Foraging with George Linklater

If you want to forage, find George Linklater. I went on a walk with him at Cowdray Estate in October, perfect time for finding plenty of mushrooms.

I picked and ate stinging nettle. Pick them up in a certain way to avoid getting stung. Scrunch them up before eating. They are highly nutritious.

I ate Dead Nettle too. Had minty flavour. It can be recognised by its square stems.

We also came across:

• Curly doc - good for burns. It has an oily substance like Aloe Vera.
• Rib wort plantain acts as an antihistamine.
• Rosehip is edible - chop it up and make tea

General mushroom facts:

• Any tree that has a wound in it has mushrooms in it.
• Parasitic mushroom near base of tree
• Amateur foragers, avoid mushrooms that have gills
• We can touch all mushrooms, we won't be poisoned.
• Toxic ones can't be broken down by liver

These are the mushrooms we came across on our walk:

• Beefsteak mushroom safe to eat. - no lectin
• Elderberry - more super than blueberries
• Dandelion tooth of the lion. Mane is seed
• Hollow elder. WoodEar mushroom.
• Puffball explodes when something drops on it
• Hedgehog feel underside - gourmet
• Turkey tail - medicinal
• Chicken in the wood - can withstand a lot of cooking
• Christmas tree - tangerine flavour when you rub it between your hands
• Brown birch belete - edible.
• Elf saddle
• Stink horn / dogs penis
• Purple deceiver - edible. Taste like cashews
• Parasol mushroom - stipe, snake skin indicates it is edible
• Belitus edgilus
• Octopus stinkhorn