What can we pick in the forest in winter?

Have you had enough of people, noise and everything sweet? How about escaping the Christmas hustle and bustle for a while, heading to the forest for some fresh air and delighting your taste buds? Not only does the forest have proven beneficial and calming effects on our nervous system, it also offers attentive visitors the treasures of wild nature, literally packed with vitamins. And even now in December! So don't wait for spring, go outside, light a fire and make tea from what you pick!

Why look at what grows where even in December?

Vitamin deficiency is especially noticeable in winter. However, it is not always necessary to buy expensive food supplements when a few superfoods are growing right under our feet (or above our heads). And some of them can be picked even in winter – you just need to look a little better. Herbs hibernate during the winter, drawing nutrients into their roots, and their wilted leaves do not contain many vitamins. In their undergrowth, hidden under dry grass and fallen leaves, you can still find small young sprouts that have the necessary strength in December.

The advantage of wild herbs is that they have not undergone breeding that would change their original properties. On the contrary, each of them has successfully passed the sieve called natural selection (if we close both eyes, we can compare it to successfully passing selection exams for special units).

However, there is much more to be found in our nature. Even in winter, for example, pine needles, resin, tree bark, and even some types of medicinal mushrooms grow here. So why not try some of these? After all, you will definitely have some Christmas cookies and a little bit of mulled wine left over when you return home…

Even in winter, you can pick plants that are beneficial to your health. With the right outdoor equipment, you can process them and enjoy them right in the forest.

1) Nettle

It is said that if nettle were not stinging, humanity would have exterminated it long ago because of its effects. And it is also one of the most medicinal plants that grow in our country. Nettle is very versatile, contains a wide range of vitamins and other beneficial substances. It is attributed to many medicinal effects, including blood purification and support for blood formation, supporting metabolism and strengthening immunity. It gives the body energy and vitality, which is so needed in the winter months.

You will see nettles in many places in December – in short, everywhere you are used to seeing them. But they do not look very attractive, they are usually withered and wilted, the leaves are torn and frozen. But if you try to dig through the grass and fallen leaves around larger nettles, you will definitely come across small sprouts – and these will be the real ones, full of vitamins.

You can make tea from these sprouts or add them to food (similar to spinach leaves) or soup.

2) Dandelion

Everyone will recognize dandelion leaves. But even here, it is worth looking for small young leaves in the middle of the rosettes, which still emerge at the beginning of winter. However, the period from autumn to early spring is especially suitable for collecting roots, and dandelion root is no exception.

Dandelions are traditionally part of detoxification procedures, support digestion and help regulate blood sugar levels. This is quite useful at Christmas! The leaves can be eaten as is, added to food, or made into tea. The root can be brewed into a decoction, and it is also suitable for various cooked vegetable mixtures.

3) Other herbs

In a similar way, you can find countless other herbs in winter nature, such as plantain, shepherd's purse, mallow, strawberry, even sorrel or St. John's wort. But always look for young leaves in the undergrowth.

One of the disadvantages of winter collection is that not all herbs are easy to recognize when dry and fallen. This is true, for example, of St. John's wort - who would recognize a plant in that unsightly dark clump that shone brightly in the summer with its bright yellow flowers? If you remember where it grew in the summer or you have a favorite place, then you have an advantage. In any case, do not collect anything that you do not recognize for sure. And never collect everything at once – we did not come to the forest to plunder and a little humility is in order.

Old tramps already used to drink tea from needles. Try it on a winter walk instead of a mulled wine.

4) Needles

Old tramps already knew needle tea. Needles are rich in vitamin C, and when mature they contain a large amount of essential oils, as well as bitters, tannins and resins. They help when you are at risk of an acute cold or when you have a viral infection. However, pine needle tea is not suitable for long-term use – it would put too much strain on the kidneys.

You can drink this forest tea just like that, or add a spoonful of honey, dried fruit and winter spices such as cinnamon, cloves or star anise to it.

So if you come across fallen pine or spruce branches on your way, break off a few twigs. The needles at the end of the branch tend to be younger and fresher. Unless it is absolutely necessary, do not pick them from healthy trees, at least not in large quantities. A tree cannot breathe and photosynthesize without needles. Christmas tree needles are not a good idea either – they are too old and dry, and it is not certain whether they have undergone any chemical treatment, which you definitely do not want in natural tea.

5) Oak bark

Oak bark is a great remedy for the skin. It has a disinfectant effect and helps with various inflammatory manifestations and injuries. Thanks to its astringent effects, it stops bleeding and heals oozing and poorly healing wounds.

Look for it among young trees. You can easily recognize them by their leaves, as they usually do not fall off completely. Carefully cut off pieces of bark from young branches. Cut only a reasonable amount from each tree, never shave off any tree completely – you could harm it.

Pieces of bark can be dried and used in a bath or to make a healing ointment. However, few people know that it can also be brewed as a tea (but it is more often used as a gargle). Boil pieces of oak bark briefly and let it stand for at least 15 minutes.

TIP: Also collect birch bark and pine pitch wood. It serves as a great fire starter when starting a fire. Do not tear the bark off living trees, prefer fallen ones, even rotten ones. Read how to reliably start a fire even in difficult conditions and you can start training so that you can do it the first time during your summer camping trip!

6) Mushrooms

A lot has been written about the healing effects of these wood-destroying fungi. They contain a lot of antioxidants, minerals and a number of beneficial substances. Although they were widely used in the past, they are now gaining popularity again and are sold in the form of expensive nutritional supplements. The good news is that you can collect some species in our forests, and completely free of charge.

For a change, try finding oyster mushrooms, reishi mushrooms, birch mushrooms (which even the frozen prehistoric man Ötzi had in his pocket) or Judas' ear mushrooms instead of boletus mushrooms. The polypore, which often "peeps" out of tree trunks, also has healing and detoxifying effects. You can make a decoction from the mushrooms, add them to food or dry them.

Some medicinal mushrooms literally grow right at our fingertips.

7) Resin

Whenever you go for a walk in the forest in winter, pay attention to the trunks of coniferous trees. You may see hardened drops of resin on some of them. In that case, do not hesitate to peel a few of them and take them home. Be careful – the knife you use to peel the resin from the tree bark will be harder to clean. Therefore, use an ordinary old knife instead of your latest bushcraft model.

Ancient pagans used resin to fumigate their homes during the winter solstice – they believed that the fragrant smoke would drive away evil forces. However, the use of resin smoke also has a more practical meaning – the released essential oils disinfect the air and help to clear the airways. Resin can also be used to make ointments that were used to heal wounds.