Description
The autumn is a very abundant time of year with trees and plants either fruiting or in seed and many of the fungi species putting in their annual appearance too. On this course you'll learn how to safely engage with fungi as well as plants so you can take full advantage of what's on offer.
Set at the picturesque Colin Godmans, a stones throw from the Ashdown Forest this course will introduce you to the various species on offer during the autumn. You will get to explore the many and varied habitats at this location under the guidance of experienced forager James Grant. James will show you how to approach the subject of foraging in a safe and fun manner considering plant and fungi families and features to get you started exploring autumnal wild foods.
Sessions
The day is split into four sessions with two 30 minute brew breaks and 1 hour for lunch.
- Mushrooms - You will learn how to properly collect fungi specimens for examination purposes and the subsequent steps needed to then achieve a positive identification - extremely important skills if you are collecting fungi for the pot! You will also get to harvest fungi for lunch while learning about when, where and how you should and shouldn't collect mushrooms and the ecological, sustainable and legal considerations to inform your decision making.
- Herbs & spices - Knowing your wild herbs and spices can add another level of exploration to creating your foraged mushroom meals and this session will teach you about the spices and aromatics that lay hidden in our hedgerows and are ideally suited for using with foraged fungi.
- Fruits & nuts - Learning which fruit and nuts are safe to eat can literally be a life or death situation and here you will learn the difference between edible and poisonous species.
- Preservation & processing - In this session the attention turns to preserving the days harvest. You will have the opportunity to make something to take home with you by way of one or two of the following methods; fermentation, pickling, jams, sauces, alcoholic infusions - what you make and which method is used will be dictated by what you harvest on the day.
Skills covered
- Tree and plant ID
- Harvesting techniques
- Food preparation
- Food preserving
3 course lunch
All of our one day ForagedTM courses include a 3 course lunch showcasing wild foods.
When booking onto one of these courses make sure you inform us of any dietary requirements, food allergies, pregnancy etc. during the checkout process.
Refreshments
Hot water for drinks will be provided by way of a brewfire kettle. Foraged teas and cordials will also be provided.
What we do not provide is any caffeine, sugar or dairy but you are more than welcome to bring your own if you need to.
