Tag: bilberries

Berry good eats: 12 easy & delicious recipes using your foraged summer berries

Berry good eats: 12 easy & delicious recipes using your foraged summer berries

The sun is shining, the birds are singing and the bushes are bursting with juicy, ripe berries! Summer foraging is such a joyful experience, letting you connect with nature while gathering a treasure trove of tasty ingredients; bilberries, wild raspberries, woodland strawberries and blackberries.

But now that your baskets are brimming with these little delights, what’s next? No need to stress – we’ve got your back! Here are 12 easy & delicious recipes to turn your foraged summer berries into unforgettable dishes.

Get ready to wow your friends and family (and yourself!) with these easy yet delightful recipes. From breakfast to dessert, there’s something here for everyone. Just remember to always positively identify your foraged berries before consuming them. When in doubt, throw it out!

Breakfast bliss

Berry overnight oats: This is a super simple breakfast you can whip up the night before. Just mix rolled oats, your choice of milk (dairy or non-dairy), chia seeds, some of those delicious fresh berries and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey in a jar. Let it chill in the fridge overnight, and you’ll wake up to a tasty and nutritious breakfast!

Berry smoothie sensation: Grab a handful of those fresh berries and toss them into your go-to smoothie mix. Blend them up with yoghurt, bananas, spinach and a splash of almond, soya or coconut milk for a colourful, healthy drink that’s sure to brighten your morning.

Berry-licious pancakes/waffles: Give your morning pancakes or waffles a fruity twist! Just fold in those tasty berries into the batter right before you cook them. Top it off with a scoop of yoghurt or a swirl of whipped cream for an extra treat.

Lunch & savoury delights:

Berry & spinach salad with balsamic vinaigrette: Elevate your salad game with the sweet and tart flavour of wild berries. Combine fresh spinach, crumbled feta cheese, toasted nuts and your colourful berries. Drizzle with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette for a light and refreshing lunch.

Berry salsa: A surprising and delicious accompaniment to grilled chicken or fish. Put your foraged berries into a bowl and toss them together with red onion, jalapeño, coriander and lime juice.

Sweet treats & desserts

Berry crumble/crisp: A classic dessert that’s always a crowd-pleaser. Combine your foraged berries with a crumble topping made from flour, butter, sugar and oats. Bake until golden brown and bubbling.

  1. Berry simple syrup: Homemade syrup or cordial is perfect for flavouring cocktails, lemonade or drizzling over ice cream. Simmer your mixed berries with sugar and water until the berries break down. Strain the mixture and store your syrup in a jar in the refrigerator.
  2. Berry frozen yoghurt bark: A healthy and refreshing treat for a hot summer day. Spread a layer of yoghurt onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with your foraged berries and freeze until solid. Break into pieces and enjoy!
  3. Berry jam: Capture the taste of summer in a jar! Make a batch of homemade jam using your foraged berries, pectin, sugar and lemon juice. Perfect for spreading on toast or gifting to friends.
  4. Berry infused water: Staying hydrated has never been so delicious! Add a handful of your foraged berries to a jug of water (still or sparkling) along with a sprig of mint for a refreshing and flavourful drink.
  5. Berry nice cream: Blend frozen bananas and your foraged berries in a food processor until smooth and creamy. This healthy and delicious treat is a guilt-free way to satisfy your sweet tooth.
  6. Berry ice lollies: Combine your foraged berries with water, juice or yoghurt and pour the mixture into ice lolly moulds. Freeze until solid for a refreshing and healthy summer treat.

Essential tips for berry foraging success

Here’s a quick reminder of key things you should keep in mind while foraging:

  • Identification: Always positively identify your foraged berries before consuming them. Use a reliable field guide or consult with an expert.
  • Location: Be mindful of where you are foraging. Avoid areas that may have been treated with pesticides or herbicides.
  • Respect for nature: Only take what you need and leave enough for wildlife and future growth.
  • Hygiene: Wash your foraged berries thoroughly before using them.

Ready to start cooking?

With these 12 easy and delicious recipes, you can transform your foraged summer berries into scrumptious culinary creations. So, grab your trugs, head out into nature and start foraging! Happy cooking (and eating)!

Our week that was: Fruit, fungi and flowers

Our week that was blog post banner

Fruit, fungi and flowers, I just can’t help myself with the alliteration! But the last 7 days has been a week of picking; both out in the wild and in the garden.

Bilberries on a bush Picking bilberries

Free, foraged fruit

Summer fruit season has begun, and it’s a bumper year. I attribute that to the long, dry spell followed by the bountiful downpours. I’ve picked my full of bilberries and blackberries –  and it’s not even August yet. About a kilo of blackberries is currently residing in our freezer, and I’ve made a delicious fruit sponge pudding with the bilberries. I used my go-to upside-down cake recipe that works with almost any fruit.

Parasol mushroom growing in grass

Field fungi

Our Instragram feed has been lit up with photos of people’s fungi foraging exploits. We set out specially this week to one of our mushroom picking spots, in search of chanterelles. Alas, not a single one was to be found – perhaps in a couple of months time (which is when we’ve previously scored ourselves a paper bag full of the delicious mushrooms). I did, however, find and pick my first parasol mushroom of the season – it’s currently sliced and drying nicely in the kitchen.

