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    Home » Wild Herbs and Spices

    Pickled Ramps

    Published: May 9, 2018 Modified: May 13, 2024 Author: Alan Bergo

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    One of the greatest pickles you'll have, knowing how to pickle wild ramps is something every forager should know. The best part is that if you don't have a place to dig ramp bulbs you can pickle ramp leaves and stems as well and they're great. Read on and I'll go over what you need to know.

    What are Pickled Ramps?

    These are the bulbs of wild leeks harvested in the spring that have been pickled. They're best used for making condiments or using anywhere you want a pickled onion flavor. Leeks harvested at the end of the season will have the biggest bulbs.

    Pickled Ramps

    If you don't have fresh ramps you can use green garlic or spring onions.

    How to Pickle Ramps

    There's a few options here. For all of them, first the ramps are washed and cleaned. If you want, you can pickle ramp leaves too. You can also save the leaves to make ramp pesto.

    a jar of pickled ramp or wild leek leaves.

    Next you make a pickle brine by boiling water, rice wine vinegar, pickling spices like mustard seeds and red pepper flakes, bay leaves, black peppercorns, sugar and salt.

    To can pickled ramps to store in a pantry, the bulbs are packed into mason jars, then filled with hot pickling liquid and turned upside down. As they cool the jars seal like canning in a water bath.

    This method isn't approved by the FDA, but it is the only way to keep the ramps crisp unless you store the jars in the fridge. I've used it for many years. If you don't want to do that, use a non-reactive lid and store your pickles in the fridge as shown below.

    What to do with Pickled Ramps

    Lots of recipes describe how to make the pickles, but few explain how to use them. I pickle wild leeks specifically to make condiments like dips and sauces.

    pickled ramp aioli, pickled ramp tartar sauce,

    Mayonnaise, sour cream and yogurt based sauces are fantastic, and allow you to use both the pickled bulb and the pickling juice to make things like pickled ramp aioli. Use where you would tartar sauce, like with the fried perch below.

    Korean Pickled Onions (Myeongi)

    A variation you must try is Myeongi or Korean Pickled onions. My friend Linda Black Elk introduced me to these and I was blown away by how good they are.

    It's a soy sauce pickle that's very easy to make and uses the whole plant or just leaves with stems. Put the ramps in a bowl, pour the hot liquid on them, cover the bowl with cling film and cool, then refrigerate as illustrated below.

    The recipe is described in the notes. It's excellent with rice and fish, pictured below.

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    A jar of pickled wild leeks.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    4.04 from 27 votes

    Pickled Ramps

    A simple pickled ramps recipe. Yield: 3 pint jars of pickled ramps, depending on size and age.
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time30 minutes mins
    Total Time45 minutes mins
    Course: Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Pickled Ramps, Ramps
    Servings: 3 Pints
    Calories: 210kcal
    Author: Alan Bergo
    Cost: 5

    Equipment

    • 3 Pint mason jars
    • 2 quart sauce pot

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb Ramp Bulbs or as many will fit in 3 pint jars.
    • 3 cups water
    • 1 Tablespoon kosher or sea salt
    • ⅓ Cup sugar
    • 1.5 cups rice wine vinegar see note
    • 2 Tablespoons pickling spice

    Instructions

    • Wash and clean the ramps. Remove any remaining taproots from the wild leeks, as well as any dirty, clinging sheath. Remove the leaves and save for another purpose (they can be pickled too). Any healthy taproots can be planted in your yard.
    • Pack the pint jars full of ramp bulbs, leaving ½ inch headspace. Allow them to come to room temperature.
    • Bring the water, vinegar, salt, sugar and spices to a boil.
    • Pour the bring over the ramps in the jars right up to the brim (you don't have to leave as much room as you won't water bath can them). The brine must be boiling hot.
    • Screw the lids on tight, then turn upside down and allow to cool. After cooling, the ramps will be shelf stable just like if they were water bath canned.
    • Alternatively, store the ramps covered in their liquid in your fridge, without canning. They'll last a long time, at least until next ramp season.

    Video

    Pickled Ramps

    Notes

    Vinegars 

    It's important to use rice wine vinegar here. Apple cider vinegar, champagne or white wine vinegar can all make your ramps turn blue. 

    Sugar

    You can cut the sugar down to ¼ cup if you like, or use a substitute. 

