As winter fades and spring starts peeking through, a whole world of edible greens begins to wake up. One of my favorite early-season finds is ground elder (also known as Goutweed). If you’re looking to forage some, April and May are your “golden window” for the best harvest. To keep that fresh spring flavor around all year, freezing is definitely the way to go!
Preserving Ground Elder: Timing Your Harvest
When it comes to cooking with ground elder, you really want to aim for the young, tender leaves. They have a lovely, mild aroma and a delicate texture that’s just perfect. Keep an eye out for those bright, juicy-green leaves right after they sprout.
The sweet spot for harvesting is during April and May. Once spring starts turning into summer, the plant puts all its energy into growing flowers, which makes the leaves get tough and stringy pretty quickly.
Getting Your Greens Ready for the Freezer
You can harvest the leaves with or without the stems—it’s totally up to you. I usually try to pick a big batch at once to make the effort worthwhile! Once you get your haul home, give them a good rinse to get rid of any dirt or little garden critters. After they’re clean, it’s time to chop them up.
Pro Tip: Think about how you’ll use them later. You can finely mince them for herb blends or leave them in larger pieces if you’re planning on making something like ground elder spinach.
The Best Ways to Freeze Ground Elder
Before you toss them in the freezer, you can give the leaves a quick blanch if you like, but it’s not strictly necessary. An easy trick is to pack the chopped leaves into ice cube trays and top them off with a little water. It makes portioning a breeze!
Of course, standard freezer bags or airtight containers work great too. Just squeeze out as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn.
Pro Tip: These frozen herb cubes are amazing for leveling up your cooking. Toss them into soups, stews, or herb sauces. They also pair beautifully with potato dishes—think gratins, mashed potatoes, or roasted spuds. If you’re a meat eater, ground elder adds a fantastic earthy note to beef or wild game like venison.