Hans Martin BSc (UofM '57), Ph.D.
on 2019-05-13 at 4:01 pm
CommentOf the top of my head, here are a few goodies that we gather in our forage efforts. None are cultivated or attended by us.
1-fiddleheads are just coming to the end of their spring burst. I have harvested three water pails full. Luckily I do not have to wash the paperthin covering from the edible part.
2 – the wild garlic as been out for some time and was staying with us for several months. It is it’s a wonderful addition to salads. It is a very mild flavor. It is easy to take a cluster of plants and put them in your own garden. Once they get the idea they start taking over.
3-and then there are the morels. I will not tell you where they are that they are out there in the conservation area. As fabulous mushroom, greatly prized by foragers. There are several foragers on Manitou D rive who vie for superior harvests. The morels disappear as we go into summer.
4-puffballs are likely thought of as inferior fungi, but they aren’t. You must harvest them when they are a good size, say 10 inches in diameter, but before they get to their ripening stage, when you can’t eat them because they are turning into bags full of brown dust. Puffballs should best sliced into thin slices and fried in butter.
‘Foraging Workshop’ sounds interesting, but people need to be aware that they can’t remove wild native vegetation from wherever they want! This comment was posted on York Region Nature on Facebook: “Re my post several days ago regarding the removal of plants in Sheppard’s Bush. I received a reply today (May 15) from LSRCA confirming that it is illegal to “cut, remove, injure or destroy a plant, tree, shrub, flower or other growing thing” in a conservation area. The email states that food foraging is a “growing problem” in LSRCA conservation areas. It says the LSRCA is working on ways of getting across the message that such activities are illegal and appreciates the efforts of those who try to ‘educate’ those they see breaking the law. It also appreciates reporting of incidents.”
CommentOf the top of my head, here are a few goodies that we gather in our forage efforts. None are cultivated or attended by us.
1-fiddleheads are just coming to the end of their spring burst. I have harvested three water pails full. Luckily I do not have to wash the paperthin covering from the edible part.
2 – the wild garlic as been out for some time and was staying with us for several months. It is it’s a wonderful addition to salads. It is a very mild flavor. It is easy to take a cluster of plants and put them in your own garden. Once they get the idea they start taking over.
3-and then there are the morels. I will not tell you where they are that they are out there in the conservation area. As fabulous mushroom, greatly prized by foragers. There are several foragers on Manitou D rive who vie for superior harvests. The morels disappear as we go into summer.
4-puffballs are likely thought of as inferior fungi, but they aren’t. You must harvest them when they are a good size, say 10 inches in diameter, but before they get to their ripening stage, when you can’t eat them because they are turning into bags full of brown dust. Puffballs should best sliced into thin slices and fried in butter.
and for puffballs add some garlic too.
‘Foraging Workshop’ sounds interesting, but people need to be aware that they can’t remove wild native vegetation from wherever they want! This comment was posted on York Region Nature on Facebook: “Re my post several days ago regarding the removal of plants in Sheppard’s Bush. I received a reply today (May 15) from LSRCA confirming that it is illegal to “cut, remove, injure or destroy a plant, tree, shrub, flower or other growing thing” in a conservation area. The email states that food foraging is a “growing problem” in LSRCA conservation areas. It says the LSRCA is working on ways of getting across the message that such activities are illegal and appreciates the efforts of those who try to ‘educate’ those they see breaking the law. It also appreciates reporting of incidents.”
really worthwhile comment Cathy. Thank you!