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Newcastle Under Lyme
Staffordshire
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If you’re quick… crab apples and damsons are o

If you’re quick… crab apples and damsons are on the trees!

Fermented crab apple and damson chutney

I posted this recipe in 2020. It’s still a favourite so I thought I’d share it again, as I made it 10 days or so ago and it tastes amazing with cheese on a cracker.

Damsons have a delicious tang and so did these crabapples..

Takes just 2 days to be ready and a little time in the fridge to meld the flavours.

This is quick and easy to do..

2-3 cups damsons destoned
1 cup peeled and chopped crabapple
1 small red or yellow onion diced
1/2 chilli or more if you like a kick
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 cup of raisins or (dried damsons)
1/4 cup sauerkraut brine (or ginger bug) I used a lemon sauerkraut and it worked a treat.
1 lemon juice and brine
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sugar
(1 tsp salt if using ginger bug and to taste if using brine)

Mix all ingredients well in a bowl.

Pack it all into a jar and as there is not such a great amount of liquid (add a little unchlorinated water if needed) and as it’s a 2 day ferment, I’ve used a zip lock bag with brine in to keep the ferment submerged. (I’m not a fan of plastic, but these bags work well for this and the bag can be reused for something else)

Keep the jar at room temperature. Taste your chutney after 2 days 😋 Lots of flavour. Pop in the fridge to slow the fermentation down.
Lasts 2 weeks to a month. Fresh, alive and delicious! Enjoy! 💚 🍏

#fermenteddamsons #damsons #crabapple #fermentedamsonchutney #fermentedchutney #fermentedfooda #wildfood #freefood #chutney

What better way to spend a Sunday morning finding

What better way to spend a Sunday morning finding amazing fungi, foraging, enjoying the sunshine and exploring Keele, Staffordshire and stopping for a wild hot drink and a couple of wild snacks. We had Autumn fruit leathers, a pear and hogweed cake & an elderberry, apple and nettle hot drink & beef steak fungus marinaded jerky. We saw lots we could gather and some lovely surprises! Thanks to everyone that booked, you were great engaging budding foragers!

There’s lots out there to forage if you know how! If you have the urge to get out there why not gather some friends or family and get out with me or just head out together and work it out! Get some foraging books, use Facebook foraging, ask a forager. There’s blackberries, apples, plums, damsons, crabapples, rosehips to start off with..

#foraging #staffordshire #wildfood #freefood #nature #connection #community

Last minute! Foraging walk at Keele Www.wildpickl

Last minute! Foraging walk at Keele
Www.wildpickle.co.uk to book!
Sunday August 31st 10am

It is amazing what foods we have on our door step! And right now, before our plants finish for the year is time to get out there and explore and if you aren’t sure of what we have available to us then please book on to a walk with a forager so we can help you to identify some delicious free foods, Pick them safely and considerately to look after our environment and other fellow foragers and then I love to share how to take those foraged foods home and process and create some tasty foods with them.

“Field & Forage” This is a delve into the wo

“Field & Forage”

This is a delve into the world of preservation and fermented food, using what we have harvested from fields and hedgerow.

I can’t wait to take you through the flavours, the process, the history, science, the fascinating world of microbes and lactofermention through a hands on workshop and tasters to share what is possible, and all the know how to take away you in the form of a ready to ferment sauerkraut and the skills and inspiration to make more.

This is set in the lovely space of “The Mother & Crone Interiors” Glebe Farm, Astbury, nr Congleton.

#fermentation #fermentationworkshops #wildfood #harvest #realfood #staffordshire #cheshire #sauerkraut #lactofermentation #ferment

David Asher author of “Milk into Cheese” was o

David Asher author of “Milk into Cheese” was over from Canada and is running basic and next level traditional cheese making courses at The Rare Dairy, Whitchurch. It was fantastic to have had the day, as part of the 5 day course to learn how to make Camembert/brie.
I was in my happy place, ferment heaven!

