Legal notice: Due to the EU Health Claims Regulation (EC Regulation 1924/2006), we as an online shop are not permitted to make health- or disease-related claims regarding food products. Instead of a medical answer, you will find everything here about tradition, production, taste, and culinary use. For health-related questions, we recommend scientific sources or a conversation with your general practitioner.
Fresh wild garlic brings wonderful aromas to your plate. In addition to the classic preparations like pesto, butter, or dip, you can also use the wild herb to make dumplings, spätzle, and risotto. Or use wild garlic for baking and surprise your guests with wild garlic bread or an aromatic herb quiche. We have collected both simple and sophisticated wild garlic recipes and the best kitchen tips for you.
Safety notice: Wild garlic is easily confused with lilies of the valley and autumn crocuses. Both are poisonous. When in doubt, do not forage it yourself, but buy it at the weekly market or a health food store.
Wild garlic kitchen tips
- Use fresh and cold: Wild garlic loses much of its aroma when heated. Therefore, it is best to fold it in at the end of cooking.
- Cut finely: Just like chives, chop it into fine strips or use a mezzaluna.
- Remove woody stems: The lower parts can be tough.
- Wash thoroughly: Especially if you picked the wild garlic yourself — due to soil, insects, and (importantly) the fox tapeworm.
- Harvest before flowering: As soon as wild garlic blooms, its aroma diminishes.
Classic wild garlic recipes
Wild garlic pesto
The classic: 100 g wild garlic, 50 g pine nuts, 50 g Parmesan, 120-150 ml olive oil, a little lemon juice, salt, pepper — blend all ingredients, pour into jars.
Wild garlic butter
250 g soft butter, 1 bunch of finely chopped wild garlic, salt, pepper. Knead together, roll in foil, and chill — perfect for steak and grilled vegetables.
Wild garlic quark dip
500 g low-fat quark (or Greek yogurt), 100 g sour cream, 1 bunch of wild garlic, salt, pepper, a splash of lemon. Stir until smooth, serve with bread or boiled potatoes.
Wild garlic soup
Sauté 200 g wild garlic in butter, pour in 1 liter of vegetable broth, boil briefly, puree with a hand blender, refine with cream, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with toasted croutons.
Wild garlic risotto
Cook a classic risotto (risotto rice, broth, a little wine, Parmesan, butter) and fold in 100 g of finely chopped wild garlic at the end. Serve immediately.
Wild garlic dumplings
Shape dumpling mixture made of breadcrumbs, milk, eggs, and chopped wild garlic, cook in salted water. Traditionally served with roast lamb or brown butter.
Wild garlic spätzle
Add 100 g of pureed wild garlic to the spätzle dough (flour, eggs, water, salt). Scrape from the board or press through a spätzle maker — a savory side dish for roasts and braised dishes.
Wild garlic for baking
Wild garlic bread
Add 100 g of finely chopped wild garlic to rye-wheat bread dough and bake as usual. Perfect with cream cheese or with soups.
Wild garlic quiche
Blind bake the quiche crust (shortcrust), then fill with an egg-cream mixture and chopped wild garlic, bacon cubes, and cheese; bake for approx. 30 mins.
Wild garlic focaccia
Italian sheet bread with olive oil, salt, and topped with fine wild garlic at the end.
Storage of wild garlic
- Fresh: in a damp cloth in the refrigerator for 2-3 days
- Frozen: finely chopped in ice cube trays with water or oil — up to 6 months
- As pesto in a jar: covered with olive oil — 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator
- Wild garlic salt: mix dried wild garlic with coarse salt — keeps for months
- Preserved in oil: finely chopped and covered with olive oil — keeps cool for several weeks
