Challenge 13: Get a taste for nature

Points available: 2

About the challenge

You've used your other senses, now it's time to taste the natural world.

Lots of wild plants are edible and would have been used by our ancestors in the past but nowadays many of those customs have died out. One custom which is easy to keep going is to collect a few blackberries or bilberries from a walk in Dartmoor’s woods and open moorland. You only need a few to give a delicious twist to an apple pie or crumble. Collect them in a small tub on your walk, give them a good wash when you get home and then add them to your pie with sliced and cored apple. You’ll probably find your helpers eat a few before you even get home!

Helpful tips

You should be able to spot a blackberry easily enough but beware. Never eat anything that you are unsure of. If in doubt leave it out. A good identification guide can help you develop your confidence. There are also plenty of guide books out there to help you forage from the wild including the classic “Food for Free” by Richard Mabey

More information

We've been eating blackberries for thousands of years. Archaeologists have found the seeds in human  waste when looking at prehistoric remains.