The often read statement that the leaves of wild garlic should no longer be used after flowering is only true to a very limited extent. Even the wild garlic flowers themselves can be consumed in different ways.
Can you eat wild garlic flowers and how do you use them?
Wild garlic flowers are edible and can be used in different phases of development: young, still closed buds can be pickled in a similar way to capers, while blossomed flowers should be used sparingly for seasoning in the kitchen, due to their intense taste.
Identifying wild garlic flowers
The wild garlic blooms from around April to May, although the exact flowering time depends on factors such as the weather and the regional climate. The bright white flowers ensure that extensive stands of wild garlic in forest locations are visible from afar. The flowers grow on their own stem about 30 centimeters from the ground and can take on a spherical shape due to the composition of up to twenty individual flowers on flower stalks about 2 centimeters long. Since wild garlic in the forest is often mixed with other plants, an odor test should always be carried out despite identification based on the flowers to avoid confusion with poisonous neighboring plants. To do this, rub a leaf between your fingers until the intense garlic-like smell becomes noticeable as evidence of the presence of wild garlic.
Processing the buds
In addition to the leaves, the wild garlic flowers are also edible in various stages of development. The season for harvesting young wild garlic buds is very short, as the flowers develop relatively quickly after the flower stem has grown up. If you discover the buds still closed at the right time, you can harvest them and pickle them like capers. To do this you need the following ingredients:
- Wild garlic buds
- Herbal vinegar
- some s alt
The buds are first boiled with the s alt and herbal vinegar before the vinegar is boiled again after the buds have been strained. This boiling of the herbal vinegar is repeated again after about three days before the mixture matures in the jars in the dark and cool storage for about two weeks.
Tips & Tricks
The wild garlic flowers that have already bloomed can also be used to season the kitchen, although due to their intense taste, a rather sparing dosage is recommended.
