Spruce Recipe- Mixed Conifer Syrup for Soda

 

 Mixed Conifer Syrup    makes about 4 c. syrup

880 g (4 c.) white sugar

500 ml (2 c.) water

160 g. (weight 5.6 oz) mixed conifer needles- spruce, fir, white pine, hemlock

4 Tbsp ascorbic acid powder (Vitamin C for preservation)

1. Chop the conifer needles up to break the cell walls. You can use fresh growth tips or the older needles. A mix of species will produce a more interesting taste!

2. In a large pot, add the sugar and water. Bring it up to a boil and stir, making sure the sugar has dissolved.

3. Turn off the heat and dump in the chopped conifer needles. Stir and cover the pot. Allow the pot to sit for 12-48 hours.

4. Strain the solids from the syrup and discard.

5. Take about 1/3 of the syrup and put it into a smaller saucepan. Whisk in the ascorbic acid and heat until dissolved. Return this smaller amount of syrup to the remaining syrup and bottle it up for storage.

Hemlock tree tips and needles

Spruce tips and needles

White pine tips and needles

Magnolia Flower Recipe- Magnolia and Onion Gastrique

This sweet/sour/savory/gingery condiment is served over toasted ciabatta bread with whipped ricotta.

 

Magnolia Flower Gastrique     makes about 360 g (1 1/4 c.)

225 g (8 oz.) onion, julienned

2 Tbsp sunflower oil

260 g magnolia flower petals

135 g (10 Tbsp) packed brown sugar

100 ml (6 Tbsp) Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

 

1. Julienne onion and cook in oil over medium heat until it starts to caramelize, about 10-15 minutes.

2. Julienne the magnolia flower petals and add to the onions in the pan with the salt. Cook until the petals are wilted, about 10 minutes more.

3. Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar and add the brown sugar. Cook over medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring. You will see a small amount of oil separate in the pan, you can pour that off.

4. Cool and store in the refrigerator for a month. Serve with fatty cheeses as a spread on a cheese board.

 

Chaga Recipe- Baked Chaga and Coconut Mochi

 

Chaga and Coconut Mochi--makes one 8" x 8" pan

150 g (8.3 oz) water

170 g (6 fluid ounces) canned coconut milk

3 Tbsp ground chaga

227 g (8 oz.) Mochiko rice flour

235 g. (1 c.) sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.

2. Mix water, coconut milk, and ground chaga in a saucepan. Simmer 15 minutes. Strain out the chaga and let the liquid cool. You need to end up with 320 g. of liquid, so add more coconut milk as needed,

3. Mix chaga/coconut decoction with the rice flour, sugar, and vanilla. Pour into a greased 8" x 8" pan. 

4. Cover the pan with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continur to bake until it is firm to the touch. Cool and cut.

How Experienced is YOUR Foraging Instructor?

A lovingly arranged basket of foraged goodies, perfect content for social media

As foraging becomes more popular for several reasons, I think it is very important to find out how reliable your resources, mentors, and instructors are for your own safety. During the COVID pandemic, we were not allowed to gather with friends and family; many people were somewhat forced to recreate alone or in pods, and a safe place to meet others was outside at a park. Interest in the outdoors and what is found there was a large catalyst for interest in foraging wild plants and mushrooms.We also experienced food shortages at that time so people sought other ways to stretch their abilities to obtain and cook food, turning to gardening and foraging. As the political and global climates are becoming stressed, more people are turning to foraging as a survival tactic in a prepper sense. Demand for content on foraging will always lead to some less experienced "instructors" teaching and very bad books written by "foraging authors" and even AI that may do more harm than good with the bad information being disseminated. Whenever things become monetized and commodified, content may become questionable or even suspect.

Several years ago an Instagram-ready content creator was having a book published about her family's over-romanticized lifestyle which included mushroom and plant foraging. I and others in the established foraging and mushrooming community were sent advance copies, soliciting positive reviews for social media. Many were incredibly horrified by her advice about eating chocolate covered raw mushrooms and multiple other errors in the text, and the book was eventually pulled and not distributed due to safety concerns. Books "written" by AI have fake authors who just magically popped out of the ether without any history of existing, and in this digital age, we all have a searchable background!

Our daughter at about 6 months old, trying her first ramps and loving it!

The same scrutiny should be given to anyone from whom you plan on learning about wild plants and mushrooms you want to eat. Everyone has different learning strengths; for me it is through books and with a live mentor, for my husband it was online videos and with mentors, and our daughter was along for the journey and learned through osmosis--this is our life and she has been living it for 20 years now. 

 

We are not a business, we are a family and our hobby just happened to be foraging. We came up with our name, The 3 Foragers, through letterboxing where your family or group creates a personal carved stamp to visit other letterboxes and leave the stamped image. We were already walking slowly and conscientiously through the fields and forests looking for edible plants and mushrooms, so following instructions to find  letterboxes in the same environment was like an additional prize at the end of a search. I blogged online about our personal foraging journey for many years and some of the earliest posts were about letterboxing too.

