EatTheWeeds: Episode 140: Wild Onions/Wild Garlic

[@thepoormansprepper]

We get hundreds of them in our yard every spring here in Missouri. We don't pull them otherwise then tend not to come back. Scissors however work fine for cutting the greens and they grow back next spring. We bring them in and dehydrate them. Almost all of ours will have hollow stems.

[@gypsy3257]

I'm up around Gainesville and they are soooo plentiful all over my little one acre farm. I love them 🥰

[@bobmarley965]

Beloved it grows wild here in the uk in essex, similiar but not the same. the onion bit is at the end under the ground but i havent seen any with the garlics at the top. will look out for them. i use the whole thing.

[@Sofiarivassculptor]

I can smell the wild garlic from here, did not know about that, thank you for sharing

[@NonieK2267]

I have these growing in my raised bed garden and a slightly different one. I bought two types of garlic chives with on package showing purple flowers. ,? I was so surprised when they grew these tops instead of purple flowers. I still have not figured it out.

[@michaelkennedy7569]

Exactly the video I was looking for! Those "bulbettes" are awesome raw. I oven roasted the lower bulb with a little olive oil. Delicious. Thanks for the post.

[@tubaljohn1]

Dean, thank you for the great tips. Because of you I have tried many things. I live in NW Indiana, and was wondering if you knew of any weeds that I should be looking for? I grow both garlic, and Chinese onions, but it would be great to find them in the wild. Thank you for posting this blog. It is very helpful.

[@carpetfarmer]

All over my from yard in central TX we picked about 100 before we mowed the grass today we have some green, some with deep purple cloves but most look just like that

[@question3613]

I just pulled what look like blades of grass up from my chives, and one of these "blades of grass" has a bulb on it! Smells like onion when I cut the leaves..

[@boskinay]

Dean, I live in Tennessee and wonder are these the same as what I find in bunches growing in my lawn? What I find look like chives and have a bulb as well. of course with mowing they never form those bulbletts at the top but are these the same thing? I have an old recipe for preserved vegies from the old Stocking Up book and it calls for wild onions. If these are the same thing I have them in abundance lol. Thanks and keep up the great work.

[@dkulikowski]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! A lot of time & energy go into your videos and I greatly appreciate it. Smiles, Lark

[@runlevelzer0]

Thanks for all of your videos. I live in Jacksonville and it's great to get to know some of our native (and not-so-native) flora. For several years now, we've been encouraging native plants in our garden and have several bunches of wild onion in our beds. They are very hearty and put on a beautiful display.

[@raheem8086]

Im from Jacksonville also if u ever wana trade seed or plants im down

[@Shuggies]

Loved this one especially as i do go along eyeing the wild onions and garlics. And just love to add them to corn bread and my fav hush puppies. And scrambled eggs and pototoe salads and on and on. Thanks. And love your show deeno !!)

[@andrewbarlow8937]

As a boy . We tossed them aside and called them ..... "Scunions" Ba ! Ha ! Ha ! Good Presentation ! 👍

[@groovesme]

Good news. I'm looking forward to future videos. -Mark

[@Chefianf]

As a kid we had a field that had something that looked very similar. About the same size, grew in the middle of a fallow field however, the bulbettes were very tight like a pom-pom around the size of a quarter. Same plant or another onion family plant?

[@nukeyourhouse]

I have thousands of these on my property. Smells like a salad every time I mow the lawn. They are, in fact taking over my lawn and I love it

[@colddrake80]

In Upstate NY I have found a wild onion that has a hollow, round stem, strong onion flavor and smell and are about 8 to 12 inches high. I don't know if that the same plant or a different species but they are good with salmon.

[@pattiannepascual]

wild garlic Allium vineale.

[@MonochromeMentality]

I love those. they are among the first edible greens in spring in my area and I use them with stinging nettle to make a tasty springtime soup! thanks for the video : )

[@EatTheWeeds]

The piano one? It came packaged with IMOVIE a few years ago. I think it is called "My Buddy." The short one is Electric Rodeo Medium.

[@Yessicuhhh]

I get so excited every time you post a new video! I just recently got a little wild onion tattoo, so this made my day :)

[@garygerow4822]

I live in northern central PA. and I go out and dig up leaks and use the onion like bulb in potato soup, vegatable soup ,chily.They are a little strong but good.You can also cook them with trout.Thank you for all your great videos.Keep up the graet work.

