Early April is the time many folks in the Blue Ridge plant white onion sets, and justifiably so as their mild, sweet flavor can enliven any entrée. But if you’ve been hankering for fresh white onion flavor, there’s another option likely living in your own yard… the wild white version. Both the domestic and wild one are members of the Allium genus, as are, for that matter, ramps, shallots, and leeks.
Bruce Ingram
Wild onions growing in the author’s Botetourt County, Virginia front yard.
I’ve found wild white onions as early as January during mild winters, but I’ve also discovered them in February peeping up through snow. But April is when they seem to explode in number, appearing not only in yards (and often unwanted in gardens) as well as fields, pastures, and forest edges.
Like the domestic version, both the stems and the bulbs are edible. Elaine and I’ve found the stems almost as mild in flavor as the domestic versions. However, the free-growing bulbs are considerably stronger than their garden counterparts, and I think the former is too “hot” to eat raw, say, in salads.
But wild onion bulbs and stems go well in any entrée where one might use cooked onions such as soups, casseroles, and egg dishes. So look for the clump growing wild onion this month, especially if you like onions with a little oomph to them.
Bruce and Elaine Ingram will profile a different wild edible every month. For more information on their book Living the Locavore Lifestyle, contact them at bruceingramoutdoors@gmail.com.