Pickles with outbreaks of gorse

About the gorse, Ulex europaeus, those shrubs that sting and hinder paths, there are many stories in Galicia, as that which tells how someone made fuel for his car defying oil multinationals; this tale of a countryfolk who used to say, "men from that land gnaw gorse "or some popular songs about green gorse.

This year, following a guide of plants and wild fruits of César Lema, we have begun to make pickles with flowering tops (flowers not yet open).

They are peeled, putted in jars, covered with vinegar and salt and saved in closed jars. Then you can eat them as if they were capers.

There´s an old recipe since 1622, transcribed by Pamela Michael (1980), which provides advice on how to make pickles with outbreaks of gorse.

We can use them to accompany salads, pasta or fresh cus-cus.