[@orionz51]

I have been waiting for many years to get a DVD set. Thanks! your videos are the best on you tube!

[@MarlaHughesFL]

Don't know if you're aware of it, but 241 between Jonesville and Archer has entire ditches full of them this time of year. They grow like grass, especially closer toward Archer near the Baptist church (around 83rd Avenue). You can also start on 24-71 and turn off on 241 between Archer and Newberry. Good luck. :-)

[@erik817]

Be careful to not confuse them with the death camas...

[@litaknowes7294]

Nice jazz. I live in N Fl .this year not as prolific as last year. But i love seeing them coming up

[@Singlewomensurviving]

I have these in my backyard. Meets all your ITEM requirements. My grandson helped me "forage" them. It was a blast. He was running around pulling the bulbettes seeing who could get the most. I didn't cook with them because, despite my research was still not sure. My instincts said they were edible.... and yes, I used the "shoots?" like chives for myself. Sniff, sniff, I think the rest were eventually discarded. I had to be safe. Now I/we can dive in and enjoy foraging them knowing they are edible. They are such a perfect plant. I once documented/counted over 30 wild edibles in my backyard. Lost count now. Your videos have meant a lot to me. The service you bring to us is so valuable it is beyond measurable. Thank you. P.S. I had the same doubts about those grub looking root thingies. I don't like shopping, so I think, tomorrow, I'll harvest some stachys floridana and my Jerusalum artichokes. P.P.S. I tried about 8 different ways to spell bulbettes and spell check didn't take them.

[@dustinplays4362]

Singlewomensurviving hey! I know another way to get them!

[@boskinay]

Thank you.... I will be harvesting these in the fall to use then. They are dense clumps and both smell and look like tiny onions. Thanks again Dean.

[@putneyfarm64]

Hello "cousin" Dean. Here in the Upstate of SC, we have a similar garlic which has naturalized in lawns. It smells heavenly when folks mow their grass. We live in the country far off the road, so no worries about car exhaust. Ours has hollow chive-like stems which are tender in the cool months, and we snip them into soups, salads, etc. I love to chew a stem or two while on walks. The bulbs of ours actually split into tiny cloves underground as they mature. We love them and we leave them where they spontaneously show up in the garden, because they make great companion plants; repelling or confusing would be pest insects from our other crops. They seem to go deep into the ground and always come back; even if you think you have dug the whole thing.

[@AllAmericanPrepper13]

Great video a big fan of would like to take one of your classes. I hope all is well and you haven't posted lately. I think your last video was a year ago..

[@jveazebeaze]

I love the suggestion of planting the foraged bulbs and bulblets. 'Tending the wild' is what the indigenous people of the Americas have been doing for 1000's of years and its this approach to cultivation that we have to thank for the great forests and fields filled human foods. Thanks for taking that tradition forward, Dean!

[@thetacountry4487]

Uh... no. Despite your liberal brainwashing, white folks have a tremendous cultural and culinary history of their own.

[@brandongarrettcryptozoology]

one of my favorite condiments to add to camp foods while im in the field

[@Florida-X]

When driving it’s probably hard to spot them. But they like damp ditches and so does Elderberry. So in end of April ( for North Florida) when you see Elderberry cream colour flowers by the side of the road check out grass. You might find them too.

[@Legend0222]

Just found your channel and very excited, my bf just moved and his new house has a bunch of these, we wanted to eat some bu I don't want to deplete the population so glad I found your video with good information!

[@ScottHead]

These grow each year under one of my fig trees, and they grow like crazy along a creek bank near by. Glad to find how useful they are, I did not know your could use the top portions. What is the danger of mis-identification? Is there a similar plant that is harmful?

[@greendeane1]

If it looks like a garlic and smells like a garlic it is edible. But you must have both.

[@veronicamoore9988]

I used to forage in N.J. and didn't think I could in FL. Pasco county because we don't have mushroom clubs etc. to forage them. So I am really impressed by your video I have the book "wild asparagas" that I used to try to find things in FL. I like your videos thank you.

[@cnypilot]

I foraged a bit of those a few years ago. Never had cloves on the top at the time.

