Monthly foraging guide: what's in season, where to find it, and how to forage responsibly

Monthly foraging guide: what's in season, where to find it, and how to forage responsibly

Our beginner's guide to foraging in Britain explains what you can gather in hedgerows, woodlands, along the coast and in the countryside. Learn how to forage responsibly and safely, what's in season each month and where to find it, plus recipe ideas.

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There is a wide variety of food you can forage for in Britain, including nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables and more. Foraging is a great way to appreciate seasonal change, connect with nature and find wild local ingredients to use in delicious home cooking recipes.

Woodlands, forests and the countryside are a good place to start your foray into foraging, but you may also find wild foods in surprisingly urban places too, such as a local park or even your garden.

Our expert monthly foraging guide explains how to forage safely, the law and what's in season each month.

What is foraging?

Foraging is the activity of finding, gathering and harvesting wild foods – for free. It's a great way to stay active and spend time outdoors connecting with nature and learn more about where your food comes from.

Autumn wild mushroom picking, uk.
Autumn wild mushroom picking./Credit: Getty

How to forage responsibly

Always be sure you can positively identify any plant before you pick it, and never eat any plant you are unsure of. When foraging, ensure you leave plenty for wildlife.

Here are a couple of key foraging guidelines:

  • Seek permission before foraging. In certain areas, plant species will be protected so it is important to do some research and check with the landowner before you start gathering.
  • Only pick from areas that have a plentiful supply. Look for areas where you can find food in abundance and then only collect a small amount for personal use. Never completely strip an area as this could damage the species and deny another forager the chance to collect.
  • Leave enough for wildlife and avoid damaging habitats.Many animals rely on plants for survival, so never take more than you plan to eat as this could also deny wildlife from a valuable food source. Be mindful about wildlife habitats and avoid disturbing or damaging.
  • Never pick protected species or cause permanent damage. Britain's wild plants are all protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981), which makes it illegal to dig up or remove a plant. Check the law before you forage or if in doubt, why not take part in a foraging class with an expert and learn the basics.

How to forage safely

Take a good field guide with you and always be sure you can positively identify any plant before you pick it. Never eat any plant you are unsure of. Taking part in a foraging course with an expert is a good way to learn how to forage safely and responsibly.

Monthly foraging calendar

1

January

Put on your woolly hat, zip up your coat and take a walk through the woodland to collect your first foraged finds of the year. While wild food isn't as abundant in January as other times of the year, you can still find plants such as chickweed, common sorrel, nettle and wild chervil.

Chickweed with many water drops.
Chickweed with many water drops/Credit: Getty Images

January foraging guide

2

February

A wildflower often seen on the coast. Seen here growing near Conwy in North Wales, UK. Also grown as a culinary plant with a similar taste to celery.
A wildflower often seen on the coast. Seen here growing near Conwy in North Wales, UK. Also grown as a culinary plant with a similar taste to celery. (Getty)

Heading into February, the countryside will still feel very wintery, however it's a good time to forage for early spring plants, such as alexanders, mushrooms, nettles, chickweed and wild garlic. Alexanders are one of the first edible plants of the foraging year and can commonly find it growing along rivers, watercourses and woodland edges.

February foraging guide

3

March

A farmer holds bunches of sorrel at a farmer's market in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Wild sorrel leaves/Credit: Getty Images

When you’re out stretching your legs across grassland in March, keep an eye out for clusters of green spears springing from the turf.

March foraging guide

4

April

Wild garlic, also known as ramson or bear's garlic grows in abundance in many German forests in springtime.
Wild garlic, also known as ramson or bear's garlic grows in abundance in springtime. (Getty)

Winter is finally over, and Spring has arrived with longer days, warmer sunshine and blossoming flowers. You can forage foods such as wild garlic, garlic mustard and cow parsley. Read our expert guide on what to look out for when foraging in April.

April foraging guide

5

May

Lime tree leaves, Tilia
Lime tree leaves (Getty Images)

Take advantage of the beaming sun, long weekends and delicious herbs such as lime, sorrel and chickweed. Read our expert guide on what to look out for when foraging in May.

