What Are Ramps Exactly, and How Do You Cook With Them?

Spring is the high season for ramps—the culinary kind, that is. If you've never cooked with ramps, you're in for a garlicky, oniony, delicious treat. We're dishing out everything you need to know about this seasonal green that has developed quite a devoted following. To discover exactly what ramps are, how to cook with them, and a few more things, like recipes, read on.

What Are Ramps?

Ramps—aka allium tricoccum—are part of the allium family and cousins to onions, garlic, scallions, and leeks. (We promise they won't make you cry like a big ol' onion.) They're a wild plant that peaks in spring and typically grows on the East Coast along the Appalachian Mountain range.

As the temperature warms up, ramps quickly deteriorate, so make use of them while they're in season. To get the freshest of the bunch, look for ramps at local farmer's markets or natural grocers like Whole Foods. They can be pricey—thanks to high demand and a short season—and get even more expensive as the season dwindles, so stock up early.

What They Taste Like

Ramps are more flavorful than scallions and leeks but not quite as potent as garlic or onions. They add an earthy and savory quality to your dishes. You can eat them raw, but their flavor softens when sautéed in butter or cooking oil.

Generally, ramps' green tops have a milder flavor than their white bulbs, which are also edible. Like scallions, the green and white parts of ramps are typically used together.

Where Ramps Grow

Richwood, West Virginia (population 1,661) is recognized as the "Ramp Capital of the World." Celebrating this accolade, residents hold an annual culinary event in April called the Feast of the Rampson (another word for "ramps"), which draws ramps fanatics nationwide.

The region where ramps grow extends from northern Minnesota, eastward through southern Canada to Nova Scotia, and southward to Missouri and Appalachia. The further north you go, the later in the spring you'll find ramps, but this varies only by a few weeks. 

Nutritional Benefits

In addition to being highly sought after for their taste, ramps offer nutritional benefits that make us want them even more. For starters, ramps pack a hefty dose of immune-boosting vitamin C—about 18 to 25% of the daily recommended intake. Aside from keeping your immune system in tip-top shape, vitamin C also aids tissue repair and iron absorption.

Ramps are loaded with sulfur compounds, including thiosulfinates and cepaenes, which have their own impressive nutritional benefits. According to a 2017 study, some of the sulfur compounds found in alliums have been proven to effectively lower blood sugar levels and may safeguard your brain from age-related decline.

How to Store, Clean, and Freeze Ramps

Given ramps' short season, it's important to make the most out of these beloved veggies and keep them fresh for as long as possible. Whether your ramps came from a grocer, farmer's market, or your backyard, they'll likely arrive dirty. Here's how to handle them, from arrival in your kitchen to use on your cutting board.

Step 1: Store Them Dirty

Similar to onions and potatoes, introducing water to fresh ramps long before you're prepared to use them makes them deteriorate faster. It's best to store them as is, holding off on cleaning until just before you're ready to use them.

Step 2: Wrap and Seal

Ramps' oniony, garlicky aroma is spectacular, yes, but it's also super strong. Keep ramps sealed—as opposed to loose—in your crisper drawer, unless you want everything else in your refrigerator to smell and taste like ramps.

Wrap ramps loosely in a slightly damp (not soaked) paper towel, and then store them in an airtight container or zippered storage bag in the fridge. This way, they'll last 3 to 4 days.

If you insist on storing cleaned ramps—or if you washed them and then confronted a change of plans—dry the ramps thoroughly before storing them as described, and use them as soon as possible.

Step 3: Wash Just Before Use

Before eating them, ramps need to be thoroughly cleaned, as dirt can easily get trapped in them. To wash them, gently swish ramps in a large bowl of water (or the kitchen sink), allowing dirt to drop to the bottom. Repeat as necessary, replacing dirty water with clean, until you have nice, clean ramps to use.

Step 4: Freeze for up to 6 Months

Yes, you can freeze ramps to extend their shelf life for up to 6 months. Here's how:

1. Thoroughly wash ramps as described.
2. Blanch the ramps' green leaves for 15 seconds, followed by an ice bath. This treatment keeps the leaves from turning brown in the freezer.
3. After thoroughly drying the leaves, coarsely chop them, along with the ramps' bulbs and stems, which do not need to be blanched before freezing.
4. Set the chopped bulbs, stems, and green leaves on a baking sheet (together or separately) and freeze them for about 2 hours. This keeps ramp pieces from sticking together in a big frozen clump that's difficult to use later.
5. Gather the frozen ramp pieces into freezer containers or zippered bags to store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
   

How to Cook With Ramps

From their small white bulb that resembles a spring onion to their large green leaves, every part of a ramp—except the roots at the end of the bulb—is edible, whether raw or cooked. They add a bold flavor to soups, as well as egg, potato, and rice dishes.

Try substituting ramps for scallions or leeks in any of these recipes.

Brown Rice Congee with Kimchee

This recipe for congee—a rice porridge that originated as a Chinese breakfast staple—uses a slow cooker to break down rice into a pudding-like consistency. Use the white part of the ramps, thinly sliced, to flavor the rice as it cooks, and the chopped greens as a fresh garnish before just serving.

Turkey and Scallion Dumplings

Enlist ramps to sub for scallions in this recipe that transforms leftover turkey into an Asian-inspired appetizer. Ramps play a dual role here: They costar with turkey in the filling and flavor the sweet and savory dipping sauce.

Creamy Potato Soup

On a cool, stormy spring evening, ramps would pair with potatoes just as well as scallions do in this rich, creamy soup. Sautéed ramps combine with new potatoes, white wine, cream, and chicken broth to make this comforting dish that's ready in just 30 minutes.

Ham and Leek Quiche

Quiche and spring are made for each other, so subbing ramps for leeks in this recipe makes perfect sense. The ramps—both green and white parts—are sautéed with Swiss chard to start this classic French tart's filling, which is poured into a frozen pie shell (store-bought or homemade).

Corn, Leek, and Bacon Pancakes

Just because leeks have a starring role in this savory-pancake recipe, it doesn't mean that ramps couldn't do just as good a job. Sautéed in leftover bacon grease, ramps give this buttermilk-based pancake batter a distinct earthiness your family will love.

Shrimp and Spinach Pasta with Leeks

For a fresh, light, springy dinner idea that's ready in minutes, you can't go wrong with this recipe. Sauté ramps (instead of leaks) in butter. Add shrimp, lemon zest, cream, and fresh spinach, and then toss with cooked pasta. It doesn't get easier—or more delicious—than that!

Other Culinary Ideas

Need more inspiration? Consider these ideas:

• Slice ramps thin (like garlic or shallots) and sauté them to add zing to a springtime pasta dish, breakfast omelet, or rich pan sauce.
• Use grilled ramps as a creative pizza topping in lieu of onions.
• Pump up the flavor of a routine sandwich by adding grilled ramps to a BLT, Philly cheesesteak, or burger.
• If you have lots of ramps that need to be used ASAP, pop 'em in a universal pesto recipe.
• Make a savory compound butter or a jar of pickled ramps, both of which preserve their flavor well beyond April showers and May flowers.