Wild leeks and foraging

Farrier1987 · Post by **Farrier1987** » Sat Apr 09, 2016 6:56 pm

Having grown up in the mountains of Alberta, foraging for edibles was a common thing. Mushrooms, berries etc. And wild onions. So much flavor packed in a small plant. Moved to Ontario five years ago, and old habits die hard. Found hawkwing mushrooms in the hardwoods in spring and other stuff too.

Last year I discovered wild leeks in a woodlot. (Also known as ramps.) Great in the first salads of the year or with scrambled eggs. Also dug some up and brought them home and transplanted in a shady spot. Out walking today and see them sticking up above the snow. So glad they look like they are naturalizing.

I read up on them, and takes five years for them to establish really well, so none from that patch this year. They say not to take any more than 15% from and established clump any one year, and that they are becoming somewhat endangered. Si I will just bide my time, but they are so good. And the whole family needs to eat them or no one. Then there wont be just one stinky one, everyone will reek, but nobody will notice.

Anyone else familiar with this or any other wild edible these parts? I would be interested in knowing about it. Here is a link to the wild leeks that I found really interesting.

http://www.macleans.ca/culture/hands-of ... ild-leeks/

Post by **Home Grown Poultry** » Sat Apr 09, 2016 7:27 pm

I found a small patch in the south west corner of the bush here, they were very small and I didnt take any. at the old place they were everywhere in the bush, no shortage of them there. I hope this bush is the same and that I only found that patch as it was getting the most amount of sun. id love to transplant some up near the house. last year I brought Lizzie a small harvest while out turkey hunting. they were delicious.

WLLady and Ross know more about the wild edibles around these parts than I do.

theres also morals although I havent seen any around lately. id sure like to spread those spores around in front of the big red barn thats always damp and never gets sun! but I need to find some first and then figure out exactly how to spread the spores.

Raspberries and black caps are prolific when in season, we hunt those down like a crazy flock of birds. with 8 pairs of hands picking it makes for easy work. now if only all those berries made it home HAHAHA!

Farrier1987 · Post by **Farrier1987** » Sat Apr 09, 2016 7:36 pm

Picked morels as a kid, buckets full. Grow mostly in or on the edge of woodlands, leafmold. But come up like hair if there has been a fire through. They pick and dry and ship to China and Japan and France on forestfire burns for about five years after the fire. After that the numbers go down and the pickers go to a new area.

What are black caps? What we called shaggy mane mushrooms? Grow in older manure, not much flesh to them? I have heard them called inky caps.

Post by **Home Grown Poultry** » Sat Apr 09, 2016 7:43 pm

black cap raspberries... mmmmm gooood all through the bush at camp. I dont know anything about mushrooms, I want to and wish I did... to many hobbies LOL.

Post by **WLLady** » Sat Apr 09, 2016 8:01 pm

We have probably 10 acres of wild ramps along the riverbank. I pickle some every year, lots of spring dishes with them and fiddleheads and morels when we find them.

Post by **WLLady** » Sat Apr 09, 2016 8:02 pm

Oh see the little blue pansies in farriers photo? Those flowers make a wonderful jelly.

Post by **Home Grown Poultry** » Sat Apr 09, 2016 8:08 pm

oh yes fiddle heads! those are very easy to catch

SandyM · Post by **SandyM** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 8:46 am

WLLady wrote:QR_BBPOST Oh see the little blue pansies in farriers photo? Those flowers make a wonderful jelly.

Ya? We have soooo many here

Post by **WLLady** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 10:05 am

Fiddleheads are the best hunting lol. I can definitely catch them!! I will see if i can find the wood pansy jelly recipe i have...its neat because the flowers are blue and steep blue but then with the thickening it turns bright pink lol.

windwalkingwolf · Post by **windwalkingwolf** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 11:04 pm

All sorts of wild goodies at our land. LOADS of wild leeks. Hubby eats them like candy, I'm not a fan but they're ok in stir fries. And where we find ramps, you find birthroot a.k.a. trillium, wild ginger, black raspberries, trout lilies, hickory trees and even the odd dewberry plant or two, though they like a more open spot. Around the swamp we also have bloodroot, various wild lettuces, cat tails, arrowheads, elderberry, and many more both in the woods and near the swamp that are at least useful if not particularly delicious.