If you walk through the forest and meadows or through your garden with open eyes, you will find that there are a surprising number of edible plants. While many people are probably already aware that dandelions and daisies taste delicious in salads, the edibility of many other plants is less well known. One of these is the cowslip.
Cowslip is a decorative ingredient in many dishes
Cowslip as a medicinal plant
For many centuries, the roots and flowers of the cowslip have been used as a remedy for all kinds of ailments, but especially for colds, bronchitis, etc. The ingredients of the cowslip have an expectorant, anti-inflammatory and calming effect, which has now even been shown in various scientific studies could be proven. Commonly, cowslip medicine is used either internally as a tea or syrup, or externally as a tincture.
Saponins can irritate the stomach
However, the following should be observed with any internal use of cowslip: Some ingredients, especially the saponins, can irritate the stomach and thus lead to stomach problems and nausea. For this reason, sensitive people should refrain from enjoying it. Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers are also advised not to take cowslips. Incidentally, the highest active ingredients are in the roots.
Edible parts of cowslip
Between March and June you can also collect the tender, young leaves and the blossoms of the cowslip and use them in many ways. Both can be used raw in salads, as an ingredient in soups or as a decoration for desserts. The flowers also flavor herbal teas (also mixtures of different tea plants), sugar or honey. Cowslips have a slightly sweet taste, so children often like them too.
Caution: wild cowslips are protected
If you would like to try your hand at cooking cowslips, please completely refrain from wild collections. Cowslips that occur in the wild are protected and may not be dug up or collected in whole or in part. The wild perennial is endangered due to intensive agriculture and the associated high use of pesticides and the like. However, cowslips grown in the home garden are safe to use, but not for long periods of time.
tips
It is best to harvest on a sunny day in the late morning when the morning moisture has already dried up. Leaves and flowers are not washed off, just shaken out.