I’m not shy about how a lot I like rising alliums in my backyard. Each fall I plant 220 garlic and every spring 500 onions. I harvest and treatment them in my storage in mid July and in fall I switch them to my basement to make use of all through the winter so I by no means have to purchase them on the grocery retailer.

Cooking at our home usually begins with sautéing onions and garlic in a pan with a bit oil. And we’ve got a joke that when a recipe requires one clove of garlic it really means one bulb.

All that to say – I like alliums! However, for some motive, though leeks are additionally a member of the allium household, they really feel like a special class. 

I feel that’s partly as a result of though I plant them in April concurrently my onions, once I’m harvesting leeks it’s fall, not July once I harvest the opposite a whole lot of onions and garlic I develop.

However, that is additionally a bonus if you concentrate on it. Rising leeks is a solution to unfold out your allium harvest. I really love rising a fall backyard, and leeks can sit within the backyard because the climate turns chilly and heads into winter. 

In case you’re not a giant fan of garlic and onions (she gasps!), leeks, with their gentle and delicate taste, may very well be a greater possibility for you.

As with all greens in your backyard, it’s important to know when and the way you ought to be harvesting leeks, in addition to how one can retailer or freeze them for future use. Let’s dive in!

When to Harvest Leeks

In most gardening zones with 4 seasons, leeks are planted within the spring and harvested within the fall. In my Wisconsin zone 5 backyard, I plant my leeks concurrently my onions, mid-April. However, not like onions, the leeks will keep within the backyard for for much longer. Most varieties take about 110 days from planting a seedling to the harvest date. 

Leeks are usually prepared for harvest once they have reached roughly 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter and 6 to 10 inches in size. Nonetheless, you may depart them within the floor longer if you happen to choose bigger leeks.

As a result of they’re so chilly hardy, I counsel leaving them in your backyard for so long as doable within the late fall and harvesting leeks as you want them. In case you’ve grown so much, it will liberate area in your fridge. Some leek varieties are hardy down to fifteen levels F.

In case you stay in a hotter gardening zone, you could possibly plant leeks within the fall for a spring harvest. Verify your native college extension web site for advised planting dates if you happen to stay in zone 7 or greater. 

The way to Harvest Leeks

Like the opposite alliums, harvesting leeks is a fairly easy course of, however ought to be completed with care to keep away from damaging the plant. A lot of the leek sits on prime of the soil, but it surely does have fairly a thick community of roots underneath the floor.

Earlier than trying to tug out a leek, gently loosen the soil round it utilizing a backyard fork or trowel. This makes it simpler to extract the leek with out breaking the stalk.

When you’ve loosened the soil, attain down and seize the leek as near its base as doable. Slowly pull the leek upward whereas gently twisting it. This movement helps launch it from the soil with out inflicting harm to the stalk.

I like to go away as a lot soil as doable in my backyard beds, so instantly after harvesting, I exploit pruners to trim the roots on the base of the leek. I let the roots fall again onto the soil to interrupt down naturally.

I additionally trim the leaves again a bit, so they give the impression of being extra just like the leeks you’d purchase on the grocery retailer. You possibly can put the trimmings in your compost bin or simply depart them on the backyard mattress to compost in place. In case you like making your personal soup inventory, you may wash and save them for later. Extra on that beneath.)

As a result of I’ve an enormous backyard and harvest tons of greens, I don’t all the time wash my greens earlier than placing them into the fridge. Typically issues simply get thrown in baggage soiled and I cope with them later. 

However, ideally, attempt to spray the leeks off with the hose, particularly the half that got here out of the bottom, earlier than bringing them inside to chop down on the quantity of soil that’s makes it into your kitchen.

Due to the way in which leeks are designed, they have an inclination to entice numerous soil within the areas the place the leaves transition to the stem. I have a tendency to not tackle this till I’m in regards to the use a leek for cooking as a result of it’s an space that onerous to get to with out reducing the leek.

Photograph by Lucy Could on Unsplash

The way to Retailer Leeks

The largest mistake I see most individuals making once they retailer greens shouldn’t be putting them in plastic baggage. The fridge will suck the moisture out of your greens if you happen to merely place them within the fridge naked bare. I discover that is true even in fridges which have vegetable storage drawers.

If you need your greens to stay crisp and last more, retailer them in plastic baggage. At our home, we use the identical plastic baggage time and again after which recycle them once they’re too far gone to make use of anymore.

It’s not an awesome concept to position moist greens into plastic baggage, since there’s not a lot air circulation to assist them dry, so after harvesting leeks allow them to air dry for awhile or gently pat them with a clear towel earlier than storing them within the fridge.

