Ramps

Have you ever eaten Ramps?

I promise if you like garlic or onions you will enjoy them. I think the biggest misconception about Ramps is that they stink. They do give off a unique aroma but it is about the same to me as sautéing garlic or onions. Joe can’t wait until April when the ramps start popping through the ground. We have started a little patch on or farm and are hoping to reap the rewards in a couple of years. He planted a couple patches several years ago but they didn’t really take off. We added to it last year and this year we saw that it at least doubled in size. You really have to manage your crop. If you dig all the plants in the spring and don’t let some go until July and August when they go to seed they will be gone. This is what has happened in Canada and now they are considered rare and a protected species. There are many area’s in WV where there use to be ramps that no longer have them because of poor conservation practices of greedy diggers.

2019 Harvest is Ready to dig!!!

Looks like it is going to be a good year!

"Happy Diggin"

Planting Ramp Seeds

Ramp seeds can take a couple years to germinate. The seeds are covered with a dense green membrane as shown in the picture below. I found these the other day while out checking our sumac (it is the middle of August here in West Virginia). They will dry and the membrane will pull away exposing the seed after this happens you can roll the seed out from the membrane with your fingers. The best time to plant them in our area is September or October. Scratch the leaves back in a shaded area and sprinkle the seeds on the ground and push them into the dirt a little. Next just wait…

*notice in the picture that the ramp leaves are dried up and gone the stem that holds the seeds is all that is sticking out of the ground.

Ramps as a tonic.....

Ramps are one of the first greens of spring and were considered a tonic used to cleanse the blood from toxins from winter build up. I can easily see this. Can you imagine being cooped up in your cabin all winter with only meat and a few dried vegetables to eat and by the time the Ramps pop through the ground in the spring you are so ready for anything green you make yourself a big pot of Ramps and have at it. The only problem with that is they can be toxic if consumed in large quantities because of the sulfides (niering). It can cause symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea hence a cleansing effect. Which after eating meat all winter probably did give a renewed feeling to your intestines. They were also used to treat earaches, a cough, and cold symptoms. The juice of the leaves where used as an insect repellant.

Click here for our recipe for Iron Skillet Steak

(we use dried ramps as a seasoning.)

Saving the Ramps.....

As I mentioned earlier because of poor management practices and the popularity of cooking with ramps in Resturants the supply of ramps has taken a hard hit. The Cherokee reservation Cooperative Extension group started a program to increase the availability of traditional foods such as Ramps by distributing the plants to local Cherokee families for replanting close to their homes.

WV Ramp Festival...

There are several ramp festivals in WV but the “granddaddy” of them is the Richwood Ramp .

Richwood is the home of the national Ramp Association according to the site this is the 79th year for the festival. There you will learn about former “Newsman Jim Cornstock who actually infused the ink used to print the NewsLeader with the smell of Ramps. The smell was so strong that the local Post Office asked him to refrain from doing so next year.

WV Ramp Farm...

There is a Ramp farm in West Virginia and they claim to be the only ramp farm in the world and it is located in Richwood. The G – N Ramp farm owned by Glen and Norene Facemire. I visited their web site not only can you find an abundant amount of information on ramps you can even purchase seeds and plants to start your own patch.

Disclaimer: All material on this site are provided for informational purposes only and should not be taken as a substitute for professional medical or health advice. You should never eat a plant that you have not clearly identified eating a plant that is not edible is dangerous.

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my cup runneth over.....Psalm 23:4-6

Dried Ramp Recipe

I had a friend tell me that she had dried some and loved it so of course I had to try it and she was right. It is a great way to have ramps all year long. I preheated my oven to 200 degrees turned it off. I chopped up the leaves, stem and bulbs and placed it on a cookie sheet then placed it in my warm oven over night and after they were good and dry I ground it with a food processor and then all I had to do was shake on the ramps. It is delicious. I will confess I have an older oven that still has a pilot light to help keep the oven warm if you don’t have an oven like this it may work better using a food dehydrator.