Heading out to the beach this week and looking for something wild to bring home? Look no further!
This week, the survival series is back on the coastline where I’m looking at the small treasure that is:
Periwinkles
Though some may flinch at the idea at cooking and eating snail-like creatures, these little molluscs are perfect for a quick protein boost. The only problem with them, is that they’re a bit fiddly to eat.
Periwinkles are really easy to find and forage, and identifying them should be no problem at all. They can be commonly found on the seashore by rock pools and all you need to bring with you is a small carrier bag.
Identification is also quite simple, basically you’re looking for periwinkles that are darker in colour (I think they’re tastier!). They will also have a round opening.
The best way to eat periwinkles is to cook them in sea water so that they keep their wonderful salty flavour, then with a needle, skewer the inside of the periwinkle and pull it out to eat.
You can also combine them with another foraged ingredient and steam them with wild garlic!
As always, be careful when foraging and make sure you don’t gather food from a source that is close to a sewage line.
Happy foraging!
(Lead image via Wikimedia Commons/Eirian Evans)
