What is the best book for foragers? We will answer this question in the following article. Due to the differences in requirements from being a beginner at foraging to a survivalist, we will cover three areas, the best foraging books for:
- Beginner foraging for those starting the hobby
- Intermediate foraging for the more experienced
- Advanced for the time-served survivalists
With a vast amount of books on the market, it can take time to decide which one to choose. Therefore, we have done a deep dive into the best foraging books so you don’t have to. As a keen forager myself, I recommend the following books first-hand.
For more information on starting out foraging, check out our article: Foraging in the UK for beginners.
A detailed guide for foraging in a handy pocket size book.
- Practical size
- Detailed information
- 120 species
Well illustrated foraging guide written by John Wright.
- Written by top forager
- Detailed information
- First class illustration
An edible mushroom guide ranked from safe to dangerous.
- Photo Indentification
- Detailed descriptions
- Easy to use
Foraging is a fantastic hobby that puts you in touch with your local environment and even the ancestors who once gathered their food to survive. You can learn to make nettle tea or identify local edible seaweed on the beach. These could also be useful if you ever found yourself in a survival situation where foraging skills could save your life.
Table of contents
- The best foraging book for beginners
- The best book on Foraging
- Best mushroom foraging book UK
The best foraging book for beginners – Foraging Pocket Guide
If you are starting, foraging can appear overwhelming, as there is much to learn about. The Foraging Pocket Guide is an excellent book for the beginner forager to understand what wild foods are available and when.
The information in this pocket-size book is incredible, with photos and illustrations to help you identify wild foods. Most days, I am out with my dog in the woods, and this book is always in my pocket. It is quick to reference and easy to follow, which makes identifying wild foods quick and painless.
As a keen forager, I recommend this book because:
- Pocket-sized, making it practical
- Detailed photos and information
- Covers over 120 species of trees, plants and mushrooms
Customer Reviews
J J, Amazon – ‘Lovely book. Tons of information and the photos are very high quality. Recommended!’
John, Amazon – ‘Good little book shows clearly what is edible and not couples with their youtube vids you really can mend a lot of ailments naturally’
brian Cottrell, Amazon – ‘Lots of useful information ideal size to go into your pocket and carry about.’
The best book on foraging – The Forager’s Calendar
For the more experienced in the field, The Foragers Calendar is a great companion. There is detailed information on British wild foods, what you can do with them, and tips and advice from John Wright.
The Foragers Calendar is an excellent buy in a month-by-month layout. You can look for what is available this month and go foraging for it. It is very well-written and informative. John Wright has also added some witty humour into the book, which is refreshing.
Here are just a few of the many features from The Foragers Calendar that stand out:
- Written elegantly by the UK’s foremost foraging expert, John Wright
- Detailed information and first-class illustration
- Offers photos, descriptions and cooking advice
Customer reviews
Ms. K. Huitson, Amazon – ‘Reliable photos and descriptions, great cooking suggestions and funny anecdotes throughout. My go-to for foraging‘
Stuart F Asbury, Amazon – ‘This book is invaluable for any year-round forager. It helps ensure you don’t gather stuff that will harm you and opens your eyes to things you would have otherwise ignored. Recommended
Bethanyjwa , Amazon – ‘I loved loved loved this book. It was a great way to introduce myself to foraging and I’d Recommend to anyone, whether new or more experienced.’
Best mushroom foraging book UK
Mushrooms are a fantastic source of wild food and have plenty of medicinal effects. However, there are also poisonous mushrooms that could make you ill or possibly kill you. Dangerous species make foraging for mushrooms an ‘advanced’ aspect of the hobby, which experienced individuals should only undertake.
It would help if you learned to identify mushrooms from an experienced forager. Suppose you don’t know any experienced foragers. In that case, you can always go on a foraging course like those at Totally Wild UK.
I recommend the book ‘Edible Mushrooms: A Forager’s Guide to the wild fungi of Britain, Ireland and Europe‘ for a detailed guide on mushrooms. Written by experienced forager Geoff Dann, Edible Mushrooms contains every edible fungi species, from the Beefsteak Fungus to the Bay Cup. There are detailed descriptions of mushrooms and guides on the time of year and where you will likely find them.
Some of the features that I like in the book Edible Mushrooms are:
- Contains details about edible and poisonous mushrooms
- Includes information about look-alike species
- Species ranked from easy to identify to harder and more dangerous varieties
Customer Reviews
Mr. L Selter, Amazon – ‘Beautiful pictures and well-organised book.
It’s a bit big as a field guide but will serve well as my home reference.’
Neo, Amazon – ‘There’s not mushroom left on my bookshelf after buying this but it’s been one of the best buys out of all foraging books I have.’
Adam, Amazon – ‘This is an excellent reference book for identifying mushrooms. I find it easier to use than another similar book I have.’
What is the best book for foragers?
The best book for foragers depends on the person and their experience level. Beginner foragers will want something that helps them identify the essential wild foods like Ground Elder and Wild Sorrel.
A good book for beginner foragers is The Foraging Pocket Guide.
For experienced foragers looking for something with more in-depth information about wild foods, The Foragers Calendar is a great choice.
For a comprehensive guide to foraging edible mushrooms in the UK, you need to look no further than ‘Edible Mushrooms: A Forager’s Guide to the Wild Fungi of Britain, Ireland and Europe‘, which contains every known species of edible and poisonous mushrooms.
Foraging for mushrooms is an advanced skill and should be undertaken with care and advice from experienced mushroom gatherers.
Summary
We have covered the best foraging books for the UK in 2024 and what they contain. We have learned that the best book for foragers will depend on their skill level.
- Beginner Forager – The Foraging Pocket Guide
- Intermediate Forager – The Foragers Calendar
- Advanced Forager – Edible Mushrooms: A forager’s guide to the wild fungi of Britain, Ireland and Europe
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