There’s nothing quite like adding a little wild food to our meals and indeed our drinks…
Wicklow NaturallyOur fruit and veg shops in Wicklow are bursting with colour and abundance right now. Everything is flourishing, from homegrown vegetables from the walled gardens at Kilruddery to the simple pots of tomatoes on our windowsills. But, as much as we appreciate this cultivated abundance, it’s still lovely to get out into the wilds of Wicklow and do a little foraging. There’s nothing quite like adding a little wild food to our meals and indeed our drinks.
A lovely idea for foraging is to choose some wildflowers to make refreshing and colourful summer ice cubes. Added to a glass jug of water, they look beautiful on any outdoor dining table.
To make the ice cubes pick some edible fruits and flowers and wash gently. Place in ice cube trays and fill each segment with cooled boiled water. Cooling and boiling the water creates clear cubes without too many bubbles, so you can really see the summer fruits and flowers. They melt quickly when added to drinks, but they are lovely, however fleeting! (a little like Irish summers!). Or how about adding them to a glass of meadowsweet cordial made from wild meadowsweet picked in County Wicklow. Wicklow fields and hedgerows are full of meadowsweet right now.
Here’s a recipe for the cordial:
- 5g caster sugar (caster or granulated)
- Two lemons zested and sliced
- 20 meadowsweet heads (cleaned)
- 85g citric acid to extends the shelf life (optional)
Combine the sugar and 1.5l water and then slowly bring to a light simmer. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring the syrup to a quick boil and turn off the heat. Add the zest of the lemons and sliced lemon to the sugar syrup together with the flowers. Stir well to ensure everything is covered. Stir in the citric acid if using. Cover and leave to infuse for 24 hours.
Strain the cool syrup through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or similar into a sterilized bottle and seal.
Serve diluted with still or sparkling water. Alternatively, add to cocktails made with gin or prosecco.
For further details, check out our food and drinks experiences section here, where you will find details of our forager members. They will give detailed advice for choosing and using food for free.
Always get advice from a foraging expert before making wildflower recipes. There are lots of foragers offering tours who are part of the Wicklow Naturally family. For more information, visit
Read more in our foraging series:
Photos courtesy of @santinas_irish_food_tales.
