Foraging can be an excellent way to top up your regular diet with local foods that are high in nutrients, minerals and flavour. It can also be an engaging and exciting hobby.
However, it is important to practice sustainability – some plants like ramps and white sage are already at risk of overharvesting. Check out Bushcraft for more information.
Basics
Foraging isn’t as easy as just hopping out into the woods and collecting whatever you can find. It involves proper identification, understanding what makes a plant or mushroom edible, and learning about the habitats they grow in.
There are many guides, books and online tools that can help foragers learn their craft. However, nothing replaces hands-on guidance from a knowledgeable forager. This can prevent people from ingesting plants and mushrooms that are toxic.
Foraging is a fun way to get outdoors, learn about your environment, and create tasty, nutritious food. It can also be a way to make extra money or provide a unique team-building activity for businesses or organizations.
Seasons
Each season presents a different set of wild foods to explore. For example, in spring you’ll learn about spicy mustard greens, edible flowers and seasonal tonics. In fall, you’ll find root vegetables and harvest berries.
It’s also helpful to find a community of foragers, whether in person or online. Look for a mycological society, herbalist guild or foraging instructor group that’s right for you.
Rowan University Assistant Professor Daniel Duran leads a course that blends lab work to identify wild plants and field experiences on campus and in the local community. He also incorporates shinrin yoku, or forest bathing, to help students connect with the land and its inhabitants.
Plants
Using plants as food, medicine and building materials is a practice that goes back thousands of years. Many modern foragers make a living by supplying restaurants or promoting their skills on social media.
It is important to forage sustainably. Only take portions of a plant that are in season, and never take the only edible parts – the plant isn’t putting energy into the flowers or roots if they are going to be eaten!
While it is possible to learn from blogs and identification books, the greatest peace of mind and quickest success comes from learning with an experienced teacher. Foraging is a fun, rewarding hobby that connects you with nature and helps you cut down on your reliance on unsustainable ingredients.
Mushrooms
Mushroom hunting is a passionate pursuit that can connect you with the natural world in a very personal way. Whether you want to use mushrooms for culinary adventures or medicinal purposes, mushroom foraging will open up a whole new world of possibilities.
Many experienced mushroom foragers won’t share their favorite mushroom hunting spots with beginners. This is because it takes years to know where certain fungi thrive.
Beginners should start by reading “How to forage without dying” and exploring online resources like the Mushroom Exam website. Eventually, you’ll build up enough confidence to use a field guide with caution. However, be sure to never eat any mushrooms that you haven’t identified with 100% certainty.
Trees
Foraging isn’t just about gathering and eating wild foods, it’s also about understanding nature. That includes learning about the trees around you.
Trees don’t exist in isolation, and they form intimate relationships with herbaceous plants, fungi, and animals. Understanding those relationships is vital to foraging safely and sustainably.
While foraging for edible and medicinal plants is a skill that takes time to master, it is relatively low risk for novices, provided they follow general protocols like not eating anything they’re unsure of. Foraging classes can be found in many parks and forests around the country. However, if you’re looking for a more immersive experience, consider attending a class taught by a guide.
Drinks
Adding fresh, wild ingredients can give drinks a unique twist. They can also be eco-friendly, reducing ingredient miles and supporting sustainable living.
It can be a great way to get kids excited about cooking and nature. It can also be a fun alternative to buying store-bought herbs and spices.
Foraging has a bucolic image but it can happen in urban and suburban areas too. It’s all about knowing what you’re looking for and balancing that with ethical considerations so you aren’t damaging the ecosystem. (The new term for this is ‘wildcrafting’.) Just be careful you don’t pick something toxic. For example, cherry blossom has cyanogenic glucosides so should only be eaten in small quantities and not picked from private property without permission.