One trend that I’ve been noticing lately is foraging. This is something I am genuinely surprised about, mostly because we are all so attached to technology. It’s hard to believe that getting muddy and finding treasures in your backyard is trendy. As someone who is only somewhat into nature, this isn’t a bandwagon I’m jumping on right away!
I’m hoping some of these cookbooks inspire me to at least look for items as I go on my hikes while the season is warm. There are so many stunning cookbooks that utilize foraged foods, I just am worried about how much time it takes! Let’s take a look at six cookbooks I’ve found for spring foraging!
(Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you)
Let’s start off with beverages, because that’s how I start everything!
The Wildcrafted Cocktail: Make Your Own Foraged Syrups, Bitters, Infusions, and Garnishes; Includes Recipes for 45 One-of-a-Kind Mixed Drinks
Not only is the cover of this cocktail cookbook just absolutely stunning, but the recipes sound tasty. They include Silverberry Juice, Pineapple Weed Liqueur, Acorn Infused Bourbon, and more.
The Wildcrafted Cocktail: Make Your Own Foraged Syrups, Bitters, Infusions, and Garnishes; Includes Recipes for 45 One-of-a-Kind Mixed Drinks is divided up into six chapters: anatomy of foraged cocktails, syrups, bitters, garnishes, fermentation and the like, and base spirits. You’ll be finding all kinds of amazing things from your backyard to put in your cocktails in no time.
If you’re worried that this is too complicated, this cookbook actually demystifies foraging. Many of the basics are broken down in a palatable way so we can understand. Plus, we are only harvesting for parts of the recipe, not the whole thing!
Cocktails, Mocktails, and Garnishes from the Garden: Recipes for Beautiful Beverages with a Botanical Twist
If you love the classics, but want to elevate some of the flavors, check out Cocktails, Mocktails, and Garnishes from the Garden: Recipes for Beautiful Beverages with a Botanical Twist cocktail book. There are recipes such as gin and tonic, margaritas, and even old fashioneds with a twist.
Most of these cocktails are about the same, with the addition of some herbal or floral influences to really make a difference. For example: adding cardamom to a Juniper and Tonic or thyme to a boozy peach tea slush. I am making it sound more elementary than it is! These flavors give each cocktail more depth than they already had.
This recipe book is divided into sections based on which liquor is the primary (whiskey, tequila, gin, etc.) It’s the perfect bar cart book for those who love nature or are into using some local ingredients.
The Forager’s Kitchen Handbook: Foraging tips and over 100 recipes using what you can find for free
Moving onward to food, The Forager’s Kitchen Handbook cookbook is going to be a must-have for those who want to discover all the land has to offer. Author Fiona Bird uses ingredients like foraged berries, honeysuckle, and shellfish for her recipes.
There are over 100 recipes in this cookbook! Each have notes and tips to how to forage each ingredient. Depending on the ingredients, she shares how and where to find some of these foraged items. Each ingredient has more than one use, so I really love that she provides what else each item can be used for.
Each chapter is divided into sections that will help you survey the land. We have woodlands and hedgerows, flowers and blossoms, salt and sea, and herbs. I can’t wait to explore the land around me to see what I can use in my dishes!
The Forager’s Pantry: Cooking with Wild Edibles
If the cover of The Forager’s Pantry: Cooking with Wild Edibles wasn’t enough to at least inspire a peek, hopefully my words are! This cookbook by Ellen Zachos is a delight. She inspires us to grow and actually take a step outside. There’s a whole world to eat.
This cookbook is so easy to navigate, because the chapters are really intuitive. We learn, in detail, some very unique flora that we can utilize in our cooking. Some things we can even grow in our own backyard. We can familiarize ourselves with the flavor profiles herbs, spices, flowers, and even fungi bring to our dishes.
That includes the recipes as well. Most of these are common household staples with an edge. Recipes include Japanese steamed buns using mugwort or savory puff pastry swirls. I’m already drooling.
And the photography throughout this cookbook is just as jaw-dropping as the cover. For us visual learners, learning how to forage and cook the correct ingredients and make sure it all looks pretty!
Edible Seaweeds of the World
I wanted to add Edible Seaweeds of the World book to our list, because it is incredibly informative. This may be similar to a textbook, but if you’re a seasoned forager who lives on the coast, this will come in handy.
I personally never thought of foraging my own seaweed, but that is very commonplace and incredibly nutritious! Learn about all the different breeds of seaweed and how you can use it in your cooking (especially Japanese dishes!)
There are no recipes in this book, but it is full of valuable information!
Forage: Wild plants to gather and eat
Last on my cookbook list is the Forage: Wild plants to gather and eat book which is also very educational! Unlike Edible Seaweeds of the World this book does contain recipes. I just wouldn’t call it a cookbook.
We explore 50 herbs and plants from all around the world and the uses they bring to our cooking. There are recipes we can cook alongside, but mostly, we are identifying the Earth around us. This includes a brief history of how humans have used each plant in their cooking. Not only that, but we learn about each culture that has been positively effected by those ingredients and how those regions cook those plants/herbs in their local fare.
If restaurants can forage foods for their ingredients, then I think it is entirely possible for us to do it at home. I love the idea of making this a family/friend activity, go hike and cultivate some of our local backyard treats then come home to create a feast.
I appreciate that most of these cookbooks don’t exclusively use foraging techniques. They combine foods we use in our grocery stores and enhance each dish with foraged ingredients.
Is this something you can see yourself doing? My only gripe is how much time it would take to find all the ingredients. If anyone has any advice on how to utilize time better to be able to forage foods, I would love to hear it in the comments below!
~Kaiti
