Asparagus can be canned, if you have a pressure cooker. (Pickling can be done boiling water bath.) If you have the freezer space, you might find you prefer it frozen.

It's a little difficult to find information on leeks. Onions less than 1-inch in diameter can be processed (again pressure canner), but leeks aren't mentioned, except for root cellaring.

Actually, you might have your best luck with leeks if you cleaned, cut in rings and dried them. I know home-dried onions are a world apart from any commercial products. Obviously they wouldn't be suitable for all recipes, but for soups and things where you want that special leek flavor, that's a good option. And again, you could certainly prep and freeze like onions.

Carol

Leeks are probably better if either dried in pieces or frozen.

This is the info I have:
Leeks are unfortunately not a good candidate for freezing unless you plan on using them in soups or other recipes rather than as a main dish. Freezing tends to turn them to mush and lends a bitter taste. If you decide to freeze leeks, cut into slices or whole lengths. Seal in airtight bags, freeze, and use within three months. To preserve flavor, do not thaw before cooking further. Use frozen cooked leftovers for soup within three months.

That's very helpful, Linda Lou. Did it say anything about drying leeks? We're growing some this year for the first time; I think most will get used fresh but I'm going to at least try drying a few unless you've heard recommendations against it.

Carol

Carol, it didn't say anything about drying leeks. I have never tried drying any, just have used them fresh.
Wish they were not so expensive here, I like them better than onions.

We had a leek, goat milk and gouda quiche for dinner yesterday. Yum!! Linda Lou, leeks are cheap here. I paid 32 cents for 2 big ones.

All the alliums in the garden are beautiful this year, a nice change from last year when both the onion and the tomato crops were pretty miserable. I usually dry lots of Walla Walla sweets because DH has a tendency to overplant. They are wonderful that way. If we have leftover leeks, I'll give drying a shot and post a report.

Carol

Leeks are dried and packed in a couple of the Knorr dried soup packets. They rehydrate quite well

do you have any leek canning recipes at all , i just went and picked tons of them off our hill and id like to can about 10 jars , one dollar per leek wow i have about have a 5 gallon bucket full

I am a big fan of dehydrating, besides freezing and canning. My experience is that with leeks, they are best preserved raw. I am right now dehydrating them, along with their foliage (the whole plant except for the roots) on the trays. I just cut yesterday afternoon two whole leeks, separated each leaves and ''bulb'', cut length wise to the size of my trays (a total of nine, about a square foot each). The thinner the leaves, the better and the faster they will dry. The temperature was set to 125 degrees F. This morning, I just pulled them out of the dehydrator, nice and crispy. I carefully mashed them into pieces after they cooled, in order to fit into my powder grinder. I did two loads. After the powder set, I opened the lid and poured it out into my glass jar. I don't even vacuum seal the jar since I use the powder within a year. I can use that leek powder to season my soups, my salad, my scrambled eggs... I proceed in the same fashion with onions, tomatoes, grapes (including the seeds with all their medicinal properties), cantaloupes, cranberries... The dehydrator is a very useful tool for those who opt for living a sustainable life. I hope you find this info useful!

Hel Ca, what do you do with the fruit powders?

Just a few uses For Fruit Powders

1. Mix with yogurt.
2. Mix with hot cereal.
3. Sprinkle on salads.
4. Breakfast smoothies.
5. Add to milk.
6. Make fruit flavored frosting and sauces..
7. Add to baked goods like breads and muffins.
8. Sprinkle on buttered toast.

Wow! Those ideas sound wonderful! Thanks so much for listing them. I guess I was not thinking creatively.

food-lover, always nice to hear about people interested in processing foods the healthy way. I mostly use my fruit powders in the Greek yogurt I make from my goat milk. The other good use is for my breads and for my cookies. The grape powders, particularly give a nice flavor and color, on top of all the valuable nutrients they contain (anti oxydants...) And when I have excess yogurt, I spread it on my dehydrator trays right after I mix in the powders. I end up with yogurt chips which are great snacks!

Linda_lou: By the way, leeks are very easy to grow and no bugs/pest go after them!!! And digdirt2, you go girl; someone knows how to play with the good food. Way to go!!!

And here I thought all this time that Digdirt (Dave) was a man :)

That's what the wife tells me. ;-)

Dave

I hope I didn't offend you ''digdirt2''. I had to pick between the two genders and I opted for the ''female'' one simply because most of my farmer friends who grow and cook are females... Just by habit...

I dehydrate leeks. Wash, cut in to 1/4" or so slices, separate the rings and dehydrate. I store the rings in jars and I also whirl some in a blender to make powder which I store in canning jars as well. I have rehydrated the rings and used in quiche and potato leek soup though I usually diced them up before I rehydrate. I use the powder a lot. It is great in soups. I also add it to breading/costing mix for fryin, it imparts a nice delicate flavor. It's also great for seasoning roast chicken, beef or steaks on the grill.

No problem Hel Ca. I know it is a unisex handle - just as yours is - which is why I always sign my posts with my name.

Dave

Wow leeks sure are expensive. I always grow my own. Started from seed indoors and transplant out. I grow 'Lincoln' and 'Lancelot'. I thought both were very easy to grow. I started so many seeds that I gave about 50 transplants away in May. I have all the Lincoln picked but still have 2 rows of Lancelot left in the garden. With our warm autumn this year, I hope to keep them outside for 2 more weeks here in SE WI.

My advise for those prices is to grow your own! They make wonderful leek & potato soup. Although cock-a-leekie soup is my absolute favorite way to use leeks. Creamed leeks are great too. Leek quiche? Sounds yummy. I suppose I should try freezing some of the crop for use in soups/stews but so far I find I can store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks after picking them. Usually I share a lot with friends who do not have room for a garden.

You can can leeks in vinegar 1 qt 2 qts water 1/2 c sugar 1/4 cup salt n boil it. Place leles in jars , pints n steam jars. WANT TO KnOW HOW LONG TO STEAM

Merrilee, there really are no approved recipes for canning leeks. What you are describing is a weak pickling solution. Current pickling approved ratios are equal parts vinegar to water as a minimum. As for steaming, again there are no approved recipes that I've seen, but you say steam and onions are pressure canned.

we go out and gather wild leeks in the woods we use 1/2ater 1/2 white vinegar place them in pint jars and put fresh lid on and store. we don’t cook or steam them to seal we also put 1/4 tsp of alum in the jars.