June Foraging Class Recipes

mossybirchhomestea
May 26
5 min read

Hello wonderful foragers!

Below are the recipes for the classes that we did- Enjoy!

Bannock

4 cups of flour
2 tbsp baking powder
Pinch of salt and sugar (if you like)
1/3 cup of lard
1 1/2 cup of milk or water

Add the dry ingredients and mix together with your hands, once mixed well, add 1/3 cup of lard and

mix into the flour until crumbly. Make a well and pour 1 1/2 cup of milk (or water) and mix until it forms a dough- do not over mix

On a cookie sheet, grease the pan with some shortening or lard and dump the dough onto the sheet. Gently (with love) press with your hands to a squareish shape, about 1 inch thick.

Place into oven at 350 until golden brown (about 20 minutes) once pulled out of the oven, place onto a cooling rack immediately- this will keep the bottom from going soggy.

Wild Blueberry Compote

1 cup wild blueberries
splash of water
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
pinch of rosemary
salt and pepper
tsp of honey

Add: In a saucepan on medium heat, add 1 cup of wild blueberries and a splash of water. Let cook down until berries start to "pop"

add in 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, a pinch of ground rosemary, some salt and pepper to taste and let cook down further on low heat until you can put the sauce on the back of a spoon and trace your finger through it and it doesn't spread.

Turn the heat off and add in a tsp of honey. let melt and cool slightly.

This is great on bannock or any wild game.

Lilac jelly

Things to note for making jelly for long term storage

Use half-pint canning jars and pretreated lids.
Check jars and lids. Discard any cracked or chipped jars and any lids with blemished sealing surfaces. Wash in hot, soapy water; rinse. Boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize. Keep jars hot.
Combine ingredients and cook in small batches, one recipe at a time, in a large, heavy, 8- to 10-quart saucepot.
For iquid or powdered pectin is used, follow manufacturer’s directions. The method of combining ingredients varies with the form of pectin used. Pectin, acid and doneness tests are not necessary with added pectin. For a softer product, use ¼ to ½ cup more fruit or juice. For a firmer product, use ¼ to ½ cup less fruit or juice.
Before filling jars, skim off foam that forms from the boiling process. The addition of ¼ teaspoon butter or margarine during cooking helps cut down on the foam formed.
To fill the jars, pour hot fruit mixture into hot sterilized jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace.
Process jams, preserves and conserves in a boiling water bath for the length of time specified in the recipe. If no processing instructions are given, process for 5 minutes in sterile jars. If jars have not been sterilized, the filled jars should be processed 10 minutes, but the added 5-minutes processing time may cause weak gels, especially if using low-pectin fruits.
Allow to cool undisturbed for 12 hours, then remove screw bands, carefully wipe the outside of the jar with a clean, damp cloth, and store in a dark, dry, cool place.

Recipe:

4 cups lilac blossoms
4 cups water
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 to 4 cups sugar , *see note
1 box powdered pectin, 1.75 oz pectin or 6 Tbsp. (Regular or Low Sugar)

Separate 4 cups of lilac blossoms from their stems, carefully removing any green parts.
Pour 4 cups boiling water over the top of the lilac blossoms and allow the tea to infuse for about 30 minutes- or overnight in the fridge. It should be a turquoise color (which will change to pink when lemon juice is added).
Strain the lilac tea into a deep saucepan. Add the lemon juice, which will adjust color, but it’s also required to balance the sugar in the recipe and help the pectin set- don’t skip the lemon.
Bring the mixture to a boil and add the powdered pectin, stirring to dissolve. Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute before adding sugar. (Note: Do not add the sugar at the same time as the pectin, or before the pectin, or the jell will not set.)
Add the sugar, stirring to dissolve (See notes on quantity). Bring the mixture back to a full boil for 1 minute before ladling into jelly jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
If canning, process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. Otherwise, allow the jars to cool completely on the counter before storing in the refrigerator (for up to a month) or the freezer for up to 6 months.

Sugar: If using standard pectin, you must use a 1:1 ratio of liquid to sugar. For 4 cups lilac tea, you need a minimum of 4 cups sugar to get the jelly to set. That results in a very sweet "old-fashioned" jelly. To reduce the sugar, simply use low sugar pectin instead and then make the jelly as instructed but using less sugar.

Dandelion Fritters

2 cups fresh dandelion blossoms, without stems (soak them in room temp water with a tbsp of salt for 10 mins then rinse and dry on a paper towel- this gets rid of any bugs)
1 cup flour
1 egg
1 cup milk
Pinch of sugar
½ cup vegetable or coconut oil
sugar and cinnamon to taste OR for a savoury version, add in some of your favourite spices instead

Instructions

With a whisk, blend flour, egg, sugar and milk until smooth. Heat the oil in a skillet

Clean blossom- get rid of any stem. Pick up dandelion blossom by the bump on the back, and dip it into the batter until it is totally covered.

Place blossom in oil, blossom side down. Once it is lightly browned, flip the blossom with a fork and brown a bit on the other side.

Remove blossom from frying pan with a fork, pat it with a paper towel then toss in cinnamon sugar

And an added bonus, I've snuck in another recipe!

Dandelion Muffins

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray your tin or line with liners. (Makes 12)

Whisk together dry ingredients

Whisk together wet ingredients

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1/2 cup butter melted and cool
1 cup loosely packed dandelion petal flowers- rinsed and dried
Zest of two large lemons
Juice from 2 large lemons
2/3 cups sugar

In a large bowl whisk the sour cream and sugar together until smooth. Slowly whisk in butter and add eggs one at a time. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, mix until blended. Divide the batter into 12 tins.

Bake for about 18-20 minutes