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Wild Foraging Series – Wild Garlic (also called chives or onion)

Article from: November 18th, 2012 

 

The wild garlic is a common herb found all over the US. It can be found in forests, fields and people’s yards. The wild garlic plant very much resembles the common form of onion in that it has long green tube like leaves and round bulbs. Wild garlic has many healthy benefits and can even help fight against cancer.

 

 

Note: Although many people identify these plants as wild onion, even in books, these are wild garlic. The big difference is in the hollow tube shaped leaves.

 

Finding wild garlic in the forest

The Wild Garlic Plant

 

The wild garlic is easy to identify. It normally looks the same green color as grass, but is usually taller than the grass in your lawn. It also seems to grow faster than grass when it has been cut. You can easily recognize the long hollow tube shape of the leaves. They grow in clumps, often with many tube leaves growing from every single bulb. When you break open a wild garlic leaf you get a very strong onion smell.</p><p>You can eat the whole plant. The leaves are great fresh or as a garnish for meals. Some wild garlic leaves are very strong flavored. The younger, shorter leaves always taste better. The bulb itself can be dug up and eaten just like an onion.

 

 

 

The Wild Garlic Bulb

The Wild Garlic Bulb

 

Some call these chives, some call it wild garlic, while others call it onion. They are all related and in the Lily family.

 

Wild garlic grow best in cooler weather and can be found in abundance through the spring on into early summer. In late summer when it gets cooler they come out again and can often be found right into winter until it starts snowing heavily.

 

Wild garlic grows and spreads like weeds and are normally treated as weeds. This is a very healthy food that people try to eradicate from their lawns. I prefer to let them grow naturally wherever they want and keep them down by eating them by the handfuls as I walk through the yard and property.

 

Wild garlic has just about the same nutritional value as the common garlic. They are high in vitamins A and C as well as others. They contain zinc, copper, sulfer, iron and many other minerals.

 

Wild garlic has many similar medicinal benefits as normal garlic. They can be used to fight colds, cough and asthma. They have natural cancer fighting properties. They can help boost your immune system. Wild garlic is antibacterial and antimicrobial and can help your body fight invasion and infection. Onions are good for the heart and can help control blood pressure.

 

These little herbs should be cultivated and eaten instead of poisoned and eradicated.

You can watch today's video here:
Watch the video now  Wild Foraging Series Wild Garlic (often called onion)

 

While you are over there please subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow our daily videos as we strive to become self sufficient and off the grid on a budget.

 

Feel free to ask any questions or get help with your project on our Discussion and support forum





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Troy Reid

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