Wild garlic (allium ursinum) has become one of the food joys of spring. It grows in abundance, it’s easy to identify, the whole plant is edible and it can be enjoyed raw or cooked. I think the easiest and most common way to use wild garlic is to make it into a pesto, which you can keep in a jar and stir through pasta, mash, gnocchi or anything you’d usually serve with a traditional pesto.
That said, I use the whole plant from root to flower, as different parts lend themselves to different uses. If I have permission to use the bulbs I treat them like spring onions; I use the leaves like spinach; the stems like chives or spring onion greens; the flowers as a pretty savoury garnish; and the seed pods can be pickled like capers. If I’ve picked it myself I always sort through it carefully afterwards, as other poisonous plants can grow nearby and can easily get swept up in the picking.
Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about foraging for this seasonal green along with the best wild garlic recipes.
Please note that as with all foraging you’ll need the landowner's permission and should only ever pick as much as you need. It is illegal to dig the wild garlic plant up by its roots, however much of it there is, on common ground.
Meet Barney Barney Desmazery is our keen in-house forager. Barney spends a lot of time in Wales, where one of his favourite pastimes over the past 30 years has been learning to identify edible wild plants with professional forager Craig Evans. Barney has also worked in kitchens in south-west France and in London, where wild food, when in season, played a big part in the dishes he served. Read on for his advice on how to use wild garlic.
Start here if you’re new to wild garlic
- Identify safely – be absolutely sure that what you’re picking is wild garlic.
- Pick responsibly – only take what you need.
- Cook the same day – try to cook with it as soon as you can.
What is wild garlic?
- Wild garlic is a leafy green bulbous perennial native to Britain that starts to appear as small shoots in February, flowers in April and goes to seed around June. As the name suggests it’s the wild cousin to the garlic you use in the kitchen
- Also commonly known as ramsons but not to be confused with the other edible wild allium, three-cornered leek, wild garlic grows prolifically in damp woodland
- Until recently it’s been the secret of foragers and seasonally focused chefs but in the past few years it’s become a must-eat ingredient in the spring food calendar, popping up at farmers' markets and being picked commercially. It’s one of a forager's favourite finds – it grows in abundance and signifies the start of spring
When is wild garlic in season?
- Peak season: mid-February to April
- Wild garlic has one of the longest seasons of the wild plants. The small, tender micro herb-like shoots start to appear from mid-February, with the plant reaching its full leafy glory in late March
- Around mid-April the beautiful salad-enhancing star-shaped flowers blossom. Then the flowers go to seed and the leaves become bitter but the seeds can also be eaten raw or pickled like a caper
When is the best time to pick wild garlic?
Depending on where you live I’d say the wild garlic season can begin with young shoots in mid-January, which I use like micro-leaves, and runs right through to the stalks and seed pods in early June. For the leaves alone – which is what most people know wild garlic for — I think mid-March to mid-April is the best time to pick them, when they’re at their most tender.
Where does wild garlic grow?
Wild garlic thrives on the edge of damp woodland, by shaded streams and brooks. In some places it grows in astonishing amounts – it’s not uncommon to find whole gullies carpeted in its green leaves.
What does wild garlic look like?
In full bloom the wild garlic plant has deep green, wide, pointed leaves and a single flowering stem that produces a star-shaped white flower a bit like a snowdrop.
What does wild garlic smell like?
This is by far the easiest way for identifying wild garlic. It has an unmistakable mild garlic, chive-like onion smell.
How to identify wild garlic safely
Wild garlic has broad, soft green leaves and a strong garlic smell when bruised or rubbed. I find it fairly easy to identify because it smells unmistakably of garlic. I always rely on the scent as my first check but I still inspect every leaf individually once it’s been picked. It’s often confused with three-cornered leek, which has thinner leaves but is also, luckily, completely edible. The real issue is that other plants can get caught up in the mix while you’re picking so I always make sure to go through everything carefully once I get home.
