How To Clean Leeks

Leeks are tasty but you need to learn how to clean them properly because they can be rather dirty since they grow in sandy soil. Learn all about: what do leeks taste like, what are leeks, how to clean leeks, how to store leeks, and recipes that use leeks!

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What are Leeks?

I love substituting leeks for onions in certain recipes. If you haven’t ever tasted a leek before, they are related to the onion and garlic. Leeks look like giant green onions and have a mild onion flavor.

Rather than forming a bulb, like an onion, the leek resembles a stalk or stem. They are composed of many delicate layers that are often full of dirt and sand, so you have to clean them before use.

You’ll also discard much of the leek because you only use the white and pale green portion of the stalk. The dark green part is tough, woody and often bitter and is better suited to your compost bin.

How to Select Leeks

When purchasing leeks, look for leeks that have a white stem and are crisp. Leeks that have withered tops, yellowing, or discolored leaves are less fresh and not ideal for using. Pass on any leeks that have mushy areas or look overly mangled.

Medium sized leeks are best rather than larger leeks which do not have as much flavor. Larger leeks may also require more chopping for use in recipes.

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How to Clean Leeks

1. Using a knife, remove the roots portion off the bottom of the leek just above the base and discard.
2. Then, cut the dark green, woody part of the stalk off and discard. You’ll only use the white and pale green portions of the leek.
3. Next, if your leeks are particularly large you may want to slice the white and pale green reserved portion in half lengthwise.
4. Chop or slice the leek halves as directed in your recipe instructions. Place all the sliced leeks in a medium-large bowl, one with enough room to add water.
5. Fill the bowl with water and submerge the leeks. Swish the leeks with your hand to help remove any sand or dirt embedded in the layers.
6. Drain the leeks and water into a colander. Give the leeks a quick rinse with cold water, swishing again with your hand. Remove from the bowl and pat dry.
7. Proceed according to your recipe instructions using the cleaned leeks.

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See? It’s not so hard. Cleaning leeks might seem like extra work, but really it just takes a minute once you know what to do.

The above is simply a quick summary of this tutorial. Check out the free printable card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.

How to Store Leeks

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Unwashed leeks can be stored in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator in the same bag that they came in from the grocery store. They’ll last about 5-7 days this way.

To prolong storage, I prefer to complete steps 1 and 2 of the cleaning instructions and then store the leeks in a plastic bag with a sheet of paper towel wrapped around them to absorb excess moisture.

How to Store Cleaned Leeks

If you prefer to clean your leeks ahead of time rather than the day you need to use them you can definitely do that. Here are my suggestions for storing cleaned leeks:

• Complete the cleaning instructions contained in this post.
• Make sure the leeks are dried well after their final rinse.
• Then, place the clean leeks in a zip top bag or an air tight storage container.
• You can also include a sheet of paper towel folded in half to fit in the storage container to absorb any excess moisture that might be remaining.

How to Use Leeks

Not only leeks are really yummy, they are high in Vitamin C, Potassium, and protect against heart disease (source: What are the Benefits of Leeks?).

Looking for some great recipes to prepare leeks now that you know everything there is to know about cleaning leeks? Here are some of my favorite leek recipes, but feel free to browse the ingredient index and check out all the recipes featuring Leeks.

What to Make with Leeks

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Butternut Squash and Kale Quinoa Stuffing is a fantastic vegetarian and gluten-free stuffing recipe that uses leeks. It is loaded with tons of veggies and flavors.

Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish created mostly from mashed potatoes and cabbage or kale. I took some liberty with the traditional ingredients and added mashed parsnips to the mixture and included two types of potatoes for varying flavors and richness, and enhanced the flavor with leeks!

This Spring Green Risotto is gorgeous and full of color as well as great spring vegetables – leeks, peas, and asparagus. I loved all the brightly green vegetables against the creamy background. You could serve this as a side, but we ate it as the meal itself. It was filling and packed with spring flavors.

Quiche Lorraine is the perfect springtime egg dish. It features plenty of leeks, along with bacon and gruyere cheese. SO good! I’ve also made a Quiche Lorraine Inspired Scone!

This Leek and Potato Soup is so good and simple! As simple and as satisfying as this soup is, I can only imagine how yummy it would be when used as a soup base like Julia Child mentions in her cookbook. I’m thinking broccoli and cheese would be delicious stirred in.

Don’t see what you’re looking for here? You can always head over to check out the recipe index to look for more recipes.

Who doesn’t love a good kitchen tip? Looking for more kitchen tutorials? Check out the entire Kitchen Tips and Tricks archive for lots of great ideas!

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