I never leave the house with the intent of looking for foods to forage. Often I’m heading out just to walk the dog, but will accidentally stumble over something that I can take home to make a light post-walk snack with, or just to nibble on the move to keep the walk interesting. But there is usually nothing more interesting than learning about new things to stuff in my mouth.

When Renée, my dog, came trotting back to me after a particularly frisky run through the countryside, she had lots of burrs stuck in her coat. I already knew that these little burrs were the inspiration behind the invention of Velcro (thanks to a low budget documentary I once watched) but I wondered if they could also be eaten.

Forever expanding my knowledge of free nosh

Always looking to expand my knowledge of free nosh, I took a couple burrs home and researched them online to discover that they were the seeds of the Burdock plant – this fact would no doubt have been covered in the documentary, but I had done a good job of forgetting all the little details.

As soon as I read the word Burdock I knew it was edible – not only that, but also delicious. Dandelion and Burdock is a drink I always enjoy on a hot summer afternoon, but I haven’t plucked up the courage to try and make it for myself yet as I don’t want to put myself off the drink for good! If – like me – you fancy a cool glass of Dandelion and Burdock this summer, why not forage the ingredients for yourself and let me know how you got on with your recipe on Twitter (@PottyWhite).

But remember, there are other critters out there that want a taste too, so never take more than you need!

If you’re not 100% sure that what you’re picking is safe for human consumption, don’t pick it. If you’re prone to food allergies, or pregnant, always seek medical advice before consuming anything foraged in the wild.