Wild Raspberries and Herbs

I went out early this morning to may favourite woods, before it gets too hot. Forecast to be 29 degrees today. I looked at the wild raspberries three weeks ago. That was the same week  a couple of years ago when they were ready. This year, because of the cold spring, they are about three weeks late.

I reached the best area for raspberries and there were a fair number ripe. They don't appear to have reached their peak yet, but I picked few for my tea.

On the way back down I spotted a herb. I thought it was wild basil, which does grow here, but it was wild Marjoram. Apparently, it is the same species as Oregano. I need to pick some for my pasta next week.

Hop Shoots and Horseradish

I went down some local fields to try and find some wild hops. Although I have yet to try them, the shoots are edible. Last year I went to the same place where I know they grow, only to find nothing. The very wet weather put paid to many wild crops.

You need to look on ancient hedgerows. This hedge has blackberry, sloe, hawthorn, dog rose, hops and many other wild hedgerow plants. I soon found some hops with nice shoots. The leaves are very large and hand like. Much larger than other hedgerow plants and you can see the stems climbing and twisting and even last years stems.

I gathered a few shoots to cook up and made my way back along another path. I've seen a recipe for a hop shoot omelette, so I may try that. 

 I have seen wild horseradish growing along this path. The path runs by some allotments and the horseradish was there when I was a boy and it was still there. Its leaves are similar to dock, but have a twist and don't have any red colourisation.

Dock leaves don't have the twist and have some red colourisation as well. Here is a dock leaf.

St. Georges Mushrooms On Cleeve Common

The weather has turned summery, so I went for a walk over Cleeve Common. Along the hedgerow going towards the Golf Clubhouse I found some Garlic Mustard, also known as Hedge Garlic or Jack of The Hedge. It has a mild garlic flavour and can be used in soups and salads. Apparently best when it is in flower.

I then started the trek across the common towards the radio masts. At about halfway, I found some St. Georges Mushrooms. These seem to be very common as I have found them at a number of locations I walk in Gloucestershire.Quite easy to identify as there are very few fungi  up at this time of the year and nothing else that looks like it. It has a strong "mealy" type of smell.

There were also some large "fairy rings" where they were also growing.

Spring 2013 In My Favourite Woods

The weather has turned glorious for a few days, so I decided to go to my favourite woods. Wild garlic should be well advanced now and as this is a bluebell wood it is abundant. You usually find wild garlic growing near bluebells. It didn't take long to find a nice tranche of wild garlic.

A short walk uphill and I found that the Wood Sorrel was in flower. The leaves of this are good to use in a salad. They have a tart, lemon flavour.They grow in damp, shady positions, quite often under trees. The leaves look like clover.

I was now amongst the areas of bluebells and they are well into their flowering season now. There were a couple of Roe deer hiding amongst the trees, but they slipped off before I could get a photo.

 I will be back soon to gather nettles and wild garlic to make a soup. Delicious!

Cleeve Hill 19th August 2012

After all this damp weather I thought there may be some mushrooms on Cleeve Hill. I followed my normal route up to the trig point at Cleeve Cloud. There were plenty of small common puffballs on the way.

At the place where I usually find some mushrooms, there they were! Some nice looking field mushrooms. Or so I thought. After picking them, I noticed some yellow staining were they had been bruised. They were Yellow Stainers! Unfortunately these can give you stomach problems.

I carried on towards the radio masts and came across what would have been some nice field mushrooms. But either sheep or humans had kicked them over.

A short distance away I found something special. A large horse mushroom! In good condition, so I put it in my bag to take home.

Not much farther on I spotted something weird. On inspection it turned out to be a giant puffball! It was on the way out unfortunately. My brother-in-law had told me they grow somewhere near the radio masts, so I took a picture of the masts so I could find the spot again.

Nearby were the shells of others that had burst and were strewing their spores over the grass.

In this photo you can see the spores spread away from the puffball in a brown trail.

There is a project running on Cleeve Common to rejuvenate the heather that has been grazed by sheep. Some areas have been fenced off.

I found this fungi. It is a type of bolete, but I was unable to identify it specifically. It is one of around five that stain blue when cut or bruised.

On the way down to the pond above Postlip Manor, I found this tiny but interesting fungi. It's eyelash fungus.

All in all, some good finds.

Wild Raspberries 15th July 2012

I visited my favourite woods today, primarily to pick some wild raspberries. Last year I was picking them two weeks ago, but the awful summer weather this year has made them late.

I found a few and then spied this nice butterfly.

I went to where they were most prolific last year, but was disappointed to find very few. I think what has happened is that areas have been cleared in the autumn to promote the growth of wild flowers and that means some raspberry bushes have been cut down, Now that is not a bad thing as raspberries fruit on old wood. i.e. the first years shoots do not bear fruit and they will fruit the following year. So I'm expecting a bumper crop next year. I found a few and ate them on the hoof!

Spotted this nice honeysuckle where the raspberries used to grow.

Early Mushrooms - 1st July 2012

I went for a walk in my favourite woods, to check out the status of the wild raspberries. Before I got to the raspberries, I found this fungi. I'm pretty sure it's a Wood Mushroom.

It looks and smells very similar to a Field Mushroom. Normally an Autumn species. I guess the damp weather has fooled it. Very edible!

When I eventually reached the raspberries, they were nowhere near ripe. This time last year I was picking them. So, again the weather has fooled them. I reckon it will be a couple of weeks before they are ready.

On a green near my house I found this fungi.

It looks like a Grey Milk-cap in my Roger Phillips book. Supposed to grow under birch trees. It was growing under a tree. I'll check it next time I pass.