I’m not shy about how much I love growing alliums in my garden. Every fall I plant 220 garlic and each spring 500 onions. I harvest and cure them in my garage in mid July and in fall I transfer them to my basement to use throughout the winter so I never have to buy them at the grocery store.
Cooking at our house often starts with sautéing onions and garlic in a pan with a little oil. And we have a joke that when a recipe calls for one clove of garlic it actually means one bulb.
All that to say – I love alliums! But, for some reason, although leeks are also a member of the allium family, they feel like a different category.
I think that’s partly because although I plant them in April at the same time as my onions, when I’m harvesting leeks it’s fall, not July when I harvest the other hundreds of onions and garlic I grow.
But, this is also a bonus if you think about it. Growing leeks is a way to spread out your allium harvest. I actually love growing a fall garden, and leeks can sit in the garden as the weather turns cold and heads into winter.
If you’re not a big fan of garlic and onions (she gasps!), leeks, with their mild and delicate flavor, could be a better option for you.
As with all vegetables in your garden, it’s essential to know when and how you should be harvesting leeks, as well as how to store or freeze them for future use. Let’s dive in!