I recently heard a story of how two Police Community Support Officers informed children that they should not pick wild BLACKBERRIES as they could be poisonous. The mother quite rightly put the officers straight by explaining the very same fruit can be bought in Sainsbury's, to which the officers responded that those fruits must be alright as they come from a supermarket!...

...what a shame (and an irony) that one of our oldest known & most delicious wild fruits is now considered potential 'poison' by those who are more used to eating only food that comes in a plastic wrapping.

Blackberries (Rubus fruticosus) are possibly one of Europeans oldest known edible wild fruits.The seeds of blackberries were found in the stomach of a neolithic man discovered in Essex and the 'Haraldskær Woman' from Denmark.They are high in Vitamin C & Fiber & have one of the highest antioxidant levels of all fruits. Not only does this prolific grower produce edible fruit useful for Jams, wines & fruit pies, it also bears edible shoots that should be picked when young & tender & eaten lightly boiled or added fresh to salads.

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) is also known as "Whinberry/wimberry", "Blaeberry", "Whortleberry" & "Huckleberry". It can be found on moorland & heaths in parts of Ireland, Scotland, Wales & the north & west of England, and more rarely can be found on high ground in the south & east. The berries are very small, dark purple in colour & deliciously sweet. Bilberries contain high levels of anthocyanin pigments, which have been linked experimentally to lowered risk for several diseases, such as those of the heart and cardiovascular system, eyes and cancer.

Elderberries (Sambucus nigra) are a good source of vitamins A & B17 and the flowers contain three very good sources of potassium plus viburnic acid (beneficial for asthma and bronchitis), vitamin A, vitamin C, volatile oils and bioflavonoids. An infusion made of the flowers is ideal for colds and influenza & in aiding hay fever. Both flowers & fruit can also be used to make excellent wines. However caution should be exercised as this plant contains cyanogenic glycosides (cyanide) & Alkaloids. Roots, stalks & leaves should never be eaten & it is advisable to wash hands thoroughly after handling any of these. As some poison is also contained in the seeds & flowers, the safest method of consuming is after cooking or fermentation & seeds should be strained out if possible. Some individuals may still experience an allergic reaction.

Sloes (prunus spinosa) are the fruits of the blackthorn. Although wild relatives of the plum, they are particularly astringent leaving a dry taste in the mouth if eaten raw. Many recipes can be found here for Sloe Gin, jam & chocolates. Sloes are high in vitamin C & antioxidants and a syrup made from them is good for treatment of flu.

Bullace (Prunus insititia) is closely related to the sloe & can be hard to distinguish, however they tend to grow slightly larger, are less thorny and have straight branches that are covered by brown bark. They have a sweeter, more palatable flavour when uncooked.

Just thirty ripe Rose Hips contain as much Vitamin C (depending upon the variety) as forty oranges, 25% more iron, 25 times the Vitamin A, and 28 % more calcium. They are also a rich source of bioflavanoids, pectin, vitamin E, selenium, manganese & B vitamins. Vitamin C for vitamin pills is often extracted from Rose Hips. They have recently been discovered to be effective in the treatment of Crohn's disease, heart disease & osteoarthritis.

All rose hips are edible, although some have a better taste than others & the tastiest variety is considered to be Rosa rugosa. Roses are members of the apple family and, as such, their fruit is often called a "rose apple". The petals of the flowers and the leaves may also be eaten.

They can be made into syrup, tea, jams & jelly's & in Sweden are favoured as a soup.

Remove the seeds before consuming as these have a hairy coating that will irritate the throat & stomach.

The fruit of the Common Hawthorn(Crataegus monogyna) is used to make wine& jelly and to add flavour to brandy. "The Hethel Old Thorn" in Norwich is possibly the oldest known living specimen of this ancient & useful fruiting bush. In China dried hawthorn fruits and especially haw flakes are eaten as candies. The young leaves are good in salads.

Sea Buckthorn has a very high vitamin C content, about 12 times more than that of oranges & is also high in vitamin E.

Although astringent in flavour, it can be used in jam, wine & liquors , sorbets and fruit pies, etc. Some delicious recipes for using this oft neglected source of nutrition can be found here.

Crab Apples (Malus) are an excellent source of pectin and can be used to make delicious jams, wines & cider, or roasted & served with meat!

European Beechnuts (Fagus sylvatica) are small and triangular, have a sweet taste and are highly nutritious- however consumed in large quantities have been known to cause stomach upsets due to the high tannin content. The young tender leaves of the tree can be eaten in salads.

Hazelnuts are also known as cob nuts or filberts.Hazelnuts are rich in protein and unsaturated fat. The are also a good provider of thiamine and vitamin B6 as well as other B vitamins. The nuts are fully grown about 7-8 months after pollination of the flowers and should be picked in the late autumn when they begin to fall from the trees. They can be used raw, roasted or ground into a paste or 'butter'.

Sweet Chestnuts (Castanea sativa) are the low fat alternative of the nut world containing only 1-3g of total fat per 100g of chestnuts. They also have vitamins C & B, are a rich source of potassium & contain significant amouts of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, copper, selenium & zinc.

Galium aparine has many common names such as'Cleavers', 'Clivers', 'Goosegrass'[, 'Stickywilly', 'Stickyweed', 'Catchweed', 'Robin-run-the-hedge' and 'Coachweed' and it is probably best known for its small green 'burrs' and sticky leaves & stems which are often found hitching a ride on the fur of animals. These 'burrs' are the fruit and can be dried & roasted to create a substitute for coffee. All parts of the plant are edible but as they are covered in the barbed hairs which make it 'sticky' they should be boiled as a leafy vegetable, before the seeds begin to appear!

Small Leaved Lime tree (Tilia cordat) is also sometimes known as 'little leaved Linden'.

Young leaves can be used raw as a salad ingredient or sandwich filling. Some people believe that 'old' leaves may have a narcotic effect but there is little conclusive proof of this claim. It does, however, have many potential health benefits.

The sap can be harvested in the spring for syrup or drinks and a chocolate substitute can be made from a paste of the flowers & immature fruit.

Whitebeam (Sorbus aria)- The fully ripened fruit can make a delicious jam or wine and a few raw fruits which have been 'bletted' can make a tasty snack when discovered. However, both the flowers and the fruit are mildly diuretic, laxative and emmenagogue (promote blood flow in the pelvic area and uterus & may stimulate menstruation), therefore should be consumed with care.

The seeds probably contain hydrogen cyanide. This is the ingredient that gives almonds their characteristic flavour. In small quantities, hydrogen cyanide has been shown to stimulate respiration and improve digestion, it is also claimed to be of benefit in the treatment of cancer. In excess, however, it can cause respiratory failure and even death.

Many common fruits have hydrogen cyanide (Prussic acid) in their seeds, such as cherries, apricots, apples, almonds, plums & quince, etc. As a result, some cyanide can also be found in fruit jams that contain these pit and pip extracts but the levels are so low as to be harmless to most people since the concentration of cyanide in these compounds is small. Risk is considered lessened by open boiling, leaching in water and fermentation.

Never use Aluminium pans or utensils in the cooking of fruit as this will destroy the vitamin C.

Most autumn fruits are best not eaten until they have 'bletted'... that is until they have been exposed to the first frost of the winter as this is when their flavour is sweetest. This applies to: Sloes, Haws, Rowan, Rose Hips, Whitebeam, Guelder-rose berries & Sea Buckthorn, amongst others.