This year we've grown our own, refused to mow our lawns, and saved the bees…all in the name of sustainability. But what else can we do to live up to our pledge to do all we can to save our planet?

With the cost of living crisis starting to bite, there are a lot of other things on our minds that may make sustainable living that little bit harder. But one thing ticks both boxes.

And that's foraging!

While sourcing some of our food from nature reduces our food miles, is good for our nutrition, and tastes amazing. It's also FREE! So long as you forage responsibly, and within the rules of our English countryside, the possibilities are endless.

Foraging for Mushrooms in the UK

One of the most rewarding foods to forage for in the UK are mushrooms. There are hundreds of varieties found in our woodlands that provide food for many of our wild animals. And a lot of them are perfect for humans too.

When

Autumn is the best time of year to go foraging. Mushrooms thrive in damp woodland where there are plenty of rotting trees to cling on to. There is nothing quite like a welly-booted stomp through orange leaves on a sunny autumn day. And if you come home with a basket of funghi even better.

How

Obviously there needs to be some care taken when it comes to picking mushrooms. Some varieties can cause tummy upsets, illness, and in rare cases even death. But that shouldn't put you off at all. Really! There are many well researched and easy to follow guides on how to identify edible mushrooms.

Take a book with you, or simply print out a guide such as one of these below, and pop it in your basket as a reference. But the most important thing to remember is to forage responsibly.

After 30 years studying the world of mushrooms, this book by fungi expert Roger Phillips is seen as the ultimate encyclopaedia of mushroom knowledge:

Mushrooms - Roger Phillips (Paperback) Default Title | MycoPunks

Or check out this link for a range of foraging guides:

Best books and field guides on mushroom foraging - BritishLocalFood

The Wildlife and Countryside Act sets out its guidelines on foraging using these main points:

• Minimise damage

• Seek permission

• Know what you're picking

• Only collect from plentiful populations

• Leave plenty behind

• Do not collect rare species

You can read the full act here.

What varieties are edible

This list from The Woodland Trust shows you some of the easiest mushroom varieties you can forage for safely.

Cooking with mushrooms after foraging

When we're talking about sustainable living, we all know that one way we can really make a difference is by choosing to reduce how much meat we eat on a daily basis. And that is good news for mushroom lovers!

Because they make a delicious and satisfying alternative in many recipes.
And with the huge variety of mushrooms, there is one to suit just about any flavour combination. A strong dehydrated Portobello in a creamy pasta dish. A lighter chestnut cap pureed into a luscious soup. Or little salad mushrooms plucked fresh and scattered on top of goat's cheese and bright green leaves. Perhaps a large flat mushroom grilled with halloumi as a superb burger alternative.

But there is one recipe we cannot get enough of at Bombus, especially as the nights are drawing in and we're reaching for the comfort food.

Our favourite mushroom recipe?

Mushroom Stroganoff

Ingredients

• 400 g mixed mushrooms
• 1 red onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 4 silverskin pickled onions
• 2 cornichons
• 4 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
• olive oil
• 1 tablespoon baby capers
• 50 ml whisky
• smoked paprika
• 80 g half-fat crème fraîche

Method

Get all the prep done before you start cooking: trim the mushrooms, tearing up any larger ones and leaving any smaller ones whole, peel and finely slice the red onion and garlic, and finely slice the pickled onions and cornichons. Pick and roughly chop the parsley leaves, finely chopping the stalks.
Place a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat, throw in the mushrooms and red onions, shake into one layer, then dry-fry for 5 minutes (this will bring out the nutty flavour), stirring regularly.
Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of oil, then add the garlic, pickled onions, cornichons, parsley stalks and capers.
After 3 minutes, pour in the whisky, tilt the pan to carefully flame, or light with a long match (watch your eyebrows!), and, once the flames subside, add ¼ of a teaspoon of paprika, the crème fraîche and parsley, then toss together.
Loosen with a splash of boiling water to a saucy consistency, and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.

What else can I collect while foraging?

At this time of year the hedgerows are full of blackberries, sloes, and even crab apples. These all make wonderful preserves and can stock your larder for the winter.
But don't sidestep the flowers! Shimmering honesty, thistles, and holly can all be foraged responsibly to adorn your house with a little bit of countryside. Just be sure to check that you aren't foraging for anything protected, such as bluebells, snowdrops, or any of the other rare species listed in the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Mushrooms at Christmas

Mushrooms are distinct and beautiful creations out in nature. Seeing a red capped toadstool on a frosty morning adds a happy splash of colour to a wintry scene. Which is probably why toadstools have become synonymous with Christmas. You will have seen many Christmas trees, tablescapes, and garlands decked with little red and white spotted felt toadstools.
And at Bombus we love it. So much so that we've taken our foraging attempts as inspiration for some new designs!

Our Director was inspired to create the new designs after having an entirely mushroom themed Christmas tree last year.

"My sisters and I are keen mushroom spotters and take the kids to Kings wood in Kent in October time to hunt and identify the different varieties."

Amelia Coward, Director at Bombus

If you're planning a themed Christmas tree this year, perhaps one of our mushrooms keepsakes would be the perfect start!