Today, despite the weather, i decided to go on a foraging expedition. I was on the look out for chickweed, sorrel, sweet chestnuts, watercress, walnuts, hawthorn and rosehips, and duly set out with a big bag, my headphones and some heavy duty gloves! I drove to a hidden location in the berkshire countryside, right near the thames, and dived into the woods. I spent quite some time looking for anything good or edible in the woods but i found little of interest that looked appetising in any way. emerging from the other side of the wood however, i found a large hedgerow, and, to my joy, hawthorns AND rosehips. Now, naturally i collected as many as i could, despite the fact that it was raining, and after about an hour or so, had quite a few haws (berries of a hawthorn i understand), and a small and pretty useless crop of rosehips. A fun time out though, because i got to listen to some rather remarkable music and felt very very happy.
Then i made this..
have to wait and see if it's good.
I was impressed by the young Russian wife of a friend, who gathered haws when she came to the UK and made them into "pastil" - a thin chewy sheet of dried fruit. Lots of Russians make ryabinovka, by steeping Rowan berries in vodka, as you do with sloes. Beautiful colour, rich in vitamin C.
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It's made commercially as well. In the USSR in the late 70's they sold Rowan juice in vending machines, diluted with fizzy water. It was the most astringent substance I've ever tasted.
Incidentally the missus and I stopped by a little wood near Pangbourne when passing through Berkshire last year. The wood was interesting for its fauna - a variety of men in drag.
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