When he once again expels his offshoots to the best and has spread with the help of his fine seeds, the corners of the mouth quickly drop a degree lower. But anyone who knows about the effectiveness of ground elder will not miss the herb, but will want to collect and dry it.

Wild herbs are best dried upside down

Collect at the right time

First of all, it is important that the ground elder is harvested at the right time. The leaves are best for drying! You can also harvest and dry the caraway-looking seeds in late summer.

The correct harvest time for the ground elder leaves is from April to June (ideally just before flowering). Since new goutweed leaves continue to grow as the summer progresses, you can still harvest leaves. The older the leaves are, the tougher and more bitter they taste.

Clean, remove stems and dry

How to proceed when drying:

  • cleaning goutweed
  • tie together in bundles
  • leave to dry in a shady and airy place (e.g. attic).
  • or: remove the stems and let them dry in a dehydrator
  • Drying temperature: maximum 40 °C
  • Drying time: about 1 week

Use the dried goutweed for tea

Dried ground elder is mainly used for tea. It is enough to brew 2 tablespoons of the dried herb with 250 ml of boiling water. Leave for 5 to 10 minutes and you're done! If you have made too much tea, you can use it for poultices or as a bath additive.

Also an interesting kitchen spice

You can grind the dried leaves in a good blender or grate finely with a mortar. Then fill them into a sealable jar or small tin and put them in your spice cabinet.

For soups, stews, salads, but also for meat dishes and scrambled eggs, you can now use the gout spice. It is best to sprinkle it over the food or stir it in just before the end of the cooking time. The seeds can also be used as a spice.

tips

If you plan to use ground elder for spinach, consider freezing the herb rather than drying it.

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Herbs