Dorothy FarrarBarlauch (Bear garlic)
Wild garlic belongs to the Allium genus and is related to garlic, onions and chives. The plant is a popular wild vegetable and is also known as forest garlic, witch’s onion or gypsy garlic.
Worth knowing about wild garlic
Wild garlic is a herbaceous plant that flowers from April to May. The inflorescence is surrounded by an elongated shell, which then falls off. Wild garlic can be found almost all over Europe, growing at altitudes of up to 1900 metres.
In Germany it thrives mainly in the southern parts of the country, in Austria it is very common but is endangered in the southern and western Alpine region. The plant prefers humid and humus-rich deciduous and alluvial forests, ravines and streams.
The wild garlic season ends after the seeds have ripened at the beginning of July. Together with the spring snowflake, the yellow star, the larkspur and the wood anemone, it belongs to the so-called Corydalis group, which is characteristic of calcareous and moist soils.
importance to health
Wild garlic is often used in folk medicine for gastrointestinal problems . The essential oils contained also have a beneficial effect on the liver , bile and respiratory tract. It also has a healing effect on high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis .
Wild garlic stimulates the metabolism , helps with worm infestation and high cholesterol levels . It is also effective in diseases associated with arteriosclerosis , such as cold hands and feet, a tendency to headaches, poor performance, dizziness or poor skin healing. In addition, wild garlic has a preventive effect on strokes and heart attacks .
Ingredients & nutritional values
Wild garlic leaves contain allicin, allin and methyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide. Flavonoids, lectins and prostaglandins also occur. Other ingredients of wild garlic are:
- sulfur
- Mangan
- Adenosine
Alliin is an odorless essential oil that contains sulfur. When the plant’s cell walls are damaged, alliin turns into alkyl sulfenic acid, which smells like garlic. Fresh wild garlic has a calorific value of 80kJ and 100 grams of the plant contain 19kcal. Wild garlic consists of 65 percent carbohydrates , 20 percent proteins and 15 percent fat . It is only very rarely cultivated and is often available on the market as a wild herb.
intolerances
However, wild garlic can cause an allergic reaction, which can manifest itself in different ways. Very often, red and itchy spots appear on the skin, the eyes start to water or are also reddened. Other symptoms are gastrointestinal complaints, respiratory problems or itching in the ear area .
Shopping and kitchen tips
The wild garlic is a well-known spice, vegetable and medicinal plant, whereby the leaves are mainly used. These can be used to prepare dip sauces, pesto or herb butter. Wild garlic is also used as a vegetable or spice.
The plant loses a lot of its taste when exposed to heat, which is why wild garlic is usually mixed raw with dishes and salads. In the spring it also replaces the onion or chives. When collected, the plant is very often confused with the autumn crocus, the lily of the valley or the spotted arum. However, these plants are very poisonous, so care should be taken when picking them.
Fresh wild garlic usually keeps for a few days. However, if you remove the stem ends, place the leaves in a freezer bag with some water and then seal the bag tightly, it can be stored for up to two weeks. Wild garlic can also be frozen, but you have to reckon with a loss of flavor.
In addition, the leaves can also be washed, dried and pureed. This puree can be frozen in small portions in an ice cube bag, for example.
preparation tips
If you want to detox with wild garlic, you should eat a handful of chopped wild garlic leaves every day for a period of three weeks. The freshly chopped leaves can also be wrapped in a cloth to make wild garlic juice. 10 to 20 drops of this juice can be taken daily.
Wild garlic is mixed with alcohol for a tincture. The mixture must then be left sealed for two weeks. Then 10 to 20 drops of it can be taken after meals. Wild garlic butter is also very tasty. To do this, the wild garlic is washed, chopped and then mixed with butter.
Other preparation options are wild garlic oil, wild garlic salt or a homemade pesto. For a salad, the leaves are washed, chopped up and then sprinkled over the salad. But it can also simply be put on a piece of buttered bread or added to scrambled eggs. If wild garlic is mixed with quark, you get a delicious spread.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.