You don't necessarily have to have lived in the Middle Ages to eat goutweed. Even today - or today more than ever (cultivated vegetables and the like lack nutrients) - this weed is valuable. Both its taste and its free availability as well as its healing powers are convincing!

Ground elder is edible and healthy

What can you eat from goutweed?

Even the ancient Romans and people suffering from famine in times of war appreciated Giersch. They mainly ate its leaves. But the flowers and fruits with the seeds can also be eaten without hesitation. You should only stay away from the roots. They contain a toxic substance.

How does gout taste taste?

If you eat ground elder raw, you will find that its flavor is vaguely reminiscent of parsley. An aroma such as carrot can also be tasted. When cooked, goutweed tastes like spinach. Therefore, it is also considered a good substitute for spinach.

Basically, the young plants are milder and more delicate in taste. You should prefer these! The older plants taste spicier, tart and tougher. They are more suitable for drying and cooking, while the young plants can also be a delicacy raw.

Collection time: Before and during flowering, but also after

Ground elder has a long growing season. It can often be found here and there even in a mild winter. The best collection time is in the spring between April and May. Then the heyday begins. You can harvest the flowers when they are in bloom. The fruits then ripen with the seeds. Basically, you can harvest goutweed all season long.

Use goutweed in the kitchen - preparation ideas

The most common is to use the leaves. The stems should be removed first. Here are a few ideas for preparation:

  • smoothie
  • juices
  • wild herb quark
  • pizza topping
  • pasta sauces
  • as spinach with potatoes
  • Soup
  • Pesto
  • crackers
  • salad
  • scrambled eggs

Use the flowers, fruits and seeds

You can use the goutweed flowers for cold water extracts or bread them and fry or bake them like elderflowers. The fruits or seeds have a sharp taste and are perfect for salads, for example in combination with nettle seeds, or as a spice for stews. The ideal is to grind them with a mortar before use.

Use goutweed as a medicinal plant

In order to be able to use ground elder as a medicinal herb all year round, it can be dried. An aromatic tea can be made from the leaves. This helps with gout, rheumatism and arthritis, among others.

In addition, tea has an antispasmodic, blood-cleansing and digestive effect. When collecting, be careful not to confuse goutweed with its poisonous counterparts, such as hemlock and dog's parsley!

tips

Giersch is not only extremely healthy for humans. Pets such as guinea pigs and rabbits also benefit from its nutrient abundance.

Category:

Herbs