Are you wondering what types of plants and fungi are best to forage in November? Well, don’t worry; you have come to the right place. We’ll equip you with all the information you need for foraging in November, as chilly as it is! Some of the more common edible plants and fungi you can forage in November are some green vegetables like Brussels sprouts and collard greens, as well as some well-known fungi like oyster mushrooms and chanterelles.
Do you want to learn more? Keep reading then!
Top 5 Plants to Forage In November:
We have made a list of the top 5 plants you can look for when foraging in November. Let’s go through them one-by-one:
1. Collard Greens
Collard greens are one of the most common vegetables used to sauté soup and stews. They have large, characteristic green leaves that grow near the ground. To forage for collard greens, you should go forage after the first fall, since they are abundant and tender due to the winter frost.
You should look for plants that are situated deep in the forests, and pick out central leaves along with the stem with the help of a knife.
2. Brussels Sprouts
The best time to forage Brussels sprouts is just after the first frost winter fall. This winter fall adds to the flavor of Brussels sprouts by giving them a certain sweetness. You can forage the Brussels sprouts by twisting their sprouts and harvesting them from the bottom.
The best part is that you don’t have to forage all of them together since most of them can stay healthy on the stem through the early winter. In addition to the Brussels sprouts, you can also cook the smaller and tender leaves of the plants like collards.
3. Thyme, Rosemary, and Sage
Thyme has approximately 350 varieties spread across Europe and Asia, making it widely available for you to forage. Thyme is not only used in skincare but also works as a naturally strong antiseptic. You can forage wild thyme during the winter season easily. To forage thyme, you should clip the sprigs with a pair of scissors, being cautious so as to not clip it too far down since that would prevent the plant from growing further.
Rosemary is used in skincare as well as in different herbal medications. Whenever trying to forage rosemary, you should look for a bush that is relatively clean, and not hanging on the roadside of a highway.
To forage for rosemary, you should clip the branches near the top of the bush. It is important to take the branches that are not part of the flower in order to attain the best flavor.
Sage also works amazingly well for skincare and hair care. To forage sage, you don’t need to clip the branches but rather pull them off by hand. If you want to cut the entire stem, only then you should snip the bases. You should be cautious to forage lightly in the first year in order to allow the plant to grow back for the next year.
4. Wintergreen
Wintergreen is a small plant with leathery, oval, 1-2 inches long leaves surrounded by white, bell-shaped flowers. The special thing about wintergreen plants is that they grow leaves throughout the year but only bear fruit during winter and early spring.
To forage the wintergreen plants, you should simply cut the top few inches of the stems with leaves and berries attached. You can chew on the berries and use them as a breath freshener or as an ingredient for tea.
5. Cranberries
Cranberries usually grow low to the ground. They are unique-tasting treats that a lot of people use to make cranberry sauce for Christmas and other holidays. When foraging for cranberries, you should look for short stems merging with the leaves as they tend to bear the most fruit.
When you find a patch of cranberries, you can just directly pick them from the stem. The best thing about cranberries is that they can easily be stored in your refrigerator or freezer and still taste the same!
Top 3 Fungi to Forage in November
Now that we are done with the plants, let’s discuss the top 3 fungi you should definitely be foraging in November.
1. Chanterelles
One of the most delicious mushrooms out there is chanterelles. You can use them in pizza, soup, scrambled eggs, etc. Chanterelles usually grow near the ground, and unlike oyster mushrooms, not from dead or decaying trees.
You will find them in small clusters sprouting out of the ground. If this is your first time foraging for chanterelles, we would recommend that you go with an experienced forager to avoid finding any poisonous lookalikes.
2. Hedgehog Mushrooms
Hedgehog mushrooms are one of the safest mushrooms to forage. Fortunately, these tasty, nutty and dense treats have no poisonous lookalikes and are easy to identify. Hedgehog mushrooms can be identified with the characteristic teeth under their cap.
These mushrooms also sprout from the ground and grow near large trees. You can easily pick hedgehog mushrooms, and store them however you want. They tend to thrive near the winter season, thus making foraging in November the perfect month to go looking for them.
3. Oyster Mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms are probably the most famous types of mushrooms that people enjoy in their meals. If you want to go foraging for them, you should look for dead or fallen-over trees since this is the perfect ground and environment for them to grow in.
One important consideration you should keep in mind is to pick the younger ones because the older ones spread spores and taste bitter. However, oyster mushrooms tend to grow pretty quickly, so the best time would be to go foraging for them as soon as the first frosts fall.
What Tools Do I Need for Foraging in November?
Now that you have learned everything about foraging, it is time you learn about the tools you would require to forage these delicious plants and fungi. Here is a list of tools you should keep with you when going foraging in November:
- Pocket Knife
- Pruning shears
- Scissors
- Shovel
- Digging fork
- Gloves
The Bottom Line
We have finally given you all the necessary information you need to know for foraging in November. With our list of edible plants and fungi, you will surely land some tasty treats you can use for Christmas as well as for other occasions.
What are you waiting for then? Grab your tools and start foraging!