It fills my cup that we have people sharing these important skills and keeping the old traditions alive. The attendees are inspiring clever fermenters.
I felt honoured to be there, to meet David and to provide the ferments for the meals each day 😊 🧀 🫙 🥬

#cheesemaking #cheese #rawmilk #traditionaltechniques #shropshire #whitchurch #rawcheese

Pickled Marsh Samphire (Salicornia europaea) Aft

Pickled Marsh Samphire (Salicornia europaea)

After heading for the Weish coast as soon as I landed from the Scottish, we gathered some coastal estuary greens for preserving as well as having fresh.

This is a quick recipe for this salt loving, crunchy marsh samphire also known as sea beans, glass wort, sea asparagus or pickle weed amongst other names.

The samphire was picked so that it was the succulent tips not the base of the plant that is woody and stringy and not so tasty.

300g of marsh samphire tips
500ml of white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar for wild biome friendly)
50g of sugar (or honey)
1 tsp of Alexander seeds (or peppercorns)
1 tsp of wild fennel seeds
Use typical pickling spices if you like. I used toasted spignel for another batch inspired by @markwildfood

Wash the samphire in salty water & drain.
Boil the vinegar liquor for 3/4 minutes. Then cool.
Blanche the samphire in boiling water for 1 minute and then plunge into cold water straight after. Drain off for a few minutes.
Pack the samphire in sterilised glass jars. I use 300ml jars. Top up with the cooled vinegar liquid.
Use parchment paper if using metal lids, seal up the jar with non metallic lid.

I leave for a week or so for flavours to meld before adding these to dishes like sushi, with fish, with feta and crackers etc. Always use a clean fork when serving and enjoy! Have you pickled samphire and what’s your favourite spices to add?

#seasamphire #seabeans

I fulfilled a dream I’ve had for a long time to

I fulfilled a dream I’ve had for a long time to sea kayak to some Scottish isles. I started kayaking in 2017 with this goal in mind 😊

This was a club trip and one that set off from Arisaig across to Eigg, around Eigg to Rum for a couple of days and back to Eigg and then the main land in 120km or so. We beat the weather back. Challenging in places but still one of the best experiences I’ve had! I learnt so much but one thing was that I had the stamina to paddle conditions I didn’t expect I could for a sustained time.

We saw dolphin pods, a little puffin family, seals, eagles, wild ponies, deer, little goats and more midges than I could count 😂 The scenery was stunning! And we get to see the landscape from a totally different perspective.

Here’s to many more adventures!

Very much looking forward to running a seakayaking & foraging day trip with @skukadventures 9th August! Contact @skukadventures to book if you can paddle and fancy it? 🩵

#seakayaking #kayaking #foraging #scotland #eigg #rum #innerhebrides

Feels so good to be by the coast again. This time

Feels so good to be by the coast again. This time the Scottish coast, #arisaig for a 7 day sea kayaking expedition to Eigg, Rum & Muck.

Post @wildbiomeproject has actually been a huge adjustment back. It’s been too impractical to stay mostly eating wild food, which I would have liked. My body was so much happier on plentiful wild food. But grabbing some sorrel here, a little seaweed there, a rose petal on top as been just enough to keep feeling connected and eating what I need. Avoiding ultra processed foods is hard but preferred.

Embarking on a journey away from shops required some processed foods. I have gone for the less processed the better. I have home made fruit leathers from fruit from last year, homemade granola with activated nuts, seeds, buckwheat groats, dried bilberries, dried plums and coconut chips, chestnut puree for an energy source & energy balls. With meals I have sauerkraut and wild garlic kimchi which don’t need a fridge.

I have roasted dandelion root coffee, lots of meals with mackeral, sardines and cheese (I’ve introduced just cheese in limited doses back in) I have dehydrated courgettes and kale chips and then things salami and pre cooked quinoa, puy lentils and some black beans. We need some meals that can be eaten cold (midge and rain dictated which we will have lots of both!)

We need lots of energy snacks so I have some naked bars for my buoyancy aid for quick snacks.
Hopefully this all fits in my sea kayak!

