Favorite Spring Greens From the Wild

Spring season has arrived and nature is back at work again, gifting us an abundance of fruits, vegetables, flowers and magical herbs. We've gathered a list of our favorite spring greens from the wild for you to take advantage of what nature has to offer this season, and by doing so living more in harmony and tune with mother nature and its gifts.

Dandelion

Dandelion is a very common plant with amazing life energy, it even tends to push through hard surfaces like asphalt. The dandelion is full of vitality, it does not give up, grows in almost any condition, and is perhaps the most widespread plant in the world.

Dandelion can support the function of the liver and gallbladder. Leaves, flowers, and roots are used in herbal medicine. The leaves are wonderful for salads, herbal tea, wild pesto, etc. The roots can be used as a tea and also as a coffee substitute. The roots collected in late autumn contain inulin, which helps regulate blood sugar levels.

Ground Elder

The Ground Elder is at its best quite small, just out of the ground. When its leaves are still shiny and crispy. The Ground Elder has a carrot-like taste and is easily distinguished from other elder plants by the triangular shape of the leaves. Ground Elder is wonderful for salads, soups, pies, and a wide variety of other foods. It’s a delicious wild herb just like that, freshly picked, and grows in abundance in most gardens.

Nettle

Nettle is an amazing plant. It is mineral-rich and nutritious. Nettle should be harvested before flowering and from a place where no fertiliser has been used, as it absorbs nutrients from the soil. Young nettle shoots are excellent cooking ingredients, they are also easy to store in the freezer. Dried nettle is a wonderful tea ingredient.

Spruce Sprouts

Spruces sprouts, lovely light green, and soft vitamin bombs. Especially high in vitamin C. Stimulates our metabolism, moves stagnation in our body, and can also help with joint pain. The sprouts support us in revitalising, refreshing, and strengthening the body after the winter months. They can also help with cough, but it is not suitable for everyone, as they remove mucus strongly. Sprout tea with dried or fresh sprouts is a wonderful way to take in this delicious plant.

Spruce syrup

There are many different ways to make this syrup, but here is one way we like. Spruce syrup is a good cough medicine and it tastes delicious. It can also be added to various desserts and foods as a spice.

Pour water over your collected sprouts (always remember to harvest ethically) and allow to soak overnight. The next day, slowly start boiling the sprouts in the same water as they have been soaking in for about two hours.

Strain the sprouts from the water and measure the amount of water you have in your bowl. Add sugar (we prefer coconut sugar) 0,5 kg per litre. Heat up and boil into a syrup. Test the syrup from time to time by taking a spoon of the syrup on a plate and letting it cool, when you can draw a line through the syrup with the spoon and the halves remain apart – then the syrup is ready. Store in a jar and enjoy the rich benefits and earthy flavours from nature.

Love,

Inika Superfoods