- Smell is the strongest clue: the most reliable way to identify wild garlic is by its distinctive, a unmistakable garlicky aroma
- Leaf shape and colour: wild garlic has broad, pointed, smooth leaves that are deep green
- Flowers: in spring, wild garlic produces star-shaped white flowers
- Growth location: wild garlic is often found in damp woodland, by shaded streams and brooks. It can grow in startling amounts
- Lookalike warning: some poisonous plants, such as lily of the valley (convallaria majalis) and lords and ladies (arum maculatum), grow in similar places and can look similar. These lookalikes do not have a garlic smell. Always rely on the scent as your main identifier
What part of wild garlic is edible?
One of the joys of wild garlic is that the whole plant is edible raw and cooked:
- The subterranean bulb (which you need permission to pull) can be treated as a small onion or calçot
- The early shoots work as salad leaves or scatter herbs
- The bigger leaves can be chopped and eaten raw or cooked like spinach
- The stem can be used like a thick chive
- The flowers make a beautiful garnish
- The seed pods add a pop to a salad or can be pickled like a caper to use later in the year
What’s the best way to pick wild garlic?
To pick wild garlic you need nothing more than a pair of shoes you don’t mind getting muddy, some scissors and a basket or bag. If you have permission to dig the edible bulbs, a gardening trowel will help. ‘Picking’ wild garlic is as simple as snipping the leaves or whole plant with a pair of scissors.
How to forage wild garlic safely and responsibly
There are a couple of poisonous plants that could be mistaken for it, lords and ladies being the most common, but the identification is in the scent – none of the other plants will smell of garlic. With all foraging, Good Food recommends you go with someone with experience and knowledge, and refer to recognised foraging books as well as websites. Never eat anything you are unsure of – if in doubt leave it out – always seek the landowner's permission and only ever pick as much as you need.
When to pick and when to leave it I pick different parts of the plant at different times in the season. I think the leaves are best when they’re young, around mid-March to mid-April. Once the plant has flowered, the leaves are still edible but I find they become tougher and more bitter, so at that stage I prefer to use the stems and flowers instead. As a rule I leave the roots in the ground and only take a little from each patch so it can keep growing well.
Where to buy wild garlic
Some people may be unable to forage due to certain barriers, such as physical and geographical. The good news is that some online retailers and high-end supermarkets sell shop-bought or frozen alternatives in season instead. Due to its texture, frozen wild garlic is best used in soups and pesto, rather than as a fresh garnish. You can normally find it in most farmers' markets throughout spring. It can also be ordered from veg box suppliers such as Riverford.
What’s the best way to store wild garlic?
I keep wild garlic in a reusable plastic bag in the salad drawer of the fridge, where it will usually last for three to four days. That said, for the best flavour and full pungency I always try to use it as soon after picking as possible.
- Picked wild garlic is best kept somewhere cool and dark, a plastic bag in the salad draw of your fridge is ideal
- Picked wild garlic leaves will keep for three to four days like this but the flowers are best used on the day they are picked
Can you freeze wild garlic?
Yes, you can freeze wild garlic. Wash it thoroughly to get rid of insects and dirt before putting it on a tray in a single layer and freezing. Once solid, remove from the tray and put in a freezer bag or airtight container. It will keep frozen for up to a year.
How to cook wild garlic
- Make sure you give wild garlic a good wash in cold water before eating – it’s wild so, as well as mud, this will rid you of any creepy crawly surprises in your dinner
- Younger leaves, flowers and seed pods can simply be added to salads, and the flower stems can be used like chives
- Bigger leaves can be wilted like spinach or blitzed into oil, pesto or dressing. What grows together goes together and wild garlic has an affinity with other spring ingredients like lamb, trout, salmon and new potatoes
For more advice, read our beginner's guide to foraging and also check out these nettle recipes.
What's the best way to use wild garlic
I use the leaves much like spinach and the stalks much like spring onions. I’m a big believer that what grows together goes together, so for me wild garlic works brilliantly with other spring ingredients such as new potatoes, asparagus, trout, salmon and lamb. I might turn it into a pesto to serve alongside them, melt it into a butter or simply wilt it in a pan and serve it as a side. I also make a cheesy wild garlic bread focaccia that I’m rather proud of.
