Foraging Report 07/11/2011

Summer is truly here, New England style. The days are hot and muggy, humidity is high, and we are all living with sunburns. We have been spending the last two weeks or so hiking as little as possible to avoid the heat, but spending time at the beaches. The beach roses (Rosa rugosa) are blooming as they will for the rest of the summer. Robert gathered some of the hard, green hips to make a sweet/sour pickle and it turned out great. The early summer has a bit of a foraging lull for us, as the spring greens have all toughened, and the summer berries and fruits are not ripe yet.

The mulberries have gone by, but we did get some black (Morus nigra) and white (Morus alba) berries to eat and I made a ricotta cheese tart with them. I made a second tart with some black raspberries (Rubus occidentalis) for the Fourth of July holiday.

We have been finding plenty of wild blueberries (genus Vaccinium) in several locations. They don't all ripen at once, so we are able to return in a few days for a second picking. We picked enough to make a small batch of thick, pulpy jam, pancakes, and I made about 2 dozen small, stuffed sweet rolls filled with wild blueberries. We are not really concerned about identifying the exact species, as there are many and they will hybridize with each other. In one location, the variations of bush size, leaf size, leaf shape, berry size, and berry abundance is high between the bushes. We just look for the identifying crown on the berry, and I break a few open to view the seeds. Wild blueberries have many, tiny seeds, while huckleberries have 10 larger seeds arranged in a ring. Huckleberries will ripen in a few weeks, and are solid green right now.

The last two Sundays we attended the Coventry Regional Farmer's Market. On the 3rd, there was a foodswap that I participated in. I brought some rose petal syrup, milkweed bud capers, violet jelly, and other assorted jams that I successfully swapped for some sangria, a potholder and trivet, BBQ sauce, salsa, pickles, and s'mores kit. All food at a foodswap must be homemade and there is a frenzy of bargaining at swap time. After the swap, we attended an herbal weed walk in the market, identifying the medicinal and herbal uses of wild weeds. Our knowledge of the medicinal uses of many "weeds" is still small, and we are always learning. On July 10th the market was having a Fungus Festival, and the Connecticut Valley Mycological Society was in the central tent identifying mushrooms and giving walks on the property. Robert found some cinnabar-red chanterelles (Cantharellus cinnabarinus) and a tasty bolete (Boletus nobilis). He cooked them up in a pan with some butter and salt, and ate them by themselves. We hope to join the CVMS as members, and attend more of their walks and functions.

Gear Review: Gerber Machete Pro

You might not think a family of 3 foragers needs a machete, but it turns out we do. Sometimes a giant puffball mushroom (Calvatia gigantea) is off trail in the brush, or we are picking gallons of wineberries (Rubus phoenicolasius) in a forest of thorns and it would be great to bushwack our way out without bleeding to death. I happened to be browsing through Outdoor Blogger Network where our blog is a member, and I saw the chance to review some gear, including knives and a machete. I signed up for the chance, won, and waited for our new machete to arrive, checking the mail eagerly for several weeks.

This machete is a Gerber Gator Machete Pro. Included with the machete is a nylon sheath which can be carried on a belt and also has a small pocket for the included mini sharpening stone. The machete is really solid and well balanced, weighing 18 oz. The handle has a comfortable grip and an included lanyard to wrap around your wrist to prevent slipping. The end of the blade is extended and curved, with a sharp edge on the inside of the curve. Overall, the machete is 16.5" long, 10.5" is the blade. It is made from high carbon steel, covered with a black protective coating.

Robert and I both used the machete in several jobs. We chopped brush and small shrubs to make paths more passable with the main edge. He chopped down a small black birch tree with ease, it took less than a minute to go through a 3" tree. Chopping overhead branches is also easy. The factory edge is adequate, but we are having it sharpened further by a professional. Robert sees other possible uses while camping such as chopping kindling.

The curved section of the machete is really good for several applications. With a swift upwards motion, I can debranch small trees, or even something tender but spiny like a common thistle (genus Cirsium). The curved blade also worked fantastically to remove the inner bark from a black birch (Betula lenta) so we could remove the cambium layer to make a refreshing wintergreen flavored drink. Later in the season, I can use the curved edge to cut through berry canes to access the center of a patch. It seems reasonable to say the curved inner edge is better for precision cutting, while the main edge is great for chopping like a standard axe or machete.

**The following review is our honest opinion, we received the Gerber Gator Machete Pro free of charge and agreed  to provide a review in exchange.  The 3 Foragers is not sponsored by or associated with Gerber and are accepting no other compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for this review. **

Mulberry Recipe - Black and White Mulberry Ricotta Tart

Both the black mulberries (Morus nigra) and the white mulberries (Morus alba) have ripened. From a heavily laden tree, we can pick gallons of berries by spreading a tarp under the branches and shaking the tree. The black mulberries are already on their way past, so we missed our opportunity to make some jam this year. Using the Roma food strainer, we can remove the stems and seeds with little effort to make a sweet, smooth jam. Instead, Robert started a gallon of wine with the ugliest but ripest berries. I picked out enough nice ones to add to this tart, along with some white mulberries.

This recipe is included in our book, available in Spring 2016.

http://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/book/?GCOI=60239108626260&

White mulberries

Foraging Report 06/27/2011



Elderberry flower crepes





milkweed "capers"



This past week we gathered  more common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) flower buds to make more capers and we kept some in the fridge already boiled to add to our cooking all week. We added the buds to soups, stir fry, and in a cheesy breakfast omlette. Our Monarch butterfly emerged from it's chrysalis today, and I let it fly away. I am sorry we don't have any pictures, but we may see some more when it is time to gather the pods from the milkweed field.

