Native Irish Edible Plants: Wild Garlic Recipes
Why pull another ready meal out of the freezer when you can have fresh, local ingredients that are at their prime? In our search for better quality and more nutritious food, we are embracing ever more seasonal and regional ingredients. These days, foraged ingredients are popping up on the menus of five-star restaurants across the world.
The star of the foraged food scene is wild garlic. If you’ve never tried wild Irish garlic, it’s time to start foraging. Easily one of the best native Irish plants, it is one of spring’s greatest seasonal vegetables.
Want to learn more about native Irish edible plants? Here is your guide to getting started with wild garlic recipes.
What Is Wild Garlic?
Part of the same family as chives, wild garlic grows in damp wooded areas and marshlands. They are native to Ireland and grow across Europe and North America. There are dozens of wild garlic types worldwide and they go by many different names. Whether it is called wood garlic, broad-leaved garlic, cows leek, ramsons, buckrams, bear leek, or bear's garlic, it is all essentially the same thing.
What Is the Difference Between Wild Garlic and Garlic Bulbs?
Wild garlic tastes similar to the standard garlic we are all familiar with but with a few subtle differences. Each plant is slightly different but, generally speaking, you’ll find the flavour of wild garlic to be much more subtle. While the leaves have a powerful garlic scent, they have a delicate almost sweet taste.
How To Use Wild Garlic
Like many fruits and vegetables, the taste of wild garlic varies throughout its lifespan. The garlic flavour is at its strongest before the white flowers begin to bud. Once the plant has a flower, the garlic taste is milder (which is not a bad thing, depending on your preference for garlic strength).
Wild garlic plant flowers are edible as well and can be a beautiful addition to any dish. Just be sure to wash them well and then add to them a salad or any meal that you want to decorate.
One of the most versatile and useful edible Irish plants, you can eat the entirety of a wild garlic plant. That includes the flower, flower bug, head, and bulb. Just note that if you are foraging it’s better to not pull up the entire bulb as it’ll stop the plant from growing back.
Wild Garlic Recipes: How to Cook with Wild Garlic
You can eat wild garlic cooked or raw. Simply throw it on top of cream or butter for a tasty topping to potatoes or any other veg. It also works well raw in a salad or you can add it to a soup (just wait until it’s nearly done so it doesn’t get overcooked). Wild garlic is a lovely addition to eggs, pasta, or pizza sauce.
When it comes to wild garlic recipes, you can be as creative as you like. If there is a dish that would be good with garlic bulb or powder, you can also use wild garlic. The main thing to keep in mind, however, is that the taste is not as potent as the garlic powder, paste, or bulbs you normally use. Rather than simmering it with olive oil and bringing out the aroma as you might with other garlic types, opt to sprinkle it on top just before you eat your dish.
Where to Find Wild Garlic in Ireland
In Ireland, wild garlic will flower each year from around April to June. If you are looking to forage garlic, you will want to go from early in March until the end of May. You might find the plants in any damp area with tree coverage. The white flowers are easy to spot and you can smell that garlic aroma from afar.
Some of the most popular places to find wild garlic in Ireland are Phoenix Park, Glen Of The Downs, Lough Key, and Deer Park. You will find it in wooded areas and along riverbanks all across the country though. When you’re familiar with native Irish plants, it’s surprising just how often you see eligible varieties.
Growing Wild Garlic at Home
Wild garlic is easy to grow and will spread like a weed if you let it. All you need is a wild garlic bulb and a shady spot. Make sure it gets plenty of water and you’ll have your own source of wild garlic.
If you don’t have a wild garlic bulb, you can also order wild garlic seeds to plant in your garden.
Where to Buy Wild Garlic in Ireland
If you’re not able to find wild garlic in the park, you will often find it at local farmers' markets in the spring along with other native Irish edible plants.
How to Store Wild Garlic
Once you have tracked down wild garlic, you’ll want to make it last as long as possible. The best way to do that is to put it in a glass of water and store it in the refrigerator. Put the bottom (bulb side) in the water and it’ll last up to a week.
Alternatively, you can wrap up your wild garlic in a piece of damp kitchen roll and then store it in a bag or container.
Keep in mind that fresh garlic will only last up to a week at the most. If you’re not going to use it within that time frame, it’s best to freeze it. To do that, blanch the wild garlic then put the leaves in an ice bath. Let them air dry then freeze them on a baking sheet. Avoid stacking them up and aim to create an even single layer for them to freeze. When they are frozen, you can put them into a freezer bag and then use them for wild garlic recipes all year round.
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