[@TraderRoss]

I'm up in Jacksonville, spraying herbicide along 1-10 & found a bunch along the ramps

[@patiencekates5975]

Excellent! Thank you for the video

[@mizzpoetrics]

Pretty awesome! My daughter's school grew these this past summer, & I took a while guess as to what they were. I didn't think they were poisonous, since little kids planted them. Anyway, I noticed the strong onion/garlic smell & took a few+ seeds! Thanks for all the videos, I'm learning a lot!

[@EatTheWeeds]

For better or worse the audio has been the same for 141 videos. However, my camera died and I am getting a new one and I hope I can get a nice radio controlled mike.

[@rf-bh3fh]

EatTheWeeds They are everywhere. First found them in Tallahassee. Later in Michigan. They can be found in the woods to along the roadside.

[@abyssquick]

Hello Deane -- here in the north (MA) I find these growing irregardless of sun exposure (water access may be the more crucial aspect). The best patch I know of is in deep shade, sandy soil, on manmade downhill slopes. The large bulbs with thinner shoots/stems tend to be bitter (at least in spring) so I always collect the ones that are husky in all aspects. The bulbs are sweet, but I usually remove 1 or 2 layers as the fibers are tough.

[@hotwireman49]

I freaking love that song. SWEET!!

[@willmill409]

im so glad I watched this video because I was only eating the bulbs. ive been missing out on the rest of plant. I didn't know the whole things was edible

[@Sam-ul4zq]

This man is a national treasure

[@Jesses001]

Yes, those shoes do not provide a ton of protection. Whenever I am not at high risk of my feet being cut to bits, I ussualy go bare foot. I do not have a lot of feeling in my feet, so I have to be carful not to rip them up. I figured those may allow me to go mostly bare foot more often with less cut risk.

[@EatTheWeeds]

I liked his show and still have some of his cook books. His fall from grace was unfortunate.

[@jonathanmoreno3224]

I'm surviving off of wild onions dandelions and garden greens with pecans all for free and i feel great and healthy.

[@OrionFyre]

Dean. I love your videos. Do you know of anywhere to buy some of these online? I've tried to finx some locally but never found any. I'd like to grow them jyst because I looove garlic in all forms. Thx

[@jenniferantoon1949]

Thanks for the video

[@EatTheWeeds]

Could easily be. There are a lot of local variations. If it looks like an onion and smells like an onion you can eat it. If it looks like a garlic and smells like a garlic you can eat it. But, it most have both in each case. Looks and taste.

[@groovesme]

Are there any allium we should avoid? I have found wild onions and garlic but never certain about what is edible when foraging.

[@Jesses001]

I find them on roadsides a lot too. I often find them in really...bad soil, as in soil that smells like oil. I guess the runnoff from the road is why. Hey, you have those fancy minumal shoe things. How do they work? I have been thinking of picking up a few pairs, but they are not cheap, so I would like some feedback on them first.

[@queenelcene638]

ThankYou ❤

[@EatTheWeeds]

It's a small Buck single blade... handy.

[@maxrockatansky1271]

love your vids brotha. keep up the great work!

[@commonknowledge98]

How to not over harvest bulbs ? Does the top bulbs grow another plant? How are they reproduced?

[@rogerfritsch]

and thanks for posting all your info

[@KennethKramm]

Excellent. Thanks. I was looking for this information.

[@blaiseduggins2116]

Man I love your videos you remind me so much of my favorite chef the frugal gourmet Jeff smith!

[@tubaljohn1]

Dean, I also wanted to add that I have a post grad in Alternative Med, and I'm a Holistic Practitioner. Do you know of a good book that you could rec. on finding weeds/herbs in the wild? I grow about a dozen but it would free up space if I could find them in the wild.

[@EatTheWeeds]

They are almost ready. I am having them played by a few folks to find any file errors.

[@Tehstool]

Do we know if he was ever able to establish a wild onion patch somewhere like he wanted?

[@greendeane1]

I have some growing in a pot.

[@honeyridgehomestead3197]

Whats the best way to store them for long term use??? Can you dry the stem like chives?? Absolutely love your videos and I have recommended them to my class for reference sources! If you're ever in KY, I'd love to have you drop in and say at one of the classes!

[@honeyridgehomestead3197]

Central Ky.

[@williamquilitzsch4174]

Thought the video switched over to Food Wishes.

[@williamquilitzsch4174]

Hey Deane maybe youcould do a video with chef John and see what cooks up.

