Blueberries, elderberries, my frozen blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries and of course blackberries have all needed my attention recently. I have been making so many berry based thing,  jams, preserves, liquers, cakes etc, the list goes on.

It is greatly satisfying using/producing from ‘natures larder.’ I was in Waterstones on Friday and came across a great little book on foraging for food. It was too expensive to buy but I might try and borrow something similar from the library. I have a reasonable knowledge of plant identification and I am trying to continuously learn more.

This summer/autumn I have been really focusing on the plants surrounding us all in the city and countryside. I am amazed at how when I really look around there is so much food that nature is producing for us that we leave untouched.

Foodbanks are under huge strain to feed people. Tins of processed food are flying off supermarket shelves and people say they do not have enough money to ‘eat healthy’. The cost of fruit and veg is too much. Vitamin deficiencies are rife and people are getting sick from their diets lacking in fresh produce. Yet round the corner from my house is a MASSIVE apple tree absolutely drooping with fruit that is left untouched. Now I am obviously not suggesting that everyone should be foraging for their food – that would be laughable and completely unrealistic. What I am suggesting though is that we realise that mass produce farming methods and supermarket shopping is not the be all and end all. It is not the only way to eat and live. What if during each season we challenge ourselves to go outside and forage for one or two things to eat, the way that nature intended us too. Lets not waste apples from huge trees, opting instead to grab GM apples from Asda.

I want to see what nature can provide me – food for free. In foraging we can connect  with our primal nature that most of us seem to have lost somewhere within the brightly lit aisles of our nearby supermarkets.

To my own shame I have to admit there is a corner of my garden that is crowded with stinging nettles. Oops. This week though I intend to eradicate them….and eat them. I’m going to make nettle soup. I made it years ago and it was surprisingly delicious. There are quite a few recipes online that are easy and tasty.