spring onions

Get Your Hands Dirty: The Joy of Picking Your Own Spring Onions in the Netherlands

There’s something wonderfully satisfying about grabbing a bunch of spring onions straight from the soil—especially when you’re the one doing the pulling. Across the Netherlands, pick-your-own farms (known as pluktuinen or zelfpluk) offer these crisp, slender green-and-white beauties in abundance. No plastic packaging, no supermarket shuffle—just you, the sun (hopefully), and the gentle tug of a fresh spring onion.

The Art of the Pick

You can pick spring onions in the open field from April to October, with the peak from May to September. First rule: don’t just yank. A gentle wiggle and pull close to the base does the trick, or cut them at soil level with a small knife so you don’t disturb the roots of neighbouring plants. Look for firm, bright green tops about 20–30 cm tall and a clean white bulb of 1–2 cm—no sliminess. Yellowing leaves or a thickening bulb mean they are past their best. Fill your basket loosely and handle the leaves gently. Bring a small knife or scissors for trimming soil-heavy roots at the farm’s washing station—many have one.

Perfect for a Group Outing

Nothing beats a Saturday morning outing with friends or family. After picking, many farms have picnic spots—pack some bread, cheese, and butter, and you’ve got an instant spring onion snack (raw, sliced on buttered bread: trust me). Plus, you’ll leave with a bag full of future meals.

Back Home: How to Use Your Bounty

Spring onions are the chameleons of the kitchen. Use the white bulbs for a mild, sweet crunch, and the green tops for a sharper onion flavour. Don’t wash them before storing: wrap them in a damp paper towel, put them in a perforated bag in the fridge, and use them within 5–7 days. Wash them thoroughly just before use (soil loves hiding between layers). Here’s what to do next:

Two Recipes for Spring Onions

1. Spring Onion & Ginger Noodle Stir-Fry

Slice 6 spring onions diagonally—separate whites and greens.
Cook 200g noodles (udon or egg noodles). Drain.
In a hot wok, sizzle 1 tbsp oil, the white parts, and 1 tbsp grated ginger for 30 seconds.
Add noodles, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, and a splash of rice vinegar.
Toss for 1 minute, then stir in the green tops. Serve with a fried egg on top.

2. Roasted Spring Onions with Lemon & Parmesan

Preheat oven to 200°C.
Trim roots and dark green tips from 12 spring onions. Leave whole.
Toss with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, and zest of 1 lemon.
Spread on baking tray. Roast 12 minutes, turning halfway.
Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and return for 2 minutes until bubbly. Serve as a side to grilled chicken or fish.

So go ahead—grab a few friends, head to a Dutch picking field, and get your hands dirty. Your dinner will thank you.

C.V. De Horsterhof

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries

gelderland

At De Horsterhof in Duiven you pick your own organic vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers from May to October. The farm grows over 80 types of vegetables, including tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, beans, spinach, broccoli, fennel, pumpkins and sweetcorn, as well as seasonal herbs and flowers. You can also harvest olives, pears and mangoes when they are in season. The farm does not use pesticides or chemical fertilisers. You pay a fixed price for a season-long subscription, which allows you to visit as often as you like between Monday and Saturday, 08.30 to 19.00. The subscription costs €360 for adults and €110 for children aged 5 to 13; children under 5 go free. You bring your own scissors, knife and basket or bag. The farm provides guidance on what is ready to pick and how to harvest it. The subscription is not transferable, and you must continue to pay even if you do not visit.

Tuinderij Eyckenstein, Biologische groenten

vegetables, flowers

utrecht

Tuinderij Eyckenstein is a certified organic pick-your-own farm on a historic kitchen garden in Maartensdijk. From early May to mid-October, visitors can harvest a wide variety of seasonal vegetables, including carrots, beetroot, beans, courgettes, pumpkins, lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes, fennel, spinach, kale and more. The farm also grows soft fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and gooseberries, as well as herbs and flowers. The farm operates on a self-service basis during opening hours: Wednesdays from 13.00 to 17.00 and Saturdays from 10.00 to 15.00. You pick what you want from the fields and pay by weight at the farm’s stall, where you can also buy freshly harvested produce if you prefer not to pick your own. Payment is by card or cash. The stall is outside in dry weather and in the orangery when it rains.

Pluktuin Gewoon Buiten

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries

noord-brabant

Pluktuin Gewoon Buiten in Rijsbergen is a pick-your-own farm where you can harvest organic vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers from April to October. The vegetable season runs until the end of October, while flowers are available from July to October. The farm operates on a subscription basis for vegetables: you pay an annual fee to pick a weekly share of produce, enough for a household. Prices depend on the number of people in your group, with reduced rates for volunteers and those on a low income. Flowers can be picked without a subscription, with prices based on the size of your bouquet.

Oogstland

vegetables, herbs

drenthe

Oogstland in Zuidlaren is a community-supported regenerative vegetable garden where members pick their own produce. The garden grows a wide variety of seasonal vegetables, herbs and small fruits, including familiar crops like carrots, lettuce, beans, courgettes, pumpkins and cabbage, as well as less common varieties such as meiraap, radicchio and chioggia beetroot. Membership works through a harvest share system. For the 2026 season, a full share costs €325, covering weekly access from mid-May to mid-December. Members receive a weekly email listing what is ready to harvest and where to find it in the garden. Picking is self-service, available any day from sunrise to sunset. Children under five pick for free; older children pay a reduced rate. Members bring their own bags or crates and a knife to harvest without damaging the plants. The garden operates on trust, with guidelines to ensure fair sharing among all members.

De Wickevoorter Stadsboeren

vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries

noord-holland

De Wickevoorter Stadsboeren in Cruquius is a pick-your-own organic farm where you harvest vegetables, herbs and flowers directly from the fields. The main season runs from mid-May until Christmas, with limited winter harvests in January and February. You can pick daily from sunrise to sunset. The farm operates as a self-harvest garden (zelfoogsttuin), a form of community-supported agriculture. You pay a fixed fee at the start of the season and then harvest your own produce whenever you choose. Around 50 to 60 types of vegetables are grown each season, along with fresh herbs. A separate flower field is open from July to the end of September, where you can pick seasonal blooms. The farm also offers a vegetable crate scheme, with weekly boxes of seasonal produce available for collection.

De Hommelhoeve

fruit, vegetables, berries

gelderland

De Hommelhoeve in Empe is a small, nature-inclusive farm where visitors can pick their own seasonal vegetables and fruit. The farm operates a self-harvest garden, open to subscribers who pay a fixed fee for the season. For €375 per adult (reduced rates for children), subscribers can harvest fresh produce weekly from April or May until the winter, when supplies run out. The garden yields a variety of crops, including strawberries, peas, beans, fennel, kohlrabi, onions, lettuce, radishes, and herbs, depending on the season.