Wild garlic ravioli, wild garlic pesto, wild garlic soup - the range of delicious dishes with the spicy forest herb is long. Read how to cut Allium ursinum correctly and what you need to pay particular attention to when harvesting.
How should you cut wild garlic?
It is best to cut wild garlicwith a sharp, clean knifejust above the ground. Removeonly one, but no more than two leaves from each plantIf you cut off too many leaves, this weakens the bulb and, in the worst case, the sought-after herb will no longer sprout the following year.
When do you cut wild garlic?
Generally you can cut wild garlicbetween March and Maywhen the leaves are strong and smell aromatic. When the herb sprouts depends on the weather in spring. If you have found a good collection point in the forest or are perhaps even growing the plant in your own garden, you should harvest the leavesin the morningif possible. Wait until anydew has dried. At this time the essential oil content is higher than at other times of the day and the herb is therefore particularly aromatic. Process the leaves immediately after harvesting.
How long can you cut wild garlic?
As a rule, you can cut wild garlicfrom the time it sprouts until it begins to flower. Depending on the weather, the harvest season often begins in March and ends between mid and late April. But even after flowering has started, you can still cut leaves, although they are no longer as aromatic as they were before flowering. In addition, the leaves quickly become hard and fibrous. Furthermore,Wild garlic flowers can also be used in the kitchen, for example for flower butter or s alt, for flavoring oils and vinegars, for decorating salads and soups or even for pickling.
What should you keep in mind when cutting wild garlic?
When cutting wild garlic, be especially careful not to confuse it with its very similar butpoisonous counterparts. Only use the leaves if they are actually wild garlic leaves! Furthermore, you shoulddon't collect the leaves in nature reserves- collecting wild plants is strictly prohibited here, even if they themselves are not protected. Outside nature reserves, you can only cut as much wild garlic as you use. Typicallya hand bouquet is considered appropriate. Also, be careful in the forest, do not disturb wildlife, trample or tear up plants.
Tip
Can you also use the stems of wild garlic?
If you want to make wild garlic pesto or paste, you can use the stalks - then they will be chopped up a lot anyway. However, we do not recommend using it for other recipes as the stems are quite hard.
