In early spring, as soon as the snow melts, wild wild garlic appears. This plant is a source of vitamins, a remedy and a food product, and not only people use its qualities, but also wild animals, eating it, replenish their strength. In the people, wild garlic is also called bear onions. "What are the benefits and harms of wild garlic?" - a question that worries many.
Ramson is a perennial plant, belongs to the family of lily. Its height is about 50 cm. The bulb has an oblong shape, the flowers are small, greenish-white. The plant prefers shaded areas.
You need to collect wild leek in April-May, it is during this period that the plant is the most useful. Of course, not only in spring, but all year round I would like to have such a valuable product as wild garlic on hand. Recipes for the blanks of this plant for the winter are given in this article.
In cooking, the leaves and stems of the plant, which are collected in the spring, before the appearance of the first flowers, are used.
Structure
The benefits and harms of wild garlic are associated with its composition. The plant contains a huge amount of vitamin C. One hundred grams of wild garlic contains 100 mg. In addition, the plant contains vitamins A and B, phytoncides, essential oils, carbohydrates, fiber, organic acids, ash, carotene, protein, as well as lysozyme, which is a natural antibiotic, which is very important for the normal functioning of the human body. The essential oil, which is part of wild garlic, gives it a sharp taste that resembles garlic.
Beneficial features
The benefits and harms of wild garlic have been known since time immemorial. The plant was valued as the strongest bactericidal and fungicidal agent. Wild garlic was used to prevent diseases such as scurvy, plague, typhoid fever, cholera. In addition, this plant is effective for helminthic infestations, fever, and has antibacterial, anti-sclerotic properties.
The use of wild garlic has a positive effect on the work of the digestive tract and the digestive system as a whole. The plant normalizes metabolic processes, removes "bad" cholesterol, helps to lower blood pressure, improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
The use of wild garlic is useful for vitamin deficiency and a decrease in immunity, it is used as a prophylaxis and treatment of diseases such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, colds, and also to maintain male strength.
Contraindications
Dishes from this plant can not be consumed in diseases such as gastritis with high acidity, gastric ulcer, cholecystitis, pancreatitis. The benefits and harms of wild garlic depend on the amount of its use. Despite the content of a large number of nutrients in the plant, its excessive use can lead to gastrointestinal tract disorders, headaches, insomnia, and swelling.
Wild garlic in folk medicine
To increase immunity wild garlic is consumed fresh. Salads from its young leaves with any vegetable oil are useful.
In order to improve health, a tincture of wild garlic, which is taken three times a day, is useful. To prepare it, you need to take the bulbs of the plant (1 tsp) and pour them with a glass of boiling water. Means insist 1 hour. The resulting infusion contains a record amount of vitamins.
But do not get too carried away with such prevention, we must remember that the benefits and harms of wild garlic depend on the dose at which it is used. The daily norm for an adult is up to 20 leaves of a plant.
On the basis of wild garlic, tinctures and ointments are also prepared, which are used both externally and internally in the treatment of various diseases.
From rheumatism, a compress with gruel from the leaves of the plant with a small amount of vegetable oil, which is applied to the affected joints, helps.
From colds and a runny nose, pulp from the wild garlic bulbs, which must be wrapped in gauze, helps perfectly, and put the resulting swab in one, then in the other nostril. The swab is left in the nostril for several minutes. During the day, the procedure can be repeated.
To improve the condition of a person suffering from cardiovascular diseases, cleaning the vessels with wild garlic is useful. To prepare the medicine, fresh crushed leaves of the plant are poured with vodka (1: 2) and kept for three weeks in a bright place. After this, the infusion is filtered and taken in 10-15 drops diluted with water until improvement occurs.
Raw, pickled, salted ramson is useful in diseases of the thyroid gland. Phytoncides, which are contained in wild garlic, contribute to the development and restoration of human tissues. These properties of wild garlic are used in the treatment of diseases such as purulent otitis media, intestinal infections, purulent wounds, trophic ulcers, bedsores.
Many housewives are interested in methods of harvesting such a useful plant as wild leek for the winter. Recipes are given below.
How to pickle wild leek for the winter
First you need to prepare the brine. To do this, take 50 g of salt per liter of water. Usually wild garlic leaves are harvested in this way, sometimes the stems are also salted, after washing and drying them. The workpiece will be more flavorful if you add a little dill, horseradish, bay leaf, black pepper peas or coriander.
Leaves of wild garlic are laid out in sterilized jars with balls - a bowl of greens, a bowl of spices, you can add garlic. Then the greens are poured with prepared brine and closed loosely with lids. Banks should stand for several days. The foam formed on the surface must be removed. About a week and a half after the end of the fermentation, the cans are filled with fresh brine and rolled up with lids.
Wild garlic with vinegar for the winter
There is a recipe and simpler. It is necessary to prepare vinegar brine from 200 g of vinegar, 1 tbsp. l salt, 2 tbsp. l sugar and a glass of water, black pepper is optionally added. You can add a little clove or cinnamon.
Pre-soaked greens are laid out in sterile jars, poured with hot brine and rolled up. Banks should stand upside down for 1-2 days, then they are left in storage.
Canned ramson
The leaves of the plant are washed and dried. Then you need to boil water per kilogram of greens, two liters of water, add salt (3 tbsp. Per 1 liter) and acetic acid in the same proportions. The leaves of wild garlic are placed in boiling brine and cooked for ten minutes, then transferred to jars and filled with marinade, in which wild garlic was cooked. Banks are rolled up and left covered with a blanket for a day.
Pickled ramson
Leaves of wild garlic are cut. In the prepared jars put a bay leaf, then wild garlic with garlic, pour brine. To prepare the brine, 60 grams of salt, 70 grams of sugar, 100 milliliters of vinegar are taken per liter of water. Banks are sterilized for half an hour and rolled up with lids.
Wild garlic, canned with salt
Leaves and stalks of wild garlic (1 kg) are washed and scalded with boiling water, placed in cans in layers with salt. For 1 kg of wild garlic, you need 600-700 grams of salt. This method allows you to save the beneficial properties of wild garlic.
Wild garlic in tomato sauce
Washed and scalded ramson leaves (2 kg) are placed in jars and poured with brine. For brine, boil water (800 grams), add 200 grams of tomato paste, peas, bay leaf (2 pcs.), Salt (4 tbsp.), Granulated sugar (2 tbsp.). Banks need to be sterilized for 20 minutes.
In these simple ways wild garlic is harvested for the winter. Recipes, as you can see, are available even to inexperienced housewives.