This is a list of wild foods that can be foraged in the UK during October.

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Disclaimer: There are wild plants and fungi in the UK that are poisonous. Do not eat any wild edible that has not been positively identified. All edible mushrooms must be cooked. Do not use this site as your only source of information. Check the law before picking any wild plant. Nothing on this site is meant to encourage you to break any laws.

Sweet chestnut
Castanea sativa

Chestnut trees are fairly common in parks and woodland. Roasted chestnuts are associated with autumn.

Where to find it:

• Woodland
• Parks

Appearance:

• Deciduous tree
• Up to 30m tall
• Fruit in spiked green case

To eat:

Stomp on a Chestnut case to split it open. You can then extract the nut. Slit the skin and place it in the fire until roasted.

Walnut
Juglans regia

Walnut trees are cultivated for their wood and fruit. They can sometimes be found outside of cultivation.

Where to find it:

• Parks
• Woodland

Appearance:

• Deciduous tree
• Up to 30m tall
• Fruit in green fleshy case

To eat:

Remove from case. Walnuts can be eaten raw

Blackberry
Rubus fruticosus

Also known as ‘bramble’, blackberries are incredibly common and become ripe throughout August to October.

Where to find it:

• Woods
• Hedges
• Fields
• Wasteland

Appearance:

• Prickly shrub
• Small white flowers
• Purple-black fruit in drupe-lets

To eat:

Delicious eaten raw, but can be used in jams, pies and juices.

Cep
boletus edulis

Cep is one of the most popular edible fungi in Europe. They have a mild nutty flavour. Indigestible variants are easily identified by red or purple pores on the stem.

Where to find it:

• Woodland

Appearance:

• Brownish
• Bulging pale stem
• 5-25cm tall
• Brown smooth cap
• White, yellow or brown gills beneath cap

To eat:

Remove the stem and scoop out the pores. Cep can then be eaten raw or cooked. Can be dried out and then soaked in water.

Chickweed
Stellaria media

This common weed is a pest for many gardeners, but its nutritious qualities are often overlooked. ‘Stellaria’ is derived from the Latin word for star, in reference to its star shaped flowers. ‘Media’ also hails from Latin and is the root of the English word ‘Medium’. Its taste is similar to lettuce, and is most likely to be at its freshest late or early in the year. Chickweed is rich in iron, and is also present in many folk remedies and medicines.

Where to find it:

• Gardens
• Fields
• Wastelands
• Some deciduous woodlands

Appearance:

• Small five pointed star beneath white petals
• Small white flower with short, deeply divided petals
• Light green soft leaves
• Fine hairs grow down the stem and leaves

To eat:

Chickweed leaves and stems can be eaten raw after you’ve washed them thoroughly. Most commonly added to salads, they can also be added to soups or sandwiches.

Elder
Sambucus nigra

Elder is a common plant throughout the UK. It has been used historically for medicinal purposes in eye lotions and skin ointments. It is believed to have been tied to the mane of horses in order to keep flies away.

Where to find it:

• Woods
• Commons
• Hedges
• Wasteland

Appearance:

• Up to 10m tall
• Small black-reddish berries
• Dark green leaves

To eat:

The flowers should be snipped off in clusters. These flowers can be consumed raw. These flowers can also be used to make sparkling wine.

When a cluster of berries are ripe, it will begin to turn upside down. These berries can then be added to pies or jams.

Fairy-Ring Champignon
Marasmius oreades

Fairy-Ring Champignon gets its name from the ‘fairy rings’ it grows in. It is very common and often found growing on lawns. Its culinary use is popular due to its sweet taste. Caution must be taken to distinguish Fairy-Ring Champignon from the poisonous Clitocybe species. Clitocybes are distinguishable by their lack of an ‘umbo’, which is a raised point in the middle of the cap.

Where to find it:

• Lawns
• Grassland

Appearance:

• 2-5cm cap
• Bump in centre of cap
• Pale tan colour
• Wide gills

To eat:

Add to stews or casseroles. Caps can be preserved by drying them out, then soaked in water to reconstitute them.

Hazelnut
Corylus avellana

Hazelnuts are extremely nutritious and high in protein. They were widely eaten in prehistoric times.

Where to find it:

• Woods
• Hedges

Appearance:

• Oval shaped green nut
• Yellow catkins

To eat:

Remove from shell. Can be eaten raw. Can be chopped or grated and added to salads.

Jack by the hedge
Alliaria petiolata

Jack-by-the-hedge is a common annual or biennial. Its name is indicative of its tendency to grow along hedge banks. Its taste and smell bears resemblance to garlic, earning it the alternative name ‘garlic mustard’. Evidence suggests it was used as a spice as far back as 4100 B.C.E. making it one of the oldest known spices to have been used in Europe.

Where to find it:

• Hedge banks
• Waysides
• Woodland

Appearance:

• Small white flowers
• Light green leaves
• Up to 70cm tall

To eat:

Chopped up leaves can be added to salads and sauces. As a sauce it can be used to accompany meat or fish.

Oyster Mushroom
Pleurotus ostreatus

Oyster mushrooms are a relatively popular food source. They can be found in some stores and are commercially cultivated and are considered a delicacy in Japanese, Chinese and Korean cuisine. The Greek ‘Pleurotus’ translates to ‘side ear’, whilst the Latin ‘Pleurotus’ translates to ‘sideways’. The Latin ‘Ostreatus’ means oyster. Its name may indicate its appearance, but its flavour also bears similarities to oyster.

Where to find it:

• Clusters on dead/dying branches of Beech tree
• Clusters on dead/dying branches of Ash tree
• Trunks of dying hardwood trees

Appearance:

• Fan shaped
• Light brown, grayish colour
• Up to 20cm/8inches across
• Convex cap
• White deep rubbery gills

To eat:

Oyster mushrooms can be tough, so be thorough when cooking. They are commonly fried, stewed, grilled, dried or used in soups. Fried Oyster mushrooms can be added to Madeira or Sherry to make a sauce.

Sea beet
Beta vulgaris

Sea beet is a plant found around the coastline of most of the UK. It is an ancestor of beetroot, and can be used in the same way. Its leaves can be eaten raw and are said to taste and have a texture similar to spinach.

Where to find it:

• Coastlines
• Shingle
• Cliffs

Appearance:

• Large fleshy leaves
• Green spiky flowers along the stem
• Up to 1m tall

To eat:

Smaller leaves can be used in salads. Larger leaves should be boiled until they turn dark green.

Velvet Shank
Flammulina velutipes

Unlike many other mushrooms, Velvet shank is one of the few mushrooms that survive through the winter, making it hard to miss-identify. ‘Flammulina velutipes’ translates roughly to ‘little flame with velvet legs’. Velvet shank is said to have anti-cancer properties.

Where to find it:

• Standing dead trees, particularly Beech, Ash, Oak and Elm
• Rotting wood

Appearance:

• Bright orange caps
• Up to 10cm across
• Velvety stem

To eat:

Remove the skin from the cap as it is difficult to digest. Stems are generally considered too tough to eat. Always cook the mushroom. Can be used in soups and stews.