Harvest and use wild garlic

Recognize the wild garlic without a doubt

Only when the plants die in summer does the typical odor of wild garlic spread in the forest, you must first take it by its elliptical-lanceolate leaves or its white inflorescences recognize. In many places, wild garlic can be found in the shady depressions of Deciduous forests being found. A danger, however, is the fact that some poisonous plants occasionally add to the wild garlic Confound looking similar. This applies primarily to the following plants, which also have location requirements similar to those of wild garlic:

• Autumn crocus
• Spotted Aaron staff
• lily of the valley

These plants can even be found as neighbors within wild garlic stocks and thus represent a danger that should not be underestimated. Therefore, when collecting the leaves, you should regularly carry out an odor test and pieces of leaves between the We began to grind to identify the wild garlic unequivocally through the intense, garlic-like smell can.

Preserve the stocks in the garden

Collecting wild garlic in your own garden offers a certain amount of protection Poisoningas long as your garden is free from the poisonous doppelgangers of wild garlic. In addition, wild garlic leaves are made from their own garden with sufficient fencing, usually not with the pathogens of the dangerous Fox tapeworm burdened. In terms of safety, however, it doesn't do any harm to put wild garlic leaves and flowers in front of the Raw consumption Nevertheless, rinse thoroughly with hot water. Should you choose for further processing or for different Storage methods need dry wild garlic, you can pat the harvested wild garlic leaves dry with a soft cloth or paper towel. It is important that wild garlic stocks are still young in your own garden so that they can be protected from their own Multiplication can regenerate and spread further. Therefore, always leave at least half of the leaves in one location, as this is essential for the energy balance of the plants and for the survival of the wild garlic bulbs for the next season are essential. Also, if you allow some plants to flower, you can sometimes benefit from self-sowing Seeds benefit.

The usable parts of the wild garlic plant

Basically all parts of the plant are in the wild garlic non-toxic and can therefore also be used raw or cooked. Since the flowers often have a particularly intense taste, consuming them is a matter of taste. A delicacy can be made from the unopened Buds of wild garlic if you harvest them in time in March or April. Place Wrap them in vinegar like capers so that, after a few weeks of ripening, you can enjoy a tasty side dish with a gentle garlic flavor.

The right time to harvest wild garlic: when to pick?

Basically, the taste of the leaves in March and April is of a pleasant intensity, especially in the fresh green, young leaves. The taste, which later becomes increasingly intense, migrates from the Time of flowering from the leaves into the Wild garlic flowers, The leaves then become increasingly fibrous and therefore less suitable for consumption. Also, you should also have a planned one Drying of sheets for the storage Do not wait for the harvest to dry out. Plants that are sufficiently moisturized have a better and more intense wild garlic taste than almost dried-out specimens.

Keep wild garlic fresh after harvest

Since wild garlic begins to wither very quickly after being picked, it should be freshly processed within a few days. So that the leaves do not dry out during transport, they should be wrapped with a damp cloth to protect them from drying out. The wild garlic leaves are kept in an inflated freezer bag with a few drops of water not only fresh, but also protects the delicate leaves from being injured by the Squeeze. Even if stored in the refrigerator, damp cloths or a freezer bag with moisture can extend the shelf life by a day or two. In addition, the airtight storage of wild garlic in the refrigerator prevents the intense smell from spreading to other foods. Since the wild garlic at dry loses much of its subtle flavor, you'd be better off collecting leftover quantities freeze.

The different uses of wild garlic in the kitchen

Immediately after picking, wild garlic can be processed into the following intermediate products in order to extend the shelf life at the same time:

• Wild Garlic butter
• Wild garlic salt
• Wild garlic oil

Examples of dishes prepared directly from fresh wild garlic are:

• Wild garlic pesto
• wild garlic soup
• Dips with wild garlic seasoning

Tips & Tricks

When harvesting wild garlic in the wild, you should choose locations where contamination with dog feces or similar impurities can be ruled out. Nevertheless, due to the Fox tapeworm a thorough cleaning of the picked leaves before Raw consumption strongly advised.