May foraging guide

6

June

Photo Taken In Germany, Oldenburg
Elderflower foraging (Getty Images)

Britain’s forest and woodlands are rife in summer with herbs waiting to be foraged and used to add flavour to recipes. Look out for pineapple weed, honeysuckle and elderflower.

June foraging guide

7

July

Person with cupped hands holding bilberries.
Foraging bilberries (Getty)

Whilst walking through beautiful woodlands and along green hedgerows, keep an eye out for food you can take home such as bilberries and wild strawberries.

July foraging guide

8

August

Blackberries growing wild
Children will love the late summer activity of blackberry picking/Credit:Getty

With the transition from summer into autumn, August is a great month to go foraging for berries. Walk into woodland and you're bound to find elderberries and blackberries.

August foraging guide

Discover urban foraging in London with Rachel de Thample

The heart of London might seem like an unlikely place to forage for food, but writer Rachel de Thample is always finding tasty things to eat in the city.

Find out what plants you can forage for in urban places


9

September

Hawthorn berries
Hawthorn berries/Credit: Getty Images

Autumn is just around the corner, so make the most of the late summer bounty that can be found in Britain's woodlands and hedgerows. Just like August, there are plenty of berries that can be transformed into jams and jellies. Look out for hawthorn berries, rosehips and elderberries.

September foraging guide

10

October

Directly Above Shot Of Damson Plums In Basket On Grass
Damsons/Credit: Getty Images

Autumn sweeps through the British countryside with hues of orange, red and brown. Fresh food ripens and falls from trees, plants and bushes, especially hazelnuts, damsons and walnuts.

October foraging guide

11

November

A cluster of pale brown fungi resembling oyster mushrooms grows on the trunk of a tree in a London public park.
A cluster of pale brown fungi resembling oyster mushrooms grows on the trunk of a tree in a London public park. (Getty)

November is one of the best months for foraging – with greens, flowers, nuts and fungi to be found on chilly walks. Take a brisk walk through the forest and forage for oyster mushrooms, chickweed, navelwort, winter chanterelles and more.

November foraging guide

12

December

Beautiful indigo blue mussels are seen growing wild at a beach wth rocky shores on the Irish west coast, on the popular tourist route known as the Wild Atlantic Way or WAW. The Ring of Kerry, which has been established longer than the WAW, takes visitors on a scenic trail around the rugged coastal landscape and through small, rural villages. These mussels are a resource for potential foraging to eat.
Wild mussels/Credit: Getty Images

Eager foragers should head to the coast in winter – it's one of the most fruitful times to find a fabulous feast, including mussels, cockles, marsh samphire and sea beet.

December foraging guide

Easy foraging recipe ideas

Sea beet with duck egg and new potatoes

Sea beet is similar to spinach, but its glossy, pointed leaves are fleshier and growing more flavoursome. It can be found growing on the edges of beaches, coast paths and other areas of coastal wasteland. It can be picked and cooked throughout the year.

The young leaf growth is actually great to eat raw in salads. This campfire brunch is quick and simple to prepare, particularly if you have some leftover cooked potatoes.

Cooking over an open fire
Sea beet with duck egg and new potatoes/Credit: Philip Hartley

Easy nettle soup

They’ve given us some of the most agonising experiences of our young lives as nippers and they continue to upset our own children and grandchildren, but nettles are more than just needled irritants.

The Cornish make a delicious cheese using them, the Nepalese make curries and some people even use them for clothing.

Nettle soup
Nettle soup/Credit: Getty Images

They’ve given us some of the most agonising experiences of our young lives as nippers and they continue to upset our own children and grandchildren, but nettles are more than just needled irritants.

The Cornish make a delicious cheese using them, the Nepalese make curries and some people even use them for clothing.

Bilberry and Almond Streusel Cake

Bilberries look like small blueberries, and they are closely related, but their taste is much more intense and sharp. You will need to work hard to find them. Extremely difficult to grow and therefore rarely cultivated, bilberries are a real treat for a forager.

Rich and buttery, the bilberries add fantastic little bursts of sharpness to cut through the sweetness of the cake. If you are not planning a hill walk you could always substitute the bilberries for redcurrants or blackcurrants with great effect.

Deutschland, Studio, Heidelbeeren
Berries add little bursts of sharpness to bakes. (Getty Images)

See more seasonal recipe ideas

Riverside Woodcraft

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