What to forage in May in the UK
May is a wonderful time for foraging, the green wild fire of nature is verdant and lush and there is plenty to find. Here are just a few of my favourite things to forage in May.
Beech leaves
Fagus Syvatica
At this time of the year, when Beech leaves are still young, tender and slightly translucent they are a delicious wild green to use as a base for salads. Their flavour is sweet and slightly tart once chewed. They are one of my favourites at this time of the year, but catch them before they turn to tough - a good way to know if they’ve gone too far is to hold one close to your ear and rub it between your fingers, if it makes a rustling/crispy sound, it’s too mature to eat.
To identify a Beech tree, look for smooth grey trunks with some folds/wrinkles - I think they look a bit like elephant’s legs! The leaves are ovate and have very straight uniform veins, almost like concertina folds. If you look closely, you’ll also notice that they have some very fine hairs all the way along the leaf margin.
Another wonderful thing to do with Beech leaves is to make a Beech Noyau, a deliciously sweet, herby, nutty liqueur made by steeping the leaves in gin for three weeks before adding brandy and sugar syrup.
Common Hogweed flower buds
Heracleum sphondylium
Common Hogweed flower bud
These make a delicious side green when cooked up in a little olive oil with salt and pepper, or sauteed in butter. At this time of the year Hogweed flowers are still just forming and have not yet burst from the sheath which encapsulates them. This makes them a wonderful pre-wrapped bundle of wild green to feast on. The flavour of Hogweed is difficult to describe and best tasted for yourself! But, before you chow down on this wonderful wild green be sure you have made a definite ID, common hogweed has a big, bad cousin which you may have heard of - Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)
Giant Hogweed leaves (Image from King County.gov)
Blotched stem of giant hogweed (Image from King County.gov)
Giant hogweed is toxic and can cause serious burns and blisters. There are a few key features to look out for as seen in the pictures: Giant hogweed has blotching on the stem, aggressive needle-like hairs and the leaves are more jagged. Once it has grown to some level of maturity it’s easy to tell the difference thanks to the size difference - common hogweed won’t grow higher than 2 meters, whereas giant hogweed can grow up to 5 meters tall. However at this time of the year both plants are still immature and could cause some confusion. Take your time to get to know common hogweed as there can be slight variations in leaf shape.
Spruce tips
Picea
Fresh Spruce tips
You may not have been aware that Spruce tips are edible, but not only are they edible - they are delicious and high in vitamin C! They can be eaten raw or cooked and have a wonderful citrusy flavour. I like to eat them as they are straight off the tree, but they are great added to salads or made into a refreshing tea. I also really like to make Spruce soda with them, simply by mixing sugar (3 tablespoons) and warm water (1 pint) and pouring over a 1ltr jar, full of spruce tips and leaving the wild yeasts to do their thing for between 2-5 days. Spruce is identified by its needles, which have 4 sides and can be rolled easily between your fingers, the needles also grow all the way around the stem, a bit like a toilet brush and they are connected to the branches with woody attachment. You can also eat pine and fir tips in the UK, but be careful to avoid the toxic yew tree which can be lethal if ingested.
Bramble shoots
Rubus fruticosus
Peeling the thorns from the stem
Often, by May the tasty little bramble leaf buds have opened up and are no longer good for munching, they can still be used to make tea, but our focus now turns to the fresh green shoots with their supple newly formed thorns. Collect a few of these bright green lengths and then find a sunny spot to sit and gently peel away the skin and young thorns with a knife. What you are left with is a floral, fresh tasting succulent stem which can be chopped up and added to salads, pickled or soaked in sugar syrup for a sweet treat.