Topic: Is anyone into foraging

[jennym]

Mirabelles and myrobalans, well, not totally sure but was told that the round yellow ones are the mirabelles, and the reddish round ones are the myrobalans. I pick them every year down Colchester way. There are also small black plums too, not damsons or anything like that, but quite black in colour. Sometimes I find yellow oval shaped ones that are a bit like an apricot, they have a fuzz on them, no-one has been able to tell me what they are called, I guess a cross of some sort.

[Spudbash]

Mirabelles are different from myrobalans and need a slighter warmer climate to thrive. In the UK, we're far more likely to see myrobalans (aka cherry plums) fruiting. Mirabelles are greenish, ripening to yellowish, whereas myrobalans are yellow or red/dark red. In practice, they're all lovely!

Here's a link to the National Fruit Collection record of the yellow cherry plum. Bottled eight jars of these, yesterday, and yes, they were foraged from the hedgerow.

http://www.nationalfruitcollection.org.uk/full.php?id=8376&&fruit=Plum

There are masses of cherry plums ripe around this time, so everyone PLEASE enjoy them, before they go to waste!  :) The blackberries in my area are ripening earlier than usual, despite the late start to the season, so I'm going to pick lots and cook them with the red cherry plums I've already picked.

The crab apples, elderberries, bullaces and sloes can be left for a few more weeks!  ;D

[Jeannine]

yep, that is rhe one we found just about three weeks ago tried ti ID it in earlier thread,it is on out lottie hedgerows mixed in withn the nuts.  XX Jeannine

[pigeonseed]

They look delicious - I've never seen any of those big yellow ones.

But I went for a walk with my daughter on my day off yesterday and I noticed that the various little plum-like fruits were very varied - in shape, colour and shape of leaves. I brought home 5 different examples, to see if I could identify them.

But I have no idea really what they are - they might be sloes, might be something else!

[Jeannine]

Pigeon seed I feel bad, I bumped this one up after reading it from your link as it had some good info in it but I think in doing so I scuppered your post.. can you put a link on here to yours as you did the other way so we can get all the info.. I am sorry it was thoughtless of me..notm meant as mean..

XX Jeannine

[Spudbash]

Most cherry plums are quite small; the ones in the National Fruit Collection pics are slightly larger than you might find growing wild - about 3 cms. The size depends on growing conditions, to an extent.

In a hedgerow that has lots of cherry plums growing, you'll find a range of different sizes and colours. Cuttings of red and yellow ones would have been planted originally, but as the trees mature, they set seed and these young trees fill any gaps in the hedgerow. Most of their fruits are round, but I've seen slightly oval ones, presumably the result of crossing with some other plum, or perhaps a natural variation.

All good to eat - that's the main thing!

Pigeonseed, you might find you've picked a black bullace or two - like sloes, but larger fruit when fully ripe in October. Great for making sloe gin or bullace and apple jelly - very high pectin content.

Some hedgerows have damsons or other seedling plums, just to vary things further. Many will have no names and probably aren't worthwhile in the greater scheme of things, although if you love them, you could give them a name, just for fun.

Enjoy them all!  ;D

[pigeonseed]

Yes I think they'll have no names unless I name them!

Jeannine - no worries - just a slightly different train of thought on the same topic. I'm happy to see both going!