photo of a women foraging gorse flowers on the cornish coast

Wild Food Foraging In Cornwall

hayley_bp
6 February 2022

At a time of year when many plants are laying dormant in the cold and soggy soil, you could be forgiven for thinking that February isn’t the most opportunistic month for wild food foraging in Cornwall. However, it’s surprising what the combination of a sharp eye and an adventurous palette can gather from just a short walk along the coastal path…

Foraging Gorse Flowers

These thorny bushes dominate the headland and coastal path, bringing pops of sunshine yellow to even the most gloomy of February days.

As we slowly circle back around to spring, their coconut and vanilla scent increases and often hangs in the air on warm mornings. These tiny, yellow flowers can be used to decorate cakes and salads, and you can make cordial with them if the flowers are left to steep overnight in boiling water with some sugar and orange peel. Add a dash of cordial to sparkling water or vodka and ice for something stronger.

Wild Sea Beet

This is probably one of the most under rated, year-round foragables and given how common it is, it always amazes me how it isn’t used more often in the kitchen.

Sea beet is a distant relative of many foods that are cultivated today including chard, beetroot and sugar beet. It is found on just about every beach in Cornwall and sometimes quilts whole areas of land making it a very sustainable find.

Although unrelated to spinach, it can be used in much the same way. Its a far superior taste in my opinion, and firmer, more like kale, retaining much more of its structure when cooked. It’s a great addition to stir fries, fish pies, curry, pasta or I use it in the same way as I use cavolo nero — and wilted with a little butter, garlic and chilli, and a little lemon zest.

Wild Pennywort

Often found nestled away in the crevices of stone walls and at the base of cliffs, Pennywort is a fleshy, round leaved plant with a central depression that looks not too dissimilar to a belly button – hence its other name, Navelwort. The leaves are edible and can be gathered for use in salads. They add a fabulous, juicy texture and possess the slight taste of pea.

Begin Your Foraging Journey!

If you want to start foraging, the best place to begin is on your local coastal path or dog walk. There’s no need to travel great distances or go too far off the beaten track. Get out on the land that you already know and begin asking questions about the plants around you. Try to identify them using apps on your phone or take pictures of them from multiple angles and compare with the images in books once you’re home.

Once you know what they are, you can begin researching their origins, the folklore surrounding them and their edibility. Once you’ve got to know a plant in this way, I promise you’ll never forget it’s name. When you have one under your belt, it will give you the confidence to go and learn more and more. Just remember to never eat any plant unless you are 100% confident you know exactly what it is. Aside from that, get out and explore.

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