Crop status for foragers in Sussex.

[eurorider]

Ok...first thing.....

Sorry if this is a repeat post or in the wrong place. This is my first post on this site and repeated searches have failed to find the information I am after anywhere else.

I love to forage in sussex and I know of many places and locations of fruit trees/shrubs and bushes where I can collect wild food for free. I am happy to share this knowledge, hopefully in return for more foraging locations.

However, even more important to me is to know the state of the crop for wild fruit.

For example : Last year, the sloe crop was fantastic. Apples were mediocre and pears rotted before ripening. Wild plums were plentiful and juicy.

However, least week I went to a couple of my favourite spots to see how things were progressing and I am very unhappy to note that NOT ONE sloe tree had any fruit on it.
However, the apple trees are loaded with good sized and relatively disease free fruit.
Pear trees were totally barren of fruit.
Plums were sporadic.
Blackberries - large and ready now.

IS there already a forum for this type of information swap ? Or is this a good place to start it ?

Any info or comments gratefully received !!

Thanks

Alan

[naturegirl]

Hi Alan and welcome to WAB!

I too, love to forage whenever possible. I make my own wine from the fruits of nature (and cheapies from shops).

There is a cherryplum tree in my village and last year it had loads of fruit but this year is barren?

I live in Kent near the south coast so not too far from you. I have noticed the lack of sloes this year too. I think this is just Mother nature doing her own 'thing' in response to current trends of weather etc.

I'm sure that other people on here will enjoy this thread and pop by to say hello too.

Naturegirl

[deer boy]

Hi Alan welcome to WAB hope you enjoy

With prices going up perhaps more people are going out foraging, there for taking all the fruit.

A question i have is what about the wildlife that rely on nuts & fruit if more & more people start to take from natures larder what will happen to the wildlife

[djackso]

I think we tend to eat more palatable fruits and leave the hips and haws, and also any fruit too high up to eat. It's amazing how easily apples, blackberries etc can spring up in hedgerows, naturally. And most people where I live (in London) completely ignore this "wild" fruit - I imagine people are just too afraid of what might have "peed" on the fruit to consider eating it. At the moment, I don't think we need worry.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by djackso

I think we tend to eat more palatable fruits and leave the hips and haws, and also any fruit too high up to eat. It's amazing how easily apples, blackberries etc can spring up in hedgerows, naturally. And most people where I live (in London) completely ignore this "wild" fruit - I imagine people are just too afraid of what might have "peed" on the fruit to consider eating it. At the moment, I don't think we need worry.

there is also the question of traffic fumes in urban areas.

mind you where i used to work in milton keynes they had a large "community orchard" specifically aimed at encouraging locals to "forage"

i will definitely be brambling ,crab appling, and elder berrying this autumn - get that jam pan ready

does anyone have any thoughts on whether you can do anything sensible with beech mast ?

(btw in answer to euroriders question , we have a feildsports and bushcraft forum which is probably the best place for this kind of thread - no need to start a new one tho as a passing mod will probably move this over in due course)

[tufftie]

I moved from Sussex earlier this year but noticed both the wild strawberries and raspberries had little fruit last year...the wilding apples were just as bad...and thinking about it so were the blackberries!! The sloes were good though.
There's quite a few woody places in East Sussex where you can find ransoms

[tufftie]

Beech masts I've heard are good toasted and they can also be used for oil..they always seem a bit fiddly to me?

[Cheryl]

Funnily enough I've just orderd a "Food for Free" book - saw some sloes the other day but they wern't ready to pick just yet. Picked my first blackberries yesterday although I've seen them ready for picking a week or so ago. Don't think I'd feel very confident about picking wild mushrooms

I regularly walk where there are bilberries - I've never seen anyone else picking them and feel a bit self-conscious to be the first

I was listening to something on the radio the other day about harvesting snails from your garden- I have eaten snails in the past but think all the effort involved in harvesting and purging your own probably outweighs any enjoyment from eating them

[tufftie]

If you're picking sloes for gin - you can pick them as soon as they are dark purple but it makes them taste better if you put them in the freezer for a while before using them. Don't mistake them for blackcurrants though and put them in muffins!!