Ideas for Wild Onions?

[HomesteaderWife]

We have a TON of little wild onions growing around here, and I know many of you love canning and storing food. Any good recipes for wild onions, or a way to store them? Also, is it possible to dehydrate them for seasoning? Thank you all!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I don't see any reason why you couldn't dehydrate them. If I had 'em - I'd try! Please let us know what you decide and how it turns out!

 

[Latestarter]

Ummmm I don't know this but have been told by very reliable sources... If you don't want onion flavored milk, do NOT let your milkable livestock eat those!

I agree with FEM... why not try cooking a dish that calls for onions and sub them in? see how they work... Then maybe try drying off a few. I imagine their tops could be used similar too chive as well. Maybe they'll turn out similar to scallions or green onions... Would also like to know how it works out for you. Thanks!

 

[Baymule]

The wild onions we have are yukky tasting things. I have tried the bulbs, they are very strong. You might want to actually try some and see if they are good. Then again, yours might be a tame variety gone wild. I got a start of clumping onions that remain small like green onions and was told they are "fencerow onions". Never heard of them, but they grow in fencerows on old places.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

These onions were found growing wild behind an old building (luckily no cows so we don't have onion flavored milk haha). No gardens have been there in the past, and we haven't grown onions at all lately. There are some smaller ones and a few larger ones in the bunch. Going to try flavoring a dish with them or even dehydrating some tonight. I keep wishing we had some tomatoes I could make spaghetti sauce with!

 

[Latestarter]

oh yum! Home made spaghetti sauce!! I made a huge one about a month ago and froze most of it... Might be time to thaw some out!

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Well, I am thoroughly confused now! My mother in law tells me that these plants come from her grandfather- they are supposedly some sort of GARLIC bulbs that were throw out and have grown! Any ideas on this? I tried to look up information about the differences between the wild onion and the wild garlic.

 

[Latestarter]

A smell and taste should make it readily apparent if it's onion or garlic... I've never seen garlic that didn't grow in cloves... the outside looks smooth like a single center with layers... Can you break/cut one open and see?

 

[Baymule]

I was about to say those have flat leaves and look like garlic to me. When garlic is ready to pull, the tops die down. And when you do pull them, they need to cure in the shade under cover for a week or two. Stick them back in the ground! And you can leave the small ones to grow bigger next year.

 

[goatgurl]

i thought the tops looked like ramps. don't know if they grow there but they grow wild in W.Va. they are kind of a cross between an onion and garlic. all i can say is try tasting one. don't know why you couldn't dry them for seasoning. i can tell you what not to do with wild onions... years ago i was making a lot of soft goat cheese and used the onion tops like you would chives so i had the bright idea to cut out the middle man, that would be me, and just feed the goats the onions to flavor the cheese as they made milk. bad idea!! latestarter is soo right. nasty flavored milk and worse tasting cheese. ok lesson learned. be sure to let us know what you do with them.