Garlic mustard is well known for being one of the most invasive and destructive species in Ontario. Meanwhile, it is also one of the pungent herbs earns many foragers' hearts.
Garlic mustard is a non-native plant that originates from Europe and was introduced to the United States more than a century ago for its edible and medicinal qualities. However, this species has spread aggressively with its incredible cold tolerance ability and large production of seeds. Its high population has been affecting the balance of the local species and now it is one of the top ten unwanted species in Canada.
Garlic mustard may sound a little obnoxious; though this herb provides a high amount of Vitamin A and C, and it's always abundant and available all year around.
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| Endless sea of garlic mustard on the side of a trail. I always say the amount of the garlic mustard growing in Canada is actually enough to feed the whole population in Canada. |
I remember the first wild edible I tried was garlic mustard and I didn't like it. It was very spicy and bitter. It was not like the good bitterness in rapini, arugula, or bitter melon, but rather tasted like some horrible herbal medicine concentration. Anyways, I pretended it was tasty to my husband and spit it right out when he wasn't looking. My husband also tried a small leaf. He carefully chewed it and said, "Oh yeah, it does taste like garlic." But then he spit it out. "What's wrong?" I asked him, knowing the reason well. I was hoping he would tell me his garlic mustard was tastier than mine. I wanted to gather our first wild foraging plants so badly, but I need a good reason, right?
"It was garlicky, but it is too bitter to swallow." he said, while spitting a few more times.
"Are you sure you are finding the right plant?" he looked at me.
"Yes, but I don't know why it is so bitter." I said.
After, I tried garlic mustard a few more times and each time just leaded to more disappointment. They were far too bitter for anything. Eventually, I gave this plant up... until this spring. This time, I did a lot of reading and observation. Finally, I got a clue to look for some "good bitter garlic mustard".
I learnt that although garlic mustard can be eaten all year round in its two year growing cycle, you have to harvest only certain parts in different seasons and stages of the plant if you want the less bitter garlic mustard.
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| The first year garlic mustard found in January (on the left); The second year garlic found in March (on the right). |
Garlic mustard is a biennial plant, with means it needs two years to be fully mature. Around February or March, the first year plants start to grow and form into a rosette, with dark green leaves that look like scallop-edged heart shapes. These plants will continuously photosynthesize through the snow and ice in winter and wait for the next spring to arrive. First year growth tends to be more bitter due to the higher concentration of a compound that the plants needs for defence. I am not a fan of bitterness, so I usually pass on this stage of garlic mustard.
The bitterness in garlic mustard comes from the cyanide compound that can be toxic in high doses, but this compound is also naturally found in spinach, rapini, soy, and apricot seeds. Our body can handle a small amount of cyanide. So, by soaking the vegetables prior to cooking, cooking them thoroughly, and eating the food containing cyanide in reasonable amounts, it lowers the the toxicity to a safe level.
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| Flower buds of the second year plant. |
The plants that survive the winter will continuously grow up to 2 meters in height. They will produce lighter and rounder green leaves, white flowers and seeds through out the whole second year of their life-cycle.
The flower buds start in early May, and the buds are best collected before they flower. This year I missed the opportunity to collect enough garlic mustard buds for anything, so I will have to try this next year.
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| Using a snap test to find the young plants. |
In mid to late May, the plants will produce white flowers with four petals. The flowers and the tip of the plants have a mild garlic flavour with a little bitter taste; they are my favourite parts of the whole garlic mustard plant.
In order to find the tender stems, you can do a little "bend test" near the top of each plant just like you would do for snap peas. The tender part should snap right off.
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| The garlic mustard almost as tall as my five-year old boy. |
In late May, the narrow seed pods will start to grow on the top of each plant and they will start to seed in early summer. Each plant can produce 2 dozen seed pods and 600 seeds on average. And the seeds can stay underground for 30 years and germinate again. Garlic mustard is a vigorous plant. If you want to eat this invasive species, eat their seed pods.
Seed pods can be stir fried with shallot, and the seeds can also be used in any recipes that will call for poppy seeds.
Below are some recipes I tried with my family and we all approved and recommend.
Garlic Mustard and Almond Pesto Pasta
Ingredients:
1 cup Garlic Mustard, flowers and young stems only
1/3 cup Almond, toasted
3 cloves Garlic
3 tablespoons Lemon Juice
1/2 cup Olive Oil
Sea Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste, freshly ground
1.5 handful of Pasta
How to make:
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1. Soak the garlic mustard in water for 15 minutes; rinse and dry.
2. In a food processor, combine all the ingredients. Blend it until the mixture is smooth. Set it aside.
3. Cook the pasta as usual. When the pasta is cooked, drain the water. Pour the pesto sauce over the cooked pasta. Turn on the heat to medium, stir and warm up the pasta for 5 minutes before serving.
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| I enjoy this pasta so much. It is yummy, and it also brings a signature dish that recipe spring and nature (especially on the busy days I need to trap myself indoor). |
Feta and Garlic Mustard Pizza
Ingredients:
(Pizza dough):
2.5 cups All Purpose Flour
1 cup Warm Water
1 package Instant Yeast
2 tablespoons Oil
(Pesto spread):
1/2 cup Garlic Mustard, flowers and young stems only
3 cloves Garlic Mustard
1/3 cup Almond, toasted
1/2 cup Feta Cheese
1/3 cup Olive Oil
Black Pepper to taste, freshly ground
(Topping):
1 Tomato, sliced
1/3 cup Feta cheese, cubed
How to make:
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| Photos from clockwise |
1. Mix the yeast and warm water together; let it sit for 5 minutes.
2. Then in a large bowl, combine the rest of the dough ingredients and the yeast water. Mix it together and form it in a dough with your hands. Knead the dough for another 5 minutes to create more gluten. The dough should be smooth and not sticky. Adjust the flour and water if it's needed.
3. Cover the dough with a damp towel. Place the bowl in a warm place and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, you can roll out the dough and use it right away. Or, you can wrap it with parchment paper and keep it in the fridge, like mine, for later use. (I went out to forage garlic mustard).
4. Place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper. Roll out the dough 1.5 cm thick. Set it aside.
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| My son was enjoying his privilege of using the blender. |
5. To make the pesto spread, combine all the pesto spread ingredients in a food processor. Blend it until the mixture is smooth.
6. Place the pizza dough on a oiled baking tray. Then, spread the pesto evenly on the dough. Add tomato, feta, or any toppings you find you enjoy.
7. Bake it in the pre-heated oven at 400 F for 20 minutes, or until the crust is crispy.
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