Fermenting Wild Herbs
“Gathering is peculiar, because you see nothing but what you're looking for. If you're picking raspberries, you see only what's red, and if you're looking for bones you see only the white. No matter where you go, the only thing you see is bones.” ― Tove Jansson, The Summer Book
Philajakosken sää tänään : High of 27. Low of 13.
This past week, our confident hen named Perla, has in a very miraculous way, discovered how to sneak out of the barn onto our side of the garden.
Every morning when we show up, Perla is the only one on the other side of the fence. We have looked for holes, cracks, things she could jump from, but to our disbelief have found nothing yet! Maybe she can fly? This lovely hen of ours has aten the majority of what we have planted in our garden bed...
So after chasing her repeatedly back onto her side of the farm, we decide to get our greens in another form. Greens that were all around us, and that were available right away!
By foraging. :)
It is the perfect time of the year to collect wild edibles. There is an abundance of varieties here in the Finnish forests, and I have a lot to learn! We decided to pick the various species together, and then threw them in the crock to ferment for a month.
...Why ferment you may ask?
Well, its sure as heck not for the flavour. Before I explain the types of plants that we found, I will share some insights on fermentation...(That I am sure most of you know, but if you don't, wow, what an amazing invention!!)
photo source: www.foragingcourses.com/wild-food-fermentation-workshop
Fermenting has been has been around for thousands of years. The very first evidence of a fermented beverage that was made out of rice and honey, dates back to 7000 to 6600 BC.* People discovered that when they added salt to various foods, in a warm enough temperature, that the food would preserve, and last much longer. :) Maybe they also knew about the health benefits back then, maybe not?
But that was one of, if not the very first, way to preserve foods. I am sure you all know/and love cheese, wine, bread, chocolate, tea, yoghurt, beer, pickles, vinegar, and ketchup...these have all been fermented.
photo source: https://fermentingsolutions.com/fermenting/
Fermenting food creates benefitical bacteria that promotes a healthy and strong gut. If one cooks vegetables, we loose 10% of the nutrients, but fermentation is the process where we don't loose any nutrients, we actually gain more!
It also adds vitamin K, that is essential for building strong bones, preventing heart disease, maintains brain function, and helps increase our white blood cells and much more!
There is an insane amount of probiotics in feremented foods, which are incredibly important for our overall health. (I will write a post about this topic one day, because it is just so vital for our life...) Here is an interesting article to read in the mean time about probiotics in fermented foods: https://gardengoddessferments.com/blogs/health-food/fermented-foods-vs-probiotics
Fermentation also absorbs easier into our bodies. (And it so easy to make!) Some of us have very sensitive digestive tracts, (like Teemu and I) and eating a high dose of cold, raw veggies slows down our metabolism, which makes it harder on our stomachs to digest.
So...yeah. Fermenting kind of seems like this new 'revolutionary' gift-from-the-gods-and-goddesses sort of food that has been recently re-discovered. (Even though its been around longer then all of us..) All you need is something to ferment, a jar, and salt.
Enough about all the good stuff, lets begin!
As you can see, it is incredibly lush here now. Meaning that the wild plants that we can eat, are slowly losing some of their nutrients and will soon grow bitter. That is why we are foraging in late spring. (We're actually a little behind...)
But we don't mind the taste of bitterness, haha, I sound heartless...
(By the way, I am no expert on wild plants of Finland, or anywhere, for that matter. At least not yet, so my apologizes if it isn't as informative as you wished.)
Teemu, his friend Otto and I didn't have to roam far before finding some edible plants.
Luckily, we had a plant book with us! Of course, it was in Finnish and I could only understand the pictures, but it was a valuable item to have on hand. We recommend anyone who wishes to go wild foraging, bring a book with them. Its a great way to learn in nature, be aware of what you are picking, and forage safely!
Here is a list of some of the plants we scavenged. Depending where you live, maybe you will find the same! Enjoy :)
1. Maitohorsma/ Fireweed
Maitohorsma (Fireweed in English) is found throughout the temperate northern hemisphere, and here in the boreal forests in Scandinavia. It is a member of the Evening Primrose family (Onagraceae). The younger shoots and leaves can be enjoyed, but when Fireweed gets older, the plant grows stiff and is harder to digest.
It has a variety of different vitamins: Manganese, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Magnesium, Copper, Iron, Vitamin B3, and Folate!
There are a lot of benefits to eating this plant, other then it tasting amazing! Manganese helps in the growth of bone structure, maintains healthy metabolism, prevents PMS, and also regulates sugar levels in human blood. When I have water retention, drinking this in a form of steeped really helps.
Why not throw some in the crock, add to soups, steam in stirfrys, or just eat a few raw. :)
2. Vuohenputki/ Ground Elder
Vuohenputki (known as Ground Elder in English) is actually part of the carrot family. It can be consumed from February to June, (if where you live there is anything growing by February...) and has been used since the Middle Ages for food. It is said that the Romans brought this to Great Britian to sustain their soliders.
