Wild garlic – miracle herb with many benefits

Legend has it that bears fortified themselves with the herb after hibernating to get their bodies and metabolism going again. Whether that is true or not is up to you. But it is clear that wild garlic stimulates digestion.

Wild garlic: appearance, origin and taste / recognize wild garlic

Wild garlic can be recognized by its broad, oval leaves, each of which has a distinctive leaf stalk. This stem is hollow and usually triangular. Care should be taken when picking, because the wild garlic leaves are similar to those of lily of the valley and autumn crocus, which are poisonous.

To identify the garlic spinach, a smell test can help. To do this, rub the leaves between your fingers – if there is a typical smell of garlic, it is probably wild garlic.

Where does wild garlic come from and when is it in season?

A classic leek, the succulent green herb is related to garlic and onions. In large parts of Europe, as well as in Germany, wild garlic grows wild in shady and nutrient-rich deciduous and mixed forests as well as in meadows, along streams and alluvial forests. Accordingly, another name for the plant is “wood garlic”. The main season of the plant usually runs from March to May.

This is what the herb tastes like

On the taste level, wild garlic is very similar to garlic. But unlike its relative, wild garlic is milder and leaves no smelly trail.

Calories, nutritional values ​​and ingredients

While the green superfood only contains 12 kcal per 100 grams, the leaves are rich in essential oils, sulfides, vitamin C, important minerals such as magnesium and iron, as well as the amino acid allicin, which has an anti-inflammatory and antibiotic effect.

Allicin is often used as a “natural antibiotic” against bacterial and fungal infections. The essential oils also have a pain-relieving effect and can alleviate severe abdominal cramps. They are also digestive.

Due to its ingredients, wild garlic is considered a miracle herb that, with 75 mg per 50 grams, contains more vitamin C than oranges or peppers. That is already 75 percent of daily needs. In combination with iron and magnesium, the immune system and defenses are strengthened.

For every 100 grams of wild garlic, the detox herb contains an average of 7.8 grams of sulfur compounds, which, contrary to their reputation, are not dangerous but healthy. Because the sulfides can, among other things, relieve metabolic processes or the liver, remove excess cholesterol from the bloodstream and lower blood pressure.

Another benefit of garlic spinach is that the high chlorophyll content of around 400 milligrams per 100 grams of cabbage facilitates the absorption of magnesium and iron and thus counteracts iron deficiency. In addition, the plant pigment is basic and regulates the body’s acid-base balance.

Where is the best place to buy wild garlic?

For those who do not pick anything themselves or are too risky, the superfood can often be found at market stalls or in supermarkets during the wild garlic season. You should pay attention to the color of the leaves. The juicier they look, the better the wild garlic is usually.

Alternatively, you can also include wild garlic juice, capsules or oil in your diet if you don’t like the taste of the plant.

This is how you can store wild garlic

First of all, you should note that the leaves should be used quickly, i.e. in a day or two. For this you should store the leaves slightly damp in a bag in the refrigerator.

If you want to store the garlic spinach for a longer period of time, you should freeze it. Washed, dried and chopped, you can easily freeze the leaves and even have something of the local superfood all year round.

A little tip: if you want to freeze the wild garlic in portions, you can smear an ice cube mold with a little oil and freeze the chopped portion in portions.

Preparation of wild garlic

Wild garlic leaves are versatile. Chopped, they can be used as an ingredient in soups, sauces, salads, pesto, dips and in herb quark or butter – and you can also use them together with the stalks.

But wild garlic should not be boiled. The taste is lost as a result of the heat.