The abundant forests in our region are home to many edible plants including ramps. Ramps, also known as wild leeks, are a wild vegetable related to onions and garlic that are one of the first greens to appear in spring. Ramps are as known for their strong odor as their taste, and have been culturally significant in West Virginia and western Maryland for generations. Each spring dozens of communities throughout the region hold suppers, feeds, and festivals with ramps as the main attraction. Ramps are traditionally eaten with foods like potatoes, eggs, bacon, beans, or cornbread, but can now be found in almost any dish imaginable. We encourage you to attend one of these unique events!
2023 Ramp Dinners & Events
April 15 | Pickens Ramp Supper
April 21 | An Appalachian Extravaganza | Upshur County Library
April 22 | Feast of the Ramson | Richwood
April 22 | Wildflower Festival & Ramp Romp 5k | Yew Mountain Center
April 22 | Sutton Moose Lodge Ramp Dinner
April 29 | Camp Caesar | Cowen
April 29 | Ramp Cookoff | Deep Creek Lake State Park
April 29 | Ramps & Rail Festival | Elkins
April 29 | Helvetia Ramp Supper
April 29 | Levaisy Ramp Dinner | People's Place Community Center
April 29 | Mount Liberty Community Ramp Dinner | Philippi
May 6 | Erbacon Ramp Dinner | Cowen
May 7 | Frametown Ramp Dinner
May 13 | Hacker Valley Ramp Dinner
Dates may change year-to-year. Be sure to contact the event organizers to confirm. Did we miss any events? Email us at ben@afnha.org with info on any other ramp-related events in our region.
Collecting Ramps
The first rule of foraging is never eat anything that you have not properly identified. The best way to do this is to learn from someone who knows what they’re doing. There are several look-alikes that are not edible so be careful. Look for the tongue or rabbit-ear shaped leaves, red or white stalk, and white bulb. Ramps will always have a garlicky/oniony smell, other plants will not. Make sure you only forage on land that you have permission to use. Some public lands allow harvesting ramps and other plants, but some do not, so be sure to check with your local agencies. Please harvest sustainably.
The Monongahela National Forest allows collecting ramps for personal use when following these guidelines:
Collect ramps only in patches with more than 100 plants.
If you find a patch that has already been harvested, move on to another area.
When collecting ramps from a large clump, take only one-fifth of the plants. Leaving behind most of the plants will allow them to mature and go to seed, and the patch will recover faster.
If digging bulbs, use a soil fork or a small hand trowel and a knife rather than a large shovel. Shovels disturb the root system of neighboring ramps and other plants much more than these smaller tools. To dig ramps, loosen the soil with the soil fork or hand trowel and use the knife to cut the ramp roots beneath the bulb.
After you dig a ramp, cover the bare soil with leaves. This will reduce the likelihood of invasive species taking root.
Other Tips:
Wash your ramps thoroughly before cooking. The outside layer of the stem can be tough or papery which you can remove. Keeping them moist and cold helps them stay fresh. It’s recommended that you double-bag if you’re sensitive to the smell. Use a non-porous surface or container like plastic to reduce their smell when cutting or storing, rather than a porous material like wood. Try grilling/cooking outside to not stink up the house.
If you can’t find them in the woods you can often see them for sale on the side of the road. There are several businesses that sell and ship online. Many local businesses carry various ramp products like ramp salt, or ramp jam. There are several cookbooks available with ramp recipes.
Further Reading
We discussed the importance of ramps to communities in our previous exhibits “Exploring OUR Land” and “Plants and People”
Ramping Up The Flavor With Appalachian Forest NHA - National Park Service
Ramps are a stinky springtime specialty - Elkins Depot Welcome Center
Ramp Factsheet - Penn State Extension
Cultivation of Ramps - NC State Extension
Forest Farming Ramps - Agroforestry Notes
Pungent Provisions: The Ramp and Appalachian Identity - Material Culture