Both Robert and I have culinary backgrounds, so we enjoyed creating recipes with the fabulous flavors that we enjoyed of the foraged foods. I was a pastry chef for 12+ years and Robert worked the line and banquets for several years at restaurants. We have both held Serv-Safe certificates. We would never arrogantly refer to ourselves as "chefs" but we do know how to cook well and in large quantities. Our daughter has been eating these foods since she could eat solids--let me tell you she has an incredible palate for an American.

Tropical almonds from Hawaii

We traveled far on many occasions to find mentors and experienced instructors to teach us how to identify wild plants and mushrooms, several who still teach today. Back in 2005, the internet was unrecognizable as a easily searchable resource, so a lot of our early education was in-person and through books. Videos became more popular, and there are some really great folks creating content (as well as some folks creating crap!) We blogged because Robert is a fantastic photographer, with the photo equipment bill to prove it. All photos we ever share or show are our own, including photos of cooked food. We joined multiple mushroom clubs to learn from some of the best, including classes with the people who wrote the identification guides. Even when going on vacation to tropical locations, we were able to find locals to teach us the amazing tropical edibles to enrich our lives.

My blogging got me a book deal and place in the National Archive, and my book was published in 2016 focusing on family-friendly foraging and some of the easiest/safest to identify wild plants that taste great. Per my contract, I was required to purchase cases of books and sell them at public events, so I approached some libraries and offered to do educational slideshows about foraging in exchange for the opportunity to shill my book. I fulfilled my contract obligations quickly, but the libraries never stopped calling for the slideshows; they ended up being really popular and brought in large groups of  enthusiastic students throughout southern New England. We basically were students of wild plant and mushroom identifying for 15 years before feeling confident and educated enough to teach others.

Autumn tasting with autumn olive + goat cheese crudite, maitake and wild rice soup, porcini risotto bites, chestnut mousse cups with a twist of beach plum fruit leather

When we give presentations at libraries, they are free for the public. Soon, I was contacted to come present to nature centers, for garden clubs, at land trusts, and for nearly any other outdoor-based group like fish and game clubs, and I let them set their attendance fees. The past few years we have been sharing a foraged taste or two at each of these presentations, and just in 2024 have we started giving our own walks with full tastings due to demand. Seeing some people call themselves "professional foragers" or teaching about plants or mushrooms which they clearly have no personal experiences with is very frustrating. Sure, they can throw up a social media post that sounds great, but has clearly been copied-and-pasted from another source. A week later they are back on social media asking for identification confirmations! We still take walks with anyone who offers education, but more often come away shaking our heads in confusion, or even clearly concerned with the poor quality and even wrong information being taught by someone representing themselves as a "foraging instructor."

Don't feel shy about asking a potential instructor (who is happy to take your money) about their actual experiences in the fields and forests. Ask them about the resources they used, and ask them for personal anecdotes and preparations. You may be surprised how often they admit they have never worked with or eaten a plant or walked with experienced mycologists in a club, or when they say they have only been foraging for a few years or "watched a video during the pandemic." I am happy to admit I am not an herbalist as that is a whole different set of skills, but I am am a seasoned foraging instructor and cook, with true life experiences. I have given hundreds of FREE presentations and dozens of sponsored walks for organizations. We have cooked for hundreds of people at events and shared food at potlucks for mycological gatherings. We are are always willing to learn more to continue our foraging journey and lifestyle.

Please be safe! My advice: Students Beware!

Upcoming Classes, Presentations, Walks and Tastings for March-April

 

The 3 Foragers Upcoming presentations and walks

Thank you for your interest in foraging, we hope to have many walks, presentations, and tastings this 2025 foraging season in southeastern New England. We provide an educational handout to keep, suggest taking notes and photos, and are happy to answer questions. This is a list of presentations and walks through April. We do not approach or solicit potential libraries or clubs for classes, but they can feel free to contact us at this email address to book an event of their own. Our prices are low and mostly cover our material expenses and travel. You or your group can view my public presenter’s catalog at https://programs.ctlibrarians.org/library-programer/karen-monger

You can also find event listings at https://www.facebook.com/the3foragers/events

Find us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/the3foragers/ or visit the free blog with recipes, https://the3foragers.blogspot.com/

For the Connecticut Valley Mycological Society, the local Connecticut mushroom club, visit http://www.cvmsfungi.org/

 

March 25, Tuesday, 7:00 pm at the Simsbury Public Library, CT, in partnership with the Gardeners of Simsbury. I will be presenting the Edible Wild Plants and Mushrooms of Spring slideshow at this FREE program. With all-original photos of spring greens, flowers, berries, and mushrooms, we go through the season to highlight the best tasting wild edibles, along with photos of the amazing dishes we have cooked with our bounty! Please register directly with the library https://simsbury.librarycalendar.com/event/garden-club-cosponsored-event-48121

April 3, Thursday, 6:00 pm at the Charlton, MA Public Library. I will be returning to the Charlton Public Library for another FREE presentation, this time on Edible Wild Plants and Mushrooms of Spring.  I will cover greens, flowers, some edible roots and tubers, and the few gourmet mushrooms of spring. Come check out the display of recommended books and resources I bring, and ask your questions! No registration needed, just drop in.

