- The different uses of wild garlic
- Grow wild garlic for raw consumption yourself
- Alternatives to raw consumption
- tips and tricks
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Wild garlic (Allium ursinum) is an integral part of traditional spring recipes in many regions of Central Europe. There are a few things you should keep in mind if you want to eat the leaves and flowers of the garlic-like herb raw.
The different uses of wild garlic
Wild garlic can be used as a flavor carrier in a variety of recipes such as wild garlic soup or wild garlic pesto. However, the fine taste of garlic unfolds particularly well when the leaves or have not been cooked. Raw wild garlic components are just as non-toxic as cooked ones, at least as long as no poisonous doubles such as autumn crocus, Aaron's lily and lily of the valley have crept in through confusion. However, the wild garlic harvested in the forest should be washed very thoroughly before consumption in order to remove any adhering eggs of the dangerous fox tapeworm.
Grow wild garlic for raw consumption yourself
Even with wild garlic that you have bought in stores, you should not do without thorough washing to rule out a risk from the fox tapeworm. An extension in your own garden can offer greater security against this if it is a fenced plot of land far away from forest areas. The targeted cultivation of wild garlic in your own garden with wild garlic bulbs or seeds not only minimizes the risk of the fox tapeworm, but also the risk of confusion with poisonous plants. Choose a forest-like location under deciduous trees and shrubs for cultivation, then the plant can multiply by itself with even moisture.
Alternatives to raw consumption
A refined alternative to eating wild garlic raw is to pickle the wild garlic buds as so-called wild garlic capers. The flower buds, which are still closed, are boiled with herbal vinegar and seasoned with a little salt and filled into screw-top jars. After a few weeks of dark and cool storage, this delicacy offers various advantages:
- a gentle wild garlic taste
- Safety from the fox tapeworm
- a longer shelf life than fresh wild garlic
tips and tricks
The risk of fox tapeworm does not mean that you do not have to do without fresh and raw wild garlic, as long as the leaves and flowers are washed thoroughly with hot water and rubbed off by hand.