Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Thank you for such a sweet and enthusiastic comment @generikat. I must admit I see so many others foraging mushrooms, wild berries and tree gum and it seems amazing. But then I look across the veld and I remember how many animals died horrible deaths, including my first family of Saanen - sniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiff - eating the toxic plants and I am nervous.
Some of the veld plants I do know as they are indigenous to us while they are imported to other countries, like sutherlandia, arums and wild cannabis (different to the regular) It's beautiful with orange flowers and leaves like umbrellas going up the stem. That's my next veld oxymel. Maybe next week
Oh I so hear you about the nervousness when it comes to sampling nature's bounty. I am super extra hesitant about mushrooms especially, some of those you don't come back from.
But, that isn't going to stop either of us I think, we are just being extra cautious right?:)
Sorry about your goat family loss, that's heartbreaking. That's also one of the main negatives of livestock care for me, losing any of them. They become like family, and I can totally handle the loss, it's just hard.
Can't wait to see your next veld oxymel (I love that word group soo much lol!). You are awesome!!!
What a sweet thing to read! Thank you. I've been busy with a "safer" oxymel today. Half tame. Half wild. Peaches, lemon verbena and sutherlandia! Even the children are excited. I think I need to pop a chilli in because these oxymels seem rather sweet. As a salad dressing I like contrasting flavours. Guess what I'll be posting today.....
Ooh, that sounds so citrusy and delightful. Although I have no idea what sutherlandia tastes like, but adding a chili to anything always gets a smile out of me, um yum!! I am wandering over to have a look at your concoction now!