How big are your leeks?

I feel like I can only buy ginormous leeks. When a recipe calls for using, say, 2 leeks and some amount of another vegetable, the proportions of mine look nothing like the photographs.
So, what dimensions are leeks where you are? I can buy them in packs of three, with each one at a diameter of 1.5" and 12-16" tall.

Angela
  • Posted by: Angela
  • April 21, 2015
  • 16189 views
  • 5 Comments

5 Comments

PieceOfLayerCake
PieceOfLayerCake April 21, 2015
First of all....I was inappropriately amused by the question...so, thank you for that. Secondly, in most recipes, I feel like aromatics are generally to taste...so someone like me who likes a lot of onion, would use 2 large leeks, whereas someone who cares for only a hint may choose to use 2 small leeks. I tend to use my best judgement when reading recipes with vague size as a unit. And, just in general when it comes to following a recipe....it never looks like the photograph.
 
Angela
Angela April 22, 2015
Heh, that's certainly true, but a girl can try.
Mostly, I'm not really worried about it, as I quite like them, but I think that some dishes are getting skewed from the author's intentions and the leeks are drowning out other ingredients. It's not something I'm losing sleep over or anything.
 
ChefJune
ChefJune April 21, 2015
It probably depends upon where you buy them, and what time of year it is. Right about now, they are pretty young, tender and not that large. If you are finding great big ones, likely they've been sitting in a warehouse somewhere for a while, or are coming from a different hemisphere where the growing season is winding down. Local leeks are pretty small right now.
 
Nancy
Nancy April 21, 2015
Angela - usda nutrition data base estimates 1 leek gives one cup chopped. Start with that, add more of you lIke, note for futures. Also, you can freeze extras (raw or cooked).
 
sdebrango
sdebrango April 21, 2015
Depends where I get them really. Just got 3 leeks from my CSA (Farmigo) they were small. Before that I ordered them from the place I get my groceries and they were so big they could have been shade tree's. I don't know why some are so so large. The leeks I get at the farmers market usually fall somewhere in between.
 
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