#arisaig #smallisles #sauerkraut #kimchi #balance #energy #seakayaking #seakayak #nigeldenniskayaks #scotland #dreamlifestyle #seaweed #foraging

Can you believe this is Wales! Off the coast of An

Can you believe this is Wales! Off the coast of Anglesey to be precise. An incredible stunning day! I adore foraging and this is my other love.. seakayaking!

I’m collaborating with @skukadventures foraging and seakayaking in August. If you paddle do you fancy coming out with us?!

Check out @skukadventures to book! 🩵 🌊
#seakayaking #foraging #seaweed #coastal #seakyakingadventures #anglesey #wales #romanysurf

We did it! 3 months of just eating wild food! Wh

We did it! 3 months of just eating wild food!

What a challenge! It’s been the toughest challenge I’ve taken on but so worth it for everything experienced. I’m honoured to have had the privilege to participate in this, I’m incredibly grateful for all the support from all who donated for the gut microbiome tests, bloods etc and for all that supported during the project. It’s been life changing in many ways.

Huge thanks for @monicawilde for creating this @wildbiomeproject and for all it means in terms of the bigger picture in research and future food sources, in times of climate change and food security, for sources of nutrition.I’ve never felt better!!!

There is so much to say about this project that I’ll share in the days to come!

Summer ferments! Quick and bubbly!! We have str

Summer ferments!
Quick and bubbly!!

We have strawberry & rose kimchi, rat tail pod radish kimchi, rhubarb kimchi - these are all fast fun ferments that literally take a couple of days or so to ferment & serve!

Simple summer ferments are a hit like dilly gooseberries, cherry bomb tomatos & carrot sticks with elderflower💚

Take what we have grown & can forage and save it for later, can’t wait!! 🌿 What do you have on the go?! What would you like to ferment?!

#kimchi #summerkimchi #fermentedgooseberries #fermentedrhubarb #rhubarbkimchi #tang #wildferments #wildpickle

Day 78 Today’s breakfast I couldn’t fish fo

Day 78
Today’s breakfast

I couldn’t fish for all my own fish during @wildbiomeproject living 2.5 hrs from the coast. We caught some Dog fish, mackerel, whiting, 1 razor clam and had lots of experience of going fishing and not catching any! 🤣

When sourcing fish from the supermarket, I’m looking for line caught not trawler and wild not farmed fish & ethical suppliers. There is such a limited selection compared to what is actually available on our coastline. I just don’t understand why we aren’t eating what we have available on our own shores. We have some incredible seafood. Most of the good seafood is shipped abroad.

This cod was on offer and a treat, it’s blitzed it with some egg, chestnut flour, sea kale ferment, mint, fat hen, sumac (to get my lemon flavour) liquid smoke @halenmon, smoked salt, crushed Alexander seeds, sweet fennel seed powder. This was blitzed and made into patties, dipped in egg and acorn flour & cooked in venison tallow.

Served with ice plant gherkin pickle & a salad of herb Robert, sorrel, fat hen, rose, calendula flower (self seeded) with black currant apple cider vinegar and hazelnut oil dressing.

Actually feel full & it wasn’t bad!
Less than 2 weeks to go to the end! Do you fancy doing the next Wildbiome Project or eating more wild food? 🙂💚🌿🌱

