Foraging For Fruit
 

Morning guys,one of my many hobbies is foraging for fruit along the hedgerows of the very English country-side.
I pick blackberries,bilberrys,apples,plums,when they are in season,I was delighted this morning to come across a cherry tree laden with fruit,all just for the picking and for FREE, fresh and organic.
I tend to make pies and jam,a bit old fashioned,but there you go.

Does anyone know if there are fruits to pick from the wild in Spain,in particular around the Andalucia country-side.Im really going to miss this hobby if not...........:thumbup:

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Oh Jean :ohmy: you have just reminded me - last June we saw a group of mulberry trees (delicious fruit :)) and said we would go back this year to pick the fruit. Think we will be making a trip out to the place next week :thumbup:

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

I have not come across them before,have to google, are you coming over for a holiday then ??

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

The trees are very knarled and ancient looking, the fruit is like a cross between strawberries and raspberries, large and red and very juicy, but with no seeds. In fact, when you pick them you have to be careful as they are soft fruit and the juice runs down your hand and arm so you look like you have had a terrrible accident :lol: wear plastic gloves.


We have seen the trees in England but the ones I am referring to are in Spain, Guadalest.

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Iv just googled and this is what I found :

Mulberry (Morus) is a genus of 10–16 species of deciduous trees native to warm temperate and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa and North America, with the majority of the species native to Asia.

The closely related genus Broussonetia is also commonly known as mulberry, notably the Paper Mulberry Broussonetia papyrifera.

Mulberries are fast-growing when young, but soon become slow-growing and rarely exceed 10-15 m tall. The leaves are alternately arranged, simple, often lobed, more often lobed on juvenile shoots than on mature trees, and serrated on the margin. The fruit is a multiple fruit, 2-3 cm long. Mulberries begin as white to pale yellow with pink edges. They are red when ripening. A fully ripened mulberry is dark purple to black, edible, and sweet with a good flavor in several species

Im surprised you have found some here,Iv never seen them,I will look out for them in Spain,I will remember to take the gloves.......:thumb up:

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

They really are delicious in a pie :) We lived on the south coast, can't remember seeing them in the north of England. It's warmer down south ;)

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Just thought Jean - don't you mean whinberries - billberries is more of a southern name for them. :p We used to pick them every July back home - delicious!

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Jandy I buy a huge amount of books from these guys, they have loads of books on Spain, and I got 4 in yesterday about Spain, try them, the best advice I can give you is to get a really good reference book.

There are a few wild fruits out there, I will look some up and post them, but yeah, mulberries where you can find then, carob where it has escaped......

http://www.nhbs.com/

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Definitely bilberries, we go a drive into the Derbyshire dales for them,I used to pick them in abundance in Cheshire also......they make great jam :thumbup:

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Maybe whinberry is more of a Lancashire name for them. They are delicious - Ooohhh you've got my mouth watering now :p

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Thanks for the link,another in favorites.......Cheers

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Just down the road from you..oranges, lemons, nisperos ?, avocado's. pommegranets, they appear wild but watch out for the shotguns...!!

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Question about fruit or not? Have seen a lot of trees near us which seem to have a fruit(?) which is reddish in colour and is prickly like a conker. Anyone any ideas what tree it is?

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Lol It would be just my luck,stuck up a tree with a bullet in my arse :rofl::rofl:

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

:rofl::rofl: karma for that one Jean :lol:

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Yep they called Whinberries up here in Lancashire - my god - i aint had whinberry pie for ages - dont see many of them about now.
Love Sam

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Ahhh that's where the whinberries are, there is loads in the dales,we were there last year,Iv still some in the freezer,I refuse to buy them in the supermarket,have you seen what they charge for just a few measley berries in a pack :eek:I pick pounds of them ,mind you it is back-breaking work:ohmy:,I have to end up sitting down amongst the bushes to pick them,land up black and blue and looking a right state......but its worth it for a pie and a few pots of the jam

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Yeh we used to have loads of berries growing wild here when i was a kid but we are now that built up that all the old haunts have disappeared - shame coz i think its a treat that todays kids miss out on.
Love Sam

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

You not kidding,would you believe that last year I made some billberry jam,some plum jam and apple and ginger............took a few jars over to my daughters and she turned her flamin nose up at them......:mad: not shop bought :mad: or what......:frown:

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

You naughty girl....are you allowed to say arse on here...I have just got the picture in my minds eye now.......!!:rofl::rofl:

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Hi SueG...could be sweet Chestnuts, they look very similar to Horse chestnuts..Matt should know...

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Thanks will check out on internet. xx

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

If they are....free Chesnut stuffing...nice...put em in the freezer.

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Good idea - although looking on the net - the husks seem white and these are definitely a pinky red.

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Where's matt when you want him...typical..

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

:):rofl:

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Did you see these SueG...



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Chestnut

http://rfs.org.uk/thirdlevel.asp?Thi...SecondLevel=34

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

They keep well for months........Chestnut Puree : Shell and peel the chestnuts then boil them in a thin stock for about forty five minutes .Strain off the liquid,rub the nuts through a sieve,or mash them in a liquidiser.The resulting puree can be seasoned and used has a substitute for potatoes ,or for the basis of stuffings.............;)

You can also make them into flour that are supposed to be good in cakes and bread ............never tried them yet like.........:blink:

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

I have been looking through the list and found this book, its in Spanish but I'm sure you could translate a few of them.

http://www.nhbs.com/guia_de_las_plan...&tab_tag=album

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Thanks Oh Im SURE I could ...........:rofl:added to favorites anyway,browse later.........:thumbup:

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Yes thank you - not same colour but going out later to look at tree trunks!!!!!!!!

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Take a pic.

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

Hi SueG...did you get a picture or have you found out what it is..??.

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

And if it's edible we could go foraging together :D

Re: Foraging For Fruit
 

And if I take a pic wouldn't know how to upload the blessed thing!!! I might know a man who can though but we have visitors until Monday.