Walk through a deciduous woodland in April and you’ll smell it before you see it — a sharp, green, garlicky perfume that fills the air on warm mornings. Wild garlic, or ramsons, carpets the ground beneath oak and ash trees in great drifts of bright green, and for about six weeks it is one of the best free ingredients in the British countryside.
Identification and Safety
Wild garlic has broad, bright green oval leaves and small white star-shaped flowers. The crucial test is the smell: crush a leaf between your fingers. If it smells of garlic, it is garlic. This matters because it grows alongside two plants that can look similar to the inexperienced forager — lily of the valley and wild arum — neither of which smells of anything when crushed. Do this check every single time.
Pick the leaves before the plant flowers for the best flavour — they’re softer, more intensely flavoured, and less fibrous. Once flowering, the leaves become tougher but the flowers themselves are edible and make a beautiful, peppery garnish.
Cooking With It
Wild garlic is softer and less pungent than cultivated garlic — closer to a chive in its raw form, though it intensifies when wilted. It needs almost no cooking: a handful thrown into a risotto in the last minute, stirred through scrambled eggs, or wilted briefly in butter to dress pasta are all it takes.
The best use, by far, is wild garlic pesto. Blanch 200g of leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds, refresh in ice water, and squeeze dry. Blend with 50g of toasted pine nuts or walnuts, 50g of aged parmesan, 100ml of olive oil, and salt. The colour is extraordinary — a deep, vivid green. It keeps in the fridge for a week under a layer of oil, or freezes beautifully in ice cube trays.
Extending the Season
Wild garlic capers are a revelation for anyone who hasn’t tried them. Collect the unopened flower buds, pack them into a small jar with white wine vinegar, a little salt, and a pinch of sugar. After two weeks in the fridge they develop a briny, garlicky, caper-like flavour that is exceptional with smoked fish, in a tartare sauce, or scattered over roasted root vegetables.