​The workshops begin with an introduction to how gin is made. Gin is essentially a clear base spirit which is infused with juniper berries. I have learnt a hack, which is to buy very cheap vodka, and then pass it through a water filter 3 times to purify the vodka. The vodka we then infuse with Juniper berries and whatever wild ingredients we fancy to create our gin! The wild gin workshops are all about crafting a gin which will suit your own taste buds, so I pre-forage ingredients for the guests to play with. This Saturday we had the following selection: ​

​​Prunus spinosa Unripe Sloe berries 
Rosa rubiginosa Rose petals 
​Rumex acetosa Common Sorrel  
Salicornia europa Marsh Samphire 
Sambucus nigra Elderflower 
Smurnium olastrum Alexanders seeds  
Sueada maritima Annual Sea Blight 
Triglochin maritima Sea Arrowgrass  

​gentleman who used Crithmum maritmum (rock samphire), unripe Prunus spinosa (sloe) berries, Triglochin maritima (sea arrowgrass) and Heracleum sphondylium (common hogweed) seeds to create a gin that was aromatic, tart and astringent. As wildly different as these combinations are, both guests were very pleased with their creations and were inspired to experiment at home to make their own personalised gin. If any of my guests would like to keep me up to date with their own marvellous medicine experiments I would love to see and hear all about it!  ​

​The name Heracleum sphondylium (common hogweed or cow parsnip) sounds like a Harry Potter spell or a line from Monty Python, and this is my ‘hook’ to help me remember the binomial name. Heracleum sphondylium is a bit of a foragers secret, and lives up to its magical name: not only it is feared by many and yet a firm foragers favourite, it is also in the top 10 species for pollinators, being an important foodsource not only for flies, wasps and bees but also for beetles and caterpillars. The name common hogweed is thought to have arisen because hogweed was traditionally used as pig fodder, and because the flowerheads have a distinct farm-like smell which helps to attract pollinators.​ ​

 The fear and controversy over hogweed derives from its triffid-like sibling, Heracleum mantegazzianum (Giant hogweed). The sap of both plants contains furanocoumarins, a chemical that reacts with the ultraviolet in sunlight (hence phototoxic) and this reaction causes phytophotodermatitis, severe burn-like blisters and rashes. Whilst both plants contain furanocoumarins, common hogweed has far lower levels and in all my years foraging I personally have not encountered problems from handling this plant. Giant hogweed, on the other hand, contains very high levels of furanocoumarins and it takes very little exposure of the sap to cause such a bad skin reaction that medical attention is needed. Because of this there is a lot of scaremongering around hogweed and confusion over the differences between the two. Common hogweed is very common! and easily found in hedgerows, roadside verges, the edges of meadows and fields and even in woodland. The chances are that you have walked by this plant many many times. Giant hogweed however is a non-native species that is subject to schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) and is unlikely to be found in the wild here in Cornwall. ​

The excessive fear surrounding the handling of common hogweed is unjustified: Urtica dioica (stinging nettles) cause a skin reaction unless handled with care, but still is tolerated everywhere. I have heard of fear reactions upon learning about the phytophototoxicity of the sap leading people to immediately rip all the common hogweed up. Fig trees and parsnips also contain furanocoumarins but we happily grow them. I advocate cautious handling of common hogweed, for example, either harvesting it on a cloudy day or to avoid getting the sap onto your skin by wearing gloves, using scissors or washing your hands shortly after handling. If sap does get on your skin it should be washed off immediately: as long as the sap on your skin doesn’t get exposed to sunlight you should not suffer a reaction. I teach foraging to school groups at Kamp Kernow, and one of the games I use to educate the children is edible or deadible. The idea is to instil the understanding that appearance is not enough to decide whether or not a plant is safe to eat: just because something looks edible, it does not necessarily follow that it is. ​

Hogweed can become quite tall, up to 2 metres high. The stem is hollow and ridged, covered in fine hairs. The emerging leaves are curled up (the best time to pick for eating) and appear almost white from the hairs that cover them. The leaves slowly unfurl and can become pretty massive, in a deep green colour with the leaflets in a pinnate formation (either side of the central stem) divided into 3 or 5 lobes. The mature leaves have a serrated edge. The flower buds begin tucked up in a thin sheath that splits open to reveal the flowering heads. The flowering heads form white umbels (umbel is the Latin word for shade and the origin of the word umbrella) that always have a flattish top, like a hand holding a dinner plate aloft. ​

​The flowers are in clusters of tiny white (or often pale pink) flowers consisting of 5 delicate petals. Once the flowers die back the seeds develop, green at first slowly becoming a pale brown colour, with a flattened oval shape and a distinct aromatic smell (I think they smell strongly of orange zest) when crushed. Luckily hogweed seeds are so distinctive you would be hard pressed to confuse them for common hemlock seeds.  ​

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​Whilst spring is not your typical mushroom season, for the dedicated fungi forager there are still some to be found. Jelly ear (Auricularia auricula-judae) and oysters (Pleurotus ostreatus) can be found pretty much all year round. Popping up right now are St. George's mushroom (Calocybe gambosa), scarlet elf cups (Sarcosypha austriaca) and the much desired, but almost impossible to discover, Morels (Morchella vulgaris). If anyone does find some Morels, I’ve heard they are awful so let me know where they are and I can come dispose of them for you!

​​Within almost every hedgerow or border lurks an alien to our county, three-cornered leek Allium triquetrum. This garden escapee is taking over our hedgerows and verges so please, I implore you, eat this weed! It makes a delicious alternative to leeks or onions in any dish, and as much as Matt loves to promote sustainable foraging, this little rascal is exempt. Take as much as you wish, eat those bulbs, demolish this delicious delicacy.

Allium ursinum, wild garlic, needs very little introduction. Grab the leaves now, as the flower heads are beginning to bud. These dainty white stars are beginning to shine amongst their green foliage. As the plant goes into flower the leaves gradually loose some of their potency, so now is the time to make use of this excellent wild alternative to garlic. If, like Jade, you have to follow a strict FODMAP diet, wild garlic is one of your saviours. Made into butters, pesto’s, salt or dried and stored as a powder, those who can no longer eat garlic can get their garlic fix here. Remember that in Cornwall wild garlic is sadly not as common as “up country” as Cornwall is ​lacking in ancient woodlands where wild garlic 

​​The brambles (Rubus fruticosus) that invade every garden and hedge are starting to produce leaf buds. We like to have little nibble on these whilst out foraging, the buds have a nutty almost buttery flavour but this can vary from bush to bush as there are over 400 subspecies of bramble in the U.K.! Keep a drink on hand though as they can make your mouth feel pretty dry.