That evening chill is here once again in the mountains of West Virginia. The tree frogs have gone silent, the squirrels are scavenging nuts all day long, and the whitetail deer are chasing each other from dusk till dawn. A sure sign that Fall has arrived.
Fall is an excellent time to plant ramp bulbs. You can get them in the ground before the ground freezes and they will lay dormant until the longer days and warmer sun in the spring wakes them up.
Greetings everyone. I hope this message finds you all happy and in good health. It feels like it has been forever since I last messaged you, but it’s only been a few months.
I wanted to get a little bit of a head start on shipping ramp bulbs this year since I had a late start last year. This early in the season, the bulbs are still swollen from the summer months. If you’ve ever wanted to try pickled ramp bulbs or canned ramp bulbs, the best time to process them is now, when they are large. If you don’t want to pickle or can them, you can go ahead and get them planted now before your ground freezes. Once they are a couple of inches in the ground, they will survive any harsh winter mother nature can throw at them and pop right out of the ground next spring. Or, you can just clean them and cook them. There are plenty of options when it comes to late summer and early fall ramp bulbs.
As the spring of 2021 draws near, I can’t help but be reminded of this time last year, when everything was suddenly shut down, toilet paper was scarce, and millions of people were wondering what was going to happen to them. It was a difficult time for most people.
I made a tough decision to not ship ramps last year due to the problems that USPS was having getting packages delivered on time. As we all know, once ramps begin to leaf out, they are quite fragile after being harvested. A couple of days in the mail is all they can withstand before they start to wilt and rot. With USPS experiencing (sometimes quite lengthy) delays in package delivering, it was the choice that had to be made. Ramp bulbs, on the other hand, are quite hardy and do very well during shipping, even when they are delayed.
So here we are, knocking on the door of spring ramp season once again. The postal service has gotten better and delivering packages within their two day priority mail window, but they still haven’t got back to where they were in pre-pandemic times. Unfortunately for all of us, a tough decision has once again been made to not ship spring ramps this year. I do have an alternative to offer you this time, even though I understand it’s not ideal for everyone.
I have ramp bulbs that are ready to be planted. You can plant them directly in the ground, plant them in pots, in some totes filled with dirt, flower beds, or anywhere else you can think of. If your not planning on creating a long term patch and you just want some spring ramps, you can plant them just about anywhere you like and harvest them as soon as they start to leaf out or after the leaves get large. They grow very quickly. I’ve even grown them in my house (in flower pots of course) so I could have a skillet full before anyone else did. You will be able to have the ultimate fresh ramp experience by digging them up, cleaning them, and eating them the same day.
I hope that everything is back to normal next spring, and I can continue to supply you with freshly dug ramps. Until then, my ramp bulbs are available here: Buy Ramp Bulbs
I’m sure all of you that are reading this are aware that West Virginia is well known for it’s spring ramps. However, there are a few other foods that were made popular in West Virginia. At least, that’s what I’ve heard for most of my life.
Pepperoni Rolls
The classic pepperoni roll consists of a fairly soft white yeast bread roll with pepperoni baked in the middle. During baking, the fats in the pepperoni (which are hard at room temperature) melt, resulting in a spicy oil suffusing into the bread. Pepperoni rolls are typically eaten as a snack or as the main dish of a lunch either unheated or slightly warmed.
The pepperoni roll was first sold by Giuseppe “Joseph” Argiro at the Country Club Bakery in Fairmont, West Virginia, in 1927. The rolls originated as a lunch option for the coal miners of north-central West Virginia in the first half of the 20th century. Pepperoni rolls do not need to be refrigerated for storage and could readily be packed for lunch by miners. Pepperoni and other Italian foods became popular in north-central West Virginia in the early 20th century, when the booming mines and railroads attracted many immigrants from Italy.
Hot Dogs with Slaw
The perfect West Virginia hot dog is an exercise in balance. Compared to eastern North Carolina’s bright-red dog or the Chicago-style Vienna Beef, a West Virginia hot dog relies less on the sausage and more on the interplay of chili, yellow mustard, chopped onions, and cool, sweet coleslaw.
What food is your state best known for? Leave a comment below!
Just a quick message to let you know that we have plenty of ramp bulbs available once again. If you have been on the fence about buying some, now is a great time to get them. The weather has been great and you still have plenty of time to get the bulbs in the ground before it freezes. Once the ground freezes it becomes a little more difficult, but not impossible, to get the bulbs planted.
Hello everyone. I hope that you all are doing well. What a ride 2020 has been huh? I’ve had better years for sure. Hopefully it only gets better from here on out. Do you think that is just wishful thinking?
Enough of that nonsense.
It’s ramp bulb time! I have a supply of ramp bulbs that is ready to ship out. Now is the time to plant them if you want to grow some spring ramps. Just put them in the ground now and wait for them to grow.
I would like to start off with an apology. I know how many of you look forward to ramp season every year, and I am disappointed that I was not able to serve you this time. This is the first year in twelve consecutive years that I did not sell spring ramps. As a small business owner, it was heartbreaking, but I am starting to get everything moving again. I will say that most of us in West Virginia have been lucky, compared to what we see happening in our neighboring states. So far, my family is doing well. I appreciate all of your concerns.
Since I wasn’t able to provide spring ramps this year, I want to be able to supply you with all of the ramp seasoning that you desire. I’ve got a good start on it already, I’m just waiting for a few more supplies before I can move it out the door. Pre-order is currently available and I expect the first shipments to start going out mid June. The website is active so you can log on to buy your seasoning whenever you wish.
I hope you guys are doing well, no matter where you are.
