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Good eating at this time of year - May/June

Paul N

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Just a random selection of some of my favourites:
Dandelion
Nettle
Gorse flower
Hogweed (Common, not Giant)
Pennywort aka Navelwort
Common Sorrel
Wood sorrel
Three-cornered leek
Wild garlic
We all know that dandelions and nettles are edible. They both need a bit of processing to make them acceptable as food. Nettles can be treated like spinach and are just as nutricious.
Gorse flowers smell of coconuts when they have the sun shining on them, they don't taste of much but, when you think about it, neither does lettuce, and we eat that.
Hogweed is a favourite with many. The flower buds are picked and used in stews, or, once boiled, as a vegetable replacement for broccolli - for example. They have a mild aniseed taste, which personally I don't like - but many people rave about them.
Navelwort is common in the south, particular in Devon and Cornwall. It usually grows on shaded walls. It is distictive because the stem grows out of the centre of the leaf, forming what looks like a navel. It is the only plant to do this, so you cannot mistake it. It tastes of fresh, uncooked garden peas - a real joy in my estimation.
Common and wood sorrell have a very similar taste - a bit like apples peel. Very refreshing to the palate. Wood sorrel looks a bit like clover, with three leaves, but it grows in shaded woodland and is a lime green when it's young. As clover is also edible, if you make a mistake it won't hurt you. Common sorrel looks vaguely like docks but a lot small normally. You can tell the difference by examinining the bottom of the leaves. Common sorrel leaves end with two sharp points and are quite distinctive.
Three cornered leeks are a favourite of mine. They have white flowers, and leaves like a bluebell. However, the distinctive feature, and where it get its name, is the the stems of the flowerheads are triangular. This, and the distinctive oniony smell make them easy to identify.
Finally, wild garlic, every part is edible and the young leaves, or the flower buds, make a tasty snack. The smell makes it almost impossible to get wrong, but, one caution - wild arum lily sometimes grow amongst them so be aware of this. There are many recipes for wild garlic plants but one favourite of mine, is wild garlic pesto. Unfortunately the season for them is very short, and for many it is probably already over this year.
 
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Just a small word of caution about the hogweed, while it isn’t as bad as it’s larger cousin its sap reacts with sunlight to cause chemical blistering on your skin (photo toxicity). Wash your hands immediately after handling/preparing it and keep them away from your eyes.
Later in the year it’s seeds can be gathered, stored and ground to season meat.
 
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Just a small word of caution about the hogweed, while it isn’t as bad as it’s larger cousin its sap reacts with sunlight to cause chemical blistering on your skin (photo toxicity). Wash your hands immediately after handling/preparing it and keep them away from your eyes.
Later in the year it’s seeds can be gathered, stored and ground to season meat.
Very true. Some people are more prone to the effects than other. Surprisingly, it is also true of parsnips (same family) and my mother was allergic to them.
 
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