A canning jar filled with quick pickled ramps and some fresh ramps lying beside the jar.

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Quick Pickled Ramps

These quick pickled ramps preserve the spring onions in red wine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt and pepper. The pickled ramps are ready to eat within an hour and last in the fridge for months.

Prep Time30

Cook Time5

Total Time1 30

Course: Sides

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings | 1 quart

Calories: 24

Equipment

A 1-quart jar

Ingredients

▢ 2 cups red wine vinegar
▢ 1/2 cup water
▢ 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
▢ 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
▢ 15 to 20 small ramp bulbs* (trim any small roots and the green floppy leaves and reserve the greens for sautéed ramps)

US - Metric

Instructions

In a deep pot, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice cubes and add just enough water so the ice floats.
When the liquid is boiling, plunge the ramps into it and make sure they’re fully submerged. Cook for 15 to 30 seconds, depending on how skinny or fat your ramps are, and then grab tongs or a small strainer and gently remove them from the pickling liquid and dump them into the ice water until completely cool. Remove the pickling liquid from the heat and let it cool completely.
Drain the ramps and pat them completely dry.
Arrange the ramps in a 1-quart jar and pour the room-temperature pickling liquid in over the ramps. The ramps need to be completely submerged. Store in the refrigerator and eat at your leisure. They're ready to nibble within hours although they keep for months in the fridge. The longer the ramps remain in the pickling liquid, the more pronounced the pickle tang.

Notes

*What are ramps?

Those of you who are unacquainted with ramps, allow us to explain. Technically known as wild leeks, ramps are actually a species of wild onion with floppy green leaves narrowing to a slender white bulb, and all parts of the plant pack quite a garlicky wallop. They grow only in select conditions and certain areas from South Carolina to Canada. Because of their fussy nature, ramps are only available for a few weeks early each spring in a handful of places. Typically only found at farmer’s markets, road stands, or by foraging them yourself, this makes them something of a delicacy and their devoted followers are quick to snap them up in obscene amounts during the short season. And that’s exactly why we think you need to learn how to preserves these beauties for later.

Nutrition