Wild Garlic

How to identify:

Wild garlic is a perennial with white flowers and a distinctive and pungent garlicky smell that pervades woodland in spring and becomes stronger if you crush the leaves.

Where & when to find:

Found in damp woodland & sometimes along verges of country lanes: in bloom from February to June, but at its best around March.

Beware – wild garlic leaves look similar to Lily of the Valley which are poisonous. The flowers are completely different and of course Lily of the Valley doesn’t smell of garlic. Just make sure you know what you’re picking.

Uses:

Use the leaves & flowers, but not the roots: eating them can have an unpleasant effect on the stomach.

It smells very garlicy whilst fresh but cooking makes it less pungent so don’t be put off by the scent.

A quick search of the internet will come up with myriads of ways to use wild garlic

• Add finely chopped leaves or flowers or seed pods to a salad or potato salad.
• Stir finely chopped leaves to most stews or soups.
• Add chopped leaves or flowers when making stock of any kind.
• Adding finely chopped leaves to a mayonnaise or dip.