Wild garlic harvest: How to do it right!
Wild garlic (Allium ursinum) is one of the first wild herbs to sprout in spring, with an intense garlic aroma. To ensure that your harvest is safe and sustainable, here is everything you need to know about the right time to harvest, where to find it in the forest, the dangers of mistaking it for something else and storage tips.
When is the best time to pick wild garlic?
The best time to harvest ramsons is between March and May, before the plant flowers. The leaves contain the most flavour and valuable nutrients at this time. Once the flowers appear, the leaves lose their flavour and become tougher.
Where can you find wild garlic in the forest?
Ramsons prefers shady, moist broadleaf woods with humus-rich soils. It thrives particularly well under beech, oak or maple trees, where it often forms large carpets. Make sure you collect your bear’s garlic away from busy roads, where there may be more dog faeces.
Tips for collecting and transporting wild garlic
- Collect young leaves if possible, as they have a pleasantly mild flavour.
- Cut the leaves with a knife at the base of the stem.
- After harvesting, transport the bear’s garlic loosely in a basket or cloth bag. Plastic bags are unsuitable as the leaves sweat in them and wilt more quickly.
Beware of fox tapeworm and dog faeces
Wild garlic may be contaminated with fox tapeworm eggs (Echinococcus multilocularis), which are carried on the leaves by the faeces of infected animals. To minimise the risk:
- Do not pick at road crossings, rocks or tree stumps.
- Wash leaves thoroughly in hot water before processing. To be on the safe side, blanch or boil the leaves.
- Wash your hands thoroughly.
- Another option is to grow wild garlic in your own garden.
Beware of confusion: how to recognise wild garlic
When collecting wild garlic, there is a danger of confusing it with poisonous plants such as lily of the valley or autumn crocus. Here’s how to tell the difference:
- Smell garlic: rub a leaf between your fingers. Does it smell like garlic? Then it’s wild garlic.
- Underside of the leaf: Bear’s garlic has a dull, soft underside, whereas lily of the valley leaves have a shiny underside. Autumn crocus leaves are glossy on both sides.
- Leaf arrangement: Bear’s garlic leaves grow singly on stalks from the ground, while lily of the valley leaves grow in pairs or threes, rolled up in their brownish sheaths.
- Season: Ramsons begins to sprout in March, while lily of the valley doesn’t start until mid-April.
- Flowers: In lily of the valley you can often see the globular flower buds.
- Roots: Bear’s garlic grows from a small bulb, while lily of the valley spreads by horizontal rhizomes.
How to store wild garlic
If you’re not going to use bear’s garlic right away, you can
- Put it in the fridge: wrap it in a damp paper towel and place it in a plastic food container. It will stay fresh for 2-3 days.
- Freeze it: Wash the leaves, pat dry and freeze in a freezer bag.
- Make a wild garlic pesto. It’s best to make the bear’s garlic pesto immediately. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week. If you have a lot of bear’s garlic pesto, you can freeze it in portions.
You may also like
Companion planting – The 6 best companion plants for your vegetable garden
Companion planting - The 6 best...
Mistaking wild garlic – how to spot poisonous doppelgangers
Mistaking wild garlic - how to spot...
Edible landscape: which plants to choose
Edible landscape: which plants to...