Lacto-Fermented Hogweed Sauce: A Wild and Tasty Experiment

Three years ago, I decided to lacto-ferment some hogweed shoots just to see what would happen I didn’t have a plan for them at the time, so the jar ended up tucked away and forgotten.

Fast forward to today—I rediscovered it while cleaning my pantry and expected to just throw it out.

But when I opened the jar, the smell caught me by surprise. It was tangy, fresh with its natural herbaceous notes like parsley/celery, and absolutely delicious! No mould! Instead of tossing it, I decided to taste it. The hogweed was soft, bursting with flavour—tangy, earthy, and way better than I expected after sitting for so long.

I decided to turn it into something special. I drained the hogweed shoots and blended them into a smooth paste.

To give it some kick, I added chilli, cayenne pepper, and a pinch of salt. The spices elevated the tangy, earthy flavour of the hogweed and turned it into a bold, flavourful spread.

What I love about it is the sauce is smooth, spicy, and packed with flavour. It’s perfect as a dip, a sandwich spread, or even stirred into soups or stews for a wild, tangy twist.

The lacto-fermentation really enhanced the natural flavour of the hogweed, and blending it made it easy to add to dishes.

The liquid was as nice as the hogweed itself and could be a lovely sauce, too! I found out that other places like Russia, Poland and Romania use the liquid for some dishes like Fermented borsch recipe

A Happy Discovery 🍃
This little experiment turned out to be one of my best pantry surprises. If you forage and love trying new things, give lacto-fermented hogweed a shot—and don’t be afraid to blend it into a paste and add your favourite spices.

🍃Summary of the Process: From Fermentation to Sauce🍃

Pick young, tender hogweed shoots or flower buds (ensure proper identification as edible hogweed), avoid sap or wear gloves.

Boil the shoots or buds for 5 minutes to neutralise skin-irritating compounds.

Weigh the boiled hogweed and water separately. After boiling, pour the hogweed and water into a jar, but remember to zero your weighing scale before adding the hogweed and water to account for the container weight. Once the hogweed and water are in the jar, calculate 2% salt by the total weight of both. For example, if the combined weight of the hogweed and water is 500g, add 10g of salt (500g x 0.02 = 10g). Pour the water into a separate container, dissolve the salt in it, and then pour the salted water back into the jar with the hogweed. Ensure the hogweed is fully submerged. Seal loosely and ferment at room temperature for 2–4 weeks or until tangy.

Drain the fermented hogweed and blend it into a smooth paste. Add chilli, cayenne pepper, and/or add seasoning. Adjust spices as desired.

🍃Little About Hogweed 🍃
Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) is a delicious wild plant with young shoots and flower buds often foraged for their earthy flavour. Some people also eat giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), but it contains higher skin-irritating compounds and requires extra care. Always wear gloves, boil before eating, and be sure to identify it correctly to avoid toxic lookalikes like hemlock.

Have a lovely day everyone!

Mariah 💗😊