We picked a few more cattail (Typha latifolia) flower spikes to make into more griddle cakes, and to eat boiled on-the-cob style. The season for the flower spikes is almost over, and it would normally be time to collect the pollen next. All the rain this early summer has knocked the pollen off the male flowers before we have been able to collect it. Usually Robert grabs the flower spike and inserts it into a gallon jug in which he has cut a hole. Then he would shake the stalk around, knocking the pollen off into the jug. Some does escape, but not too much. Then he would sift the pollen to remove bugs and debris, and dry it gently in the oven. We usually keep a container in the freezer to use all year, but all we got this year was the pine pollen.

We noticed the elderberries (Sambuca nigra) blooming this past week, but it was difficult to gather flowers between the rainy days. If we tried to pick some right after a storm, all of the fragrance and flavor was washed out, so we waited for a few dry days, and picked a bagful. Robert made a crepe batter with puréed flowers, and served them layered with wild grape jam. He also battered and deep fried some clusters, and Gillian gobbled them up with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

While taking a short hike in a favorite area, we found some mushrooms that we tentatively identified as tree ears, or wood ears (Auricularia auricula). We will try to get then viewed by David Fischer before collecting any. They are supposed to be tasty cooked in Chinese-style food, and can be dried and reconstituted. There were lots of them on a dying autumn olive tree right off the trail.

We also came across several varieties of wild blueberries and huckleberries (Vaccinium species)growing in rocky, poor soil. Some of the wild blueberries were obviously lowbush, some had much larger leaves, some were loaded with berries, others had few. We managed to find a small handful already ripe, and will return next week to compete with the birds for some berries. At this stage, I can differentiate between the blueberries and huckleberries by breaking open a green berry and counting the seeds. Huckleberries have exactly 10, and wild blueberries have many more smaller seeds. Both are tasty, but there is a more complex sour flavor in the huckleberries, along with a seedier texture since the seeds (or technically, nutlets) are larger than blueberry seeds.

We also had an opportunity to test out the machete I won from the Outdoor Blogger Network and Gerber. I'll write up a full review in a day or two. We used it to clear some pathways of low hanging branches, and cut down a 3" thick black birch (Betula lenta) tree. With the inner curved blade of the machete, Robert was able to strip the bark easily to retrieve the wintergreen flavored cambium layer. We took home a large segment of the tree, which scented the car and house nicely. Robert will try to carve some utensils from the wood. Black birch inner bark can be made into a tasty tisane, and has some medicinal properties discussed by Wildman Steve Brill in a video that Robert recorded recently.

Black birch bark

Foraging with "Wildman" Steve Brill - VIDEO

Robert and Gillian took a tour with "Wildman" Steve Brill in Cornwall, CT off a spur of the Appalachian Trail. While the trail was steep, Robert was able to film this segment about the Wildman discussing black birch (Betula lenta) along the way.

Milkweed Flowers and Butterflies

Monarch caterpillar

We were out picking some more milkweed flower buds in a large, open field filled with milkweed plants (Asclepias syariaca) when we noticed all the butterflies on the open flowers. Milkweed plants will flower in stages, and most plants will have tight flower bud clusters, loose clusters, and fully opened flower clusters on the same stalk. Butterflies are constantly on the move, so Robert had a hard time getting them to "pose" for a picture. We saw some Monarchs, and more caterpillars, and others I don't know the names of. Anyone who can help with these butterfly names and ID?

I think it was orange with the wings open

The little orange one in the right corner

A very large butterfly

Fast and pretty

Milkweed Recipe - Milkweed Flowerbud Capers

We picked slightly looser flowerbud clusters from common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) plants to try to make a caper-like condiment. If you read the ingredients list on a jar of capers, it is mostly salt and vinegar. I looked up some recipes, and adapted them to make one 8 oz. jar of milkweed capers. They are a bit heavy on the vinegar, but tender and tasty.  Robert tried a different recipe, using garlic cloves and a salt brine only, and let the flowerbuds lacto-ferment. Both produced a great little condiment with strong flavors that we can use all year. We store them in the fridge. The capers can be served with some smoked salmon, some rich paté, or cooked into a piccata sauce.

Vinegar Milkweed "Capers"                       makes 1-8 oz. jar

Brine:
2 Tbsp. salt
1 c. water
1 c. milkweed flower buds

Vinegar pickling juice:
1/2 c. white wine vinegar
1/4 c. water
2 tsp sugar
2 bay laurel leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme

1. Wash the milkweed flower buds to remove insects. Boil them for 2 minutes, shock in ice water, and squeeze to remove excess water. Pack them into an 8 oz. canning jar.
2. Make the salt brine by bringing the water and salt to a boil. Pour the hot brine over the flower buds. Cover the jar and let it sit at room temperature for 3 days.
3. Drain the salt brine from the jar. Make the vinegar pickling juice by boiling the vinegar with the sugar, bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Pour the hot vinegar over the flower buds and allow to cool.
4. Cover the jar and refrigerate for 3 days. The capers are ready to use, keep refrigerated.

Lacto-fermented Milkweed "Capers"                            makes 1-8 oz. jar

1 c. milkweed flower buds
1 c. water
1 Tbsp.  salt

1. Wash the milkweed buds, boil them for 2 minutes, shock in ice water, squeeze to remove excess water,  and pack them into an 8 oz. canning jar.
2. Mix the water and salt together, mixing until the salt is dissolved. Pour the brine over the flower buds and cover.
3. Allow the buds to ferment at room temperature for 6-7 days. The liquid will appear to bubble out, so keep the jar on a plate. Keep the buds submerged at all times, using a weighted lid inside the jar, otherwise mold will be produced.
4. Taste, and store in the refrigerator in the brine.