Foraging is a great way to get closer to nature along your local canals. Whether you’re new to foraging or an enthusiast, our towpaths are packed with edible plants to enjoy, says the Canal & River Trust.
SUMMER is one of the best times to try foraging for wild food, and getting out in the fresh air and enjoying some exercise is great for your health and wellbeing too.
Throw some local foraging into the mix and you could even be enjoying a berry smoothie at the end of the day to celebrate.
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The Canal & River Trust’s senior ecologist, Paul Wilkinson, explains some of the wild food you could find along our rivers and canals during the summer months.
Blackberries
When: August, September
There is nothing quite so satisfying as standing on the very tips of your toes, reaching for the highest, plumpest blackberry and carefully teasing it off the bush without squashing it.
Blackberries are superb as an ice-cream sauce, in crumbles and smoothies, or simply eaten freshly picked.
Elderberries
When: August, September
Packed full of vitamins, ripe elderberries are great for making juices.
Boiled with sugar and water, elderberry syrup has been used as a traditional remedy through the ages for coughs, colds and flu.
Do not eat elderberries raw, however, as they contain toxins which can make you ill.
Meadowsweet
When: June, July, August
Often found in wet or damp habitats, this lovely plant can be used to add flavour to jams, sauces and beverages.
Take particular care not to mistake it for water dropwort, which can also grow near the water’s edge.
Try adding a couple of meadowsweet flower heads and a drop of honey to a cup of hot water to create your own herbal brew.
Apples
When: September
Many an apple tree can be found along our towpaths.
New varieties can appear from discarded apple cores because trees grown from apple seeds do not necessarily produce fruit identical to the original variety.
Walk along the Great Canal Orchard between Birmingham and Wolverhampton and you can enjoy the many apple trees planted along the route.
Damsons
When: July, August
Often associated with old lock cottages, damsons can be found growing in back gardens or wild in hedgerows.
They provide fantastic fruit for eating fresh or using in jams, preserves and summer fruit drinks.
If you’re really lucky, you might also find the closely related greengage, with its green outer skin and yellow flesh.
Water mint
When: June, July, August
Water mint grows in and alongside canals and can be used much like other varieties of mint.
It has a pleasant taste and its fragrance is fantastic for attracting pollinators.
Pop some of the leaves into boiling water to make a refreshing herbal mint tea.
Horseradish
When: Spring through to autumn
Horseradish was introduced to Britain and is now firmly established along many of our canals.
Its leaves are tall and lush green, while the root provides the familiar hot, peppery flavour used in horseradish sauce.
Hazelnuts
When: Late August, September
Hazelnuts can be found on hazel trees growing in hedgerows and woodland alongside many waterways.
They begin to ripen from late summer into early autumn and can be eaten fresh once mature or taken home to dry.
Look out for nuts beginning to turn brown and starting to loosen from their leafy husks – but remember that squirrels and other wildlife rely on them too, so always leave plenty behind.
Foraging top tips
- Never pick anything you can’t confidently identify.
- Be mindful and don’t take more than you can eat.
- Wash your plants before eating them.
- Don’t pick anything by the roadside or close to areas where herbicide might have been used.
- Try a small amount of a plant before cooking with it to check your tolerance.
- Pick with care and avoid trampling other plants and local forage.
