Pickled wild garlic is something I decided to try based on the advice of some of my friends from Russia. It’s a wonderful way to preserve the succulent flowers and stalks of the wild garlic and will last you long into the next season when you can pick it fresh again. You can use anything from the buds, bulb or stalks for this. Here is a quick guide on how to find and harvest them if you are new to wild garlic.
I decided to use stalks and buds since the bulbs seemed too small. Leaving the bulbs in the ground also makes sure you don’t over harvest the wild garlic and that there will be more to pick in the coming years.
The main reason why I decided to attempt pickling wild garlic is that it has a tendency to get quite strong tasting as the season goes on. I found that this way of preserving keeps the buds and stems fresh tasting for months. In Eastern Europe and Russia they eat these with barbecued foods and in salads.
I like to use mine as extra flavour, for example with freshly baked bread or with hummus. Pickled wild garlic goes well with anything that you would serve with chives or onions and adds that tangy pickle flavour that most people love. Apart from being very tasty the pickled wild garlic is incredibly nice to look at. Who wouldn’t want to have a jar like this in their cupboard or on a shelf? They last for months and are best stored in a cool and dark place. Just like pickles they only need refrigeration once you open the jar.
- 400 ml (1¾ cups) apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp white pepper corns
- ½ tsp black pepper corns
- ½ tsp red pepper corns
- Wash and dry the wild garlic buds. If you want to then cut them to fit the length of your pickling jar but you can just as well bend them to fit it. It is up to your preference.
- Bring the vinegar and the spices to a quick boil, remove from stove the moment it starts to boil and the sugar is dissolved.
- Fill the jar with the garlic buds and pour over the hot pickling liquid. Seal immediately and let it cool down.
- Leave the wild garlic buds to pickle for at least two weeks, the longer the better.
My mother used to make these when we lived in Poland. I have struggled immensely finding them in the US. Thanks for sharing!
Can you pickle the open flowers as well?
Not sure it would be pleasant to eat them because of the texture. You can however use flowers to make wild garlic vinegar. I am posting about it within the next hours. – G
The open flowers have an amazing flavour that is slightly sweet at first and then gets to the typical wild garlic taste, only a little milder. I bet they’ll make an amazing pickle. Personally I love to preserve such foods by cooking them in vinegar for a bit, putting them in a jar and then covering them with olive oil, which gives it a slightly acid flavour.
That sounds very interesting. Never added olive oil on top of my pickles. I generally cook my foods in vinegar as well, but these buds seem too delicate for it. I think it would almost be a shame to cook them, albeit I have to admit I never tried it. – Love, G.
Great idea
Thanks for sharing!
Always happy to share. =)
Just what I’ve been looking for!