We've done a bit of foraging recently. I like foraging--you get the rewards of good food without all the hard work that goes into a garden. If I had more time and more skill, I would learn more about wild mushrooms, another fall (and spring!) foraging treat. But for now I will stick with walnuts and apples.
Most of the black walnuts have fallen now. So it is a race to see who can get them first -- the squirrels or I.
I only picked about a third of what had fallen from one tree, about half a grocery bag's worth. Plenty left for the squirrels.
We also went apple picking. A friend of mine has a large yard with several trees, and graciously allows us to gather as much as we want. The apples were big and ripe, dripping from the branches. The older boys took turns using the elongated picker. Graham got to use it until he accidentally bonked Owen on the head. Then Owen got to use it.
We quickly harvested a good supply of apples, of unknown varieties. We can always go back for more if we like. Hubby is washing them today and will put some in our stock pot to begin simmering for sauce. I can't wait to come home and smell the autumn appley goodness filling the house.
4 comments:
black walnut: Family Juglandaceae, species Juglans nigra yay my dendrology class actually taught me something!
Do you eat black walnuts raw? (after removing the husk of course lol)
Wow! You are a dendrology master! (Should I tell you now that you will forget this information within a month and never use it again for the rest of your life? Probably not.)
Yes, you remove the outer husk and then crack the shell. A lotta work for a little bit of nut, but it's free and what else are my kids going to do in the middle of winter?
I'm one of those "crazy" gals that pass right over the black walnuts (icky, IMO) to get the hickory nuts, all the while the other walnut-gatherers are wondering why I'm picking up those icky hickory nuts!
Those apples, WOW! I'm very envious. I had to laugh when you mentioned racing with the squirrels for the walnuts. I have the same problem with our pecans!
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