We went to Ben,s favourite park and had a long stroll round, there were lots of dogs for Ben to bond with including a very bouncy young standard Poodle.
I found some Hazelnuts and picked a decent bag full.
The kernels vary in size as you can see, I put my thimble in for scale. These are green and will not be toasted, instead they will be frozen and added to cakes and muesli.
I expect to spend several evenings cracking and shelling after another foraging expedition or three.
I also found some enormous blackberries, almost as big as cultivated varieties.
Again I have put the thimble in for scale.
I did not go mad as I only had bags to put them in, on my next visit I will take a plastic box or three. These will be washed, livestock removed and frozen, they will be cooked with apples and pushed through a sieve, lovely with a sponge pudding. I did manage to get just over a Kilo.
Mixed with some small apples that the wind brought down I have 4 containers of puree in the freezer. This will go under sponge or crumble in the winter. I may even fold some into whipped cream to go in a chocolate cake.
Much as I love this lurid colour, my puree is darker and smells wonderful, the taste is rich and not too sweet. I only added 3 Tsp of sugar to the fruit.
My scrappy sewing is growing, I was planning a quilt but have gone off piste. I now want to make 2 or 3 table toppers large enough to cover my coffee table. I have a set of smaller ones that I use with coasters for tea mugs. I have managed to put mugs down on the edge of said coasters a time or three. They have then tipped over, I figure that doing away with the coasters should prevent this happening again.
Today has been mixed so far, sun, very light showers, wind and calm. The grass will not be cut today! perhaps I should copy the front garden and get rid of the lot.
The only one who sprawls on it is Ben, he does like to stretch out in the sun and moves round the garden with it.
On that note I am off to the sewing room, I would like to get one finished today.
TTFN Pam
after yesterdays sunshine we are back to sunny shower spells again today just managed to pop to the post office van in a sunny one, I plan to be sorting out more shop stash today and crafting this evening :-)
ReplyDeleteA good haul there Pam, I didn't realise you could eat hazelnuts whilst they're green....that would explain why the squirrels at our previous house stripped all the nuts off the hazel tree there before I got round to (trying) to harvest them.
ReplyDeleteI love foraging, free food, the best sort.x
ReplyDeleteFound food, how great is that! I'm not sure I'd recognize a hazel nut on a tree and I love them.
ReplyDeleteHmmm - rub my nose in it why don't you?!!! Almost too hot to forage. Trust us to miss a decent day and follow the torrential rain instead : )
ReplyDeleteGlad you got some good foraging done. Tam and Zane took back a big bag of hazlenuts which they picked around our paddock and up the lane.
They are some huge blackberries! :-)
ReplyDeleteI can remember walking with my mum and picking green hazlenuts, we were lucky and knew a hedge row of hazel.
ReplyDeleteI seem to find my mouth watering most times I visit your blog! :)
ReplyDeleteA nice day down on the south coast too. They are forecasting a bit of settled weather and I have my fingers crossed. Off to Minehead with children and grandchildren for a week. First holiday we have had during term time in 40+ years. Retired teacher husband and children too young for school yet. Really looking forward to it. I will be on the lookout for some nice fabric shops, if I am allowed. There are none where I live and I have to buy online.
ReplyDeleteWow those blackberries look enormous, very juicy and delicious I am sure, as are the nuts! xx
ReplyDeleteLovely foraged food, Pam. I had a walk into the village this morning but there is nothing to be had down the lane. I think I need to widen my search!
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