Welcome to the Celtnet guide to wild foods. As this recipe site has grown it has become obvious that to allow people to replicate some of the more ancient recipes on this site (especially from the Ancient, Roman and Medieval periods it is necessary to list modern alternatives but also to produce a guide so that the curious can find the original (often wild) ingredients for themselves. These pages are an attempt at bringing all these potentially useful and often forgotten wild foods together into one place. To use this guide simply click on the first letter of your term above or below. Alternativey why not just browse through the terms. You may well find something that surprises you!

This page covers wild foods beginning with the letter 'J' and includes both common and scientific names.

This is the description page for Field Blewit (Clitocybe saeva) and includes a description as well as an image, if available and a selection of recipes from this site that relates to the wild foodstuff: Field Blewit.

The Field Blewit, Clitocybe saeva [syn Lepista saeva, Tricholoma personatum, Rhodopaxillus savus) (also known as Blue Leg) is a species of basidomycete fungus (filamentous fungi composed of hyphae that reproduce sexually) and is a member of the Tricholomataceae family of the Agaricales (agaricus) order that have pale pink spore prints. It is a fairly common species in undisturbed grassland. It is typically gregarious in nature and is found in clumps and sometimes in rings in grassland and on woodland mardins. Typically if friuts initially in September but is most common October and can continues fruiting through November. This is quite a large mushroom (it can grow between 4 and 10cm tall and 5 to 12 cm broad). The caps start out closed and convex but flatten out as the fungus matures and can even become concave. The most disinctive feature is the lilac-tinged stem with the colour persisting even as they mature. The stems themselves are thick and often appear swollen at the base. The gills are sinuate, crowded and are coloured from off white to flesh toned. The flesh is firm and resists cutting and the flesh is typically mealy in scent, but sometimes can smell more unpleasnat with a putrid overtone.

The firm flesh and mushroom-like but slighty nutty flavour make this an excellent eating mushroom and it is highly prized in North America. It is excellent fried in butter and once lightly cooked in this fashion it can be stored for later use by ether drying or pickling. It should be noted that field blewits are often infested with fly larvae, which is why they should always be cooked before preserving. It should be noted that though the field blewit is generally considered an excellent eating species it can cause allergic reactions in some sensitive individuals and should always be tried only in small quantities if you have not consumed them before.

If picked in grassland then there is no spcies with which the field blewit can be confused. Indeed, it is most often confused with its close cousin the wood blewit which has lilac gills and which is also an excellent eating species. It shold be noted, however, that certain species of Cortinarius also have purple stems but these can easily be distinguished as they have a cobweb-like veil protecting the gills and have a rusty brown sproe print. Under no circumstances should these be consumed as they are very poisonous.

For other edible mushrooms, see the guide to edible mushrooms

Spring Salad with Wild Mushroom Potato Cakes
Blewits in a Herb Crumb
Blewits Stewed with Sage
Partridge with Blewits
Blewits on Toast
Nottingham Blewits
Macaroni and Cheese with Blewits
Mushroom Pickle
Beef and Wild Mushroom Stew
Old English Mushroom Pudding
Blewit Frittata
Mushroom and Oyster Pudding
Wild Mushroom Savoury Cake