If you are one of the lovers of wild gathering, know that autumn is a time when it is quite possible to continue small purchases in nature. As for the garden and vegetable garden, November can be rich in harvest. But you still need to know which plants and wild fruits to collect in a month. Here is a partial list.
What wild plants to collect in November?
Grape garlic
Grape garlic should not be confused with pennywort or crocus, which are poisonous. In the fall, which means in November, you can pick leaves that look like chives but taste so delicious… garlic, of course! You can use them as fresh greens in fall salads
Bon-Henri Crow’s Foot
Last chance to harvest this wild plant, also known as wild spinach, which is harvested until November. Eat young shoots raw, cook the rest. Be careful not to confuse the Bon-Henri goosefoot with the spotted guet, which is highly toxic. Remember to only collect wild plants that you are 200% sure of identifying.
Chicory
For those who want to reduce their coffee consumption, November is the time to harvest chicory root. Cut it into small pieces, brown it in a pan, without adding fat. Remove from heat and let cool once the pieces are brown. All you have to do is grind them and store the rest in an airtight container, away from light and moisture.
Common pine
There is nothing easier than making herbal tea with pine needles. They add a bit of fall sweetness that makes you want to snuggle under a blanket by the fire.
plantain lanceolate
With their mushroom flavor, it’s hard to go past plantain leaves in November. Try young shoots raw in salads or pesto. If you prefer them cooked, they are great in your soups. As the website Le Chemin de la nature, which specializes in collecting wild nature, specifies, lanceolate plantain is not recommended for pregnant women and children under three years of age. If you suffer from respiratory irritation, it is best to avoid it.
Nettle
It’s hard to miss nettles even in November. Choose the tips, then make soups, quiches, use them in fillings or make pesto with them. For more recipe ideas, click here.
sisimbr
They eat everything in the medicinal herb. In the fall, harvest the leaves and cook them, raw or cooked, like cabbage. Quite simply.
What fruits and seeds to collect in November?
Cranberry
You can still harvest this little sour red berry in November. Avoid eating it raw because of its acidity. It is better to cook it with sugar to make jam, jelly or juice with other seasonal fruits.
Tenel (hawthorn fruit)
This wild red fruit is harvested in autumn. You have to get the pulp (watch out for the core!), then mix it with other seasonal fruits to make delicious purees, concoctions or jams.
chestnut
If you have chestnuts (not to be confused with chestnuts!) left in your house, use them! Chestnuts keep very well for 6 months. You can eat them raw or baked with the skin removed. Find recipe ideas here.
Hazelnut
It’s the same with hazelnuts: the last ones can be harvested in early November. Take the opportunity to stock up like squirrels for the winter and check out these recipes.
Thorn
Collect thorn berries to make a delicious syrup, sauce or liqueur.
Did you like this article? Do not forget that collecting wild plants cannot be improvised. Here’s an article that summarizes all the rules and precautions you need to take before you get started.