2024 Foraging Highlights
This was the year that I really focused on plants. I had been learning ambiently over previous cycles, and I grew up eating onion grass out of the yard as many lucky kids do. I’d been learning about flora broadly for a few years leading up to my 2023 Master Naturalist experience, but this was the first time that I put aside a lot of birding and hiking over the summer. Plants, plants, plants.
With foraged materials, I made jams, pesto, pickles, seltzers, dolma, microgreens, sauteed appetizers, syrups… I also wove baskets. The possibilities are endless with plants. Here are my highlights from 2024, in no particular order.
Staghorn Sumac
I can’t shut up about sumac, and I’m not going to try. She’s your citrusy summer sidekick. Tart and sharp and bright and stock full of color. I’m obsessed with her. Obsessed!
Collect the red berries at the end of summer when there is no green left in the berry clusters. Harvest them during a dry period because rain will wash away all of the flavor. I dehydrated bunches overnight, then (clumsily) separated the berries, picked out the stems, separated the yummy red fuzz from the seeds with a food processor, and sieved out the seeds. I used a fine sieve to remove the seed casings and got a few beautiful little jars of this treasure.
Microgreens
I experimented with growing microgreens with seeds from common weeds in the alley. Everyone says dandelion greens are so delicious (second pic) but I actually am absolutely in love with Curly Dock (first pic).
Once the chafe is removed, you can see how densely and quickly they grow. The flavor is crunchy, vegetal, and sweet with zero bitterness. The seeds are easy to find and absolutely prolific- it's easy to fill a gallon size bag with these seeds from a single cluster of individual plants. I find curly or broad-leaved dock in every alley without fail.
Dolma made with riverbank grape leaves
These were great, but bitterness was an issue- especially the veins and older, larger leaves. Some folks recommend using Summer Grape leaves instead. Riverbank is easier to find so I wanted to give it a shot.
Definitely a cool experiment, and the bitterness may have been my fault. I used a recipe that included lemon rind, which I would definitely skip next time. If it continued to be a problem, I would add some honey or stick to the younger leaves, even though they’re smaller and harder to roll.
Serviceberry jam with homemade sourdough
Juneberry, Saskatoon berries. This is a shrub that is made of love. I was surprised to find multiple locations in my neighborhood with serviceberry bushes! Whipped up an incredible jam, and I cannot wait to have this again.
Elderflower syrup
Wow. Wow. Wow. That's right folks. 3/3 wows on this one. The first time I made elderflower syrup, I used foraged flowers that were too old so it tasted like shit. I gave it a second chance and boom.
Definitely the best foraged syrup I've made so far. Lilac-forward stuff is skunky to me by comparison. The only flower that tastes better is wisteria.
American Elderberry flowers + 1 part sugar + 1 part boiling water + lemon slices. Let it sit on the counter for a day or two, then strain. It's that easy. Don't rinse the flowers beforehand or else you’ll remove all the yumminess. It's bright, thick, floral, and delicious.
Also, yes, I know the final syrup looks like piss. Leave me alone!
Elderberry Jam
Elder gives and gives and gives. 10/10. Good for the flu and great for the taste buds.
Violet Syrup
The color is unbeatable, but violets don’t impart much flavor. I relied on some mint from the backyard for taste. Remove the petals by pinching away the calyx before steeping to avoid any vegetal bitterness.
