Foraging is a fascinating skill that both deepens our relationship to nature and empowers our health. This article shares some interesting plants you can forage here in the UK in May.
Foraging is a wonderful way to connect both with nature, and nourish our health. We also want to spread the word about safe and ethical foraging, so please also read our article “A guide to safe and sustainable foraging” to learn how to practise foraging sustainably.
A useful link with images that can help with identification as well as botanical information is Wild Flower Finder.
In this article, Robin Harford shares some edible plants you can safely harvest from the wild in May.
Please note: Under Section 13 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, uprooting any wild plant without landowners’ permission is illegal (1).
Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
Ash keys, the winged seeds of the tree, have long been used for pickling in Europe and Asia (2).
The traditional Ash Key Pickle recipe involves boiling the keys in multiple water changes, followed by boiling them in a syrup of white wine vinegar, sugar, and water (3).
When you preserve them in salt and vinegar, these keys can serve as capers in various sauces and salads. Siberia still practices this preservation method (4).
People have historically used ash barrels to age balsamic vinegar (5).
You can consume the young shoots of ash trees raw in salads and extract edible oil, similar to sunflower oil, from their seeds (6).
People have used ash leaves as an adulterant in tea (7).
People in France produce a drink called Frenette by soaking ash leaves in the sap secreted by aphids feeding on the leaves (5).
You can use aphids and tree sap as sugar substitutes (8).
Lastly, you can tap ash trees for their sugary syrup and use it to create ash wine (9).
Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Young beech leaves in Spring were once a wayside nibble for school children.
When gathered just as they unfurl, they have a delicious citrus taste.
You can use them best raw in salads, but you can also cook them.
A traditional drink called Noyau can be made by macerating the young beech leaves in gin for two weeks.
Noyau originated in the Chilterns, England, in the 18th to 19th century (2).
When ready, the mixture is strained and mixed with hot water, sugar or honey.
Bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.)
Young bramble shoots, also known as blackberry shoots, are edible, delicious, and versatile when correctly prepared.
These tender and slightly sweet shoots can be foraged in early Spring when they are around 6 to 8 inches long and display a vibrant green colour, and the thorns are still flexible and not hardened to be wounding.
Begin by harvesting and cleaning the young shoots. Rinse them thoroughly to remove dirt or debris, then pat them dry.
To ensure a pleasant texture, use a paring knife to peel away the outer layer, removing any thorns and fibrous skin. The inner core should be pale green and tender.
There are several ways to prepare and consume these peeled bramble shoots. They can be eaten raw or cooked, with popular cooking methods including boiling, steaming, sautéing, or pickling.
Boiling or steaming for 2-5 minutes will result in a tender, flavorful side dish or addition to salads and stir-fries.
Sautéing with garlic, salt, and pepper seasonings will bring out the shoots’ natural sweetness.
Alternatively, pickling the blanched shoots in a vinegar-based solution can add a tangy twist.
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
Hawthorn produces edible flowers that people appreciate for their versatility in culinary applications. For example, people often enjoy the unopened flower buds in salads in northwestern Italy (10), which adds a unique touch to an otherwise simple dish.
You can also use these white flowers to elevate various desserts, such as flavouring puddings, enhancing fruit salads, or serving as an elegant decoration. (5).
For those interested in alcoholic beverages, you can transform hawthorn flowers into wines or liqueurs by combining them with sugar and brandy (5).
Additionally, a delectable syrup can be made from the flowers, although it is crucial to harvest them when their anthers are pink, and the flowers smell sweet.
Once the anthers turn brown, trimethylamine gives the flowers a foul odour resembling decaying animal tissue (12).
To further explore the culinary potential of hawthorn flowers and buds, incorporate them into pancakes with lemon curd for a sweet treat, or add them to a stir-fry with chicken for a surprising burst of flavour (11).
Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
Sorrel is a versatile plant with culinary uses ranging from salads to sauces.
Its flavour intensifies throughout the season.
Sorrel’s sourness serves as a lemon-like ingredient in cooking (13), adding a sharp flavour to salads (14) and enhancing dishes like spinach when steamed or lightly boiled (13).
John Evelyn (1620–1706), an English gardener and diarist, noted sorrel’s ability to sharpen the appetite and provide a “grateful quickness” to salads (13).
Sorrel can also be found in old recipe books, spicing up egg dishes such as poached eggs, egg tarts, and omelettes (15).
In Britain, common sorrel, also known as sour sabs (16), was enjoyed by children, though it had declined in popularity among adults.
