Over the Easter weekend, my girls and I were lucky enough to take a trip on the very lovely Groudle Glen Railway – an absolute gem, and it was lovely to see it so chocka-block.
But an even bigger treat was the walk to the station, through Groudle Glen itself, in bright sunlight. The girls were delighted to see that the wild garlic is growing in profusion, and on the return journey helped themselves to a healthy armful of the stuff for our supper.
It was tremendous – and free! The leaves of this versatile plant can be cooked much as you would spinach – a tad of water and a quick wilt over the heat – needing nothing more than a chunk of butter and grind of salt to set it off.
Wild garlic is also known as ‘ramsons’, and it’s a really versatile plant.
As well as using the leaves as a vegetable (we stir them into pasta sauces, make potato-and-garlic soups from them and concoct a fabulous pesto), the white flowers can be scattered over salads, and when they’re still in closed bud form, make great pickles to be used as you would use capers.
The roots aren’t bulb-shaped like ‘traditional’ garlic, so it’s the upper part of the plant you want to use.
And use it you should: wild garlic’s not just a pleasure, it’s also massively good for your health – even more so, in fact, than the ‘tame’ varieties.
It’s powerfully antibacterial, antiseptic and antibiotic.
But most importantly for people like me who suffer from hypertension, it’s brilliant for reducing blood pressure. So cramming lots into your diet cuts your risk of stroke and heart disease.
As with any foraged wild plants, there are a few ground-rules to bear in mind:
– Don’t take more than you need – though ramsons aren’t particularly endangered, it’s still important not to damage clusters, and it’s also good to leave some for other people ad wildlife!
– Watch where you gather from – best to avoid roadside patches, where toxic fumes could have been absorbed by the plants, or indeed anywhere else were you think the soil or air might be contaminated.
– Watch that you don’t, in your enthusiasm, grub up other, non-edible leaves by mistake, and wash your harvest well.