April 17, Thursday, 6:00 pm at the West Haven Public Library, CT. Here is another opportunity to learn about the Edible Wild Plants and Mushrooms of Spring at this FREE presentation. As the warmer temperatures and longer days of spring unfold, many tender, young edible shoots, plants, flowers, and even a few fungi awaken a forager’s senses and delight. Learn how to identify, sustainably harvest, and prepare the wild foods of spring, from invasive bamboo shoots to the lemony tang of fresh wood sorrel, including some of the early edible fungi of the season. Please register directly with the library so they can get a head count https://westhavenlibrary.libcal.com/event/13634246

 

An example of a seasonal tasting: Garlic mustard and ramps greens soup shooter, Ramps Pesto twists, Bamboo cakes, Japanese knotweed cupcake with strawberry buttercream, Conifer soda

April 19, Saturday, 10:00 am-noon, Foraging WALK and TASTING  in Cheshire, CT. We will explore a property for any spring wonders, edible plants, early mushrooms, and enjoy some spring weather. AN educational handout will be provided and we will discuss foraging practices, harvesting ethics, identifications, and cooking suggestions as we ramble around for about 2 hours. At the conclusion, we will share a small tasting of seasonal goodies that we have prepared. The location will be emailed to folks who have signed up at the3foragers@gmail.com the night before as we will be watching the weather (hard rain will cancel, light drizzle is fine.)  Cost will be $25 per adult, kids are free. Payment is collected on the day of the walk, Venmo, PayPal, or cash.

April 26, Saturday, 1:00 pm at the Putnam Public Library, CT. I will present in the Northeast corner of Connect at the Putnam Public Library a FREE slideshow about the Wild Edible Plants and Mushrooms of Spring. I will cover shoots, greens, flowers, and edible spring mushrooms of the April through mid-June months. No registration, just drop in and join us!

April 28, Monday, 6:30 pm at the Welles Turner Memorial Library in Glastonbury, CT. I return to the Glastonbury area to present Edible Wild Plants and Mushrooms of Spring for FREE at the Welles Turner Memorial Library. I hope to bring some live specimens and wonderful books to peruse, and am happy to answer questions after the slideshow. Registration info coming on April 1.

 

 

Foraging in Connecticut, The 3 Foragers

 Join The 3 Foragers to learn how to safely identify and sustainably collect and prepare the wild plants, berries, flowers, roots, nuts, greens, and mushrooms of each season. We try to connect people to our natural world and the wonderful flavors of plants that are usually dismissed as weeds, and mushrooms that are called poisonous. Tasting the wild for pleasure and enrichment is why we like to bring along samples of our original creations to share with participants.

The 3 Foragers are a family who has been studying foraging and mushroom collecting from dozens of experienced mentors in southeastern New England for 20 years. Our personal library is filled with educational books, our recipes are tested, and our hard drives are filled with our own photos. We have traveled the country to attend workshops and regional forays, and taken classes in both local and tropical environments to appreciate the wild foods underneath our feet. We have written a free blog online following our adventures and documenting our recipes since 2009. The 3 Foragers shifted to a direct education role after our book was published, Adventures in Edible Plant Foraging: Finding, Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Native and Invasive Wild Plants.

 

Starting in 2016, we have given hundreds of free presentations at libraries throughout southern New England. We have also worked with summer camp teens, garden clubs, land trusts, private citizens, fish and game clubs, mycological societies, home school groups, and nature centers to present educational opportunities and provide information on safe wild food foraging. We can offer hour-long slideshow presentations featuring our original photos, walks at your designated location, a combination slideshow/walk program, a private tasting, or work with your group for a customized experience. We welcome learners of all ages, especially families with kids. Our subjects include seasonal plant foraging, mushroom identification, eating wild mushrooms, the amazing world of fungi, invasive plants as food, landscaping plants as food, and living the forger’s lifestyle.

 

Please feel free to read our free content on our Facebook page, Instagram, and blog. We can be contacted and booked for your organization or private event. Our calendar of upcoming public events is often posted on social media, or you can be added to our monthly emailed class schedule.

Karen, Robert, and Gillian: The 3 Foragers

 

The3foragers@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/the3foragers

@the3foragers

https://the3foragers.blogspot.com/

https://programs.ctlibrarians.org/library-programer/karen-monger

https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Edible-Plant-Foraging-Identifying/dp/1634504070