The leaves on ramps are delicate and the most perishable portion of the plant. We are in our final week of harvest and did have rain ahead of harvesting some of this week’s ramps. Ramps that are more mature and harvested under these conditions often have a shorter shelf life. Thus, we encourage you to eat them within a few days of receiving them.
Store ramps in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. If you are going to keep ramps for several days, it’s a good idea to wrap the leaves with a damp paper towel. The bulb portion of the ramp will store longer than the leaves, so some may choose to separate the bulb from the leaves and store them separate.
Ramps, sometimes referred to as “wild leeks,” are one of the first signs of spring we see emerging on the wooded hillsides of our valley. They have a very short season which is typically only 3-4 weeks. The flavor of ramps is similar to onions or garlic, but they really have a unique flavor that is best described as “rampy!” Ramps resemble a green onion, except they have tender, delicate, lily-like leaves and the base of the ramp becomes more bulb-like as it matures.
Ramps may be eaten raw or cooked and can be used in ways, similar to a green onion. When raw, they can be quite pungent, however the flavor mellows with cooking. You can eat both the leaves and the lower bulb, just trim away the roots. Ramps pair well with cream, cheese, bacon and other spring vegetables including mushrooms, asparagus, nettles and spinach. Ramps also pair well with eggs in scrambles, frittatas and quiche and are often incorporated into pasta and rice dishes. Ramp pesto and ramp butter are simple preparations that may be used fresh or can also be frozen as a way to preserve that delicious spring flavor!
Cultural & Historical Background: Back in the early days before ramps were popular and customers came looking for them, Farmer Richard actually gave ramps away at the farmers’ market! That’s right, he couldn’t sell them so he gave them away with hopes that people would give them a try and come to like them so much they’d buy them!
Growing Information: Ramps grow wild in the woods on north-facing hillsides early in the spring. While they can be replanted in woodland areas that are conducive to supporting ramp populations, it takes awhile for them to multiply and spread.
Additional Points of Interest: We have been wild-harvesting ramps in our valley since the mid-80’s. Many individuals are concerned about the sustainability of harvesting ramps. Of course, we want our ramp populations to remain sustainable as well, thus we carefully manage our harvests. We harvest from private land which allows us to rotate harvest areas. Additionally, ramps grow in clumps and we’re careful to only take about half of a clump while leaving the other half undisturbed. We’ve been implementing this practice since the very beginning and our ramp populations remain strong and healthy! With the future in mind, we have been planting ramps in a few wooded areas on our land over the past few years. It will be awhile until we can harvest from these areas, but they are well-established and we’re hopeful they’ll thrive into the future!
