Allaria petiolata - Garlic Mustard

Today I return to Allaria petiolata... garlic mustard, remember? I've been harvesting more roots to macerate in vinegar. To me, this is a wonderful way to attempt to tame this wild (and generous) invasive. The infused vinegar often ends up in some version of fire cider I make in autumn, among other formulations, and on its own.

I make a simple pesto with the greens (just ground via mortar 'n' pestle with a touch of sea salt) and freeze it in tablespoon-sized dollops for the freezer. These are a tasty addition to many a dish.

Already I see the bud stems forming on the second year plants, a few are flowering, and it won't be long before they explode into full bloom. At that point I often wander and pull up as many as I can (the stem seems to make them easier to grab and unroot) and pile them in the sun to dry well before composting. The plants that miss this culling will have their flowers leveraged (they make a lovely 'n' tasty garnish), and later, still, their seeds (to use like mustard seeds - which, in essence - they are.

With that, I challenge you to venture out in search of Allaria to leverage as the food that she is!

A version of this entry was originally posted May 9, 2015 at When Weeds Whisper.

Peace. 🕊