In Wikipedia, it states that, "This plant can pose an ecological threat due to its invasive nature, with potential to crowd out native species." Instead of calling it a threat, why don't we just pick them instead? They taste amazing, kind of like lemon, and has a high amount of vitamin C, a wonderful antioxident for the body. :) If one harvests them later in summer, it has more of a paresley-like flavour and would be fantastic dried, juiced, vinegared, or pickled. Yum.
3. Nokkonen/ Stinging Nettle
Nokkonen (as we all know as Stinging Nettle in English) is a plant we should all learn to love, even though it literally sends the natural chemicals serotonin, histamine and acetylcholine into our bodies when we touch it. Which really hurts. So don't touch the plant without gloves!
I learned this the hard way while I was harvesting nettle for "Nettle Risotto" while working on the tall ship. My cruel crew-mate from Denmark told me that, "stinging nettle doesn't sting after you pick it! The hairs that sting die. Go ahead, you can grab them all!"
Which I did, being the naive polite girl I was, and ended up was bandages on my hands while I attempted to cook the rest of dinner. Lesson learned. Wear gardening gloves when you pick them, and yeah, they still sting for a while afterwards. But if you steam them for a few minutes, that will go away.
If you, or anyone you know ever has problems with Urinary Issues, Osteoarthritis, Joint Pain, Hay Fever, Eczema, Asthma, and anemia, learn more about this plant. Nettles have many pharmacological qualities, and are loaded with iron, potassium and calcium!
Here is an interesting article about Stinging Nettle Seeds, and their amazing healing properties : http://blog.naturalhealthyconcepts.com/2018/01/28/stinging-nettle-seeds/
4. Poimulehdet/ Lady's Mantles
The three of us had never heard at this one. In English, Poimulehdet translates to Lady's Mantles.
Lady’s mantle is perennial herbaceous plant that belongs to the rose family! New fact for us! It is orginally from southern Europe but now grows in northern, grassy areas.
On herbal-supplement-resource.com they write, "The family name Alchemilla stems from the word “alchemy”, and refers to the belief in medieval times that water droplets forming on the lady’s mantle leaves could turn base metals to gold. Alchemists believed that these drops had a mysterious and magical power that in addition to transforming common metals into gold could also be used in regaining youth."
Believe it or not, they were some-what correct. This plant has been used for centuries in natural beauty products and has anti-aging properties. Of course, this is not why we specially decided to pick it today, but who doesn't like a natural plant that has antioxidents to maintain our youthful radiance.
This herb is also effective in treating diarrhea, painful menstruation, water retention, burns, and mouth ulcers. Lady's mantle is also a rich source of natural tannins, salicylic acid and mineral salts.
5. Voikukat/ Dandelions
“Dandelions are just friendly little weeds who only want to be loved like flowers.” ― Heather Babcock
And last but not least, the wonderful Dandelion. Which if you didn't already know, is entirely edible. The bitter smells makes me gag, but I believe the stronger properties in the plant, the healthier.
The poor Dandelion weed has been torn out of lawns for years. But it isn't a weed at all.
Dandelions have a large amount of calcium in them, and actually protects our bone health. A cup of dandelion tea has vitamins A, C, K, and B-6, Potassium, Magnesium, and Iron.
It is also used for nerve transmission, blood clotting, hormone production and muscle contractions.
If you are looking for a natural way to detox your liver, try making a Dandelion Tincture. https://www.wildernesscollege.com/tincture-recipes.html Dandelions help promote a healthy flow of bile and detoxifys our blood.
After an hour of picking, we had enough to fill the crock!
The easy part was over. Now, time for an even easier task to ferment these potent greens!
How to Ferment Wild Herbs:
Add a small amount of sea salt to the herbs, layer by layer. (The end product should be 2% sea salt.)
Then compress the greens either by punching them into the bottom of the pot, or use a heavy wooden weight until water starts to come out of the plants. Add another layer of greens and salt, and then compress again.
At the end, there should be enough natural water from the plants to cover the entire amount of greens. (Add some water if there isn't)
Put weights on top of the mixture to make sure everything is submerged.
In the first few days, to start the process of fermenting, keep in warm room temperature. (22-25c)
If you want to preserve them for a long period of time, keep in a celler or cool place. If you wish to eat the fermented food earlier, keep in the same warm area.
Let it ferment until you desire. It should smell sour, and like well, fermented things...
:)
Kiitos for listening! We will give an update when this will be ready :)
We would love to hear your feedback in the comments below on your own thoughts, stories, and fermenting recipes!
UPDATE: Even after a few days, it already started to smell like kimchi! Whatever way you like your fermented foods, either crunchy and fresh, and soft and mushy with a stronger taste, experiement, enjoy, and try new things! :)
Popeye was healthy for a reason with spinach! This is taking it to the next level.... ;)
References:
* - http://fermentalitylab.com/116655-2/
