Foraging Wild Garlic
The Grow Up team
What is Wild Garlic?
Over the last few years, the idea of foraging wild garlic seems to have become hugely popular and talked about. So much so that some supermarkets now stock frozen wild garlic! We have to question how wild it actually is if you buy it in the frozen section of a supermarket, but that’s another story! We digress…
Wild garlic, also known as Allium Ursinum or Ramsons, is a wild relative of the common garlic you find in any shop. Foraging for wild garlic is a fun activity you can do with the kids that can yield a tasty and nutritious ingredient for your cooking.
Wild garlic grows plentifully all over the place. You just have to know where to look. It can be found in woods, meadows or parks around the UK, and it grows well in damp and shady places. We’re often on walks in the woods and smell a whiff of garlic in the air. Sure enough, when we look around, it’s easy to spot.
Reassuringly, there is very little that you can get it confused with when foraging because its smell is so profound. But as always, take care and look closely at the leaves you are harvesting.
So let’s explore what to look for, how to find and identify wild garlic, how to pick it, and what to do with it once harvested.
What to look for
Wild garlic is a bulbous plant that grows in large clumps in damp, shaded areas. Its leaves are long and pointed, and they have a strong garlic scent. It is most commonly found in deciduous forests and along riverbanks. Look for areas with rich, moist soil and plenty of shade.
Wild garlic prefers to grow in areas that are not disturbed by humans, so try to find a spot that is away from footpaths and other areas of human activity.
Wild garlic usually starts to pop up in early spring. It produces delicate white flowers that bloom in clusters in late spring, and then by summer it is all gone.
When identifying wild garlic, look for long, pointed leaves that have a strong garlic smell when crushed. The leaves are typically around 20-25 cm long and 3-4 cm wide. In the early spring, wild garlic produces delicate white flowers that bloom in clusters.
How to pick Wild Garlic
When harvesting wild garlic, it is important to be mindful of the environment and to only take what you need. Never pick all the plants in one area, and leave enough behind so that the population can continue to thrive. Only pick plants that are healthy and free from disease or damage.
To pick wild garlic, simply grasp the base of the stem and pull gently. The entire plant, including the bulb, can be eaten. If you are only interested in the leaves, you can pick them individually by snapping them off at the base.
What to do with your Wild Garlic
Wild Garlic is great, healthy, free food option. Known traditionally as ‘The Healing herb’, it is thought to lower blood cholesterol and has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.
Wild garlic has a mild, garlicky flavour that can be used in a variety of dishes. The leaves can be used in salads, pesto, soups, and stews. They can also be sautéed or stir-fried as a side dish. The bulbs can be roasted or pickled and used as a garnish or condiment.
One of our favourite recipes is wild garlic pesto. You can make this and store it in the fridge for a few weeks in a sealed jam jar. This is a great, simple recipe that will make a few meals for you with minimum effort.
Ingredients
- 150g wild garlic leaves or young nettles, or a mixture (foraged – see tip)
- 50g parmesan or vegetarian alternative, finely grated
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- ½ lemon zested plus a few squeezes of juice
- 50g pine nuts, toasted
- 150ml rapeseed oil
Method
- Rinse and roughly chop the wild garlic leaves.
- Blitz the wild garlic leaves, parmesan, garlic, lemon zest and pine nuts to a rough paste in a food processor.
- Season, and with the motor running slowly, add almost all the oil.
- Taste, season and add a few squeezes of lemon juice.
- Transfer the pesto to a clean jar and top off with the remaining oil.
Get foraging!
So, this Spring why not get out there in nature and see if you can forage yourself some wild garlic for some super tasty healthy and FREE meals?
Remember to be mindful of the environment and only take what you need.
Nature really is the best supermarket.
Happy Foraging!
Lynne x
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