Foraging

Capt Lightning

Capt Lightning

Well-known Member
Location
Historic Buchan, Scotland
There are a number of building plots in the village which have been vacant for years and on one is a tree, which Mrs. L thought was an apple tree. Sure enough it was and was laden with apples. We got a couple of bags and helped ourselves.
This led us to reminisce that as kids we used to forage for wild fruit and berries, but nobody here seems to any more. There's plenty to be had, but then why make your own jams, cordials, wines etc.. when you can just go to the supermarket and buy them?
 

Capt Lightning said:
There are a number of building plots in the village which have been vacant for years and on one is a tree, which Mrs. L thought was an apple tree. Sure enough it was and was laden with apples. We got a couple of bags and helped ourselves.
This led us to reminisce that as kids we used to forage for wild fruit and berries, but nobody here seems to any more. There's plenty to be had, but then why make your own jams, cordials, wines etc.. when you can just go to the supermarket and buy them?
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well you could go to the supermarket and buy them when I was a kid but it didn't stop my gran making all her own jams and marmalades...
 
Yeah, as kids, we always picked wild blackberries, huckleberries, apples, hazelnuts, and even rosehips.
Just for eating
Folks had acres of berry fields

In summer, here in town, we forage on our walks
Couple apple trees
Black berries here and there
But the grapes.....whoa!
There's a couple overgrown places behind some eateries that become laden
Concord and seedless Thompsons
The owners almost beg us to pick 'em
Good jams
Good table grapes
Good just plain munching

and the price is right
 
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On the island where I lived previously, lots of food was up for grabs. Nettles and other greens everywhere. Blackberries and rose hips lining the roads. Oysters and clams on the beach.

Some people had numerous apple trees on their property (left over from the orchard era) and let others pick them for free. Plums and other fruits too.

The local cafe made much of apples and other things they got for free.

I'm sure I've forgotten some. Oh yeah, chanterelles. For free.

I'm not the foraging type, but my brother and other people shared their pickings with me.

As my brother said, "You'd never starve here." Some people did go to the beach for oysters when they couldn't afford groceries. Poverty food!
 
Blessed said:
I forgot all about going crabbing and fishing with my grandparents in Maryland. So much fun and then a great dinner!
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Yes! My aunt and uncle lived near the beach on a lagoon, and they always had crab traps in the water. We'd check the traps several times a day. My uncle would take us fishing on his boat, and we'd eat whatever we caught. Auntie always had a freezer full of crab and fish. Her spaghetti with crab sauce was to die for! I'm salivating just thinking about it! 🦀

My grandma's neighbor had sickle pear trees. It wasn't exactly foraging, but he'd let us go over and pick what we wanted. Those pears were sweet and luscious! We'd eat them straight off the tree. Sometimes we'd even wipe them off first, lol. 🍐

In springtime, I'd go with my grandma to a nearby field to forage for tender dandelion leaves. She'd make a salad or soup with them. I love dandelion greens! 🥬
 
Well they could go to the store and buy it but living just off the beach of the Wicomico river it was much more fun to do it yourself. I am great at catching crab with bacon or a piece of chicken on the end of a string. Yes they had a lot of traps but that is how us kids did it, with the string.
 
In one area where I lived as a child, there were bushes of blackberries, raspberries, and black raspberries, and for some reason my favorite was a really tart berry called currants. Better than anything though, was one of my Aunts used to make elderberry jelly.. which I haven't seen or had since. It was great!!
 
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