Hydrangea 'Annabelle' Hydrangea 'Annabelle' in a white jug Hydrangea 'Annabelle' hanging upside-down to dry

Favourite flowers

Only a couple of years ago, our hydrangea ‘Annabelle’ was a half dead little thing sitting in the bargain box at a local garden centre. She consisted of 3 spindly little sticks and looked extremely sorry for herself. This year, she’s standing tall, proud and strong; producing a profusion of stems and blooms. We’ve put a handful of them in a white ironstone jug to enjoy indoors right now. A few other stems have been picked and are hanging upside-down, drying to display later on in the year.

Mystery Object

'Mystery Object' blog post banner

Mystery object with antique metal candle holder on pine topped table

So, what’s this mystery object? And we don’t mean the candle holder! Try and guess what it is before the last few photos.

Mystery object on pine topped table

We bought it at the weekend from Picture House Antiques. This is obviously quite an old example, but new ones are still being produced. Having said that, the design hasn’t changed much as it does the job perfectly.

Mystery object on pine topped table

It might make one particular little job a lot easier towards the end of July or early August – a foraging type job…

detail of mystery object on pine topped table

…OK, no more clues…

curved dry stone wall with bilberry bushes growing above

…it’s a bilberry comb!

Bilberries (also called whimberries, whinberries, wimberries, winberries, windberries, blaeberries, whortleberries, hurts, myrtle blueberries and fraughans) grow wild round these parts – in fact, local conditions seem perfect as they’re widespread on lanes & hillsides. They’re the most delicious little berries. They’re a bit fiddly to pick individually, but that’s what we’ve always done previously.

bowl of freshly picked bilberries

We’ll look into the pros & cons of this tool – judging by the age of this one, they’re not a recent phenomenon – and are still widely available to buy at country stores. Most people sing their praises, but initial internet searches have thrown up a few dissenting voices.

Their concerns seem to centre around the fact that they’re a bit indiscriminate with regards to picking both ripe & unripe berries – and also their efficiency doesn’t leave much behind for wildlife.

We can’t see the point in harvesting till the majority of berries are ready. With regards to wildlife, some parts of the bush are hard to get to – and some bushes themselves are very inaccessible to people – so there should be plenty left for the birds and small animals. We’ve noticed bush craft & foraging guru, Ray Mears has them for sale on his website.

plate with a slice of bilberry tart and cup of tea

We know one thing… they make superb desserts – warm, home-made bilberry pie with cold, thick cream just can’t be beaten!

Berry Delicious!

'Berry Delicious' blog post banner

Bowl of fresh bilberries | H is for Home

Our wild berry picking has started early this year. We were out foraging bilberries at the weekend. They love acid soil and are found on low-growing bushes in the surrounding area. The berries are small and picking them is quite time consuming – but, be patient, they’re well worth the effort!

Bilberry flan with Skinny la Minx tea towel | H is for Home

We put some in the freezer for future jam making and used the rest of our crop to make this bilberry custard tart. Here’s the recipe:

Slice of homemade bilberry custard tart

Bilberry custard tart

Print recipe Pin recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine British

Ingredients
  

For the shortcrust pastry

  • 125 g/4oz plain flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 55 g/2oz butter cubed
  • 30-45 ml/2-3 tbsp cold water
  • (or you can buy a pack of ready-made in the chilled section of most supermarkets)

For the custard

  • 4 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 475 ml/1pt milk
  • 55 g/2oz caster sugar

Instructions
 

  • You’ll need to collect about 225g/8oz bilberries. Remove stalks and stray leaves and rinse in a sieve.
    Dry carefully on some kitchen towel (Don’t use a tea towel unless you don’t mind it getting stained purple).

For the shortcrust pastry

  • Put the flour and salt in a large bowl and add the cubes of butter
  • Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until you have a mixture that resembles coarse breadcrumbs with no large lumps of butter remaining
  • Using a knife, stir in just enough of the cold water to bind the dough together
  • Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for 10-15 minutes before rolling out
  • Flour the worktop and roll out the pastry to about 1/2cm thick and 25cm/10inches in diameter (or large enough to fit over the dish you’re using)
  • Carefully lift the pastry and lay it over your dish, moulding it to the bottom & sides
  • Cut off any excess bits using a sharp knife
  • Pour in the washed & dried fresh bilberries

For the custard

  • Heat the milk gently in a pan
  • Whisk the eggs & egg yolks
  • Slowly add the milk to the egg mixture whisking continuously (make sure the milk’s not too hot or the eggs will scramble!)
  • Pour the mixture carefully through a sieve on to the bilberries in the dish
  • Preheat the oven to 175ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4. Cook the flan for 45 minutes or until the top begins to brown nicely. When cool, sprinkle a tablespoon of caster sugar over the top
Keyword bilberries, custard tart, tart

Slice of bilberry flan with sprig of mint | H is for Home

The tart looks fabulous with the deep purple juice seeping into the creamy custard…

Slice of bilberry custard tart with mug of tea | H is for Home

…and it tasted great too!