However, it remained an ingredient in local recipes like Bistort pudding in northwest England, sour-sab pie in Cornwall, and green sauce dumplings in Lancashire (2).
In Ireland, people used common sorrel (R. acetosa) raw or cooked in soups and broths (17), while they made sheep sorrel (R. acetosella) into a thirst-quenching drink (9).
Sorrel was sometimes called “poor man’s herb” due to its availability for country folk and featured in condiments like green sauce, often served with fish, pork, or goose (18).
Scurvygrass (Cochlearia spp.)
Scurvygrass is a versatile plant with various edible uses, making it an exciting addition to the culinary world.
You can enjoy the tender leaves of scurvygrass, both cooked and raw, as they provide a unique flavour profile that is sweet, slightly salty, and pungent, reminiscent of horseradish or cress (5).
People often incorporate this plant into various dishes, including salads, sandwiches, herb soups, and mixed vegetable dishes, and they can also use it as a decoration for savoury dishes (19).
However, the taste of scurvygrass may vary among different species, and only some find it agreeable due to its salty flavour (13).
In Iceland, scurvygrass is fermented and utilized similarly to sauerkraut (20).
You can eat the flowerheads of scurvygrass raw in salads and sandwiches while adding leaves and flowers to various dishes (5).
People have consumed scurvygrass for its medicinal properties, using its roots in sauces and as a horseradish substitute (21).
Rich in vitamin C, iodine, tannins, glucosides, and other substances, this plant offers a nutritious boost to those who consume it (22).
Interestingly, in arctic expeditions, scurvygrass has been mentioned but is not traditionally included in Inuit diets (22).
References
- Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Accessed September 14, 2022. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/69/section/13
- Watts D. Dictionary of Plant Lore. Elsevier; 2007.
- Evelyn J. Acetaria: A Discourse of Sallets. B. Tooke; 1699.
- Sturtevant AH. Sturtevant’s Edible Plants of the World. (Hedrick UP, ed.). Dover Publications; 1972.
- Facciola S. Cornucopia II: A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications; 1998.
- Naderi M, Torbati M, Azadmard-Damirchi S, Asnaashari S, Savage GP. Common Ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) Seeds as a New Vegetable Oil Source. LWT. 2020;131:109811. doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2020.109811
- Kunkel G. Plants for Human Consumption: An Annotated Checklist of the Edible Phanerogams and Ferns. Koeltz Scientific Books; 1984.
- Couplan F. The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America. Keats Pub; 1998.
- Wyse Jackson P. Ireland’s Generous Nature: The Past and Present Uses of Wild Plants in Ireland. Missouri Botanical Garden Press; 2013.
- Scariot V, Gaino W, Demasi S, Caser M, Ruffoni B. Flowers for Edible Gardens: Combinations of Species and Colours for Northwestern Italy. Acta Hortic. 2018;(1215):363-368. doi:10.17660/ActaHortic.2018.1215.67
- Roberts M. 100 Edible & Healing Flowers. 2nd edition. Struik Nature; 2014.
- Cleene M de, Lejeune MC. Compendium of Symbolic and Ritual Plants in Europe. Man & Culture; 2002.
- Grieve M. A Modern Herbal Vol 2 (I-Z): The Medicinal, Culinary, Cosmetic and Economic Properties, Cultivation and Folk-Lore of Herbs, Grasses, Fungi, Shrubs, & Trees with All Their Modern Scientific Uses. Dover Publications; 1971.
- Mabey R, Blamey M. Food for Free. Collins; 1974.
- Rohde ES. A Garden of Herbs. Philip Lee Warner; 1921.
- Vickery R. A Dictionary of Plant-Lore. Oxford University Press; 1997.
- Mac Coitir N, Langrishe G. Ireland’s Wild Plants: Myths, Legends and Folklore.; 2015.
- Grigson G. The Englishman’s Flora. Helicon; 1996.
- Fleischhauer SG, Spiegelberger R, Guthmann J. Enzyklopädie Essbare Wildpflanzen: 2000 Pflanzen Mitteleuropas; Bestimmung, Sammeltipps, Inhaltsstoffe, Heilwirkung, Verwendung in der Küche. 12. Auflage. AT-Verlag; 2020.
- Herbalpedia. The Herb Growing & Marketing Network; 2014.
- Michael P, King C. Edible Wild Plants & Herbs: A Compendium of Recipes and Remedies. Paperback edition. Grub Street; 2015.
- Couplan F. The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America. Keats Pub; 1998.
