Foraging is a hugely satisfying way to get your own food. It's not as quick and easy as heading to the supermarket, and it won't always yield as much food as growing your own veggie patch, but it's fun, rewarding and it can also help you stay fit. Lots of people just don't realise how many possibilities for foraging there are around the city and surrounding areas.
Do you have any tips for finding wild food around Adelaide? Know some good spots or have the know-how on what to look out for? Share your foraging tips and help share the knowledge.
Fruitful figs
Summer and early Autumn is blackberry season. You can find them growing wild in a host of national parks - but
Belair National Park is one of the best places to start. Why go to Belair? Well for starters it's easy to get to, and even if you don't end up with a successful haul you've enjoyed a pretty picturesque walk. Some of the best spots of blackberry picking can be hard to get to, but there are plenty easy to find areas - just be aware that you'll be competing with loads of other blackberry pickers.
They're delicious picked straight from the bush, but they also can be baked into cakes and will make delicious jam. If you're blackberry picking keep in mind that blackberries are a weed, and in some parks they may be sprayed with poisons. Check with park authorities to see if they've been doing any spraying lately.
Other good fruits to find? Figs are rampant in the suburbs, and not just in people's backyards. There are trees in public parks and along bikeways, or just growing on the side of the road. The streets between Goodwood and St Marys are jam packed with loquot trees - a slightly more unusual fruit that can be tangy but also sweet and delicious. Mulberries are another special find. A little hint - if you're ever wine tasting at
Coriole keep your eye out for their mulberry tree. You'll end up with red stained fingers but very happy tastebuds.
During the cool months, mushroom foraging is popular - especially around pine forests because you have a chance to find porcini. Just keep in mind that these are one of the more dangerous foods to forage. Many mushrooms are poisonous, and it's not always easy to tell the good from the bad. Do your research before you go, and make sure you're confident with your identification skills. The
Mushroom Foragers of South Australia group is a handy tool, but be prepared to be jealous of some of the finds.
Another good resource is
Ripe Near Me. While it's primarily used for sharing produce in your own garden, plenty of people have used it to map out fruits and vegetables growing on public land. There's also the
Foraging South Australia group that's full of discussion and knowledgeable people.
The potential end product after a successful foraging session
So where are your favourite foraging locations? What are your best tips for being a successful and respectful forager?
