Foraging and Fishing

Just a wee note to those of us who like a bit of foraging, or food for free. Now is the perfect time for wild roses of all kinds, I always try to collect some petals when in full bloom. Take about 8 petals in a mug and add hot water, add sugar or honey and leave for 5 minutes. You get a warm soothing and relaxing drink like no other herbal tea you can buy. They can also be dried for use later in the year if stored in airtight jars. Then there are Elder flowers, these can be made into a cordial which is a nice addition to Gin or as a non alcoholic drink with fizzy water. You can also make Elderflower Champagne, a very easy lightly alcoholic wine with a nice fizz. Recipes for these ideas are widely available on the Internet.

N.B. Collecting in the wild requires some common sense, so not roadside where fumes taint, shop bought flowers or any that may have had pesticides sprayed upon them.