How to preserve wild garlic and other herbs

[TinkyPete]

Soon spring will be here and there is a spot I know fairly close by which has some outstanding wild garlic.

The only problem is how to keep it. I like the buds and leaves.

What would people recommend for trying to preserve them or should I try for the bulb?

With other herbs both leave and flowers would it be best to dry them or put them in some form of oil?

With this idea some would be used for home and others on my travels and camps, so all suggestions greatly received.

 

[v-ness]

I tend to mash the leaves up and mix with Olive oil to a paste, similar to Pesto in consistency and store in jars. As long as the paste is covered with oil so that no air gets to it, it will keep for months.
Its fabulous with Pasta

Cheers
Ness

 

[The Big Lebowski]

Cut the bulbs and leave about 2" of stem... Store in the fridge in a glass jar topped up with olive oil, or rapeseed oil (or, both in seperate jars). The stems can be cut up and used to infuse oil for dressings ect.

I always collect some locally as nothing supermarket wise tastes even close. Will keep no problems until following season, but mine never seems to last long enough!

We get the flower (leaf type) locally and also the variety that grows like very slim scallions. The protruding stems looks like chives.

Both bulb and leaf type will store well if kept under oil and cool, fridge cool being best.

al.

 

[TinkyPete]

Thanks very much for the tips will be trying them out soon.

 

[British Red]

Please be aware that it is illegal to uproot wild grown ramsoms *i.e. to remove the bulbs* under section 13 of the WCA

 

[Melonfish]

Oooh i like the pesto style idea, i get loads down by me so a massive picking session is on the cards.

 

[Bothwell_Craig]

Please be aware that it is illegal to uproot wild grown ramsoms *i.e. to remove the bulbs* under section 13 of the WCA

Unless you are authorised to do so by the landowner.

In truth, taking a few bulbs to eat, whilst I obviously would not condone it, is not really what the legislation was introduced for. The legislation was designed to protect schedule 8 plants which are rarer or scientifically important plants (Ramsoms are not schedule 8 plants). It was also designed to stop, in particular in Scotland, the widespread large scale theft and subsequent decimation of fields of Snowdrop, Bluebells and sphagnum moss which continues to this day.

 

[rik_uk3]

Be carefull storing garlic in oil, it can turn very nasty. Keep refridgerated.

"Incidentally, another danger associated with garlic is potential botulism contamination--in 1989 the FDA banned certain garlic-in-oil mixes for that reason. The problem is that when you chop up fresh produce and cover it in oil, you're giving anaerobic Clostridium botulinum bacteria a good growing environment. Some claim roasting the garlic first eliminates this danger, but I've seen conflicting arguments on that score--better not to risk it.

— Cecil Adams"

That said, I still use garlic/olive oil thats months old

 

[British Red]

Unless you are authorised to do so by the landowner.

Good point, well presented!

 

[Toddy]

If collecting it is a problem, the ransoms and the three cornered leek set little bulbils seeds and they're easily potted up. In no time you'll have more than you can use.

Rik's right about the botulism, but there's a dead certain giveaway for that anaerobic toxin....it stinks Really, it does, of rotting sh1t. If you ever open a jar and it smells like that, either flush it or otherwise dispose of safely. (I'm going to get a row now for polluting the sewerage system, aren't I ? )

The little white flower buds pickle well, but they start to go far too soft and faded in a couple of months if they're at all open.
Better to freeze some of the opened blossoms with some house grown flowers from the chives. The two colours add both taste and colour to a salad

cheers,
M

 

[torc]

Fergus Drennan was in the bushcraft section of the Outdoor Show and he said he dried the wild garlic bulbs and then ground them to a powder in a blender/coffee grinder. This was then added to whatever he was cooking.
Happy trails...torc.

 

[mountainm]

What about smokin' em?
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=9571.0

 

[Mang]

Fergus Drennan was in the bushcraft section of the Outdoor Show and he said he dried the wild garlic bulbs and then ground them to a powder in a blender/coffee grinder. This was then added to whatever he was cooking.
Happy trails...torc.

I saw Fergus do a talk in the Bushcraft magazine stand too and I like the look and smell of the powder. He also gave some Ramson bulbs out and I've got it on the side in the kitchen and have a smell every time I'm near it-Lovely.