The wild carrot (Daucus carota) is the original form of our modern carrot – and can now be found on many roadsides and lawns in August. While it was once considered a valuable wild vegetable, today its knowledge is almost forgotten. Those who recognize the plant with certainty can use it as an aromatic ingredient in salads, herbal teas or vegetable dishes. In this article you will learn to recognize wild carrots and make the most of the roots, herbs and flowers.
Use wild carrot
The wild carrot belongs to the umbelliferae family and can therefore be confused with some plants, some of which are poisonous, which have similar flowers. Especially noteworthy is the spotted hemlock. It is poisonous and has red-brown spots on the green stem. Hence the word “maculato” in the name. Even the name of the wild carrot (Daucus carota) reveals a lot about this plant. It is the wild and original form of today’s carrot. To use them, you should carefully store the leaves and flowers of the wild carrot and pay attention to whether the stems of the immature fruits are already curling. So this looks like a little nest. The characteristic red or black dot in the center of the flower is also important. However, not all plants develop this point, we will talk about this later in the article.
Learn about and use local wild herbs
The wild carrot is increasingly forgotten, but that’s a shame. Our approach is to keep the ancient knowledge of medicinal plants alive. We have learned a lot from our parents and grandparents and would like to pass it on. That’s why we started our own little publishing house called “The Modern Herb Witch”. Here we write and publish our books and develop our ideas in this way Seasonal calendar of wild herbs (available here). Our book»With wild herbs and medicinal plants all year round“(available here) is a seasonal companion that introduces you to many local and precious wild herbs. Of course, the wild carrot is also represented there. Our reader Claudia Goßler writes about our book: «The book of wild herbs and medicinal plants that I have been looking for for a long time! Sandra and Alexander’s new book arrived today. I pre-ordered it and opened it with great joy. It is even more beautiful than I expected from the two of them. I am very enthusiastic about the calendar. The photos are all taken by me and illustrated with a lot of love for the file. I recommend it 100%. A beautiful heartfelt book from 2 heartfelt people!» Dear Claudia, thank you very much for your review. You will also receive the book, our discovery book for children.Ben and Mara discover the world of wild herbs“(available here) in our online witch herb shop at www.die-moderne-Kräuterhexe.de
What parts of the plant are used?
Leaves, flowers and roots can be used. The roots are whitish and not orange, and are also quite smaller than the related yellow beetroot or our commercially available carrot. The roots and leaves can be eaten raw. You can also steam the root as a vegetable or cook it into a soup. However, they should be harvested in the first year. Wild carrot is a wild biennial herb that may have woody roots in the second year. In the first year the roots are sweeter because the plant stores sugar in the roots. Anyone who has ever dug up a root or carefully uprooted it will have immediately smelled the intense scent of carrots. The flavor of the leaves is somewhat reminiscent of parsley. The leaves can always be eaten; they should not be boiled, but added raw as a spice in herb sauces, salads or after serving on soups.
The roots of the wild carrot
These wild carrot roots are annuals. The plants began to bud in spring this year and some are already in bloom. We consciously looked for plants that had not yet flowered. However, the roots are not that big yet. You can recognize the roots in the second year because they are thicker and usually woody. Be careful, spotted hemlock also has a white root that resembles the root of the wild carrot. What is evident here is that this root does not smell like carrots, but rather has a pungent odor of mouse urine.
The annual root of the wild carrot can be easily dug out of the ground, cleaned briefly and then enjoyed raw or briefly steamed. However, you shouldn’t expect it to be the size of a regular supermarket carrot. Wild carrots are noticeably smaller, which is why it takes a bit of effort to harvest a decent amount. This year you will find a particularly large number of wild carrots. This wild plant also tolerates low rainfall well. In this regard, it can tolerate a dry summer well. The two-year wild carrot is much larger and produces more seeds than the annual one. The root of annuals is preferable, as the roots of biennials are woodier.
What is the “carrot flower” of the wild carrot?
A distinctive feature of the wild carrot is the dark red to dark purple spot in the center of the flower. This is the so-called “Moro flower”. This spot on the female specimens has a signaling effect and therefore attracts insects for pollination. However, you should only harvest wild carrots if you are absolutely sure of their identification, as they can be confused with poisonous umbelliferous plants!
What ingredients does wild carrot contain?
Wild carrot has a milder flavor than our familiar carrot. In the past it was consumed much more often than today because it was rather difficult to obtain. However, it is very rich in nutrients. In addition to minerals, the roots also contain vitamin B1, B2 and Vitamin C contain. It also contains lycopene, flavonoids and essential oils.
Preserve wild herbs gently
In our book “Preserving wild herbs“(available here). There you will find a lot of basic knowledge, so you can learn exactly how the valuable ingredients can be preserved. You can purchase the book in our herbal medicine shop www.die-moderne-Kräuterhexe.d
Carrot soup recipe
We refined classic carrots with wild carrots and created a delicious soup. However, this is only advisable if the wild carrot can be positively identified. Otherwise you can also make the recipe with its cultivated relative, the purchased carrot.
- 4-5 carrots (or wild carrot roots)
- ½ Courgette
- Vegetable broth 500 ml
- 300ml coconut milk or cashew milk if you don’t want it to be as potent
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1-2 cloves of garlic
- 1 red onion
- red pepper
- Coriander Earth
- optional: wild carrot leaves and flowers
- otherwise: fresh parsley
- a little salt
- Pumpkin seeds
- Pumpkin seed oil enough to refine
Preparation of carrot soup
First, the onion and garlic are finely chopped and browned. Then blend with vegetable broth and add the diced courgettes and carrots. This should simmer for about 5 minutes, then you can add all the other ingredients, except the herbs and pumpkin seeds or pumpkin seed oil. Now everything is blended. You can then serve and add the herbs at the end. The flowers of the wild carrot are very decorative and the leaves are very tasty. You should not heat them, otherwise the valuable ingredients will be destroyed.
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