December is the start of winter and whilst it might look like there is very little to forage for, there are still plenty of plants, mushrooms and sea food to find, if you know where to look.
December is usually less cold than the rest of the winter, here in the UK, which means that you can still find plants and mushrooms that are available during late autumn.
The most common plants to forage for in December include horseradish, wild cabbage or nettle and you can find mussels, cockles and marsh samphire by the sea.
December foraging also overlaps with November foraging and January, so make sure you check out my other posts to see what’s in season.
To get you started
horseradish
Horseradish leaves are easily recognisable, as they are tall and wavy. You can find horseradish along the sides of the roads and elevated banks of roads. Also check for your local scrublands like the end of parks or fields.
What to pick
- leaves
- root
notes
Pick the younger leaves, which are less tough than the old ones
how to use
Use very young leaves to eat fresh (in a salad) and older leaves to steam or boil to use as any leafy vegetables.
Use the root to make horseradish sauce.
Recipes
Mussels
Mussels are easily recognisable, you probably seen them in any seafood restaurant on the menu and you can also easily buy them in the shops. But it’s a good adventure to forage for your own and collect just enough to make your dinner next day.
You can find mussels on the rocky parts of beaches, they prefer a sunny sides of UK like Cornwall or Pembrokeshire, but I’ve also find them in Kent (which is our local area). Make sure that you check that the beach or area you are foraging in, it’s clean and free from any pollution.
What to pick
Whole mussels (including their shells)
notes
Collect during the day and leave overnight in a bowl of cold salty water to allow the mussels to open and to expel any impurities and grit. Scrub the outer shell and clean in water before you cook them.
how to use
Boil for few minutes in a boiling water with added wine and or cream and serve with a crusty bread.
Recipes
wild cabbage
There are many types of wild cabbage (the picture below is wild sea cabbage) and you can find it usually anywhere on the outskirts of villages, towns and seaside. Wild cabbage is nutritious and can be used in any recipe that calls for cabbage.
What to pick
- pick the youngest leaves first (as older leaves might be a bit tough)
notes
how to use
Steam or boil and use as any cabbage or leafy vegetables (for side dishes)
Recipes
Cockles
Cockless are more difficult to find, because they are buried under the tip layer of a sand. You can find them on sandy (and sunny) beaches in the UK, but you need to go at low tide, when the sand, which is normally under water, is exposed.
Be careful not to go to far and always look out for the tide going back as you really don’t want to find yourself stranded too far from the beach. A small garden rake or trowel and a bucket or a strong bag comes very handy when searching for cockles.
What to pick
- the while cockles (including their shelf)
notes
Leave for 12 hrs in salty water (in a large bowl) to let the cockles open and purify themselves.
how to use
Best eaten fresh, steamed or boiled and served with sauce, pasta or a crusty bread
Recipes
Marsh Samphire
Samphire is another sea treat you can sometimes find in specialist food shops, but it’s usually very pricey and worth the effort to pick your own. Samphire is not easily spotted, because it’s found in sandy beaches and only during low tide.
Bring a sharp scissors (or you can pinch the tips with your fingers) and only cut the tips allowing the rest of the plant to re-grow and re-generate itself.
Samphire has beautifully crunchy texture with lovely salty flavour and you can eat it as it is, perhaps drizzled with a light salad dressing.
What to pick
- the tips
notes
how to use
Eat fresh or steam (boil) for few minutes and serve as a side dish.
Recipes
Other plants that are in season in december
Rowan, Oak (Acorns), Rosehips, Beech, Blackthorn (sloe), Burdock, Cleavers, Hawthorn, Nettle
Monthly wild food calendar
- January >>
- June >>
- July >>
- August >>
- November>>
- December – you are reading this page
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