I've only heard of the wild ramps, an onion relative that is popular in the mountains of East Tennessee where I grew up. They were getting kind of rare in that area due to over-picking in some areas. They used to have a ramp festival somewhere near Gatlinburg. If you could get hold of some freshly dug plants, you might be able to naturalize them in an appropriate area of your property. I assume they spread like other wild onions....by seed?

Chuck

Member of the lily family, generally harvested wild from mountainous areas. Tasty when fried. Used to go to a private breakfast ramp feed in WV for fried ramps, country bacon, fried taters, eggs and biscuits. Only eat them if you plan to spend the next week with others who have also - no one else will be able to stand your odor or you won't be able to stand others odor if you don't eat them and they do.

Ramps grow wild in mountainous areas, and I believe they have very specific soil and climate requirements. I've never heard of anyone growing them at home with any success. They generate all sorts of festivals and ramp related activities when they are ready for picking.

Personally I think it's just something to have a party about, and didn't think they tasted good enough to merit their own celebrations. But I did like them.

I am going out in the morning and dig ramps in a friends woods. Ramps are a member of the leek family only more pungent. They make the best potato leek soup. You only need one cup of ramps to make a half gallon of the most wonderful soup with a bit of fried bacon, cream and butter. I can almost taste it now.

Where I am from, in Western New York near the Pennsylvania border, ramps are know as leeks. Wild leeks are nothing like garden leeks except that both are alliums. They grow in wooded areas where the soil has lots of leaf mold. At this time of year, leek dinners are put on by rod and gun clubs and other organizations. They are indeed pungent and odiferous. Leek breath can be overwhelming. When I was in grade school, the teacher banned one leek eater to the hallway because nobody could stand to have him in the classroom.

A few years ago, when I found a large, dense patch of leeks, I transplanted a bunch of them to a shady area at the rear of my city property where the soil is humusy and fairly moist. The leeks have thrived there although they have not multiplied enough for a good harvest.

The article linked below has a nice photo of a mess of leeks.

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Ramps (Wild Leeks)

Interesting stuff! I think I'll buy some if they are for sale next week, if only to get familiar with them so if I see them on a hike I can grab some.

Ramps can definitely be cultivated. As far as I know, this is the only commercial producer of ramps:

But you can definitely grow a patch yourself under the right conditions or simply buy in season.

Here is a link that might be useful: Commercial ramps

I found an area 2 years ago with abundant ramps. Unfortunately, it's on someone else's property, I was doing garden work there. I pulled a bunch for myself as well as the landowner (who hadn't known about them) and planted the ones with roots in my wood edge. I added lots of leaf mulch and they came back well. This year I added a bunch more. I figure by the time I'm too old to garden for others, I'll have a thriving crop here at home.

I made an asparagus/ramp quiche for the baby shower (my first grandchild) last week. Everyone was very impressed with my knowledge of the avant garde in foods.

I dug a 5 gallon bucket of ramps this morning. We're getting some rain now so I will put on my rain suit and work on the patio rinsing them off. I plan on making potato leek soup to take to the Farmer's Market on Saturday. Temperature will be in the mid 50's. The soup will make a good lunch served up in foam cups.

This is a very interesting thread to me. Over here we have a wild garlic, Allium ursinum, which is also undergoing a fashionable phase. It grows wild in damp and shady woods and is a weed in my garden. It is generally known as 'ramsons' but my 'Englishman's flora' gives 'ramps' as a local name in many areas of England and in Scotland and Ireland. Presumably settlers in the States took their local name with them and applied it to a similar American native.

Flora, I looked at Googled images of your wild garlic and it is very similar in appearance to our Allium tricoccum. I have no doubt you are right about the naming of ramps.

Jim

Ramp burgers are really delicious or if you put them on top of a hamburger

70 years ago our family lived in Syracuse and my parents took in roomers. There was an elderly woman and her younger working daughter who both roomed with us. It turns out both the older woman and my mother were from northern New York as kids.

So one meal they got to reminiscing about school time and how they got out of school in springtime. Their secret was to go out in the woods and dig wild leeks to eat and stink themselves up so the teacher would send them home. This prompted the elderly roomer to express about how much she loved wild leeks with the comment, "I'd walk a mile for a leek". There was just silence for about 5 or 6 seconds and then a quiet stifled snicker from one of the male roomers at the end of the table followed by an eruption from all the males at the table.

We never did explain that properly

I planted some in my woods years ago and have continued to enlarge the plantings. My woods are poor, sandy soil but the ramps have taken off. Ramps are much milder cooked than they are raw.

I dug a bag of ramps last week, in West Virginia, to bring to a friend who has been transplanted from WV to NC and hasn't had them for many years. He told me about how people also use them as a spring health tonic, sort of a detoxifier. To freeze them I've heard the best way is to clean them up, put them in a bag of water, and freeze the whole bag.

laceyvail, nice to know your ramps have taken off. I know people who have tried to transplant them but without success -- good to know it will work in the right conditions.