectly sums up blackberrying:

 

"Blackberrying carries with it a little of the urban dweller's myth of country life: abundance, harvest, a sense of season and just enough discomfort to quicken the senses. Maybe it’s the scuffing and the scratches that are the real attraction: the proof of satisfying toil against unruly nature."

   

Crab Apples (Malus sylvestris)

There's a wild crab apple tree in the fields near the park where I live. Last year I collected the best of the windfalls and made batches of hedgerow jelly that we are still eating! Wild crab apple trees are found throughout the UK so have a look around and see if you have any local to you. 

Malus trees are also great trees to have in your garden. They are small and robust, with pretty spring blossom, good Autumn leaf colour and the edible crab apples which the birds love.

Crab apples are smaller than cultivated apples and although they're too sour to eat raw, when cooked they have an intensely-appley (is that a word?) flavour. They contain high levels of pectin which helps to set jam, making jam-making much easier!

This year I'm planning to make Crab Apple Liqueur using crab apples, gin and caster sugar. If it's anything as good as the rhubarb gin I made earlier in the summer then I'll be spending winter in a constantly sozzled state!

 

 

Rowan Berries (Sorbus aucuparia)

Rowan trees, also known as Mountain Ash are widespread in the UK. They grow in the wild, they're a favourite in urban and community planting schemes and are popular for planting in gardens. Years ago they were planted round farm cottages as protection from witches - in Celtic they are called fid na ndruad, meaning wizards' tree.

Rowan trees are easy to identify by their distinctive pinnate leaves. They have large clusters of orange berries now, in late summer. If the birds don’t get to them first then the berries hang on the tree well into January.

Rowan berries are really bitter and need to be cooked to make jams and jellies. To harvest the berries cut the whole cluster from the tree and remove the stalks at home. The berries can then be combined with crab apples (for the pectin) to make a sharp tasting jelly traditionally eaten with game in the UK.

I prefer to add the rowan berries to a hedgerow jam or jelly, the proportions of which change annually depending which hedgerow fruit I find.

In Europe the berries are used to make rowan schnapps and this recipe is from the Woodland Trust:

 

Rowan Schnapps 

What you need:

• A few handfuls of fresh, ripe rowan berries
• Vodka
• A large, sterilised jar with a tight-fitting lid

 How to make:

• Rinse the berries thoroughly. 
• If you're picking in August, before the first frost, you could put them in the freezer for a couple of weeks – it may make them sweeter. 
• Fill two thirds of the jar with the berries and then add the vodka. 
• Screw the lid on tightly and shake the jar. Store it in a cool, dark place for 4 weeks, shaking the jar every few days. 
• Strain the mixture into a clean, sterilised jar or bottle and store for another 8 weeks before serving.

 Enjoy!

 

  

Over this coming weeks more and more hips, haws, berries, nuts and wild fruits will be ripening. I'll be writing about these in future seasonal BaldwinBotanica blogs so do check back here. 

 

Menawhile, if you are off foraging don’t forget to do so sustainably and responsibly. Make sure you stay safe and within the law. The Woodland Trust have guidelines you can follow here:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/things-to-do/foraging/foraging-guidelines/>

 

Let me know how you  get on with your foraged finds and any good recipes you’ve tried. I'll be back with more August highlights next week but in the meantime I'd love to hear what you spot and/or photograph.

If you have any questions you can reach me via my website www.plotgardendesign.co.uk follow/like PLOT Garden Design on social media to receive my seasonal updates and photos.

Keep well, breathe and remember to look outside and notice the details.