#wildbiomeproject #wildfood #eatwildfood

Day 77 Wildbiome Project. I’m nearing the end of

Day 77 Wildbiome Project. I’m nearing the end of 3 months of eating just wild food @wildbiomeproject.
Seasonally greens have become harder to forage in land as many have gone to seed or flower and coastal greens are where it’s at. Due to needing to be home I haven’t managed to get to the coast so I’m reliant on local greens. That’s things like fat hen and sorrel that are high in oxalates so we can’t go mad on them. Some young flowers of hogweed, many coated in green fly (meh! Although extra protein I guess!) Fruits are starting to arrive so they are welcome. Feral gooseberries and some wild strawberries (know of any big patches let me know please! 😜) or cherries 🍒
I’m finishing stores of nuts. I was very grateful for some British acorn flour by Fergus Drennan. I have lots of wild boar, rabbit, hare and venison still and less eggs now. So this is the hunger gap and as hunter gatherers we would have been on the coast. I feel drawn there if I can get there!
The @britishwildfoodfestival was wonderful with many wildbiomers sharing food like feral rhubarb, rosehip puree, lots of wild coastal ferments, an amazing 8 course wild food meal, some pemmican with bee pollen in, a seabuckthorn cookie, some acorn jelly, so I was topped up with love, food, hugs. connection and I am so grateful to everyone’s generousity!
Back at home I’ve made vension stock and had mushroom soup with dryads saddle, lots of venison or boar with cooked veg and a ferment. Some eggs, some chestnut porridge and frozen fruits, lots of ferments flower sodas.
Continued in comments 💚🌿🌱

Perhaps one of my most engaged workshops in terms

Perhaps one of my most engaged workshops in terms of questions and really getting to know lacto fermentation and creating tasty ferments & what’s possible.Thanks to everyone that came along. Very grateful to be able to share what I have learnt. Thanks @rodehall @rodehallfarmersmarket for having me. The cosy stable cafe and the fire lit is just what we needed on a rainy day! 🔥

#sauerkraut #kilner #fermentationworkshops #live #unpasteurised #fermentedfoods

It’s actually Day 62 on the @wildbiomeproject. W

It’s actually Day 62 on the @wildbiomeproject. We have 1 month to go!!

Having just finished a tasty dish of dog fish (or also called rock salmon, which sounds much nicer!), with sumac, fennel & seabuckthorn, on a bed of seabeet and sorrel & lactofermented wild garlic with a little reed mace. I feel good! I really enjoyed my dinner. I can’t say that’s always been the case on this project 😂😅 But today’s was a keeper and very welcome 🐟

I felt I had honoured the dog fish that we caught last year off the coast of Anglesey. That was important to me and has been for all the meat that has been sourced for this project. It’s brought me so much closer to my food supply. I feel very differently about my food, in ways I can’t articulate fully but I feel more respect, much more gratitude to the animals that lives have sustained me. And grateful for the greens, seaweeds, fruit, nuts and mushrooms. It’s taken time and effort to collect the ingredients in too whether by me or by wonderful supportive friends.

I’ve realised I don’t need as much volume of food as I did on a western diet, but the food we are all consuming on the project is so much more nutrient dense, so I think my body is satisfied with less. The desire to over eat is not there. The feelings of wanting to snack later aren’t there. It’s changed my relationship with food. I’m not reaching for snacks like I would my chocolate or other food crutches to fix my feelings, make me feel better.

It is still tough and I have days with zero enthusiasm for cooking having spent 3 hours foraging or working and others when I am. So I’m rolling with it!

The other photos are food from the last couple of days chestnut, damson and magnolia cake
Seabuckthorn juice
Fat hen, chickweed wilted with egg and wild garlic kimchi with myrtle berries and other tasty ingredients.
Cookies with blackberries & ladies mantle tea.
Green figs and salted cod and various greens
Various fermented blossom sodas.

I had the stock & veg left from a vension shank stew for breakfast and lunch, a piece of chestnut and damson cake and seabuckthorn juice and pineapple weed tea.

Thanks again for all your support! 🙂💚
#wildbiomeproject

Another day of planting @ymcans with thanks @earth

Another day of planting @ymcans with thanks @earthsystemsarchitecture, @oatcakewizard Liz Perry. So pleased to see this coming together! 🌿

The plan is to have enough herbs and perennials for local community and residents to help themselves to and to keep the beds going to become established and abundant 🌿

We’ve mostly planted plants in individual beds so we can help to educate and provide enough for picking for use 🌿

#freefood #freshherbs #flavour #nutrition #staffordshire #ymcanorthstaffordshire

A fabulous day coastal foraging with lovely Lisa @

A fabulous day coastal foraging with lovely Lisa @eduliswildfood and a lovely group of people. So fortunate to gather a range of foods to sustain us from a variety of coastal landscapes whilst on the @wildbiomeproject and to meet and eat together!

