How to forage for food and why you should

Autumn is a favourite time of year for foragers because when there's a chill in the air, the most robust, flavoursome and interesting of Mother Nature's goodies are in their prime. Andy Hamilton is a food forager extraordinaire, imparting his knowledge to viewers of BBC's Autumnwatch and via his website selfsufficientish.com, which he writes with his twin brother, Dave. For this story, Andy gave us some foraging tips and ideas about what to do with your haul. We also spoke to Hampshire-based mushroom queen, Mrs Tee, of Mrs Tee's Mushrooms, who provides fungi to some of the best restaurants in the country.

Horseradish

Above ground, the horseradish plant is similar in appearance to the dock plant - in fact they're often confused because their long, green, spear-shaped, ribbed leaves look so alike. Remember that the horseradish plant produces small white flowers and if you scrunch the leaves you'll get a strong whiff of horseradish - this should help you tell them apart. Horseradish plants are sometimes found on banks, in hedgerows and on ditch edges, but if you find them growing on private land, make sure you seek permission from the landowner before you start digging them up. Andy Hamilton agrees: "Digging up roots is illegal without the landowner's permission but once you have obtained it you can get cracking. Dig up the root and don't worry too much if it breaks as the plant will grow again from any leftover root. Horseradish sauce is the typical thing to make, but horseradish vodka is a far better use of your labour."

On Bing: Horseradish recipes

Sloes

November is the perfect month in which to forage for sloes because it gives ample time for brewing sloe gin for Christmas. The sloe berry looks like a small damson - dark blue-purple skin with a dusty, frosted look to it. Raw, they're incredibly tart but if you make them into a jelly or jam, they're rather delicious. As with many autumn berries, sloes are sweeter after the first frost. If you can't wait that long, gather them and put them in the freezer overnight, it'll have the same effect. Be warned - the blackthorn bushes which bear the sloes have formidable thorns, so make sure you wear heavy-duty gloves and sleeves.

On Bing: Sloe recipes

Rose hips

Did you know that during WWII, children were sent out to forage for rose hips because of their high vitamin C content? Citrus fruits were in short supply and these little buds have about 1,000 times more vitamin C in them than oranges and lemons. The reason they've fallen out of favour is that they're a little tricky to process and they grow on thorny bushes so picking them can be treacherous. Once washed and cut in half, you also have to remove all the small seeds inside as well as the hairy pith. On the plus side, once the work is done, you're left with something nutritious and delicious that can be made into a syrup, jam or cordial. Andy Hamilton suggests: "Rose hips can be picked straight and gently sucked for a hit of vitamin C and flavour. If you make a bottle of rose hip wine, be sure to leave it for at least two years to improve the flavour."

On Bing: Rose hip recipes

Sweet chestnuts

If you're lucky enough to find some before Squirrel Nutkin pinches them all, then you're in for an autumnal treat. Do not confuse sweet chestnuts with the humble horse chestnut because you'll probably end up with an upset stomach or worse. The best way to tell them apart is by looking at the shape of the spikes on their casing - sweet chestnuts have long, thin porcupine-like spikes that stick out in all directions while the horse chestnut has short, bumpy spikes on a smooth, green surface. Always be 100% certain that you know which you have before you eat them! Leave them in a cool, dry place for a couple of days before you need them as this will allow the starch to convert to sugar, giving you a sweeter nut.

On Bing: Sweet chestnut recipes

Quinces

Quinces resemble small apples or pears in shape. Quince trees are quite robust and are often seen growing in front gardens or even at the side of roads, though for safety reasons we wouldn't advise you to forage for them on a busy roadside. When ripe, quinces are a beautiful golden yellow colour and have a strong aroma, but their hard, dry texture means that they can't be eaten raw. When cooked, they take on a beautiful bluish-pink hue and a sweet, perfumed taste. They're often turned into a membrillo to be eaten with cheese and they also make delicious and wonderfully tangy jams and jellies. A peeled, sliced and poached quince added to an apple pie or crumble will turn it into something amazing.

On Bing: Quince recipes

Mushrooms

Autumn means truffle season to fungi enthusiasts but unless you're very lucky or you know someone in the know, then you're unlikely to stumble across them in the UK because they're so highly sought after. But don't despair because you can still forage for delicious wild mushrooms. Mrs Tee says; "At this time of the year you should be foraging for brown chanterelles, pied du mouton, red ceps and bay boletes. However, because of the unusual weather we've been having we are also seeing some early varieties still growing such as the cauliflower mushroom, which can be found at the bottom of pine trees, and also hen of the woods.

On Bing: Wild mushroom recipes

Andy Hamilton's new book Booze For Free (Beetroot Books) is out now, priced at £9.99.

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