It’s so green…when the wild herbs bloom in the forest and meadow. And if you keep your eyes open as you go, you will also find a multitude of tasty and health-promoting plants while hiking in autumn. In addition, looking for small treasures makes hiking even more entertaining. From nettle seeds to ribwort and watercress: we’ll tell you how you can use your aromatic finds, and which immune-system boosting nutrients they contain.
It used to be considered a little quirky to go out picking herbs. However, many people have now rediscovered regional wild plants and they are experiencing a real boom as local superfoods. No wonder, because not only are they particularly tasty, but also rich in vitamins and minerals.
Did you know? By definition, wild herbs are herbaceous plants that do not lignify, are edible and have not been specially bred.
Ground ivy is sometimes known as creeping Charlie, catsfoot and field balm and is a tasty, aromatic herb. The somewhat bitter herb is also beneficial to health. It is rich in vitamins C, A, silica and potassium. It is also used to treat coughs and bronchitis.
Even in autumn you can still find a few tender ribwort leaves. In larger quantities, the mild-tasting plant can be easily processed into a soup. Ribwort tea helps with colds.
And a crushed leaf provides relief from insect bites. Great right? We think so too!
If you want to pluck the more tender leaves from the nettle, you should start looking in spring. There are still some young shoots in autumn, but in the third season the real stars come. These are also called ‘nuts’ and are popular because of their high protein content. They are supposed to prevent tiredness and poor concentration. They also provide valuable nutrients such as vitamins A, B, C and E as well as potassium, magnesium, calcium and iron. A real superfood!
Tip: Wear gloves when collecting and avoid the stinking hair touching your skin. To try the seeds, it is best to place them on kitchen paper or a linen cloth for two to three weeks.
Die Gundelrebe wird manchmal auch Gundermann oder wilde Petersiele genannt. Letztere Bezeichnung gibt bereits Aufschluss über ihre Verwendung als schmackhaftes Würzkraut. Das etwas herbe Kraut liefert darüber hinaus viele Bitterstoffe, die der Gesundheit zuträglich sind. Zudem ist es reich an Vitamin C, A, Kieselsäure und Kalium. Gerne wird es auch zur Behandlung von Husten und Bronchitis eingesetzt.
Selbst im Herbst findet man noch ein paar zarte Spitzwegerich-Blätter. In größeren Mengen lässt sich der mild schmeckende Wildfund gut zu einer Suppe verarbeiten. Spitzwegerich-Tee hilft bei Erkältungen.
Und ein zerdrücktes Blatt verschafft Linderung bei Insektenstichen. Spitze, oder? Finden wir auch!
Picking is just the beginning! Now it is a matter of making these small, green treasures last. Basically, keep them in the same way you’d keep other kitchen herbs. They keep for a few days in the fridge. Freezing is also an option.
If you would like to dry the herbs, hang them upside down in bunches. Do you have a dehydrator? Then you can use it to dry these little wonder plants.
Let your creativity run free and create a delicate wild herb salt for your own use or as a gift for your loved ones! To do this, dry your herbal finds. Then you can chop them up with the food processor and use coarse sea salt in a mortar to make herbal salt. The proportion of salt to herbs can vary depending on taste. Usually, the salt makes up 50 to 80% of the mixture.
Tip: You can of course use well-known culinary herbs such as lovage, oregano or thyme. Dried pieces of garlic or garlic powder are also excellent in herbal salt.
Would you like to become a herb hunter on your next hiking tour? But don’t yet know where to go? Take a look at the Eurohike team’s favourite Autumn tours. And who knows, you might also find some delicious mushrooms on site for a hearty mushroom dish!