[@kokonutbaby1]

Those are all over my front yard..(on 5 acres wooded)..I wasn't sure they were edible but guess I will try them since they are such a nuisance. I'm constantly weedeating them down. Thanks for the information.

[@drabacal65]

Can they be found in Hawaii and are they like green onions

[@veggeeburgher]

That's the same song as in Pittsburgh Dad! What is that song?

[@AAHomeGardening]

Lovely, I have some in my backyard

[@greendeane1]

Lucky you.

[@nathalierocquin5603]

Hello, I live in Louisiana. 18 months ago we bought a hundred year old home. In the back yard of the house I keep finding what I believe to be wild onion/garlic. It has a very strong aroma. A few months ago I dug them all up and transplanted them in my vegetable garden near my store bought onions. a few weeks ago I decided to try and make a onion based stock with all my greens of the onions wild and store bought, yet when the stock was tasted it was awful like sipping boiled grass! I'm wondering if it was the way I cooked it or if it is not wild onion at all. to be safe my husband and I went back through our garden and removed the wild onions. could you give me some more information on how I can know the difference? I can provide photos of the wild onions that are still growing in the yard. They are actively growing next to my newly planted citrus trees. Would the wild onion have any flavoring effects to my citrus trees? Thank you in advanced for reading all my questions.

[@patrickdurham8393]

Whoa! The music gave me Chef John flashbacks!

[@gailreese4699]

Hello there . I found your sight by axident. I have been trying to find some wild garlic and wild onion bulbs . Do you know where I can buy some / I have been looking for years.

[@floridahiker1503]

If you live in Florida try Whitwam Organics. They sell wild onion bulblets. I see our native onion/garlic in the ditches where you can spot the flower stalk with the bulblets in May. They are summer and winter dormant.

[@gailreese4699]

@@floridahiker1503 Thank you I will check them out.

[@Charles1198]

I've never seen those around here, but we do have what I think is chives. About 12" talk, hollow stem. Taste and smell oniony.

[@Roarkethemerciless]

Why that all the wild galric that i found near a river had almost all the leaves brown and wither, before flowering (already purple unopened flowers) ? It was month of april. Now i don't see any.

[@alya4064]

Hi, how many days does wild garlic need to harvest from the date of budding or planting?! Can he handle high scores?Its seeds have been found sold on websites! Do you recommend growing it at home or not?!

[@greendeane1]

I put the cloves in the frig for a few weeks as it is not cold much locally. And even if you plants them in May they won't come up until December or so.

[@LSFprepper]

can the little cloves be dried/saved as seed, or do they need to be planted immediately?

[@greendeane1]

I've saved them in the frig for months then planted.

[@fouroakfarm]

Wish we had those; all we have are allium triquetrum

[@healingbyGod]

If I were to miss identify a herb or weed and ate it. Would I just get sick or could it do me in?

[@aratakitheoneandoniitto]

That's really interesting actually! I always see tons of wild garlic and onion but when I pull them up I was always confused with how small they were compared to the in store onions and garlic and assumed they must not be "ripe" yet. Good to know they are perfectly fine when that small. :)

[@kirkhupp8886]

They're same size& smaller depending on location etc...

[@aaronstarr1471]

If i were trying to grow these would i grow it from the "bulbettes"?

[@greendeane1]

These will grow from either the onion on the bottom or the clove on top. Thy are however, seasonal. If you plant them they will come up when they are ready to.

[@rf-bh3fh]

Have them in my backyard. They grow well. I use the tops like chives.

[@NotSoCrazyNinja]

I used to munch of those things as a kid and teen all the time. I love garlic and onion. These "wild" ones have a lovely flavor. I used to pick the leaves and eat them raw and occasionally grab a whole bulb and chew it raw. Never tried the things on top. Due to how difficult they seem to be to find in my area now (can't for the life of me figure out why they went from weedy to hard to find over the past twenty years), I want to find some and begin cultivating them as a crop. I figure that since they overwinter just fine, maybe I can plant them deep in loose workable soil and pluck them throughout the year whenever I want some. I just have to find some. I "think" I have some growing near my driveway, but I have never seen them bloom and have not "tested" them for smell, but the leaves look like what I remember. Was hoping to see them bloom as that would be a clear giveaway. When I moved here, my yard was basically full of wildflowers and some grass. Over the years, all the flowers have gone away except for dandelion and now it's mostly just grass and I've not really done anything to encourage the grass. I did get a surprise maypop this past year show up growing next to my house. I used to eat them as a teen too and haven't seen one since I was a teen until this year. It's weird, plant diversity seems to be changing in my area and some of my favorite wild plants are harder to find. Maybe I'm out of practice and just not looking in the right areas.

