Editor - France Magazine Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Bonjour Forum-users,It's October, which means France's countryside is laden with goodies to pick.I'm after some recommendations for good areas to go and pick mushrooms, blackberries, walnuts etc etc. Where do you go? what do you pick? What do you make with it?What do you like about picking your own produce?Anyone involved in the vendanges? Tell all - I can't wait to hear. Thanks!Carolyn,Editor, France Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Carolyn, there were very disturbing fotos in one of the French papers of people foraging in the bins outside shops to get food to live. I presume these do not qualify for your interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junlesley Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I've got sloes to make sloe vodka, blackberrys to make jam, comfery to make a fertiliser for my vegetables, apples, chestnuts, elderberrys to make elderberry jelly and mixed with apples and blackberrys make another lovely jam, mushrooms from our garden which we know are edible, cant think of anything else at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederick Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Guy next doors land has other side of his hedge and therefor at the road side a great crop of blackberries growing ..Last week I noticed they were ripe when I left my car in the road ....My wife was in the garden so I called out .." Lot of big blackberries ready to p;ick out here " We assume our neighbour who speaks good English heard the call and rallied the troops ! By the time my wife went out with her bowl there were two people already out there picking and a guy with a set of steps coming down the road for the high ones .....We still got enough for a blackberry and apple crumble that evening and one put in the freezer ...The hedges are full of them this year ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suein56 Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 [quote user="Editor - France Magazine"]Tell all - I can't wait to hear. Thanks!Carolyn,Editor, France Magazine [/quote]Whoops - perhaps I have been here too long as I read the title as 'French forgers unite ...'Oh dear ...Sue [8-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odile Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 ah, les champignons - la saison commence- but foragers watch out for the hunters! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 [quote user="woolybanana"]Carolyn, there were very disturbing fotos in one of the French papers of people foraging in the bins outside shops to get food to live. I presume these do not qualify for your interest.[/quote]Wooly, I don't want to appear as though I'm always chastising you. But, you know bl***y well that that is NOT what the editor wants to hear!Oh God, how have your parents brought you and your brother and Randy up? They have a lot to answer for![:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I was a bit disturbed though by the fluffiness of the message (sorry mods) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Does she really want to go and pick them or write an article about it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 JR, what do you think, she's a journalist, isn't she? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junlesley Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 To get back on the subject.....We also have our own vegetable garden, its only been our first year of growing things but the satisfaction is brilliant, we were given some runner bean seeds last year, just taken off a friends old plants so didn't cost anything, well we've had the most fantastic crop of beans and we have given loads to our French neighbours who had'nt tried them before, along with instructions on how to prepare them for cooking, now they all want seeds 'grains' to grow next year so all our French neighbours will be growing runner beans next year! and another bonus is we've had lots of vegetables in exchange! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Editor - France Magazine Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 Glad it's got a few of you thinking...!I'm just after a few comments for my column on the Times' website.Here's last month's so you can see what I'm talking about...http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/destinations/france/article4661688.eceThanks!Carolyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Carolyn, if you were to ask a French person to reveal his/her foraging spots, you'd most probably get short thrift! (in the nicest possible way[:D])Those who will tell you or show you where to pick ceps or chanterelles are few and far between. These are carefully guarded secrets, shared only with close relatives [:)].The communal woods around us are very popular with "outsiders" who pick ceps to sell at regional markets and the local concern got such that the mairie provides a card for legitimate pickers, who have to prove they live in the commune.My neighbour always beats me to the blackberries and she makes over 40 kg of jam every year [:-))].We pick hazelnuts, walnuts and chestnuts and as long as they are dried for a few days, they'll keep and we'll get to enjoy them for months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odile Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Hi Clair - to me it seems a shame that English people 'only' know about ceps (bolets in the East of F.) and chanterelles. Of course it is very important to pick only what you are sure about - as several people get very sick and even die every year. but there are so many other species of wonderful edible mushrooms out there to gather at this time of year. If any of you are unsure, send me a picture and I'll advise - ONLY IF I AM ABSOLUTELY SURE - I was born and bred in the woods, and dad taught me (almost) all there is to know... (not boasting about my knowledge here, but his!). Here in East Leics I found some parasol mushrooms the other day, and a couple of blewitts and bluelegs. One of my dad's favourite (this maybe the first year he won't go- he is 96- will try to take him out when I'm there in October) - is the hygrophore (Hygrocybe coccinea) or Scarlet Hood. it looks absolutely deadly, but tastes like chicken or frogs' legs (I wouldn;t know about this, as I don;t eat les grenouilles). Get yourself a good book, there are 100s on the market in English or French. I have about 5 for cross reference. The classic one ios 'Mushrooms and other fungi of GB and Europe' by Poger Phillips Pan Books 0-330-26441-9with large photos and good descriptions. by the way the same guy has also written 'Wild Food' - a great source of info for foragers, incl plants, mush + seaweed. Pan Books 0-330-28069-4 with recipes. I also remember 'Food for Free' book - but it's on a shelf in our Jura house, so don't have the ISBN.Allez, tous aux champignons and tell me what you find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 A bit of a sweeping statement to say that English (British?) people only know about cepes and chanterelles. My mushroom "bible" is http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Odile, after the latest mushroom poisoning cases (reported here) and considering the newspaper article in question is primarily addressed to British people in the UK (who do not usually make a habit of picking mushrooms), it is probably best to steer on the safe side and stick to the usual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odile Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 [quote user="Cat"]A bit of a sweeping statement to say that English (British?) people only know about cepes and chanterelles. My mushroom "bible" is http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/[/quote]no offence meant - but they are the 2 mentionned again and again in articles, this or other forum and TV.Really do agree about safety - but strangely enough it is most often mushrooms that look very similar to ceps and chanterelles or field mushrooms, which cause problems- and not the strange looking ones. Parasol mushrooms for instance couldn't be confused with poisonous species.Bonne chasse aux champis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odile Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 the parasol mushroom is on the right hand side of the website picture! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odile Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Thanks for the Roger Mushrooms website link Cathy. Great site - even better than the book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 In many parts of France there are fruit trees planted along the lanes. Near us there are figs and about 4 kinds of apples. Earlier in the year 2 kinds of cherries. I wonder what the law is about picking the fruit?I've heard that if it's overhanging the ditch or lane it's free to take. But I'm always slightly worried an irate farmer will see and object. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 You are not allowed to pick fruit from your neighbours' trees even when they are overhanging your land, however you can collect them once they fall off the branch onto your land (or public land, i.e. the roadside). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Would that apply to walnuts too I wonder, Clair ?Around my part of the Dordogne walnuts are a serious cash crop and the farmers would definitely not be happy if people picked them off the ground. After all they have to wait until they drop to harvest them. Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 But I guess the trees are on the farmers' land, so the walnuts would fall onto private land? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 As long as they're on the tree or fall on his land, they're his. If they fall on your land, they're yours.On the roadside, they're anyone's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Some of my neighbours would definitely need convincing !Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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