It's harvest time in the hedgerows

Right now the hedgerows are laden with a veritable autumn feast that's there for the taking. You don't have to wander far to find fresh, free, produce – I returned from a recent dog walk with brambles, sloes, elderberries, rosehips and damsons.

A word of warning – it's best not to forage alongside busy roads, where berries will have been affected by fumes and sprayed with dirt by passing vehicles. But here are few ideas on what to look out for and how to put your wild ingredients to good use in the kitchen when you get home. What are you waiting for?

Brambles (or Blackberries)

Even if you've never been foraging before, the chances are you know what a bramble looks like. These juicy dark purple berries are at their best in late August and early September.

They can be found pretty much everywhere, from quiet country lanes to areas of waste ground in residential areas. Take gloves with you as the bushes have very sharp thorns, plus your hands will no doubt end up stained with juice.

Brambles are great when paired with apple or pear in a classic crumble, but are also delicious with whipped cream as an alternative filling for a Victoria Sandwich cake or when added to the bottom of a crme brule to create a fruity layer beneath the custardy goo. They make a tempting coulis to serve with ice cream; simply stew the berries with a little water, adding sugar to taste, and then blitz them with a hand held blender to create a deliciously dark and smooth dessert sauce.

Sloes

For the first time in several years, there's a bumper crop of sloes in my neck of the woods in East Yorkshire. Round in shape and blue-black in colour, they look a little like the Blueberries that you find in the supermarkets but are much firmer to touch. They grow on the Black Thorn bush and are best picked after the first frost, although you can simulate the effect by sticking them in the freezer for a couple of hours. If you've never tried Sloe Gin, you don't know what you're missing – it's a delicious winter warmer best drunk neat. With such a good crop of sloes, this is definitely the year to have a go at making your own.

Start by washing your berries, removing the stalks, and then prick each one with the tip of a sharp knife. Fill a clean, empty bottle up to the halfway point with berries, add a couple of tablespoons of caster sugar (some people add more, but I prefer it sharp and fruity rather than too sweet) and then top the bottle up with gin, a cheap brand will do fine. Pop the lid on and leave the berries in the gin for a minimum of three months – longer if you can – to give them plenty of time to infuse it with their unique flavour. Give the bottle a shake from time to time and you'll see the gin turning a deep pink colour. When it's ready, all you need to do is thoroughly strain the liquid to remove the berries.

My father-in-law uses the same technique to create all kinds of interesting variations on the theme, including Damson Gin and Sloe Vodka. Why not experiment with your favourite tipple – if you make it now, your home brew will be ready in time for Christmas.

Jams and jellies made with Elderberries, Rose Hips, Damsons and Crab Apples

Although very similar to jam in texture, a fruit jelly is clear because it's made from the juice rather than the fruit itself. The fruit is strained slowly and every last drop of juice extracted. My personal favourite is Crab Apple Jelly; it's great spread over warm scones fresh from the oven. We have a small tree in our garden that's dripping with fruit at this time of year,

but you can find them in the wild too.

You can make many different types of jelly using the same basic technique. Here are a few ideas...

Elderberry Jelly

2kg Elderberries

500g caster sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

Crab Apple Jelly

2kg Crab Apples

500g caster sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

Rose Hip Jelly

2kg Rosehips

500g caster sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

Method for making jellies using the above ingredients

Wash the fruit, removing the stalks and any bruised bits.

Put it in a large saucepan and just cover it with water (don't fill the pan to the top). Leave it to simmer until the fruit is soft and pulpy.

Then, remove the fruit from the heat and pour it into a jelly bag or several layers of muslin. Leave it overnight with a saucepan underneath to catch the juice that drips through.

The next day, return the juice to a saucepan, along with the sugar and lemon juice.

Bring the mixture to the boil to dissolve the sugar and keep it at a rolling boil for 30-45 minutes, regularly skimming off any froth that gathers on top.

When the mixture starts to thicken, you can test if it's ready by dipping in a chilled spoon; if the mixture sets on the back of the spoon, it's time to remove it from the heat and pour it into sterilised jars.

Tips on making jam

If you'd prefer to make a jam, rather than a jelly, you don't need to go through the process of extracting the juice – you just add the sugar to the pan of pulpy fruit.

However, if you're using Rose Hips you will need to remove all the seeds from inside before you begin, which is a rather painstaking process. The seeds are often referred to by children as "itching powder", so you'll need to wear gloves to remove them as they will irritate your skin. If you're using Rose Hips to make a jelly, you don't need to remove the seeds before cooking as they will be strained out anyway. Brambles and damsons make great jam – if you use

a pound of fruit to a pound of jam-making sugar you won't go far wrong. Jam-making sugar contains the pectin that some fruits lack, so it shouldn't be a problem getting your jam to set.

CW 11/9/10