The common gorse (Ulex europeus) is an evergreen shrub that grows in Western Europe and North Western Africa. It likes dry soil and sunny places, and was used in the UK in 1800s and 1900s as an ornamental plant and a hedge or fencing plant. Gorse flowers predominantly in the spring, but also has some flowers in the autumn and winter. Gorse flowers smell of coconut, especially on a sunny day. They taste like walnuts and are a nice little nibble during a spring hike. They can be used to make a cordial, wine and tea, in cakes, and added to salads for a burst of colour and flavour. The flower buds can also be pickled and used as capers, and young leaf buds can be used to make tea.
BE CAREFUL: Gorse is relatively easy to identify by it's prickly leaves that look like needle shaped thorns. However, it can be mistaken with broom (Cytius scoparius) which is another shrub that likes to grow in poor soil, and has yellow flowers. broom has small, long stalked leaves with 1 – 3 leaflets which are not so spiky. Some sources state that broom flowers are edible and taste of peas, but the rest of the plant is toxic, and ingesting it may cause discomfort and irritation.
IMPORTANT NOTE: All wild plants are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981). It is illegal to dig up or remove a plant from the land on which it is growing without permission from the landowner or occupier. Do not dig up the roots or upset the plants. Only take what you need. Remember that other creatures also depend on the nature's larder.
Here are some wild gorse recipes:
Gorse flowers cordial
Simmer down 250g of sugar in 600ml of water until syrupy (15-20min). Stir in 4-6 handfuls of flowers, zest of one orange and juice from one lemon and infuse at room temperature overnight. Strain and store in sterilised bottle for up to a week in the fridge.
Gorse flowers ice-cream
Bring 150ml of full fat milk, 200ml of double cream and 100g fresh gorse flowers to the boil. Use fresh flowers, picked on a sunny day. Leave to cool and steep overnight. Heat gently in the morning to liquify the cream. Beat 2 egg yolks with 120g caster sugar and strain in the creamy infusion. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Chill in an ice-cream maker or in the freezer, mashing every 2 hours to prevent larger crystals. (recipe by wildwalks-southwest.co.uk)
Gorse flower sugar
Use fresh flowers. Dry the flowers (picked on a dry sunny day) in a dehydrator or a low oven. Mix with caster sugar and powder up together in a coffee grinder.
Comments