Food From The Wild - Shrubs & Trees

 

This is not a comprehensive list but a short list of the shrubs and trees that are well known and easily identified. Some care is needed with certain types so please read this carefully, and do a check on these before eating.

BIRCH TREE.

The young leaves are edible, and the sap can be tapped in the early spring and drank as a refreshing and healthy drink. (Will look at this later in the spring and show how it is done.) The best way to use these is by using an infusion for a tea, which is also true of the Beech and Pine.

BEECH TREE.

The young leaves are edible. 

PINE TREE.

The long needles of pine are easily recognised; these are best used as an infusion to make a cup of Pine Tea. Tastes very good actually, and is very high in Vitamins A and C. 

The Pine-Cones contain nuts so wait until fallen from the tree and collect the nuts for eating. 

SWEET CHESTNUT.

This is one that needs a little care: the nuts of Sweet Chestnuts are edible, whilst the nuts of Horse Chestnuts are not edible. Horse Chestnuts are 'conkers' and have a smooth casing for the nuts, Sweet Chestnuts are the 'Christmas Chestnuts' and have cases with close-knit spikes.

Sweet Chestnuts are also identified by the 'tip' which can be seen in the above photo. The leaves are different too. Below are the NON-EDIBLE Horse Chestnuts and their Cases (which are less spiked). 

Horse Chestnut Cases - NON-EDIBLE

Horse Chestnuts - NON-EDIBLE

OAK TREE.

Acorns are the edible part of the Oak-Tree, but here there needs a word of caution, since there are varying opinions on this. Acorns contain tannin, which lessens when they go brown. To be safe pick these and boil them for about half an hour. They can be ground to use like coffee as a drink. To do so cut off the outer shell and use the nut inside. 

HAWTHORN.

The Hawthorn is a small thorny tree, as the name suggests, and the leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. Later the red berries can be picked and eaten raw or cooked.

ROWAN - MOUNTAIN ASH.

This is a small tree that is easily recognised by its leaves; the berries are edible but they need to be boiled in order to take away the bitter taste. These contain Vitamin C. 

ELDER TREE.

The Elderflowers can be picked and made into Elderberry Cordial; they can also be boiled in water as a tea. Do not use the stems though.

Later in the year the Elderberries can be collected and eaten, or made into a jam; again, do not use the stems, just the berries. Make sure the berries are ripe before picking.

BLACKBERRY.

Well-known and easily recognised. The young leaves can be eaten, and of course the blackberries picked and eaten around August-September. You need to catch these before it gets too rainy since they soon go mouldy and wilt. Make sure the ripe ones are picked. 

ROSE-HIP - DOG-ROSE.

As kids we used to have Rose Hip Syrup in winter months because of the high Vitamin C content; but care is needed with this one. Cut the fruit in half lengthways and scrape out the inside entirely. This is because the insides have an irritant (used by kids when they stuck these down the jumper, and they really do itch). So take out the insides entirely and cook down the outside making a paste.

CRAB APPLES.

Crab Apples are just wild apples, but they are smaller and they are bitter so they need careful preparation. Pick the apples and peel as usual, chop into pieces and boil in a little water until the water has evaporated. The paste left is good to eat (with sugar maybe). On this subject there are a great number of apple-trees in the wild now, many at the roadsides which suggests people throwing their apple-cores out of car windows. Although I would condemn the throwing of rubbish out, apple-cores are a good thing since they grow into apple trees. 

*** On this subject why not save the pips out of the apples you grow and eat (or bought ones) and scatter these around in wild areas such as the outskirts of woodlands. This can also be done with other fruit trees such as plums, which can also establish in the wild. Wild plums are not so big but just as tasty. 

*** Another point here is to get around and get to know your own area well; around me I have found many fruit-bushes growing wild, obviously from seeds scattered in the wind or taken by birds. Wild Strawberries, Wild Gooseberries, Wild Plums, Wild Raspberries grow in an area of the South Downs.