Many freshly harvested herbs can be preserved particularly gently by freezing and made durable for several months. In the case of the woodruff, however, freezing fulfills another purpose in addition to being able to be stored.

The limited harvest time of the woodruff

Many herbs and aromatic plants can be harvested fresh from the plant on the windowsill or in the garden almost all year round. Woodruff, on the other hand, should ideally be harvested in spring, before the flowering period from around mid-April to mid-May. It develops its strongest aroma in March and April, making this the best time to collect the slender stems with their lance-shaped leaves. For longer-term storage, you can either dry or freeze the woodruff, as it not only retains its aroma in both storage options, but even increases it. For an ideal taste experience, a combination of both variants is even recommended.

Harvest the woodruff and let it wilt

When harvesting, the tender stalks are cut off just above the ground with a clean knife or herb sickle. You should only ever remove individual stalks from one location so that the woodruff can recover until the following year with good care. Gather the cut stems into small bunches and hang them upside down in a dry and dark place for about a night or a day. Only during this wilting does the strong aroma of the woodruff develop through the splitting of the contained coumarin. While freezing whole or bagged in portions has about the same effect on flavor intensity, a combination of the two methods can provide the best results.

Use frozen woodruff

Using frozen woodruff in the kitchen is relatively uncomplicated, as it usually thaws very quickly at room temperature or in liquids. For example, it can be used for the following recipes:

  • Berliner Weisse
  • May punch
  • woodruff lemonade
  • wobbler

tips and tricks

Always keep in mind that natural woodruff is not only an aromatic plant, but also a medicinal plant due to the coumarin it contains. Therefore, do not let the stalks soak for more than half an hour in the May punch or similar recipes, as the otherwise possible overdose of coumarin can lead to discomfort or even liver damage if consumed regularly.

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Category:

Herbs