There is something wonderfully satisfying about autumn foraging. It is one of the simplest ways to connect with the season: heading out into the woods and hedgerows, gathering a little of nature’s abundance and bringing it home to turn into jams, chutneys, crumbles, pies, syrups and perhaps the odd bottle of gin.
Foraging (finding and picking wild food) also connects us with something much older. Long before year-round availability, autumn was the season for gathering, preserving and laying down supplies for the winter months ahead. Following a summer where the weather has been so harsh, there is something compellingly elemental about doing the same today. And even after this year’s drought, Sussex is groaning with nature’s produce.
You may have noticed blackberries beginning to ripen during the summer and fruit slowly forming on the trees. But come autumn, the hedgerows really start to deliver. Go for a walk and there are clusters of deep red and black berries, the purples of damsons and sloes, and the golds of prickly sweet chestnut. On a long autumn walk, with a crunch underfoot, nature has a wonderful way of cheering you on by providing you with a much-needed burst of sweetness and sugar from a blackberry or damson.
It has to be one of the best ways to experience the season, and of course, provided you abide by some simple rules, anyone can go autumn foraging.
Before you start
There are a few golden rules of foraging.
- Most importantly, never pick or eat anything unless you are completely certain what it is. This is particularly important when it comes to berries and fungi, and we would caution against mushroom foraging unless you really know what you are doing.
- Check where you are and whether you have permission to forage. Some species are protected and different rules may apply depending on where you are or what you’re foraging. If you are on private property, you need permission from the landowner.
- Take only what you need for your own use and only forage where there is a plentiful supply. Don’t strip a bush bare: not only can careless picking damage plants, but those berries and nuts are an important autumn food source for birds and other wildlife.
- Be mindful of the landscape too. Don’t trample vegetation, disturb nesting or feeding wildlife or cause damage in your enthusiasm to reach the perfect blackberry.
- And, of course, wash and clean everything thoroughly before using it.
Now grab a basket
On a recent walk in East Sussex, we were struck by the enormous diversity of wild produce, so grab your basket and see what you can find.
Blackberries
The obvious place to start. Brambles seem to be everywhere in Sussex, and by late summer and early autumn they can be laden with fruit. Look for plump berries that have turned a rich, deep purple-black and come away easily. Avoid anything mouldy or well past its best – and watch those thorns. And remember, folklore has it that you should never pick blackberries after Michaelmas (29 September) as the Devil has cursed them.
What to make: blackberry and apple crumble, blackberry jam, blackberry jelly, blackberry cordial, blackberry gin or blackberry whisky.
Sloes
Those beautiful dusty blue-purple fruits clustered along our hedgerows are the fruit of the blackthorn. They are fabulously abundant in parts of Sussex but don’t expect a delicious blackberry-like snack straight from the bush. Sloes are intensely tart and astringent and not for eating as you pick. Traditionally they’re picked after the first frost, which helps soften the skins, although popping freshly picked sloes into the freezer achieves much the same thing. And don’t be fooled into thinking that Chichester’s Sloe Fair is the place to stock up…because despite the fact that it dates back to the 12th century, it’s more of a fun fair than a fruit one.
What to make: the classic sloe gin, of course, but also sloe whisky, jam, jelly or even sloe vinegar.
Hawthorn berries
Few things announce the arrival of autumn quite like hawthorn. Its clusters of brilliant red berries, known as haws, transform the hedgerows and are one of the distinctive colours of the season. Don’t eat them raw unless you have removed the seeds as they can be toxic but cooking brings out their flavour. And remember, some believe that fairies live in the hawthorn trees and cutting down a tree on its own is unlucky.
What to make: hawthorn jelly, jam, hawthorn ketchup, vinegar, wine or a hedgerow liqueur.
Rosehips
Another unmistakable splash of autumn colour, rosehips feel wonderfully reminiscent of times gone by and WWII rosehip tinctures. They are high in vitamin C but make sure you pick ones that have ripened into a good deep red. Inside are hairy seeds which need careful preparation and removal depending on what you are making. In years gone by, rosehips have been used to attract love, ward of ill health and even prevent nightmares!
What to make: rosehip syrup, cordial, jelly, jam, wine or fruit tea.
Elderberries
By early autumn, the creamy elderflowers of summer have given way to drooping clusters of tiny, glossy purple-black elderberries. A word of caution here: don’t eat elderberries straight from the bush. Raw elderberries are mildly poisonous and can cause stomach upset, so they need to be properly cooked before eating however tempting they may look. But you can plant an elder tree near your back door to ward of disease and evil spirits.
What to make: elderberry syrup, wine, jam, jelly, crumble or even elderberry muffins.
Wild damsons and plums
Another glorious find in the Sussex hedgerows are damsons and wild plums. Damsons are smaller than a plum, with deep blue-purple skin and a sharp, distinctive flavour. But also look out for cherry plums, greengages and Victoria plums.
What to make: damson or plum jam, jelly, crumble, chutney, damson gin or a wonderfully rich damson sauce.
Wild apples, crab apples and pears
Then there are apples. On an autumn walk you may come across crab apples as well as apple trees growing apparently wild in hedgerows and sometimes even pears, beside footpaths or on the edges of old orchards. Some may be genuinely wild; others are feral descendants or survivors of cultivated trees. The fruit can vary enormously (tiny and mouth-puckeringly sharp on one tree, surprisingly sweet on another) which is all part of the fun.
What to make: apple jelly, chutney, apple sauce, pies and crumbles, or combine them with one of autumn’s great hedgerow partnerships: blackberries.
Hazelnuts
Autumn foraging isn’t all about berries. Hazel is common in woods and hedgerows and its nuts, also known as cobnuts, begin ripening as summer gives way to autumn. As the nuts mature, their green shells gradually turn brown and they will eventually come away easily from their husks. But you’ve got to be quick off the mark these days to forage the best hazelnuts as the squirrels always seem to get there first.
What to make: roast them and eat them as they are, make hazelnut butter, bake them into cakes and biscuits, scatter them over salads or use them in a homemade stuffing.
Sweet chestnuts
One of the great treats of later autumn: sweet chestnuts. First, make absolutely certain you know the difference between a sweet chestnut and a horse chestnut: the conker. Conkers are poisonous and must not be eaten. Sweet chestnuts usually begin falling in September, and if you are lucky, their prickly cases will crack open and save you some pain. Once gathered, they can be roasted for one of the great smells and flavours of autumn.
What to make: roasted chestnuts, chestnut stuffing, chestnut purée, cakes and desserts, or candied chestnuts.
Wild hops
Look carefully amongst Sussex autumn hedgerows and you may spot the papery green cones of wild hops scrambling through the vegetation. Traditionally associated with brewing, hops can also be dried and used decoratively, while their young shoots have historically been eaten in spring.
For the home brewer, wild hops can be an intriguing find, although their strength and flavour will vary considerably. As always, make absolutely certain of your identification before gathering anything, and only pick where you have permission.
Mushrooms and truffles
Of course, come autumn, Sussex woods and grasslands are alive with wild mushrooms and fungi, and there are truffles to be found beneath the ground too. But this is one area where we would urge real caution. Identifying wild mushrooms can be extremely difficult, and some poisonous species can be mistaken for edible ones, with potentially very serious consequences.
So rather than heading out with a basket and a field guide, join an experienced mushroom or truffle-foraging expert who can show you what to look for, what to leave well alone and how to forage responsibly.
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