Free food from hedgerows & countryside

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I'd like to start preserving local blackberries in kilner jars for myself and for presents.

What other free food is easy to preserve?

I have a dehydrator in my Amazon Wish List.

I could live on pickled herring, tony, love the stuff

Those Amazon wish lists are lethal. I keep putting things in there and then taking them out again when I see what I have 'spent'.

I've only just bought a Dutch Oven. Musn't get tempted by a dehydrator when I don't even have anything to dehydrate as yet!

Same here, I don't produce enough to warrant getting one, can't wait to move.

Ben Fogle programme is fascinating btw. Goals.

The cloudberry and lingonberry liquors arrived yesterday. I haven't tried them yet, though.

I made BlackBerry and elderberry jam this year it is gorgeous much nicer than straight BlackBerry and good for arthritis

The thought of that is actually making my mouth water. My most favourite jam of all time was some damson my mother made - now she did have the jam knack - and damsons are a fruit that could be well represented I think.

One question. I need to write a use by date on my creations. How long does food last in kilner jars?

Your jam sounds lovely. Plentiful blackberry fields round here so I need to track down elderberries.

Aha - found this and it says don't leave any longer than one year. Apparently it is a bad sign if it explodes.

momprepares.com/jars-of-canned-food-how-long-do-they-last/

Damson is my favourite jam of all. Does anyone else haunt the reduced fruit and veg bit for potential jams victims?

Blackberry jelly is divine with a few star anise bunged in

I have a book called Food For Free, which is a nice little guide to hedgerow dining.

My mum makes hip and haw jelly.

I want to get making nettle beer and elderflower champagne next year.

I have elderflower wine on my to do wish list I can see that needs upgrading to champagne.