Riverside Foraging Guide

[Steve Walker]

My god, the British are terribly mycophobic.

 

Probably the most important factor for most people is the fact that only two or three species are at all worthwhile to eat and most of the others that are usually described as edible are a complete culinary waste of time. If you then consider that even the best ones will often be maggot riddled (not big enough for bait) or waterlogged you will find Tesco's finest are the best.

 

Sorry, really can't agree with either point. Parasols (large ones are unmistakeable), hedgehogs, ceps, bay boletus, puffballs, shaggy ink caps. All excellent, all very easy to identify and better than the overpriced soggy crap that passes for wild mushrooms in Tesco.

Edited November 18, 2008 by Steve Walker

[Andy Macfarlane]

Lyn, were the limpets tasty? I might have mentioned this before but I'm my mind I was the Undisputed Under 8s World Limpet Kicking Champion. I could take a limpet off with a flimsy plimsoll in one quick swipe and I rarely had to resort to boulders or second attempts. If I thought they were worth a crack, I might don the sand-shoes once again and try to regain my long-lost title.

Edited November 18, 2008 by Andy Macfarlane

[lyn]

Lyn, were the limpets tasty? I might have mentioned this before but I'm my mind I was the Undisputed Under 8s World Limpet Kicking Champion. I could take a limpet off with a flimsy plimsoll in one quick swipe and I rarely had to resort to boulders or second attempts. If I thought they were worth a crack, I might don the sand-shoes once again and try to regain my long-lost title.

 

Hi Andy, yes I quite enjoyed them. I did pick the middle size ones and as it stated in the book they were chewie/rubbery. As I said I just mixed them in with the mussles we collected, and the prawns we caught and had a really nice sea food risotto. We always eat well on Scilly. We buy whole crabs from the local crabman for 70p and it's the only time we eat lobster as we can get them off him really cheap.

 

I could live on sea food, luckily Liam loves it as much as I do. We catch mackeral and cook them over an open fire. Oh, roll on next summer!

 

lyn

[Andy Macfarlane]

Interesting stuff. I'm not planning on opening a stall or anything but I'd give them a bash I think. I saw Ray Mears eating them once but that's hardly a guide to go on. He'd eat anything that had been blackened over a fire.

[Steve Walker]

The River Cottage fish book has some interesting comments on the history of eating limpets, and a couple of recipes- a Spanish limpet stew with tomato, garlic and chorizo, or cooked in their shells in garlic butter. It claims that in the 18th century the limpet harvest was so important to the inhabitants of Northern Scotland that there were violent protests and riots when the kelp cutting industry damaged the limpet beds. It says that the Spanish still serve them lightly boiled and swimming in garlic butter, and the Channel Islanders eat them too.

 

I've thought about it a few times when I've collected them for bait - I know the value of the stealthy kick to dislodge them before they hunker down - but they've never struck me as the most appetising of shellfish and I've always chickened out. Maybe I will get round to trying them.

[lyn]

The River Cottage fish book has some interesting comments on the history of eating limpets, and a couple of recipes- a Spanish limpet stew with tomato, garlic and chorizo, or cooked in their shells in garlic butter. It claims that in the 18th century the limpet harvest was so important to the inhabitants of Northern Scotland that there were violent protests and riots when the kelp cutting industry damaged the limpet beds. It says that the Spanish still serve them lightly boiled and swimming in garlic butter, and the Channel Islanders eat them too.

 

I've thought about it a few times when I've collected them for bait - I know the value of the stealthy kick to dislodge them before they hunker down - but they've never struck me as the most appetising of shellfish and I've always chickened out. Maybe I will get round to trying them.

 

We have Hughs Fish book I will have a look tomorrow. I've chickened out for years as they have always been crab bait but I have to say I was surprised that they were nice. We keep pouring salt down holes trying to get the razor fish to come up but have yet to succeed

 

lyn

[Andy Macfarlane]

Probably not razor shell 'oles Lyn. If there are worm casts about 6-12 inches away, that's the other end of the U-shaped tunnel the lug-worm lives in. Salt works almost instantly if it's going to work at all. I think you might be misidentifying your 'oles m'love.

[Steve Walker]

Razors live a long way down the beach; you want low water on a big tide to find them.

[chesters1]

May be of interest to those of you with beards and/or landrovers:

 

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/News/riverside...ging-guide.html

 

damn cheek i have had a beard since i was 18 and have had 2 landies (never learnt the fist time) lots of natural nosh out there we ate it for a few hundred thousand years before shops appeared

i dont bother now but if the need arises i will again

[Huge_Vitae]

Razors live a long way down the beach; you want low water on a big tide to find them.

And very nice ther are to, I agree Steve, you have to go right to the edge of a big low.

 

And I would stick with them over mushrooms!

 

Some people still don't get it..........

 

http://www.iwcp.co.uk/News/Woman_dies_afte..._mushrooms.aspx