a peek inside nature's seasonal larder

Here we will take you on a colourful sample through nature's seasonal larder as we lovingly share our favourite family-inspired foods to forage. From juicy berries and fragrant herbs, delicately pungent flowers to earthy and meaty mushrooms, each season brings a bounty of delicious wild ingredients that will get your culinary creativity in flare! It is crucial to bear in mind that yours and your family's safety and well-being are entirely your own responsibility when foraging. You must never eat anything that you are not absolutely certain is safe. Foraging requires a mindful and cautious approach, and we strongly advise that you only consume what you have positively identified and cross referenced. Although we will provide guidance on the safest identification methods during our foraging workshops, please always exercise caution and remain aware when foraging, especially with children.

wild, primal and free superfoods!

Getting to know the nutritional content of natural foods can greatly benefit our mind, body and heart. Hawthorn berries, which are rich in complex vitamins and are known to promote good heart health, are a prime example. In fact, we've even developed our very own family recipe for Hawthorn Ketchup that tastes better than the shop-bought variety and it only requires three simple ingredients! By replacing every parents nightmare with this super healthy alternative, we've scored a big win for our household, without it costing us a penny!

foraging nettles from the wild

Nettles are an extraordinary superfood that boasts an abundance of beneficial properties. They are packed with essential nutrients and offer anti-inflammatory benefits, acting as a natural diuretic. Nettles top the list as a powerhouse source of antioxidants, making them a fantastic addition to your diet. In fact, nettles contain higher concentrations of folate, iron, and Vitamin C compared to conventional spinach and kale! During the autumn season, you can collect the seed pods for an even higher density of minerals and sprinkle them into your dishes for an extra boost of nutrition.

"The essence of foraging is the intimate bond we create with nature and the delight of discovering novel sources of nourishment."

- Enchanted Forage

collecting silver birch sap

In Nordic culture, tapping into silver birch trees is a long-standing tradition. During spring, the birch tree sap begins to flow and tapping into base of the tree allows people to drink or collect the sap for a variety of uses (this process happens for around 14 days right before the leaves begin to bud) The sap can be fermented into birch beer or distilled into birch syrup, which can be used as a natural sweetener to enhance cooking and baking recipes. (It's delicious on a pancake!) Birch sap also contains a high variety of nutrients and health benefits, making it a popular nourishing health drink in Nordic culture.

Traditionally, tapping into the birch tree involves drilling a small hole in the bark and inserting a spout or tube (or even a metal straw) to collect the sap. The process can take around 4-6 hours for The hole is then plugged with a wooden plug ideally birch bark to prevent contamination or damage to the tree. Being mindful of the tree from a sustainable foraging perspective, only tap Birch trees that have been established for atleased 2 years.

SUMMER foraging
please always cross reference your foraging identification methods and never pick and eat something you are not sure of. remember to pay attention to your environment at all times and never pick from the roadside or heavily contaminated and sprayed areas

Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum)

Wild garlic can be identified by its long, vibrant green leaves that have a strong garlic scent when crushed. The plant typically grows in dense clusters in damp, shady woodlands. The smell is the main giveaway of the identification method along with its blooming white flowers

*Not to be mistaken for Lords and Ladies*

hazel catkins (Corylus avellana)

Hazel catkins are long, cylindrical yellow clusters of closely threaded together flowers that may resemble the look of a fuzzy caterpillar. Hazel catkins droop down from the branch which helps to distinguish hazel from other tree blossoms .
Hazel Catkins make for a delicious porridge topper once gently roasted in the oven to a crunchy texture!

primrose (Primula vulgaris)

Wild primrose flowers have five petals in shades of pale yellow, often with a darker yellow centre. The flowers grow in clusters on long, thin stems. The leaves typically form a basal rosette close to the ground and are oval to lance-shaped with a slightly wavy edge. Primrose Flowers are delicious in salads, butters, garnishes, tonics and brews!

wild violets (Viola soroia)

Wild violets are small flowering plants with heart-shaped leaves that grow close to the ground. The flowers can be various shades of purple, blue, white, or yellow, and have a unique five-petaled, asymmetrical shape. Wild violets often have a pleasant fragrance which is another feature of correctly identifying violets.Wild violets make a delicious addition to salads, crushed up into sugar infusions, syrup, jam and infused gin! The culinary possibilities of violets are endless!

*Not to be mistaken for Cyclamen species*

st georges mushrooms (Calocybe gambosa)

St. George's mushroom has a white to cream-colored cap that is convex when young but flattens out with age.
St. George's mushroom is commonly found on St. Georges Day (hence it's name!) in grassy areas, meadows, pastures, and open woodlands. It often grows in large groups or fairy rings, has a white spore-print and a strong mealy/ flour smell.
St. George mushrooms must be thoroughly cooked before consumption and great care should be taken when identifying this species are there are other toxic-lookalikes that it can be mistaken.

*Not to be mistaken for the Yellow Stainer mushroom (Agaricus xanthodermus) or the Funeral Bell mushroom (Galerina marginata)

velvet shank mushrooms (Flammulina velutipes)

A saprotrophic mushroom. The gills of velvet shank mushrooms are white to cream coloured and widely spaced. They are smooth and sometimes exhibit orange-brown spotting. The fruiting body is generally 2-7 cm in diameter and 6-12 cm tall. The overall colour of the mushroom ranges from orange-brown to dark brown with small dark spots or markings. The cap is small and smooth, convex with a slightly light-reflecting surface, giving it a velvety appearance.
*not to be confused with Jack O lantern (Omphalotus illudens)

dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Dandelion leaves are long, narrow, and deeply toothed, with a rosette arrangement close to the ground. The leaves typically have a smooth texture and can range in size from a few inches to a foot long. Dandelion flowers are bright yellow and composed of numerous small petals arranged in a composite flower head. The whole plant is edible from flower to root and we've created some special recipes from this delightful "weed"!

*Always remember, if you're foraging for dandelions, make sure to do so in areas free of pesticides and other contaminants (no road-side picking or picking in agricultural sprayed fields)

discover the tastes of the wild

Elderflower fritters

preserving foraged foods + seasonal family
recipes

*Blog coming soon

free pdf downloadable foraging guides

We have developed our very own seasonal foraging guides with helpful identification techniques, toxic look-a-likes and how to process each ingredient

a peek inside nature's seasonal larder

wild, primal and free superfoods!

foraging nettles from the wild

"The essence of foraging is the intimate bond we create with nature and the delight of discovering novel sources of nourishment."