Wild Ramps

by Kathryn Washburn Breighner

When I commented to Perry that we had done a version of one of his pizzas with wild ramps, he had to look up ramps to find out what I was using. Wild ramps are like a wild leek only smaller, with flatter leaves, and with a garlic taste. They are rampant in the woods--rampant ramps that would be--and with our long, cool, spring (freeze warning tonight and it's almost June), the ramps are just waiting for the picking. Ramps can be found as far south as Mississippi and as far west as Iowa.

Marty came back from the woods with a bag full of morels and a bag of ramps. Not a bad hike! Like an onion, ramps can be pulled from the soil. Last weekend, he brought home about 10 pounds of them. They are not the easiest to clean. When done, we had a huge stack of them and decided to pickle them. After a few hours of work, we had 18 gorgeous jars of pickled ramps on the counter.

This was the earliest canning adventure we've done. We are avid canners and in late summer and fall, we process hundreds of jars of various vegetable products.

I did two versions: one spicy and one dilly. These are the perfect cocktail accompaniment. We have been using the fresh ramps in risotto, sauteed with asparagus, on pizza, and in an amazing cheese grits dish with the morels.

For both canned versions, the ramps should be blanched for 30 seconds and then dropped ice water.

Dilled Wild Ramps

This makes 7 pints. Bring to a simmer:
5 c vinegar
5 c water
1/2 c salt

In the bottom of a pint canning jar, add:
1/4 t cayenne
1/4 t dill weed
1 clove garlic

Fill the jar tightly with the ramps, top with the liquid leaving 1/2" at the top of the jar. Process in a hot water bath for 15 min.

Spicy Pickled Ramps

This makes 9 pints. Bring to a simmer:
4 c white vinegar
4 c sugar
4 c water
3 T salt

To each pint jar, add:
1/2 t mustard seeds
1/2 t coriander seeds
1 t fennel seeds
1 t peppercorns

Pack the jars tightly with ramps. Top with the liquid leaving 1/2" of space at the top, process in a water bath for 15 min.