(Alliaria petiolata)

Hedge Garlic, also named Jack-By-The-Hedge, is a common hedgerow plant that grows throughout the UK and most of Europe. It is also found in Africa, India and North America. It is part of the group of plants that belong to the cabbage family, not an allium.

Jack-By-The-Hedge has a mild garlic and mustard flavour. The tastiest leaves grow in spring, yet it does produce more leaves in autumn. The plant produces long, green seed pods after flowering.

The leaves are great to add to eat raw, or can be added to a variety of cooked dishes, although it does lose its flavour if overcooked. The flowers are also edible.

What does Hedge Garlic look like?

Hedge Garlic has rounded, heart shaped leaves that get smaller the nearer they get to the top of the plant. The flowers appear in April, and they are small, white with four petals. Hedge Garlic can grow to a metre in height.

When you squash the leaves between your fingers, you will be able to smell a mild garlic fragrance.

How to eat Hedge Garlic

Hedge Garlic, or Jack-By-The-Hedge, is a great ingredient for homemade pesto. You can also gather the seeds from the pods and dry them to use throughout the year. The seeds can be used as a spice to add flavour to a variety of dishes.

Back to list of wild edible foods

Are you interested in the idea of foraging, but are not sure how to start? Have you been wondering what you can actually cook with the wild foods you have gathered? Imagine being able to recognise wild foods, and enrich your diet for free!

What if you knew the medicinal benefits of the plants around you, and were able to make healing remedies instead of relying on synthetic medications? With that knowledge in mind, taking an outdoor stroll would take on a whole new significance and meaning.

Want to know more about foraging? Get a copy of Foraging For Health – Hedgerow Plants and Fruits now!