Bear garlic is my first spring herb, which I love to use in my kitchen. Its distinctive aroma, spicy taste and healing effects have been known for thousands of years. If you do not know it, you should try this plant and include it in your diet. Bear garlic (Allium Ursinum) has a lot of vitamins and has anti-inflammatory effect, helps with stomach problems, high blood pressure, detoxifies and much more. If you haven't tried it yet, it's high time. There is a lot in the forest and it must be harvested as soon as growth begins. Which is mostly early March. If it starts to bloom so do not tear it, no longer has such aroma, taste and vitamins, it grows by the end of April at the latest.
However, you should be careful if you tear it for the first time. There is a similar plant, but it is poisonous. Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis).
One of the safest ways to distinguish bear garlic from lily of the valley is to smell it. Bear garlic has a distinct garlic aroma. If you smell his leaves, you will surely know that it is a bear garlic.
If you have a faint smell, slack the leaves between your fingers to smell the scent.
Lily of the valley and wild Bear garlic grow in forests, often in the same locations. However, the growth of lily of the valley begins somewhat later, so you will usually find lily of the valley only when the bear's garlic begins to bloom, but it is not a rule.
I bring you some of my recipes how to use it in the kitchen and especially how to
store it.
--------------------------------------- Pesto from bear garlic ---------------------------------
Ingredients:
Bear garlic cca 200-300g
garlic
onion
Olive oil
Method:
Put the Bear garlic, onion and ordinary garlic in a blender and mix well. If we don't have a blender, then chop it. Then put this mixture into a glass bottle and add quality olive oil, mix well and add a little oil again. Mix again and add olive oil. All done. Pesto is stored in the refrigerator. From my experience you will last about half a year and maybe even more. You can also add chili peppers or other herbs to your pesto.
---------------------------------------- Wild garlic bouillon -----------------------------------
This bouillon is very practically because stay fresh and useful for a year. I add it to various sauces, meat, or soup. I do herbal butter likewise.
Ingredients:
Bear garlic
Chicken broth or buillon
Method:
I make herbal butter too with this Method, but just pour in the melted butter.
------------------------------------------ Egg spread ----------------------------------------------
Ingredients:
4 Eggs
Bear garlic
mustard
Soft butter
salt
Method:
Cook the eggs hard. We chop or mix the garlic.
Spread the chilled eggs on a cheese grater, mix with Bear garlic, add softened butter and 1 to 2 tablespoons of mustard. Season with salt and mix well. Serve with fresh bread. Hold on max. 48 h. in the fridge.
And one more tip...
If you are collecting bear garlic, you should also take a few nettle plants. It is nourishing, soothing and also full of vitamins.
This is how you can make great tea.
I apologize for grammatical errors.
Stay Healthy
