An Incredibly Easy Method That Works For All
10 Apr 2021
Foraging sea vegetables responsibly on the shore
Britain's shoreline is one of the most generous larders in Europe, if you know where to look. Rock samphire clings to harbour walls with its pungent, almost resinous leaves. Marsh samphire pushes up through estuary mud in spring, crisp and glittering with salt. Laver, dulse, sea lettuce, sugar kelp, pepper dulse and carrageen all grow within a short walk of most coastal towns, and all of them are good to eat. For many of us who live by the sea, gathering a little of this abundance is one of the quietest pleasures of coastal life.
But the shore is not a supermarket aisle. It is a living system that is already under pressure from warming seas, storm damage, pollution and heavy footfall. The forager's first instinct should be restraint: take a small amount from a patch that is clearly thriving, and leave the rest to recover. A handful of laver or a few fronds of dulse is ample for a meal, and a light touch now means the same patch will feed you next year.
Seaweed gathering is governed by a patchwork of local rules, and they vary enormously around the UK coast. Much of the foreshore lies within Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Marine Conservation Zones, nature reserves or private estates, and some councils, harbour authorities and landowners have their own byelaws restricting what may be taken. In a few places, uprooting certain species is prohibited outright, and commercial harvesting almost always requires a licence or written permission.
Before you head out, make a couple of quick enquiries. Ask the local authority or harbour master whether gathering is permitted on that stretch, and check whether the foreshore is privately owned. If you are on a nature reserve, ask the warden. It takes ten minutes, and it saves a great deal of awkwardness later. If nobody can tell you the rules, treat that as a reason to leave the seaweed where it is.
The holdfast is the tough, root-like structure that anchors a seaweed to rock or stone. It does not feed the plant in the way a land plant's roots do — its job is grip. Cut it away and you remove the plant's anchor, along with the small creatures that shelter in its tangle. Take a sharp pair of scissors or a small knife and cut a few centimetres above the holdfast, leaving it intact and firmly attached.
Seaweed takes up what surrounds it, which is exactly why it is such a good food — and exactly why the location matters. Avoid gathering near river mouths, sewage outfalls, busy harbours and marinas, industrial foreshores, and stretches where agricultural run-off drains from the land. A beach that looks pristine can still sit beside a combined sewer overflow that discharges in heavy rain.
Wait at least forty-eight hours after a sustained downpour before you gather, and longer after a storm that has stirred up sediment. Steer clear of anything growing beside anti-fouling paint on a boat hull, near fish gutting spots or below a caravan park. If the water smells odd, if there is visible scum or litter, or if you would not swim there, do not eat from there.
Seaweed has its seasons, and knowing them makes for better eating. Marsh samphire is at its best from June to August; sea lettuce and gutweed are tender through spring and summer; dulse, laver and sugar kelp are at their finest from autumn into spring, when cold water sharpens their flavour.
Check the tide table before you go, and plan to work on a falling tide so the water is moving away from you. Wear boots or shoes with real grip — wet rock is treacherous — and take a bucket or a cloth bag rather than a plastic sack, which sweats and crushes the fronds. Rinse your harvest in clean seawater on the beach, then again in fresh water at home. Laver needs cooking; dulse can be eaten raw or fried until crisp; samphire wants nothing more than a brief steam and a little butter.
Good foraging is a habit of attention rather than a raid. Notice which patches you visit and how quickly they recover, and leave a margin for the seasons when growth is slow. Take home any litter you find, keep your distance from nesting birds and seals, and replace every stone you turn over. Done this way, a morning on the rocks gives you a bag of samphire, a little hard-won knowledge, and a shore that is in better shape than when you arrived.
The Jollyjetty We spend our time finding what works so you don't have to, and sharing exactly what made the difference.
April 25, 2019 at 10:46 am
Take in the iconic skyline and visit the neighbourhood hangouts that you've only ever seen on TV. Take in the iconic skyline and visit the neighbourhood.
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Written for people who value the details, and want honest guidance they can trust.
Soldman Kell
April 25, 2019 at 10:46 am
Take in the iconic skyline and visit the neighbourhood hangouts that you've only ever seen on TV. Take in the iconic skyline and visit the neighbourhood.