Anyone forage for ramps, a.k.a. wild leeks?

[Weedygarden]

I never have, but from time to time I hear or read about them. I know someone who lived in S.E. Ohio and said there were many around where he lived.

 

[Support Gunner]

We have a farm ground that we plant on at work that has wild leaks growing on one side of the field, by the wooded area. They smell strong.

Thought about taking some but never have yet.

 

[Weedygarden]

We have a farm ground that we plant on at work that has wild leaks growing on one side of the field, by the wooded area. They smell strong.

Thought about taking some but never have yet.

I've never eaten any, but the people I know who have rave about them. Guy said he just pulls them out of the ground and eats them right there and then.

 

[Bacpacker]

I have a few times. Yes they smell strong and taste strong. If you eat many, the odor will come thru when you sweat. But they are tasty.

 

[Spikedriver]

Ish. Y'all can have 'em. Anything that is an onion, is related to onions, smells like onions, or even resembles onions in any way, needs to stay far away from me...

 

[Bacpacker]

We eat onions in some form almost every day. Sometimes a couple times a day

 

[Weedygarden]

Ish. Y'all can have 'em. Anything that is an onion, is related to onions, smells like onions, or even resembles onions in any way, needs to stay far away from me...

Thank you! That makes more for me!

 

[Spikedriver]

Thank you! That makes more for me!

Glad you can make use of them. If all I had to eat were onions and related such species, I would be a skinny SOB. I react very strongly to the smell and they do horrible things to my guts. Only way I can tolerate any of them is if they're boiled into nothingness and have no taste, smell, or texture left.
I have a similar reaction to vinegar. Wonder if it hits the same sensory triggers as onions...

 

[Support Gunner]

But onions are sooooooo good. Lol

 

[Spikedriver]

But onions are sooooooo good. Lol

I once went into a little shop that sold loose meat sandwiches that were about 2/3 meat and 1/3 diced onion. Behind the counter was a tray about 6 feet long with probably ten pounds of the stuff in it. The smell was so overpowering I had to leave. I just can't stand onions. I have to order burgers without onions because the taste infects the meat and ruins the burger, even if I scrape them off, and I'll have to choke it down.

My ex wife loved onions. Like, craved onions. Im so sensitive to them I could smell them on her the next day. No bueno...

 

[Neb]

I tried growing them but a critter to them before me. They are supposed to be a food source early in the spring. I will try them again some day since I love onions and garluc.

Ben

 

[elkhound]

i harvest them..i also grow them..from my seed as well as seed from other sources. my best 'old growth' patch i transplanted from a friends place. last year was a large seed producing year..this year was very low..a fraction of previous year. heres my advice if going to transplant..they only grow about 30 days...once you see them come up watch them and count your days towards the 30 day...this way they get the stored energy in the bubl before you move them . that way they are only struggling over recovery of transplant shock and not trying to also put on energy in bulb to live for the next year. i hope that makes sense. at end of 30 days they start dropping leaves and you see the flower spike sticking up.

i just lost a harddrive a few weeks back and lost 4 years of everything..i will see if i have anything to show and share before then.

 

[randyt]

i harvest them and use the leaves for pesto, dry the bulbs and pickle the bulbs.

 

[elkhound]

about best tool to dig with is a garden fork,the 4 prong type. also after transplanting and watching for years.i think transplanting clumps is best thing over dividing them into singles and planting.

 

[freelove]

They grow all over the hillside above the pond and we eagerly await the green shoots in the spring. They are delicious. They are also a harbinger of spring and for that we anxiously wait for them to appear.
Since they have become a food craze the old growth patches are becoming scarce as many "foragers" do not respect the common sense practice of leaving more than you take. Fortunately our very large patch is on our private property.
I have been baffled to see just the green tops for sale at markets advertising "RAMPS". When I was a child Dad would bring ramps home and we just used the bulbs. The tops were considered stringy and coarse with little flavor. No one was making pesto then.
Mom and Dad had stories of their childhood when they went to a one room schoolhouse and at recess the boys (and probably some girls) would go out and find ramps and eat enough of them to really stink so that the teacher would send the class home early.
When DH and I dig them the smell makes me so hungry I can't wait to eat them.

 

[randyt]

they claim when harvesting if the little hair root end is cut off and planted back it will regrow. I've done that some but it slows down any type of production

 

[Bowguy]

I get bags full there’s enough I can’t even lay a dent but I’m careful we don’t. We pickle them or dice them up for whatever dish we’d like to throw them in.