Wednesday, August 27, 2025

From the Spring Foraging Cookbook: Garlic Mustard and Glasswort



Garlic Mustard

This is absolutely one of my favorite wild foods, but it is among the most hated of “weeds.”  Right now, my home state of North Carolina is attempting to eradicate Garlic Mustard.  The problem is that this distant cousin of the Mustard family (it is actually a matter of some debate whether they are related, by the way), an Alliara species, grows densely as a ground cover and exudes a chemical from its roots that prevents other plants from competing, or growing near it.  Introduced to a landscape of “native” plants (no plants are truly native – seeds travel) it can easily be disruptive and even as devastating as Kudzu.  Like Kudzu though, the answer to this “problem” is to eat it!  As the name implies, Garlic Mustard possesses two of my favorite flavors – garlic and mustard.  It is a bit tough and too strong to eat more than just the most tender leaves and shoots raw.  But cooked, Garlic Mustard is among the most delicious of potherbs.  Prepare just as you would Mustard.  The Flowers may be eaten raw or cooked, and are a nice addition to salads.  Garlic Mustard is one plant that people may even pay you to harvest!  If that be the case, rip out as much as you can and fill big trash bags with it.  But, rush home and process quickly because the plant will rot quickly packed tightly into a bag, without air circulation.  Simply blanch the leaves in salted water and freeze or can for later use.  Be sure not to put a lid on the pot and to use plenty of water.  You can also dehydrate the leaves and flowers to add to soups and such – they make a nice dry culinary herb that has a unique flavor and tons of vitamins.  I wish I could recommend growing Garlic Mustard in the garden, but it is illegal to propagate in most states.  How some found its way into my yard…. Well, I just really couldn’t say…

Garlic Mustard comes up in early spring, so I either combine it with over-wintered parsley or on its own in this super easy dish.

Garlic Mustard Pasta

Ingredients:

½ cup per serving of finely chopped Garlic Mustard leaves

½ cup per serving of Garlic Mustard stems

¼ cup per serving of fresh parsley or half as much dried

¼ cup per serving grated parm or other good, hard cheese

¼ cup dry white wine

½ teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Olive oil to taste

Crushed red pepper to taste

Pasta… as much as you like, and I like a LOT!

Sautee your Garlic Mustard stems in olive oil with salt and pepper.  Once it is tender, add the leaves and parsley and just cook them down.

Cook your pasta just done… al dente as they say, don’t over cook it but cook long enough so the raw taste is gone but it still has some good chew.

Drain the pasta, add olive oil, mix in the veggies, lemon zest, hot pepper, salt, pepper and wine and just cook through.

Plate, then add the cheese.

This is a wonderful pasta dish that you can make with most any herbs and wild greens, and even just parsley alone – just double the amount of parsley. If not using Garlic Mustard, I would add crushed and chopped garlic.




Glasswort

Glasswort is sort of my “white whale.”  All of the foraging books, field guides, websites etc. list it as growing abundantly in my region.  But, the few times I have spotted it was only near the coast and I have never been able to gather enough to make the Glasswort Pickles that everyone says are so good.  Perhaps it is one of those plants that seems to hide in plain sight – often times, after we spot a few of something, we begin to see it more and more often.  Our brains seem to need training to differentiate certain specific things from the larger environment.  Speaking of the coastal areas, learning to spot clams in the salt creeks and shallow areas at low tide is one such example.  Sure, there are more efficient ways of clamming, but I like to just stroll along and see if I can see the little corner of their shell that they leave poking up from the sand.  At first, you may not see any…. Then, maybe one or two.  Suddenly, what was hidden has become obvious and you are filling your bucket!

While I have rarely found enough for more than just a snack, many recommend pickling the tender tips of Glasswort.  The pickling recipe and instructions I included under Cattails would work perfectly, and repeating it here would just be a waste of paper.  I hope you get to find enough to harvest in quantity some day, and so do I, so we can enjoy what are said to be among the very best pickles!


This article is an excerpt from 




The Spring Foraging Cookbook: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-spring-foraging-cookbook.html
Available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRP63R54


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PS. New today in my Woodcraft shop: 

Toasted Holly Cooking Spoon
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Herbal Medicine for Preppers, Homesteaders and Permaculture People: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2021/10/herbal-medicine-for-preppers.html

Available on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B09HMWXL25


Medicinal Ferns and Fern Allies, an Herbalist's Guide https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/11/medicinal-ferns-and-fern-allies.html

Available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMSZSJPS


A Daily Catholic Devotional Reflections on the Daily Mass readings July-December, 2025
https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-daily-catholic-devotional-reflections.html

Medicinal Weeds and Grasses of the American Southeast, an Herbalist's Guide
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Available in paperback on Amazon:
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and

Medicinal Shrubs and Woody Vines of The American Southeast An Herbalist's Guide

Read about Medicinal Shrubs and Woody Vines of The American Southeast An Herbalist's Guide: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/06/medicinal-shrubs-and-woody-vines-of.html

Available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2T4Y5L6: by Judson Carroll


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Available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMSZSJPS

The Omnivore’s Guide to Home Cooking for Preppers, Homesteaders, Permaculture People and Everyone Else: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-omnivores-guide-to-home-cooking-for.html

Available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BGKX37Q2

Medicinal Shrubs and Woody Vines of The American Southeast an Herbalist's Guide
https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/06/medicinal-shrubs-and-woody-vines-of.html

Available for purchase on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2T4Y5L6

and

Growing Your Survival Herb Garden for Preppers, Homesteaders and Everyone Else
https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/04/growing-your-survival-herb-garden-for.html

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09X4LYV9R


The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Bitter Herbs: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-encyclopedia-of-bitter-medicina.html

Available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5MYJ35R

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Christian Medicine, History and Practice: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/01/christian-herbal-medicine-history-and.html

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Disclaimer

The information on this site is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or condition. Nothing on this site has been evaluated or approved by the FDA. I am not a doctor. The US government does not recognize the practice of herbal medicine and their is no governing body regulating herbalists. Therefore, I'm just a guy who studies herbs. I am not offering any advice. I won't even claim that anything I write is accurate or true! I can tell you what herbs have "traditionally been used for." I can tell you my own experience and if I believe an herb helped me. I cannot, nor would I tell you to do the same. If you use any herb I, or anyone else, mentions you are treating yourself. You take full responsibility for your health. Humans are individuals and no two are identical. What works for me may not work for you. You may have an allergy, sensitivity or underlying condition that no one else shares and you don't even know about. Be careful with your health. By continuing to read my blog you agree to be responsible for yourself, do your own research, make your own choices and not to blame me for anything, ever.

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From the Spring Foraging Cookbook: Garlic Mustard and Glasswort

Garlic Mustard This is absolutely one of my favorite wild foods, but it is among the most hated of “weeds.”  Right now, my home state of Nor...