Blossom means fruit
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Hedgerow food | 3 comments
Driving down to Essex this morning, I was enjoying the May (Hawthorn) blossom, the blue skies and sunshine, when I suddenly realised we are just on the brink of all blossom bursting out in the hedgerows. Most of this blossom will turn into fruit which in its turn can be picked for fruit gin, wine, jelly, chutney and jam.
Blossom is much easier to spot in the hedgerows than fruit. As I purred along at the wheel of a companionable Jalopy, I suddenly realised that if I can identify the blossom of the fruit I particularly like, I can easily find new hunting grounds to add to my autumn picking trips. And all from the luxury of a heated Jalopy. It’s best to avoid major roads if you are going to try this. Hedgerows in country lanes are less polluted. Even better, make a note of fruit for the future on your walks.
Tomorrow morning I’m going to check my favourite wild fruit trees in the village to see if they are flowering. Once they are blossoming, it will be easy to spot similar specimens on my travels. I need to keep my foraging notebook by my side. The autumn is a long way away and it’ll be easy to forget exactly where I noticed sloe, bullace and wild damsons in flower. May blossom is one of the earliest to appear so it may be a few weeks before I can identify the flowers of my favourite hedgerow fruit.
Last autumn, most of the fruit for our concoctions was free. Donated by hedgerows that were heavy with fruit. All our demijohns were full of fermenting wine so we only needed fruit for our preserves and fruit gin. Generally, 5-6 lbs of fruit makes a gallon of country wine. This year, with a bit of canny research and mapping over the next few weeks, the hedgerows should produce all the fruit that we need and more.
My mum gave me a large pocket edition of Richard Mabey’s Food for Free
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I am really getting the hang of this foraging business after regretably letting myself lapse from childhood. Hubby & I have decided to gather together a foraging kit – stout hooked walking stick for reaching, a pair of secataurs for snipping elderberries & flowers, a notebook & pen to remind us where (& what) fruit is available, ourcopy of Richard Mabeys book for identification, camera for when the book doesn’t help, wellies, long sleeved top & jogging bottoms for protection from thorns etc & a pair of gardening gloves for same. Have we gone overboard? lol.
All the extended family have been roped in to save jars & bottles with the promise of a hamper of home-made goodies for Christmas. Just hope I can deliver :o)
I’ve not heard the word Myrobalan before, Rosemary. I think these are what I call wild plums. There are lots growing in this area. They make superb plum chutney.
I must admit I find it difficult to differentiate between the different blossom when it comes to wild damson, wild plum and sloe.
Hawthorn just coming into blossom now 21st April, this blossom was blackthorn which later on has sloes as its fruit,divine for sloe gin,watch the spines.Blackthorn is always the first out,hence the term ‘blackthorn winter’Myrobalan is the next one to blossom in the hedgerow,has small red or gold plums which are so sweet to eat raw when ripe,a close relation of this is the bullace which is best made into jam or wine.