Feminine Foraging

I have been foraging for a long time and these are not exhaustive but some fun tips for  feminine foraging.

Obey the law, and follow the Countryside Code and the  some sites ( Epping Forest)  are now protected as sites of Special Scientific Interests.  Removing anything from them even for your own use requires a licence. When foraging on any private or public land be sure of the permissions and be responsible for your actions

Ask for directions one of the benefits of being female is there is now shame in this.

Only take as much as you will actually use, Food Waste applies to wild food too.

Buy a good wildlife flora/fauna guide and keep it in the toilet for thumbing through. Stuff will stick in your head and its really satisfying to be out and recognise items for foraging .  I use Roger Phillips Mushrooms. Whatever guide you use should have clear descriptions and pictures.

Take a digital camera and spare batteries & wear a ring.  Not for warding off the unwanted attentions of men,  if you take a picture with a ring in it on your hand you can get a good idea of scale of plants for later identification . You can use sites like Flickr or wild food forums to post pictures of your find or ask for help identifying

Forage in bright coloured clothes. You have nothing to hide and  it  could prevent you getting accidently shot . In summer wear sunscreen you will burn on a long walk even in shady woods.

Wear glasses/ sunglasses as eye protection from thorns , brambles ,sloes , spikes and branches swung in your face.

Carry plenty of small bags or boxes you may not want to mix fungi  with berries .  Disposable coffee cup or two great for holding fragile mushrooms or berries , great re-use.

When picking mushrooms for eating and when you are sure of identification make sure you cut or break the stem. Pulling up the entire fungi which risks destroys the mycelium ( sort of  the root system of the fungi) and  prevent them from coming back next year. Use a brush to remove leaf mould, grass and to spread the spores

Always  say hello to people and chat to them, you can learn a lot from other people and it’s nice to share knowledge.

Take a book and some lunch if you find a good spot sit and have a read in the sunshine. Life is too short to rush through.

Cook with your finds The internet provide wealth of hints and tips just a google away but there are also some great Wild Recipe books

Finally don’t limit your foraging to the countryside. Even living in the centre of towns I have happily picked plenty in the city centre blackberries , elderberries, rosehips the odd bracket fungus

You can check out my Wild Food posts on this blog at

Alternatively I have a Flickr set of wild food that might provide some inspiration

http://www.flickr.com/photos/beckayork/sets/72157594318348671/