COWDRAY FORAGING
Wild Guide No.2 SUMMER
This booklet contains illustrations and descriptions for you to use as a quick field guide.
George suggests starting with one common plant or fungi to practise your identification techniques on.
He recommends that you always verify against three or more resources (See back for more resources).
General caution
Be aware of any environmental contaminants, pick from clean spaces and wash and boil when necessary.
Never eat anything unless you are 100% sure of its ID.
This guide is to help you on your foraging journey.
beef steak fungus
Latin name
Fistulina Hepatica.
Description
Tongue to liver shaped semicircular bracket which starts bulbous when young and then flattens with age. Red or red/ pink/brown. Usually moist or sticky. When young the pores on the underside of the bracket are white but stain with touching and age to a pink/brown. Flesh is moist when cut and looks very similar to steak, white veins can also be present within the flesh contributing to its meat like appearance.
Habitat
Grows on living or dead Oak or Sweet chestnut trees.
Edibility
This fungus has a slightly acidic taste like mild lemon but this can vary depending on the host tree and age. Best cooked in a cream sauce to help balance the acidity.
Available
Between July - Oct (can be slightly early or later depending on the weather in the season).
Possible confusion
This fungus is difficult to mistake with anything else in the UK as it has pores not gills and distinguishing meat-like flesh making it a good safe first mushroom. It should also be growing off a host tree alive or dead, not from the soil.
pineapple weed
Latin name
Matricaria discoidea {Asteracea family}.
Description
A low growing summer plant its leaves are pinnately dissected and have a feathery, chamomile like appearance. Its flowers look like daisies but without petals, when crushed the flower heads release a distinctive sweet pineapple like aroma.
Edibility
Although the whole plant is edible the best flavour is in the pollen, so to extract harvest flower heads and steep in water, sugar or any other carrier to capture its delicate aroma and flavour.
Available
Best time to harvest is between July–August.
Possible confusion
Possible to confuse this for chamomile, pineapple weed and may flower, however all are edible and easy to differentiate once in flower.
Latin name
Plantego Major {Plantaginaceae family}.
Description
This plant is a wonderful medicinal and edible herb, known in eastern Europe as ‘grandmothers plaster’. It has spade shaped ribbed leaves and a flowering spike that protrudes from the center.
Edibility
Best eaten raw is the newly emerged leaf or flower head. Although all parts can be eaten cooked. Taste is strong and is a bit like a nutty mushroom.
Available
Leaves all year, young leaves March–May flower spikes July–September.
Possible confusion
This is a pretty common and distinctive plant with its ribbed leaves and flower spike so difficult to mistake.
Medicinal Uses
This plant has antihistamine qualities so is great at reducing inflammation and irritation from bites and stings. It also has antibacterial and antifungal benefits so can be used to dress wounds as well as eaten to help with a range of issues.
Latin name
Achillea Millefolium {Asteracea Family}.
Description
This plant grows in abundance in grassy verges and lawns. It grows from rhizomes so forms clumps when found and spread across an area. The leaves are feather like and have been lent the name millefolium (1000 leaves).
Edibility
All parts can be eaten cooked and raw.
Available
Leaves from Jan–June flowers July–September.
Possible confusion
Can be confused with camomile, pineapple weed or may flower, however all are edible and easy to differentiate once flowered.
Be Aware
This plant has astringent effects so can dry the mouth and be bitter if picking leaves when flowering.
