Ramps are delicious !

[happyflowerlady]

Have you ever tried Ramps ? I had never heard of them until I moved to this house, and found them growing by the front of the trailer. When I asked the landlord, he said they were some sort of wild onion or garlic , but they look a lot like a leek. I did an online search, and found that they are called Ramps, and they grow wild and come up over winter/spring when it is cool. Mine have been growing all winter , and I just scissored off some tops, cut them into small pieces, and added to soups, stews, salads, and about everything you can add an onion into. The taste is somewhere between a green onion and a garlic, and delicious.
Here is a picture of the ones growing by my trailer. I am hoping to save some seed from them after they flower, and plant even more of them.

 

[Antau LJn]

I don't believe I've ever heard of these. Thank you for posting a picture so that we know what they look like.

My main interest, besides growing herbs, is growing edible plants. I like learning about yet another that I didn't know about (or didn't know was edible).

 

[claudine]

I've never heard of these either...but I'm pretty sure I've seen similar leaves somewhere - I'm not sure. Anyway, I'd never guess they're edible. I like onions but I hate garlic - I wonder if I'd like ramps . I'm pretty sure it's something that my boyfriend would love.

 

[Caseymich]

Do yours shoots bulb like things out of the top? I have something like this growing in a bed my husband's father planted and nobody know what it is. I hope we have a match, because this nameless plant has been bothering me for years.

 

[Pete]

Thanks for posting about ramps I am aware of them but haven’t heard about them for a long while. I first came to learn about them when my wife wanted them for a “Thai Chicken Vegetable Curry with Spring Vegetables” However we never did find any, we live in the UK so not sure if they are grown here will now have to check again.

 

[happyflowerlady]

I don't know if ramps will grow in the UK or not, but if you have any wild onions there at all, you might find ramps. They almost look like a lily, or even an iris, but if you cut one, then you get that strong onion/garlic smell, so you can tell it is a ramp, and safe to eat it. If it doesn't have that distinctive smell, then it is not a ramp !
They do have white bulbs on the bottom, but they are not real big bulbs. I used one or two, but I wanted them to keep growing and spread, so I have only been cutting back the tops and using that. They will spread from the bulbs (like daffodils ), but they also produce flowers and plantable seeds, so I am now waiting for mine to flower and go to seed, and be dormant in the hot weather like the wild onions do.

 

[zigs]

Looks like the name derives from Ramsons, Allium ursinum, the wild garlic thats all over the English woodlands at the moment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_tricoccum

Looks like Ramps are a protected species in Canada and some parts of America.

 

[happyflowerlady]

Do yours shoots bulb like things out of the top? I have something like this growing in a bed my husband's father planted and nobody know what it is. I hope we have a match, because this nameless plant has been bothering me for years.

I think the onion plants that you have that make bulbs on the top are what they call "Walking Onions". I am not sure how they got that name, but they look like onions, with baby onions growing on the top. They are great because you can take the baby onions off the top and start new plants. I had some many years ago, and would love to have them again !

 

[zigs]

Or Welsh onions. Called walking as they drop the top bulbs and move.

 

[happyflowerlady]

My Ramps are now starting to get ready to flower, and at the moment, they look like a little onion bulb on top. I think they may get one of those round flowers kind of like Chives get, but it is way too soon to tell. I will take the camera out and get a picture of them, so everyone can see what they look like before they bloom, and then post another when they have bloomed and are ready to go to seed. I am still snipping off the leaves of some of them for cooking, but I left these so they can go to seed. The younger ones that I transplanted out back seem to be growing and doing well, also.

 

[Trellum]

Yummy! I loved the description of its flavour. I never heard of these - there is no doubt you can learn something new everyday. I will definitely investigate a bit more

 

[firelily99]

This the first I have heard of them and they sound like something that I would get a lot of use out of. I like onions and garlic and the fact that they don't seem to require very much care. Thanks for posting a photo, it will make it easier for me to find some.

 

[khillis]

I am from Canada, and we most certainly eat ramps. They are by no means extremely popular; I find people whom have a green thumb are more aware of them. I eat them pickled; delicious! They're a a rare treat though.

 

[evelynmcgregor]

I want to try growing ramps, but am unable to find any. I love the onion and garlic flavors in food, and I can almost taste the tops cut up and added to chicken soup or marinades. Yum. Does anyone know if the seeds are available anywhere? I like growing unusual things in my small garden. My daughter and grandson live with me and they both like helping to keep things watered and weeded. I do remember when I was young, my mother grew something she called a walking onion. I do not remember what it looked like, but very possibly it was ramps.