What You Should Know About Wild Onions
We have all read the wilderness survival manuals that put forth the illusion of the bountiful harvest of wild plants that await anyone who can find these delicacy’s of the forest.I’ve tried most of the wild foods suggested in the survival manuals, or at least those that grow in my area and most have no taste and the texture of a piece of wood. Trying to survive exclusively on wild plants for any length of time would be a sobering for some of these authors I’m sure.
Only a few variety’s are worth the effort of gathering and even then should only be used only as a supplement to other better tasting and more nutritious foods, don’t even think of trying to subsist on wild foods alone. It’s extremely difficult to gather enough calories to stay healthy, and plants being seasonal my not be available when needed.
That being said; one of my favorite wild foods is the wild onion, it is easy to find having that familiar onion smell. They can be used in the same ways as onions from the store or those from the garden and taste nearly identical, yet most people regard them as weeds.
Early spring is the best time to gather because later in the summer the green bits get stringer becoming more difficult to digest. In summer, after the tops of the plants die back, you can still find the bulbs in the ground – these can be pickled to make mini pickled onions.
Harvesting Tips
Pulling the plants by hand is not difficult but a lot of the bulbs will be lost because of the tops being broken leaving the bulbs in the ground. I dig most of mine with a small garden trowel, shove it into the soil about two inches back from the base of the plants and pry out with an upward motion.
Storage
Keeps in refrigerator for several days, and for several months in the freezer. They are also easy to dry using a large sewing needle and fishing line to connect a number of plants together, and hanging in a dry place away from direct sunlight. Plant cured this way will keep for months if kept dry.
Serving Suggestions
Use in the same ways you would regular onions. I like to fry mine on the stove top and mix with a chopped baked potato. A meal of wild onions and fried squirrel is a delight. They can also be eaten raw.
Nutritional properties
Onions are said to be high in Vitamin C, phosphorus and iron, and chlorophyl.
Medicinal properties
Onion and garlic are both well-known anti-microbial, immune system boosters and are reported to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
WILD ONIONS AND EGGS
16-20 wild onions
1/4 c. water
6 eggs
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. milk
Spices of choice
1. Chop 16-18 thin onions. Put in the frying pan and add water. Boil the onions; do not let them cook dry. After 5 minutes, drain the onions.
2. Melt the butter in the pan. Scramble the eggs and milk in the butter and onions.
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March 20th, 2010 at 10:52 AM
Not just the Wild Onion that’s good Wild Food, the closely related Ramsons are very good too!!
Smells like… Smells like Wild Garlic in the Springtime
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