The time for wild garlic (Allium ursinum) or ramsons and other wild alliums is almost upon us. Usually around February/March it starts to grow in shaded broadleaf woodlands on a nutrient rich Scottish soil. Garlicky smell that makes many salivate is a telltale sign that we’re in a right place at a right time.
Wild garlic tastes best when eaten raw, mouthfuls straight from the forest bed, in salads, sandwiches and pesto but also in soups, stir fries and more. Season for wild garlic doesn’t last very long and fresh leaves won’t store well. My favourite way of keeping some for later is through preserving by lacto-fermentation. Fermented wild garlic can be either eaten raw (my favourite), in soups and stews but also can be dried to produce powerful source of umami.
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