Harvesting and storage
Leeks are normally hand pulled after a skimmer blade has been passed under the bed to cut roots and loosen plants. They are normally roughly trimmed then stacked in bulk for transport to the packing shed. The crop may also be harvested mechanically.
Excess outer leaf sheaths are removed and roots trimmed in the packing shed. The tops of the leaves are trimmed to leave about 10 to 15cm of leaf, followed by thorough washing to remove all soil.
Leeks for the domestic market are mainly bunched (10 to 15 leeks), or packed in 36 litre cartons which contain 20 leeks. Small leeks can also be marketed as ‘gourmet’ leeks.
Good quality leeks have a long white shank (10 to 20cm), with only a slight bulb, a diameter of 2 to 5cm, a weight of 200 to 300g and dark green leaves. Large leeks are preferred for marketing. Leeks are longer, but with thinner shanks, in summer.
Store at 0 to 2°C and 90 to 95% relative humidity.
Acknowledgement
The original content of this page was authored by John Burt.