[@charlesclements4350]

Green Deane: Here in southern Virginia and North Carolina grows patches of small, dark green round, pointy, onions smelling plants that look like green onions. I am wondering if they are edible.

[@emmygemmy4549]

There are tons where i live in Arkansas

[@EatTheWeeds]

No, if it is an Allium it is good. But strenghts can vary.

[@CearaQC]

Then you are looking for what they call a ''top setting'' onion. I think the Walking Onions have something similar. It may not be ''wild'' but it grows in a similar way.

[@pattiannepascual]

mine all have hollow stems,so what are they? it's confusing calling them wild onion or wild garlic if they are 2 different plants?

[@greendeane1]

Onions and garlic are bothe Alliums, and what they are called vary greatly, these smell more like garlic than onions but are called wild onions.

[@lisachubrilo]

I have wild onion it looks like onion smells like garlic but mine is kind of spiraled or curly.......?

[@priscillasousa6214]

These must be excellent pickled

[@chunfu2]

Sounds really tasty!

[@tonybaloneys]

Good and correct info. The audio is poor and needs addressed.

[@thetacountry4487]

Wow you sound arrogant

[@litaknowes7294]

I gather them every year n use them in cooking and salads

[@janpenland3686]

We have a wild onion here in GA they call society onion. It looks like the flower 'Star of Bethlehem' only with a strong onion smell. Is it edible? I have heard both yes and no.

[@mytunes7401]

jan Penland I don't think the Star of Bethlehem plants have an odor and they do look similar.

[@janpenland3686]

You are right. But are the society onions edible? I have tasted them and they are very mild tasting and not bitter or any of the other signs that would mean toxicity so I'm guessing that they would be safe..

[@EatTheWeeds]

jan Penland Society Garlic is an ornamental from South Africa, Tulbaghia violacea. The stems are edible.

[@janpenland3686]

Thanks for the info. I never thought of onions and violas being related. lol! I'll have to forage my neighbors yards, but only with permission and from the ones not sprayed. They are very abundant in my neighborhood.

[@beardedsk8tr]

so onions and garlic grow on the same plant?

[@zachin7]

They dont, actually. The plant he is talking about is different. It's just a wild plant. The onion that you normally use is garden onion. Cullinary garlic is similar to the plant he is talking about but they aren't the same. (All to my knowledge at least.)

[@EatTheWeeds]

They are different. Smaller, stronger. Free.

[@fishfire_2999]

Anyone know what wild lettuce looks like in Fl ??

[@greendeane1]

There are four species of wild lettuce in Florida. You can read about them on the website of the same name as these vidoes. But if you are looking for Lactuca virosa you are 1) wasting your time because it is not opium like and 2) it grows only in a few counties in the U.S. none in Florida.

[@fishfire_2999]

Green Deane You mean its not growing in my backyard like the last 30 videos said it was ? That is what i am looking for, seems to be very little solid information on this topic . Other than George Washington used it but never was specific about particulal species, not giving up thanks

[@Bowtie41]

Why such concern with roadside plants?

[@aratakitheoneandoniitto]

Bowtie41 I would worry that, especially with a really busy road like he was saying it way, the smog and pollution being expelled from the cars could get "inhaled" and absorbed into the system of the plants. I'm not sure if there's any scientific studies about it, but I would generally stay away from roadside plants- similar to weeds growing in parks or areas that regularly get sprayed to hell with weed killers and chemicals.

[@annielou2010]

do you sell seeds?i tried to find it on ebay whith no luck!what color do they flowers bloom?i think i found it!

[@TheAverageWhiteGuy]

There are a few places online that sell the allium canadense seeds. I have a thousand seeds I got online from a rare seed website for less than 10$

[@JaySav916]

Lovin the vibrams

[@thehomeplatespecial597]

what does the word "Canada" mean or come from? It is part of this onions name...

[@9999plato]

Good music choice.