Foraging

Having recently experienced a foraging course and forgotten most of it I have become more alert to what nature throws our way! As a child I went blackberry picking all the time but apart from collecting wild garlic have not ventured! Then sitting in a lay-by on the outskirts of Doncaster (eating my lunch!) I spotted berries on a nearby bush! Further investigation and a bit of googling I identified them as sloes or bullaces and collected avoiding the huge thorns! Then on a regular journey I spotted a carpet of yellow across the pavement..picked one up, squeezed and believed the aroma to be apricots... Later discovered cherry plums! I returned with rake, bin bag and daughter! Oh for a few extra feet rather than precariously manoeuvering a rake amongst the branches... What a sight we must have been! This was not without dangers as daughter slipped and fell chasing fruit across a 60mph road... However we had plenty of hysterics! We decided it may be easier & safer to go on the other side in the field and tackled a large metal gate to do so! 2 lads were up the tree and although not so agile these days I would have considered it had I been wearing jeans not a skirt! We dodged the cow pats and reassured the cows we weren't after their calves! Rake hoisted up, branches shaken and fruit collected this included cherries and red cherry plums too! Over an hour later we emerged back over the gate to the 2 lads asking "Did you know there's a bull in that field"...Thanks lads! Well the 13lbs of free fruit was worth it!