Our favourite ways to eat wild garlic
Transform your foraging finds into a range of delicious meals with our recipe suggestions below. Also discover more wild garlic recipes in our collection.
1. Wild garlic pesto
One of the most popular options for wild garlic is to turn it into a brilliantly punchy pesto sauce. Blitz the wild garlic leaves with parmesan, garlic, lemon and pine nuts to form a rough paste. This easy homemade pesto will keep in the fridge for two weeks and is delicious stirred through pasta or drizzled over salads, soups and fish dishes.
Enjoy your homemade green sauce in a range of pesto recipes.
2. Wild garlic & nettle soup
This vibrant veggie soup uses not one but two foraged goods – wild garlic and nettles are both in season around the same time and make a delicious combination. Add these to spring greens and diced vegetables to make a nutritious, low-fat soup bursting with seasonal flavours. If you aren't able to find nettles, it's also possible to make this using just wild garlic – aim for about 500g.
Use up a glut of seasonal veg with our spring soup recipes.
3. Wild garlic butter
Capture the flavour of spring with our moreish garlic butter roll. All you need is a bunch of wild garlic, butter and a pinch of sea salt – mash them together then chill or freeze for up to a month so you can enjoy it later. It's super-versatile – use it to make garlic bread, top jacket potatoes or drizzle over meat and fish.
4. Wild garlic chicken kyiv
Put your homemade wild garlic butter to good use as a luxurious filling for chicken kyivs. The punchy flavour takes this family classic to the next level. Coat the chicken breasts in panko breadcrumbs for a gourmet finish and serve with lemon and salad leaves.
Check out more garlic chicken recipes.
5. Wild garlic-crusted salmon
Looking for an impressive Easter main? Tom Kerridge's simple yet fancy dish pairs a side of salmon with a beautiful garlic crust and tangy salsa. It makes a perfect seasonal centrepiece alongside crispy roast potatoes, braised carrots and cheesy green veg gratin.
Get more inspiration with our Easter salmon recipes.
6. Jersey Royal, wild garlic & watercress tart
In this springtime tart, wild garlic is paired with seasonal Jersey Royals and peppery watercress, folded through a light ricotta custard. Rose harissa adds a touch of spice, whilst piquant pickled onions balance the creaminess of the Jerseys and the filling.
Check out more Jersey Royal recipes to celebrate this seasonal spud.
7. Herby spatchcocked chicken with chickpeas & wild garlic labneh
Combine wild garlic with strained Greek yogurt and lemon juice to make a gorgeously smooth and silky labneh. It's the perfect accompaniment to za’atar-spiced roast chicken and lemony chickpeas in this stunning traybake.
Find more delicious chicken traybake recipes.
8. Baked new potatoes with wilted wild garlic
We've given new potatoes a seasonal makeover by tossing them with chopped wild garlic, parsley and mustard. These herby baked wonders make a simple, sophisticated side dish for meat or fish dishes at Easter.
Supplement your sides with more new potato recipes.
9. Roast rack of pork with wild garlic stuffing
A crowd-pleasing dish that's great for Sunday lunch, this showstopping roast rack of pork is stuffed with a mouthwatering combination of wild garlic, nutmeg, herbs and sourdough breadcrumbs. Press the mixture into a flap cut along the rack of the pork to infuse the flavours into the meat.
Enjoy more impressive roasts with our Sunday lunch recipes.
10. Asparagus with peas, mint & Jersey Royals in wild garlic butter
Make the most of spring greens in this flavourful veggie side. Asparagus, peas and Jersey Royals are coated in a fresh mint and wild garlic butter, then topped with crunchy toasted almonds. It also makes a delicious lunchtime salad with some goat's cheese crumbled over.
Check out more vibrant spring greens recipes.
Get more seasonal spring inspiration...
Top 10 spring dinner ideas
Spring recipes
Top 10 spring one-pots
Healthy spring recipes
Best Easter dinner ideas
Spring cocktail recipes
Have you cooked anything with wild garlic? Leave a comment below...
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