When to gather
The last week in May and the first 2 weeks in June.
Where to gather
The countryside or anywhere wild plants will have a chance to grow undisturbed. They like a good amount of sunlight and so the best ones will be found around the edges of woodland or in hedgerows. They are very common in the UK and across most of Europe and normally grow like weeds, you probably wont realise how common they are until you go looking for them.
How to gather and prepare Elderflowers
The stems of the flower bunches are very weak and can be easily pinched through, so no knife or scissors are necessary. As for preparing the only thing you need to do is give them a good rinse in some fresh water to remove any bugs, then ping the flowers off the stalks with a comb or dinner fork. They are edible as they are and don’t need to be cooked.
What to do with Elderflowers
They are quite sweet for a flower so work best in sweet things. Adding a few spoonfuls to a cake or mixing them in with some icing works very nicely, they can also be made into a cordial or if you fancy having a go at your own wine, they make a lovely sweet white.
When to gather
Anytime during spring, with the smaller tender ones being the best.
Where to Gather
Outside, if you live in the UK the general guide for finding nettles goes as follows, step 1 – go outside, step 2- see nettles. They basically grow everywhere they can, from back gardens to road sides to anywhere there’s soil for them to grow in.
How to gather and prepare Nettles
A thick pair of gloves is the best way to gather nettles, as the best ones are the smaller and weaker stemmed ones. The only part of the plant you should eat are the leaf’s, so just grab the bottom of the stem and with a firm grip run your hand upwards pulling off all the leaf’s. You can gather a huge amount this way very quickly and since there’s no reason to take the stem home you may as well do most of the work in the field instead of the kitchen. After you get them home the only thing to do is give them a quick soak in cold water to remove any bugs.
What to do with Nettles
Nettles should be treated in the same way as uncooked spinach. If cooked into a dish make sure you don’t add them to early as they wilt very quickly and if cooked for to long will just become part of the sauce or crisp up into nothing.
To eat them bushcraft style all you need is a fire. Snap the nettle off at the base of the stem and quickly wave it through the flames a few times, with the goal being to wilt the tiny stinging needles but not the leaves.
When to gather
April to October
Where to Gather
Streams and rivers, with the best places being any water way that has a slightly higher than normal alkaline content, such as water that flows from or over limestone or chalk. The plant is very common and can appear in static waters, but its a good idea to avoid watercress in still water as the plant can harbour bacteria very easily and static water is known to be the highest risk source.
How to gather and prepare Watercress
The leaves are the only part that’s eaten but its very hard and time consuming to remove them without the roots when you’re out in the field. Since this plant forms root mats on the floor of the water source, you cant really pick up one individual plant as they are all intertwined. Just grab a handful above the roots and remove the plants in small patch’s so as to not damage the overall presence of the watercress. When you get them home snip off all the roots and give the leaves a good wash.
What to do with Watercress
There’s only one way to eat watercress, and that’s raw. The plant has a gentle peppery taste and works very well on salads. Something to consider when gathering this plant is that is doesn’t keep very well, it wilts very quickly after being picked and even if kept in the fridge should be eaten within a couple of days at the most.
Wild Garlic
When to gather
March to June
Where to Gather
Grassy Hedgerows and shaded woodland. They don’t like a huge amount of sun and normally grow in particularly shaded areas next to a hedge or within woodland where the ground is clear of moss. Anywhere there’s a shaded area of grass can be home to wild garlic, but this plant isn’t one of the most common wild foods so you may have to look around to find some.
How to gather and prepare Wild Garlic
The whole plant can be eaten, the build, stem, flowers and leaves. If you want to remove the whole plant then you’ll need a trowl as the stem will just snap off if you try and pull up the root. Make sure you follow your countries laws on foraging wild plants as normally things change when your actually uprooting something.
Should you get home with some legally gathered wild garlic then all you need to do is wash it and remove any nasty looking parts.
What to do with wild Garlic
The stems can be a bit tough sometimes but fry up nicely and should be cooked the same way as asparagus. As for the flower it can add a pleasant touch to any salad, but they don’t cook very well, wilting down into nothing quite quickly.
The leaves and bulb should be treated the exact same way as normal garlic, but keep in mind they aren’t nearly as strongly flavoured as the store bought version.
Dandelions
When to gather
May to June
Where to Gather
Anywhere there’s grass that hasn’t overgrown. They are very common on lawns and fields of short grass where any grazing animals haven’t had the chance to eat them yet.
How to gather and prepare Dandelions
No equipment needed as the stems are very weak and can be easily pinched through, but they do contain a thick white sap so maybe wear some gloves if your going to gather allot of them.
Its worth soaking dandelions for 10 to 15 minutes, as sometimes they can be home to a small army of bugs. If you rinse them the bugs will just cling on as they do when it rains, but if you soak them any creepy crawlies will try and escape from drowning and end up letting go and floating to the surface were they can be easily skimmed off. The thing about this flower is that they will either be completely clear of insects, or they will contain enough bugs to make another starship troopers movie, there doesn’t seem to be an in-between.
What to do with Dandelions
Dandelions are edible from top to root, but the best bit is the flower. They have a slightly sweet and bitter taste and work well on salads, as well as providing an interesting tang to cooked dishes.