We also briefly meet up with @foragingforages & @launderjesper for some cosy warm chill time by a tent stove and have some damson crumble after a wind swept night and day!

Meeting up with likeminded souls and people, eating and chatting together on the Wildbiome is such an uplifting experience and lifts me for days! 💙 🌊 🦀🪸

We had laver breads which I added soaked oyster mushroom & some lactofermented sea leek to, we had haddock and smoked mackeral fish cakes with fresh sea leek, and wild garlic, coastal greens, sorrel and fennel, pendulous sedge crackers, acorn crackers with dried plum, rosehip seed flour and plantain seeds, a and smoked mackerel pate with fennel and creamed hazelnut. We had some amazing venison steaks with fat on them from the autumn which were amazing with laver breads on the first night. We drank fermented rose, blackberry and mulberry drink and birch sap and lots of herbal tea like ground ivy. Food fit for queens! 😉 Days like these are amazing!
#wildbiomeproject #wildfood #coastalforaging #anglesey

Day 52 of the Wildbiome Project, out foraging this

Day 52 of the Wildbiome Project, out foraging this evening wild garlic seeds and flower stalks. The last of the season!
I’d like to eek out the season a little longer if I can. The dry season has sped things up alittle across many plants. Nettles for example are mostly in flower. Which drives thoughts of what we will eat for wild food when these plants have got tough, bitter and gone to seed. What next?! 💚

#wildbiomeproject #wildfoodonly #eatwildfood #wildfood #nutrition

Come and join me in the heart of Staffordshire for

Come and join me in the heart of Staffordshire for a beautiful foraging walk on the Whitmore Estate Bank Holiday Monday 26th May 1pm to 4pm. Beautiful lakes, gardens, semi ancient woodland and a lovely afternoon in nature!

Please book through my website www.wildpickle.co.uk

I will be over half way through the Wildbiome Project of just eating wild food and look to sharing a little of that with you and this stunning landscape and the wild food we can forage 💚

#staffordshire #foraging #wildbiomeproject #wildfood #edibles #freefood #whitnorehall

Day 37 @wildbiomeproject . The plate won’t win

Day 37 @wildbiomeproject .

The plate won’t win prizes for presentation but I feel great, sustained & nourished. This is from food foraged in the last couple of days and a small deer that I had help with butchering last week.

Breakfast was mackeral with some of the reed mace salad.

I have venison steak, reed mace salad, with rose, ladies smock, dandelion petals, 3 cornered leek, and ground ivy dressing. A wild garlic and spruce tip pesto with hazelnuts and lacto wild garlic and wild fermented chimchurri style ferment with mint, three cornered leek, hog weed shoots and ground ivy.

I scoffed some venison tallow, seabuckthorn seed and chestnut biscuits with honey and lots of magnolia powder in them to give a gingery feel to them. I had been saving these and now need to make some more! I couldn’t resist these this afternoon (quite possibly as I have a lot of manky admin to do!)

Balancing creativity with work, and family responsibilities ain’t easy! So I’ve had a few grab what i. I can and have quick made food like this for a few days.

Other food I’ve had recently has been
Marinaded venison heart kebabs which were delicious
(These I marinaded in cep broth, ground ivy acv, honey, magnolia, few cornered leek bulbis and wild garlic flowers whizzed up with some Alexander seed and salt for seasoning)
Dryads saddle & ceps omelette
Wild mushroom pate - chanterelles, oyster mushroom and ceps.

The last few days I’ve had fermented rosebay willow herb tea and loved it! Need to make more!
So far so good 😃I just need to remember to raid my own stores for food and keep expanding my range of wild food! 💚 thanks again for all your support!

#wildfood #freefood #wildbiomeproject

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Newhouse Farm
Acton
Newcastle Under Lyme
Staffordshire
ST5 4EE

emma@wildpickle.co.uk

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