Foraging Report 04/25/2010

Gillian and Robert both had the week off, so we did a lot of driving this week. We ended up in several assorted areas of the state, from the Litchfield hills to Hamonassett Beach. We managed to find a few letterboxes, and attended a small gather at the Audubon Society in Glastonbury where we hiked the trails with fellow letterboxers.

We saw more of the same this week, when it comes to edibles. Dandelion greens, nettles shoots, chickweed, and wild garlic. We are still eating the ramps greens we picked last Sunday, and I keep peeking at the pickled roots wondering when I can open up the jar and eat them. Japanese knotweed is getting too tall to pick, it would be too stringy for recipes. Second year garlic mustard greens from the top of the flower stalk are good for gathering for pesto, and the white flowers are all open. We did come across some cattails big enough to gather a few hearts as a trail nibble, and are looking forward to an abundance soon. Evening primrose roots and wild carrot roots also were dug and boiled to eat.

Wild grapes are just starting to send forth leaves, and autumn olive bushes are opening flowers. It is nice to see the wild fruit trees in flower in the woods since most trees have not leafed out yet. Jewelweed sprouts are up, along with the first pokeweed shoots. Plenty of orpine to be found in a local park, along with some rather tough burdock roots.

My knotweed wine has really slowed it's fermentation, but the dandelion flower wine is still bubbling away. The knotweed wine is about a week older, and the color has mellowed out and cleared a bit to a light pink. I hope to have this drinkable by September, along with a wild grape wine I started last fall. We are willing to drink them "young" and rough, since our winemaking is mostly for fun, and just to see if it works!