Correctly saved leeks can keep recent for as much as 2-3 months. If the outer leaves get a bit soggy or begin turning yellow, merely peel them off and discard them within the compost. The internal a part of the leek ought to be simply advantageous for cooking.

Photograph by Hanna Balan on Unsplash

Freezing Leeks

Leeks are one of many greens I discuss in my e-book, Tremendous Simple Meals Preserving, that retailer for a reasonably very long time within the fridge. However, they do begin to go unhealthy after 2-3 months. When you’ve got an abundance after harvesting leeks otherwise you discover that those you could have saved within the fridge are beginning to go unhealthy, freezing is a wonderful preservation methodology. 

Though some articles on-line instruct you to blanch the leeks earlier than freezing, I don’t discover that it’s obligatory.

Right here’s how one can freeze leeks:

1. Clear the leeks totally and slice them into rounds or chop them to your required dimension. The white and light-weight inexperienced components are essentially the most flavorful.
2. In the event that they’re moist, give them a spin within the salad spinner to take away extra moisture.
3. Non-compulsory: Combine them with a bit olive oil in a bowl. 
4. Pack into freezer baggage or containers. I exploit wide mouth pint canning jars for freezing leeks.
5. Bear in mind to label the containers or baggage with the date, so you may maintain monitor of their freshness. Frozen greens ought to be eaten with one 12 months.

Freezing Leek Scraps for Soup Inventory

I like making my very own soup inventory for winter soups and stews. It has far more taste, and approach fewer components, than what you purchase on the grocery retailer.

I maintain a gallon freezer bag on the entrance of my freezer for storing meals scraps for soup inventory. I mostly throw in onion, garlic, leeks, carrot, celery, parsley, thyme, and rosemary into my bag. I don’t advocate saving any brassicas (broccoli, kale, cabbage, and many others) berceuse they will flip soup inventory bitter. You too can embody tomatoes, peppers, basil and different herbs.

In case you eat meat, you may embody rooster, beef or different bones (besides fish) as properly.

Once in a while once I’m in want of soup inventory I empty my scrap bag into my On the spot Pot, add salt, pepper and herbs if there aren’t any already in there,  and cook dinner it for 45 minutes. After it cools down, I pressure out the solids and pour the inventory into containers for freezing. I don’t use glass anymore as a result of I’ve had jars crack and break on me, even once they’re labeled “freezer secure”. I choose previous yogurt containers or different plastic storage containers.

Favourite Recipes for Leeks

Potato Leek Soup: make a giant batch together with your freshly harvested leeks and freeze it for a chilly February night.

Leek Fritters: We make numerous forms of fritters all year long. This can be a good fall one!

Finest Stuffing: We all the time make this recipe for Thanksgiving with our homegrown leeks

Roasted Cauliflower and Leek Soup

The way to Develop Leeks

Leeks are finest grown from seedlings in your backyard. I don’t advocate direct seeding. In case you begin your personal seeds at dwelling in winter, you should purchase a packet of leek seeds and begin them across the identical time as your onions. Early mid-February is once I begin mine in Wisconsin.

Plant your leeks about 4 weeks earlier than your common final frost. I plant mine in mid-April in zone 5, the identical time I plant my onions. Leeks thrive in well-drained soil and like full solar, however can tolerate partial shade.

I exploit the identical spacing as onions – 6 inches aside on all sides. Which means I can match as much as 6 rows lengthwise in my backyard mattress, relying on how huge it’s (mine range all through my backyard). 

Preserve the soil persistently moist however not waterlogged. Pay additional consideration to watering newly planted seedlings. I wish to water daily for the primary week or two after which I change to creating certain all of my vegetable vegetation get 1 inch of water per week, together with rainfall. Extra tips about watering your vegetable backyard the proper approach.

I extremely advocate mulching your leeks after a couple of weeks of development (they’re simpler to work round once they get a bit larger). It will assist retain soi moisture and suppress weeds over the numerous months they’ll be hanging out in your backyard. Learn extra about why I feel vegetable backyard mulch is the last word backyard software! 

You a lot have heard a couple of course of known as “blanching”. As leeks develop, you may mound soil across the base to encourage longer white stalks. I’m sort of a lazy gardener, so I by no means do that. 

As beforehand mentioned, harvest your leeks once they attain the specified dimension and have a white, agency stalk.

I don’t develop as many leeks as I do onions and garlic in my backyard, however I do wish to work 10-15 into my planting plan every year. I like that they’re harvested within the fall, simply when my backyard is beginning to really feel a bit empty. They’re additionally a kind of quintessentially winter greens, together with Brussels sprouts and winter squash. 

Now that you just’ve realized every thing it’s essential to learn about harvesting leeks, I extremely encourage you to attempt rising them in your personal backyard subsequent season.