The woodruff is considered a harbinger of spring, just like the wild garlic, when it invites you to collect it in the forest from March and April. Properly preserved, it can also be used as a medicinal and aromatic herb in the kitchen all year round.
How can I use woodruff all year round?
Woodruff can be preserved by freezing, drying or in the form of woodruff syrup. When frozen and dried, the woodruff develops its aroma even better. As a syrup it can be used all year round to prepare soft drinks.
Identify woodruff and dose correctly
The easiest way to recognize the woodruff, which is a maximum of 30 centimeters high, in the wild is during the flowering period in April and May, when the delicate white flowers bloom on the upper shoot tips of the woodruff. Actually, it is almost too late for a harvest, because the plant is typically cut for drinks such as Maibowle before it flowers. In principle, a later harvest is still possible, but then the dosage in the kitchen must be much more economical in order to avert toxic effects caused by the coumarin, which is contained much more strongly from the flowering point onwards. There are the following options for storing woodruff for year-round use:
- the freezing
- drying
- making woodruff syrup
Dry or freeze woodruff
When drying or freezing woodruff, the coumarin it contains breaks down, which ensures an even better development of the aroma in food and drinks. A period of around one hour is usually sufficient for freezing. You can also let the leaves wilt for a few hours or a night before steeping them in liquid when using them fresh. If you want to preserve the woodruff for longer, you can put the whole bundle or individual leaves in portions in the freezer. When drying, you should ensure good ventilation and shake the bundles several times so that all areas can dry equally well and no leaves stick together.
Preparing woodruff syrup
A delicious refreshment with woodruff flavor can be prepared all year round from woodruff syrup. To do this, let the washed and shaken woodruff bundles wilt overnight before letting them steep in a boiled sugar solution with lemon juice for a few hours. Then squeeze the leaves well and boil the sugar solution again before bottling.
Tips & Tricks
Even if you don't want to use woodruff in the kitchen, it is an easy-care ground cover for shady places in the garden and, when hung in bundles, ensures a pleasant smell in the house.