    Myeongi (Korean Pickled Onions) 

    For the Korean pickled onions, use the following proportions. Put the whole ramps in a bowl, add the hot liquid and wrap the top in cling film to catch steam until wilted, then store in the fridge covered in the liquid. For one pint jar you'll need:
    • ½ cup soy sauce
    • ½ cup water
    • ½ cup rice wine vinegar 
    • ½ cup sugar
    • 6 oz ramps with attached leaves, or just leaves and stems
    • 1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns (optional) 
    • 1 small thai chili or equivalent (optional) 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 462mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 1529IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 3mg
    How long do pickled ramps last?

    Like most pickles, they'll last for a long time as long as the jar is sealed-I've used some that were 2-3 years old. After opening the jars should be refrigerated.

    Can you pickle frozen ramps?

    Yes, just substitute them in a pickled ramps recipe. They won't be quite as crisp as fresh.

    Can you pickle ramp leaves?

    Yes. You can do this by pouring hot pickle liquid over them in a bowl, wrapping in cling film until wilted, then transferring to a jar. You can also use cold pickle liquid to preserve the texture. Do not process them in a water bath or they'll be mushy.

    Why did my pickled ramps turn blue?

    This has to do with the vinegar. Apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, and white wine vinegar will cause pickled garlic and wild leek bulbs to discolor. If you use rice wine vinegar it won't be an issue.

    « Morels and Ramps Preserved in Oil
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alex

      May 14, 2025 at 4:57 pm

      For the rice vinegar do I use the “seasoned” (sushi) rice vinegar or does it have to be clean/unseasoned rice vinegar?

      Reply
    2. Brock

      April 27, 2024 at 9:37 am

      5 stars
      Excited to try these! How long should I leave them before opening to eat? If it matters, I refrigerated them. I did two jars of bulbs and one of leaves

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        April 27, 2024 at 1:35 pm

        They're fine to open right now. Often when I would make them in restaurants we'd use them that night.

        Reply
        • Bob

          May 13, 2024 at 11:20 am

          What does “T” stand for? Tablespoons or Teaspoons?

          Reply
          • Alan Bergo

            May 13, 2024 at 11:26 am

            Tablespoons are always a capital T. Since teaspoons are smaller, they’re always a small t.

            Reply
            • Bob

              May 13, 2024 at 11:46 am

              Thank You🙂

            • Alan Bergo

              May 13, 2024 at 5:52 pm

              Of course!

    3. Marge

      May 02, 2023 at 11:22 am

      5 stars
      This recipe is different from the one in your book but I think I actually like it more. Did you cut down the sugar?

      Reply
    4. Jeremiah

      May 01, 2023 at 11:53 am

      5 stars
      These turned out great. Thanks for responding to my email with all my questions too.

      Reply
    5. Stephanie

      May 25, 2022 at 9:10 am

      5 stars
      Last year when I made this, I cut down on the sugar by half (as I usually do) and they were delicious, but still felt like the sugar could come down a little more. I also added red pepper flakes. Love your recipes and pics!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        May 25, 2022 at 7:27 pm

        Thanks Stephanie. You can always adjust the sugar to your taste. This was the recipe we sold at Heartland in our market and cooked with on the line, so it has a special place in my heart. I like pickles with sugar and without, it just depends on what I'm feeling like doing. I don't like sugar in my mushroom pickles at all but with onions I usually do.

        Reply
    6. Ella

      July 23, 2017 at 2:43 pm

      Hi Chef Bergo!! Are you blanching the ramps in salty water (to prevent them turning dark) b e f o r e you add them to the spiced water? Or does that count as the blanch?

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        November 27, 2017 at 9:10 am

        Cooking the ramps in the water before adding the vinegar is the blanch, that way, no flavor is lost, so you can use the pickling liquid and it is full strength.

        Reply
        • Ella

          February 20, 2018 at 8:51 pm

          Thank you! (sorry it is so late)...

          Reply
      • Amy

        March 22, 2024 at 10:50 pm

        Alan, do you preferred harvest stage for pickling?

        Reply
        • Alan Bergo

          March 23, 2024 at 6:28 am

          Yes I like older ramps as they keep a better texture. Smaller ones are good but they're mild and can get mushy if pickled too young.

          Reply
          • Amy Passaro

            March 24, 2024 at 12:35 pm

            Thanks, chef! Excited to pickle this year. Appreciate your tips on sustainable harvesting.

            Reply
            • Alan Bergo

              March 24, 2024 at 3:48 pm

              Thanks Amy.

    7. Miachel | spiced curiosity

      May 16, 2014 at 7:48 pm

      Thanks for the note on blue discoloration. Will try out this recipe tonight, sans sugar. 🙂

      Reply
    4.04 from 27 votes (23 ratings without comment)

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