Preserving foraged goods

[stangs]

Part of my regular walk is filled to the brim with rosehips at the minute. I’ve been picking some for horse, but it seems a waste to feed him them while he’s got access to more from his field’s hedge. Now wondering what’s the best way to preserve them for the winter - should I dry them (though I don’t have a dehydrator) or freeze them?

My walk also goes past thistles, meadowsweet, marshmallow, thousands of dandelions, and also this plant that I haven’t been able to identify yet but which horse loves (guesses and explanation welcome).

Spoiler

Any advice and recommendations for preserving these plants too? I feed a herb mix including most of these plants already; this is just an idea to have some whole plants available as an occasional snack when winter comes around.

 

[cauda equina]

No help with preserving stuff but I think your plant is fat hen

 

[Clodagh]

I should think you could tie them up in bundles in an airy but dry location and they will dry out ok.

 

[stangs]

No help with preserving stuff but I think your plant is fat hen

Thank you. I've just had a Google and apparently it tends to get selected by horses with insulin issues, so it's definitely the one. Fascinating that he knows to go for it despite not having access to it before.

 

[dominobrown]

Drying will be your best bet. You could either hang herbs or put them in a really really low oven for a while.

 

[criso]

Rosehips I've dried in a low oven spread out on a baking tray. However they took so L ng to dry, by the time you factor in electricity, it may have been cheaper to buy. Even more so now with energy 4x what it was then.

 

[stangs]

Air-drying it is then, will have to take the stem with the rosehips next time. Presumably he'll be happy enough to eat it all if I cut the thorns off.

 

[Surbie]

Air-drying it is then, will have to take the stem with the rosehips next time. Presumably he'll be happy enough to eat it all if I cut the thorns off.

Mine is!

I freeze mine. They are sweeter after a frost if you can hang on that long.

The fat hen is full of seeds, and they may all fall off if you pick and hang-dry the plant. Bit messy to do at home perhaps.

 

[SilverLinings]

I shred the rosehips in a blender and then blast them in the microwave and leave out on the counter overnight for remaining moisture to evaporate. They last all winter that way with minimum effort. I do put a food-safe dessicator in the container they are stored in, but I don't know how much difference that makes. The smaller the rosehips are chopped the easier and quicker it is to dry them.

 

[Surbie]

I shred the rosehips in a blender and then blast them in the microwave and leave out on the counter overnight for remaining moisture to evaporate. They last all winter that way with minimum effort. I do put a food-safe dessicator in the container they are stored in, but I don't know how much difference that makes. The smaller the rosehips are chopped the easier and quicker it is to dry them.

That's a really good idea! Will be pinching that.

 

[Clodagh]

They make an excellent gin, for drinking with Prosecco.
Just saying.

 

[Burnttoast]

Fat hen or possibly something else in Amaranthaceae - it's a large family and they're all quite variable. Bear in mind that they can accumulate nitrates when mature. When I used to make a fat hen tea for my fatty's feed (who would never eat it by choice, naturally ) I selected young plants, just to be sure.

 

[stangs]

Fat hen or possibly something else in Amaranthaceae - it's a large family and they're all quite variable. Bear in mind that they can accumulate nitrates when mature. When I used to make a fat hen tea for my fatty's feed (who would never eat it by choice, naturally ) I selected young plants, just to be sure.

Daft question but how do I tell whether the plant's mature or not? Searching up fat hen growth is just getting me a lot of chick pictures.

 

[Burnttoast]

Daft question but how do I tell whether the plant's mature or not? Searching up fat hen growth is just getting me a lot of chick pictures.

Anything that's flowering is basically mature. Here's a image search with some of the seedlings/young plants. On disturbed ground they will pop up almost continuously if there's a seed source - I used to pull them from my veg beds at the field.

young chenopodium album - Google Suche

 

[Palindrome]

I would think frozen keeps the vitamins better.

Birds and other wild animals do rely on rosehips as a food source through winter so if possible it's good to leave some.

 

[Fransurrey]

When oven drying I have the objects laid out on a tray and put them into the oven after I've switched it off (for cooking). The heat in there is enough to dry the stuff without cooking (leave door slightly ajar) and no extra fuel used! Might take a few cycles/dinners, but it works! Have done tomatoes and mushrooms this way.

 

[criso]

When oven drying I have the objects laid out on a tray and put them into the oven after I've switched it off (for cooking). The heat in there is enough to dry the stuff without cooking (leave door slightly ajar) and no extra fuel used! Might take a few cycles/dinners, but it works! Have done tomatoes and mushrooms this way.

I did try that but I don't really use the oven enough and even after a few goes they were still very wet. It was an interesting experiment but in my situation not cost effective. Though maybe chopped up would be quicker.

 

[MagicMelon]

How do you feed rosehips? I have loads of them - do you just feed them the red berry bits? Im thinking of cooking with mine this year - you can make various stuff from the insides apparently. Otherwise, I often pick things from my veg patch for the horses like mint, raspberry leaves (they strip the canes) etc.

I was wondering about apples - they're not ready yet but I have 3 trees absolutely falling over under the weight of them, but even when they're ready they're a sour type variety (cant remember what they were!) but they're a bit too sour for us to eat. Is it safe to give the horses these does anyone know?

 

[dorsetladette]

my friend dehydrates herbs and rosehips etc in her air fryer. I'm collecting rosehips this year as I have tonnes in the hedgerows. But i think I'll be drying them in the oven on low.

 

[Burnttoast]

Neither of ours like dog rosehips (weird fussy natives!) but my boy really likes the ones from the Rosa rugosa in our garden - no idea why they should be so much better! I just leave them on the plants and pick them on the way out of the house. The hips at the field the birds will eat particularly in a bad year, but not usually till everything else has gone, so I prefer to leave them for the wildlife anyway.

I got a good dehydrator last year to make jerky among other things. I haven't been very successful at that (really need to give it another go when I have the energy) but it's been great for other things - mint from the garden for tea, apples, mushrooms, fruit leather. They do take up space but it saves on freezer space.