Foraging and Wild Food Taster Course - Chester Sunday August 3rd 12:00

Course Tickets £8 adult £6 child. Email the below address to be added to the guest list and you will be given further details by email before the day, payment can be made in cash on the day.

Edenwildfood@gmail.com

This is an introduction to how to identify some of the edible wild plants that grow all around us. We will mainly be walking through the Meadows in Chester and up along the river where I will show you how to identify edible and medicinal plants, and give you some basic tips on how to use them as food or medicine. I will also point out poisonous look alikes and discuss responsible foraging. The course will last approx 90mins to 2hours, dress for the weather but please wear sensible shoes, you're welcome to take photos and make notes, dogs are welcome but must be kept under control. Any questions please ask.

Bilberry - The Forgotten Fruit

With the popularity of what I find to be mushy, bland, tasteless blueberries in the supermarket, its surprising so few people know about the Bilberry. The Bilberry (Vaccinium Myrtillus) also know as Blaeberry, Whortleberry, Wimberry, and European Blueberry is in every way superior to its cultivated namesake except in size.

The smaller, more intensely flavoured berries only grow on acid soils, on moors, heaths and some hilly woodland. This may explain why so few people are aware of them, as they aren't as abundant in the UK as they are in Sweden, where they cover up to 20% of the country.

Below is a link to the BRC Distribution map, showing the occurrence of Bilberry in the UK, this can give you an idea whether you're likely to have any near you.

BRC Distribution Map - Bilberry

These small berries can be tricky to pick in number depending on the year and how mature the plants are, and other environmental factors, I find its worth investing £10 or so in a berry picker such as in the photo below, which allows you to harvest with more efficiency. They can also be used on other types of berry and sloes etc. I collected 6 or 7lbs from my spot in North Wales over an hour of bimbling about the other day in the sunshine.

I prefer to eat my bilberries fresh, with yogurt, or topping other deserts or cereal, porridge etc, but they are also excellent cooked, whereas blueberries often just go a bit mushy.
They make one of the best home made wines and also jams, and can be used in place of blueberries in cakes and pies.

Below is a link to a Bilberry pie recipe I like and is fairly quick and easy to make. I tend to freeze any bilberries I cant eat right away, which is perfect if you plan to cook them.

Bilberry Pie Recipe

Bilberries, are super healthy. They help regulate your blood sugar and can help individuals with diabetes. They improve blood flow, aid in digestion and help prevent urinary tract infections and cystitis. They are also extremely high in vitamins and other nutrients we need to process our other foods.

So if you live near an area where bilberries grow, now is the season, get picking!