WILD GARLIC
Wild garlic is one of our favourite additions to a dish; it smells amazing, tastes beautiful and you get to forage for it yourself! If you’re new to wild garlic, here’s a little rundown for you so you can start your foraging journey and make some tasty concoctions.
Wild garlic is also known as ramsoms, and it is usually found in big areas of woodland. We get asked a lot, ‘but how will I know it is wild garlic?’ And trust us, your nose will tell you! The smell takes hold of you, in the most wonderful way and you will know when you have arrived.
It is best found between March and July, with white flowers blossoming on the plants and if you are unsure, you can do a crush test in the palm of your hand and give it a good sniff, and you will know for sure in that moment whether or not what you have found is wild garlic.
It can be used in a whole range of ways, over the past few months alone we have made pesto, flatbreads, garlic bread and added it into many dishes we have created. Use it in anything you would use good old-fashioned garlic in, and see how it transforms things
Now, it is important that you are responsible and follow foraging etiquette if wild garlic is on your agenda. First off, make sure you are permitted to pick from where you are, look out for signs and ensure you’re not breaking any laws! You will also want to pull from near to the ground, but without pulling out the bulb, as this needs to stay in tact for it to grow back year on year. Another must is that you pick from an area that is plentiful and that you also leave plenty behind for others to enjoy. It feels like common sense but it only takes a handful of people to ignore the foraging code (working title) for it to ruin it for everyone! Lastly, enjoy it. Foraging is such a rewarding experience, whether you go solo or take little ones in tow, so take it all in and get planning what you will create when you get home.
We often team up with the wonderful Emma from Wild Pickle, who is a foraging and fermenting queen, so check out her work and creations too.
If you are curious to learn more about how we can forage and learn from the area around us, consider joining us this September with Stoke on Trent College for the Feasted Level 3 Gastronomy Pathway course. Find out more here and don’t forget to tag us in your foraging trips!