In this last week of May we harvested the first cherries, strawberries and wild strawberries. The redcurrants are glowing but are not yet ready. Blackcurrants ripen slowly in this absence of sunlight and need a few more weeks.
It’s been a little over 1 month since we ran out of last year’s potato stock, 2 months since we emptied the last jar of fruit in syrup and 3 months since we finished the last squash.
In terms of food availability, the most difficult months are April and May. It’s counterintuitive today because it’s spring, nature is reborn and supermarket shelves offer the same fruits and vegetables all year round. This was the case for almost all of European history until the advent of road transport and cold rooms.
Since there is an abundance of wild plants in the spring, villagers used to forage them to fill up on vitamins at the end of winter. This knowledge was lost to most of the population in the twentieth century but is emerging again through training courses, internet courses, and books.
To discover the edible plants that grow naturally in our gardens and make your own salad, book your stay in April. Towards the end of March, you can attend or participate in the harvesting and preparation of bramble tea. From the end of May, you can taste the first fresh fruits of the garden (strawberries, cherries).