Every Ingredient Picked from the Wild: Wholesome Savory Crackers

After a few attempts at creating a savory cracker purely from wild ingredients and encountering failures, I decided to give it another try. I knew the wild ingredients I had could help me make wholesome, keto, sugar-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free crackers that I could enjoy without worry.

This was the first wild cracker I made. It tasted delicious, but it did not bind and crumbled apart. I must have put too many hazelnuts in and not ground them fine.

I added Xanthan gum to bind the next cracker, which held together nicely and gave it some crunchiness.

However, I wasn't completely satisfied. There's gonna be a way; I wanted to prove that I could create something purely from nature without needing store-bought ingredients.

Realizing that linden berries and nettle seeds contain mucilage, I decided to use fresh ones to help bind everything together without needing to hydrate dried ones.

So, I returned to the nearby Linden trees (Tilia Cordata) and gathered more berries.

Linden berries have numerous benefits. They're traditionally used to treat colds and anxiety, offering a mild relaxant effect akin to chamomile. Just being near the tree provides a calming effect, with its sweet, pleasant floral scent, almost like aromatherapy

They are so tiny that I found myself picking for quite a while, only to realize when the church bell rang at noon.

So, I hurriedly headed back and picked nettle seeds along my way.

I also gathered hogweed seeds (Heracleum sphondylium), imparting a peppery, mildly spicy flavor with a citrus-like aroma and an earthy, slightly musky undertone.

Further along, I found dock seeds (Rumex crispus), commonly known as curly dock or yellow dock. These have an earthy, nutty flavor with a subtle sweetness. Some people use dock seeds in salads and bread-making or grind them into flour.

And I grabbed some ground ivy (Glechoma Hederacea) along the way. Minty, earthy, sweet and spicy. Ground ivy has historically been used to flavor beers and ales.

I then collected some garlic mustard seeds (Alliaria Petiolata), which are similar to mustard seeds but have a pungent flavor and a garlicky bite.

Back home, I had gathered all my ingredients and was ready to prepare them.

I added a mixture of nuts, some of which I harvested last year: hazelnuts, which grow abundantly around us.

And English walnuts.

Here's where the fun began.

For the third attempt, I used the following ingredients, all picked from the wild:

The ingredients are purely picked from the wild.

1/2 cup mixed wild nuts (or nuts of your choice)
1/2 cup fresh nettle seeds
1/2 cup fresh linden seeds
1 tablespoon dock seeds
1/2 teaspoon hogweed seeds
1 teaspoon garlic mustard seeds.
1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
1 ground Ivy (wild herb)
4 tablespoons water.

Here's how I made it.

First, I blended the linden and nettle seeds and added 4 tablespoons of water, blending again until a dough formed.

I was amazed when it came together and felt confident it would work.

I slowly mixed the rest of the mixture, ensuring I was not overdoing the mix.

I blended them all together.

I was able to form a dough.

Next, I added the finely chopped hogweed seeds and ground ivy.

Once the mixture had thickened, I spread it evenly onto an oiled baking tray or parchment paper, aiming for a thickness of about 1/8-inch. The thinner it is, the crispier the crackers will be.

I sprinkled some nettle seeds and other herbs on top, gently pressing them down, and scored the mixture with a pizza cutter to make it easier to break them apart after baking.

I scored the mixture with a pizza cutter. This will make it easier to break them apart after baking.

I baked them at gas mark 3 (160 degrees Celsius) for 30 minutes.

I let the crackers cool completely before breaking them apart.

I was very impressed with the result. The crackers turned out to be crunchy and delicious.

I made an aioli dip to go with them, and it complemented them perfectly.

In conclusion, it's entirely possible to create a healthy cracker purely from wild ingredients. I was particularly pleased with how the linden berries and nettle seeds bonded all the ingredients together.

This wild cracker is low-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, wholesome, and packed with goodness! I enjoyed munching on it, knowing it was all natural and beneficial.

This post was sparked by @riverflows, who prefers a sugar-free option, and inspired by @deirdyweirdy, who is keen on information about wild food. These interests resonate with those who live in the wild, such as herbalist @calendulacraft and others who enjoy adventurous cooking.

I hope this inspires you to explore wild foods and embrace a healthier, more sustainable approach to cooking. 😊

A wonderful day to everyone.
Mariah 💗🍃