Wild Foraging: Ramps

It's ramp season! 

Ever since I discovered these delicious little leaves, I have waited not-so-patiently for them to pop up each year. Their time is fleeting, so we try to harvest enough each spring to get us through the year in the form of seasoning salt and compound butter. Ramps are such a special plant... they're high in vitamins A and C and have a wonderful garlic flavor, BUT they're also on the United Plant Savers At-Risk list. That means they need to be foraged responsibly. So... how does one responsibly forage for ramps?

*Only forage from abundant patches. If you only see a few plants, leave them alone! It takes SEVEN YEARS for one plant to reach maturity... give them the time they need to grow and spread.

*Only forage leaves, never bulbs. Trust me... there is just as much flavor in the leaves. The second you harvest the bulb, you have weakened that patch. When harvesting leaves, only take one leaf per plant, and make sure the plant has at least two leaves before you snip one!

*Harvest only what you need... treat ramps well and they will be there year after year for you to enjoy!

*My personal policy is to not take from more than about 25-30% of a patch... if I can tell I was there harvesting, I've gone too far.

If you love ramps, please spread the word about how to keep them thriving! Don't harvest them without education... hopefully, this post has provided that! Don't support restaurants that serve bulbs, and ask anyone selling ramps at the market how they were foraged. People who forage sustainably are happy to tell you about it because they love these plants! ? 

For more information on ramps and sustainable forest harvesting, follow @unitedplantsavers and visit unitedplantsavers.org. Happy Foraging, everyone! 

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