SWEET WOODRUFF
Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) doesn’t smell when picked but as the leaves dry, a wonderful aroma is released. Although it’s great in the laundry cupboard, here at The Doorstep Kitchen we are all about food! The flavour and smell is likened to vanilla, almond and fresh hay, so it’s wonderful infused and used in desserts, teas and cocktails.
It’s commonly used in Europe but we don’t make the most of it over here in the UK. In Germany they have long infused wine with the plant to make ‘May Wine Punch’ to drink on May Day to celebrate spring. It’s actually very abundant in woodlands across Britain so the chances are you’ve walked over it!
For all of these recipes you just need to collect handfuls of the plant, wash, and leave to dry by tying up the bunches with string and hanging them up for a few days, or by popping them in a low oven for a few hours. Then strip the leaves (and flowers if the plant is flowering at the time) off the stalks and discard the stalks as these can be bitter.
Sweet woodruff leaves, washed and ready to dry
Sweet woodruff leaves, dried
SWEET WOODRUFF TEA
The perfect night-time tea
Ingredients
Dried sweet woodruff leaves
Boiling water
Method
Steep 1 tsp of the dried sweet woodruff leaves in hot water.
Leave for 5 minutes, remove the leaves, and enjoy!
sweet woodruff syrup
Once you have this syrup you can use it for all kinds of things such as the cocktail recipe below.
Makes 1 jam jar.
Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup white caster or granulated sugar
1 handful dried sweet woodruff leaves (this equates to around 3 handfuls of fresh sweet woodruff)
Method
Sterilise a jam jar.
Put the water and sugar into a pan and stir on a low heat until dissolved.
Once dissolved, add your sweet woodruff leaves and turn up the heat to simmer for 5 minutes.
Pour into the clean jam jar and leave to steep for 3 hours.
Taste and steep further if you want a stronger flavour.
Once you are happy with the strength, strain, and pour back into the same jam jar.
Seal and keep in the larder for up to 2 weeks.
