I love it when wild garlic is here again. It feels like the promise of Spring. That heady aroma as I walk through the woods, fills me with joy. This free plant adds taste and variety to our menu.
Wild garlic likes to grow in shady areas and March/early April is the best time to pick it, though it can still be picked when it flowers in lateApril/early May. It just has a milder taste. The flowers are actually lovely in salads.
How to identify wild garlic
It has bright green spear shaped leaves. The leaves grow from the base of the plant. When crushed it has a strong smell of garlic. White star shaped flowers appear around April. It usually grows like a wild carpet covering the ground. 
Look a likes
There are a couple of look a likes that are poisoness that grow in the same habitat, but they do not smell of garlic when crushed. I have pictured them below. We have only come across them once where I live. The Lily of the vallley has white bell shaped flowers. Lords and Ladies have a hood shaped flower with a purple spike inside. I pick leaves individually and check them when washing them to make sure I don’t have any mixed in. It is dangerous to pick a big hand full of leaves incase you pick something else as well by mistake.
Lilly of the valley
Lords and Ladies
Recipes
Here are some of the recipes that we like to make using wild garlic.
Wild garlic and nettle (or spinach) fritters
Air fryer wild garlic potato scones
Airfryer cheese and wild garlic scones with a kick.
Wild garlic potato scones
We also make wild garlic butter, wild garlic and nettle soup, wild garlic and potato soup, wild garlic bread, wild garlic flat breads, and wild garlic oil.
Preserving wild garlic
Wild garlic can be frozen. Just wash and dry the leaves, chop them, and place in a plastic bag. I also dehydrate and powder them to use like onion powder. Wild garlic salt is another great way to preserve it. I also freeze the scones, butter, hummus, fritters, and pesto to use later in the year.
Drying wild garlic in the sunshine
Reminder
Please remember to forage responsibly. Don’t take large amounts, and don’t take the bulbs. Only take a leaf or two off individual plants, and pick carefully so as not to damage them. Never forage on private land without permission, and only pick for personal use.
