That’s in woodruff

As the name suggests: woodruff is at home in forests. From April, the knowledgeable walker can find green carpets of the fragrant plant there. The woodruff owes its botanical name Galium odoratum to the wonderful, aromatic scent. Translated into German, this means: fragrant bedstraw.

Coumarin in woodruff

A chemical compound called coumarin is responsible for the aroma. But the woodruff does not spread its scent voluntarily, because the plant only contains a precursor of the scent. Only when plant cells are injured by being crushed or withered do enzymes release the aromatic coumarin.

But coumarin does not only bring  taste  and smell. In animal experiments in the 1980s, it caused liver damage and was considered  carcinogenic.  Subsequent research  disproved  this assumption. Nevertheless, coumarin should still be consumed with caution because high doses can  cause headaches , dizziness and  nausea  . A maximum amount of 2 milligrams of coumarin per kilogram is therefore legally stipulated for food.

This does not apply to sweets and alcoholic beverages with an upper limit of 10 and  chewing gum  with 50 milligrams of coumarin per kilogram. The food industry also uses the non-toxic substances coumaric acid and 6-methyl coumarin. Like coumarin, both can be produced artificially and  smell  of woodruff.

Woodruff can be used in many ways

Woodruff in the Maibowle, which originated in the year 845, is particularly well-known. Medicine appreciates its circulation-enhancing, anticonvulsant and calming properties. In addition, bouquets in the closet drive away voracious moths.

Three grams (about ten plants) of fresh woodruff are enough for a strong aroma in homemade jelly or May punch. This amount does not trigger any undesirable side effects. It is undisputed that there are more health risks in alcohol than in coumarin.

Woodruff is also often used in cakes, jello, liqueur or as a syrup. If you are looking for recipes, you will quickly find them on the Internet.

Recipe: Woodruff Bowl

For all those who want to do without the percentage – but not the aroma – here is the recipe for a non-alcoholic, refreshing woodruff punch:

• Hang a bunch of dried or withered woodruff (about ten plants) in a liter of apple juice. The stems must not come into contact with the liquid so that no bitter substances are transferred to the punch.
• After half an hour to two hours, remove the woodruff,  add lemon juice  and  mineral water  to taste and garnish with woodruff leaves or lemon slices.

Make woodruff jelly yourself

A real jello can also be made from the apple juice with woodruff aroma. To do this, stir  gelatine , cornstarch or agar-agar into the warm or boiling woodruff apple juice (see instructions for use of the gelling agent) and chill the food.

Of course, since the homemade jelly lacks the food coloring, it’s not as green as the one you buy in the supermarket.

Harvest woodruff yourself

The woodruff, which is widespread in Europe, is easy to find in the forest. The plant can be recognized by its thin, four-edged stalk, which carries delicate leaves without a stalk. The flowering period begins in late May or early June. Contrary to popular belief, the coumarin content does not increase, but the stems and leaves become harder. It is therefore advisable to harvest woodruff before it flowers, between the end of April and June.

Woodruff is easily confused with cleavers, a non-poisonous botanical relative. This grows in the same locations and can be enjoyed as a wild vegetable. Since it lacks the precursor of coumarin, it does not give off the distinctive, aromatic scent when the leaves are crushed.