What to do with leeks galore?

[Odsox]

not sure why anyone would grow them in seed trays???

This is how I always grow my leeks MMM and they end up about 3 inches in diameter .. one leek is more than enough veg in a meal for two of us.
But you are right about the roots.
I sow mine indoors because they just don't germinate and grow fast enough if I sow them outside, one of the downsides of living here.
I sow them in seed trays and then prick them off into 8 inch pots, about a dozen to a pot, that gives them plenty of room for their roots and gets them off to a nice early start. I don't sow them until around the middle of March though, any sooner and you run the risk of them bolting before winter comes.

[Millymollymandy]

Maybe that's the difference, the others may have sowed from seed tray straight to outside?

Presumably you transplant them eventually into the soil, otherwise your dozen 3" wide leeks in an 8" pot could be a tad overcrowded!

[Odsox]

Maybe that's the difference, the others may have sowed from seed tray straight to outside?

Presumably you transplant them eventually into the soil, otherwise your dozen 3" wide leeks in an 8" pot could be a tad overcrowded!

Yes, sorry I missed that bit out.
I usually prick out four pots of a dozen, so 48 - 50 every year. They then get tipped out on the garden and teased apart before the roots are trimmed to about 2" with scissors and dropped into dibbed holes as normal, in a block about 8" apart each way.
I usually grow Musselburgh for winter use and for the past 2 years I have also grown Bulgarian Giants for summer/autumn use.

[Shirley]

On the subject of leeks...

I've just found a seed tray in the cold frame that didn't germinate last year - now though it has quite a lot of leek seedlings in it. Should I pot on and keep in the cold frame or put in the raised bed now? Will they all bolt, or will I get anything edible?

[Odsox]

On the subject of leeks...

I've just found a seed tray in the cold frame that didn't germinate last year - now though it has quite a lot of leek seedlings in it. Should I pot on and keep in the cold frame or put in the raised bed now? Will they all bolt, or will I get anything edible?

No problem Shirley.
Pot them up when the time comes as I posted above, then plant them out in your garden in late April/early May.
If they do bolt they won't do it until late autumn and they are still edible even then as the flower stalk is still soft.
Don't waste them

[Shirley]

Wouldn't dream of wasting them - thanks for the advice

[Annpan]

Well, mine were so pitiful I decided to move them today.... dibbing a large hole and filling with water, like Rosey said... I shall report back

[Jandra]

When I grew leeks and they stayed tiny it turned out that I hadn't fed them enough. Leeks are hungry plants!

Jandra

[Big Al]

I think most veg need blanching before they are frozen. Bung them in boiling water for a couple of minutes and drain well. I'd also recommend freezing them in portions - they'll be a bugger to chisel apart if frozen en masse.

Like someone said above, I just use them for anything I'd normally use an onion for.

I was told that any of the onion family just gets frozen on a tray then bagged with no blaanching... Not that i've tried it as we never get tired of using leeks.

My fave recipe other than the soup and with cream is a layered effect like a lasagne but with very thinly sliced poatoes then leeks then cheese then pots then leeks then cheese up to the top of a dish then dsmothered in cream and bunged in a hot oven for 30 - 45 minutes.

[Ovalina]

Oh you lucky thing - all my outside leeks had to be harvested last autumn as they bolted - weird weather we get here! I have a few overwintering in the polytunnel but like others only pencil sized!

All I do is chop up a portions worth, sweat them in a little butter, cool and bag and freeze. Then you just tip them into whatever recipe you want - they are a must for a good lamb and barley stew!

[Millymollymandy]

I shall try freezing some - I use small freezer bags for veg in the right size portions anyway so no need to freeze them on a tray. I never blanch anything as it's a lot of hard work and makes no difference when you cook them anyway! I've found out that French beans just don't cook from frozen whether blanched or not, just come out rubbery. Yuk.

[Millymollymandy]

Shirley - I have copied that risotto tart recipe to someone on another forum where they were discussing arborio rice (and finding it in France).

Today I dug up about 25 leeks to give to 2 x neighbours! I still have 2 rows left for us which we should manage to get through OK. Problem solved!

[Flo]

Have you tried looking on web for variety of soups and stews? Leeks can be used in almost any recipe for these that you can find.

[Millymollymandy]

Not recently, no! Haven't cooked any stews for ages but I usually eat leeks as an accompanying veg to something like that rather than put them in it.

Anyway I tried leeks sauteed in olive oil then drizzled with balsamic vinegar which was very nice! Don't know why I can't think of something simple like that......

[TheGoodEarth]

cock-a-leekie soup? Lurvley!!