When wild garlic is growing it is one of the first signs of Spring! I had not heard of wild garlic before I moved to Sweden. Now I know that it is an incredible plant that tastes like a mix of chives and garlic with a peppery aftertaste. If you ever get your hands on it – wild garlic pesto is something you have to make. It tastes so fresh and you can use it in salads, baked goods, omelets, pasta dishes (especially with chicken and salmon), etc. There is also something really therapeutic about foraging it by yourself in the forest.

What is Wild Garlic?

Wild garlic (Allium ursinum) or bears garlic (Ramslök in Swedish and Karhunlaukka in Finnish) is an incredibly tasty and versatile plant that grows in the forest from March to April. Wild garlic is a relative of onion and garlic growing in the wild. Fun fact: apparently bears love it as well, hence the name is referring to bear’s garlic in several different languages. Wild garlic can be used in soups, dips, herbal oils, pies, pestos, marinades and more. You can similarly use wild garlic than chives for example.

How to Harvest Wild Garlic

Wild garlic thrives in damp spots in the forest such as by the riverbank or a creek. It is quite common to find large patches of wild garlic growing in the same spot covering large areas of the woodland. When you go foraging for the plant make sure to check up the plant characteristics, not to mix with some poisonous lookalikes such as the lily of the valley. The best test is to smell the leaf and make a small cut to it – if it smells like garlic you should be good to go. Also, it is important to forage in areas where there is plenty of wild garlic growing and where it is allowed to forage since the plant is protected in many areas.

Checklist for Foraging Wild Garlic

  • Forage in an area where it is allowed and where there is plenty of supply.
  • Make sure to familiarize yourself with how the plant looks
  • Take one leaf at a time and do not pick the wild garlic with the root.
  • The smaller leaves fit well in a salad and the bigger ones for example in pies and soups.
  • If unsure if it is wild garlic smell the leaves – if it smells like garlic you are good to go.
  • At home, rinse the leaves well with cold water and dry them with a paper towel. Store up to a 3-4 days in the fridge or freeze for later use.

Ingredients for a Wild Garlic Pesto

100g of wild garlic
80g of parmesan cheese
0,5dl of pine nuts
0,5dl of olive oil

Instructions

Grate the cheese finely into a bowl.
Add wild garlic, little by little and mix with immersion blender, pine nuts and the oil.
Mix until smooth and add more cheese or oil to get the texture you want.

You can also use a food processor.