Herbal Detox

Our bodies need to replenish vitamins and boost the immune system, which has been working at full capacity. Herbs are great if you want to cut back on salt while still adding flavor to your food. Plus, in the spring, they’re packed with energy and health-promoting nutrients that will benefit your body after winter. Some varieties, such as young stinging nettles or wild garlic, are available exclusively during this season. So take advantage of them while they’re still around.

Wild Garlic

Wild garlic is one of the best energy boosters there is. Even people who can’t stand or don’t like regular garlic usually enjoy it. It’s incredibly versatile—every part of it can be used: the bulbs, the leaves, and even the flowers. It’s in season from late February through April.

You can add it fresh to spreads, soups, meat dishes, or pasta. You can bring out its aroma by briefly heating it in a pan with butter. It can be stored in a damp paper towel in the refrigerator for several days, or you can freeze it.

Wild garlic is particularly rich in vitamin C and iron. The vitamin C content in 100 g is up to 150 mg. By comparison, an apple contains only 4 mg per 100 g. Like onions and regular garlic, wild garlic contains the compound allicin, which has antibacterial effects. It helps with respiratory illnesses and colds and promotes wound healing. It also helps lower high blood pressure and clear clogged kidneys, as it has a diuretic effect. Thanks to its cleansing properties, it should also improve skin quality and alleviate various inflammations.

Stinging Nettle

Young nettle leaves are great for a spring cleanse. The easiest way to use them is to make tea. Nettle can be prepared much like spinach. Or, if you blanch the leaves, you can add them to broth, vegetable salads, or stuffing.

Stinging nettles are rich in vitamins B1, B6, and C. They also contain formic acid and acetic acid, as well as serotonin, tannins, and chlorophyll. Stinging nettles lower blood sugar levels, cleanse the body, have anti-inflammatory properties, and accelerate skin regeneration.

Chives

Chives have a mild onion-like flavor and aroma. This herb is particularly well-suited for salads and dressings, spreads, soups, as well as any kind of meat, and for sprinkling on potatoes, rice, or all kinds of purees and pasta dishes. It is very often combined with eggs prepared in any way.

Chives are rich in vitamins C and B, minerals—especially calcium, potassium, and iron—and sulfur, which is the main component of their essential oil and gives them their pungent flavor.

Chives are very easy to use—just cut off the leaves. However, to ensure the chives continue to grow, it’s essential to leave at least 5 cm. Fresh chives will keep in the refrigerator for quite a while and can also be frozen. What I wouldn’t recommend is drying them, as this causes them to lose their aroma.

Common Sage

Sage has a very intense, slightly bitter flavor. It’s definitely unmistakable. It pairs especially well with meats that have a strong flavor, such as game, lamb, mutton, duck, and goose, as well as with ground meats and fish. It also tastes great on roasted potatoes or in marinades.

Sage should be used very sparingly so that it does not overpower the flavor of the dish. Unlike most fresh herbs, it can be added to a dish while it is cooking, because its strong aroma fades only gradually at high temperatures.

Sage has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. It is used in cosmetics to treat acne, as well as in toothpaste, mouthwash, and shampoo. A sage decoction can help with a sore throat, while sage tea aids digestion, cleanses the liver, and strengthens the body overall.