Spring herbs are everywhere, but what about them? Don’t overcomplicate your life and use fresh spring herbs. Only nettle requires steaming.
Spring on a plate
What if the most valuable thing on the spring plate does not grow in the store, but under your feet? Wild herbs are among the most nutritious things you can indulge in at the beginning of the season. You just need to know what to collect and how to use it.
Spring herbs come out early, often before the grass is fully green. That’s when they have the highest content chlorophyll, minerals and bitters. These support digestion and help the body restart after winter. Freshness matters. The shorter the journey from the meadow to the plate, the more nutrients will be preserved.
The author of the following post from the YouTube channel Anna Bednářová – Herbal joys will also show you how to recognize them and what to do with them.
Stinging nettles, honeysuckle, aspen, daisy and bird’s eye in the kitchen
belongs to the foundation. You can recognize it by its serrated leaves and stinging hairs. The taste resembles denser spinach. It is not eaten raw. It is enough to boil it or briefly stew it. Fits in soup, stuffing or omelette.
it is a weed for some, a treasure for others. It has a typical triangular petiole and smells like parsley. Young leaves taste slightly nutty. Fresh ones are best in salads or spreads. It can also be made simple pesto.
it is subtle but distinctive. It creeps along the ground and has small blue-purple flowers. The taste is spicy and slightly bitter. It is used more like spice. A small amount is enough in soup, butter or with potatoes
is often overlooked. At the same time, its flowers taste slightly sweet. The plant also contains inulin, which benefits the intestines. Suitable as a decoration on bread or in salad. Because it is not only edible, but also beautiful, you can definitely use it to decorate various sweet dishes, including desserts and cakes.
it is tender and juicy. It resembles a young pea. Raw is best in salads and spreads. Heat treatment deprives it of structure and taste. Beware of confusion with a peasant grater. The bird’s eye has white flowers and a fine line of hairs on the stem. The dogwood does not have hairs, it is smoother and blooms in blue and red. In addition, it is also slightly poisonous.
Collect wisely
Wild herbs are not an unlimited resource. They are part of the entire ecosystem. A simple rule applies. Take only as much as you really need. That being said, fresh is best.
Never collect the entire area. It is ideal to cut off only part of the plant so that it can continue to grow. Avoid areas near roads or where dogs roam.
Treat herbs as a gift of nature, not for granted. If you treat them with respect, they will grow behind your fence every year.
