07/03/2024
Wild garlic -
Allium ursinum.
Also know as ramps and ramson.
Found spring - early summer.
Young leaves are preferable, but the whole plant is edible throughout every part of its cycle.
Unmistakable due to its stro g garlicky scent.
The leaves are long, green and oblong and end in a gentle point. The tender stems are white the closer they get to the earth and they have a shiny and slightly striated texture.
The backs of the leaves aren’t shiny, are a slightly lighter green, with an even lighter green stem showing through the middle. The flowers are small, delicate, and white; they have six thin petals with a yellow centre. They burst from their conical pods in clusters of 5 or more. The biggest tell for when you have wild garlic on your hands is the smell, which is unmistakable.
Early in the season, you won’t come across very many flowering garlic plants so the smell isn’t as strong, but still noticeable if the wind catches it just right and blows in your direction.
The most used parts of the plant are the leaves, flowers, and seed pods; the bulbs aren’t substantial like the ones you get from the shop and more closely resembles the tender fleshiness of leeks.
The best way to collect is with a pair of scissors: simply snip what you want as close to the earth as you can.
The young leaves have a gentle flavour, with a hint of bite, that makes a fantastic addition to pasta, soup, salads, or roasts. Really, any recipe that calls for garlic you can simply replace with any part of the wild garlic plant you have foraged.
Sources:
Food For Free by Richard Maybe
Forager's Calendar Guide by John Wright
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/wild-flowers/wild-garlic/
https://www.wildfooduk.com/edible-wild-plants/wild-garlic-2/
And personal experience!
