Ramp Butter

Ramps do not last long in the forest and the green part of the plant breaks down within days of picking them.  In other words, timing plays a big roll in ramp eating so you have to act fast!  Though making ramp butter takes a good deal of time, I find it is the best way to preserve the perfect ramp flavor so I usually turn most of my ramps into compound butter.  Once my daughter finished hours of cleaning them for me, I meticulously dried each leaf and then chopped them in a food processor. 

I try to use more bulbs than leaves because the flavor is concentrated in the bulb.  But save the leaves!  They can be used in so many other ways. Use them like spinach and saute' them or throw them into soups, stews or egg dishes.

Once the ramps are minced, I add lemon zest and salt and pepper to them. This is about 2 lbs. of minced ramps with the zest of 1 lemon and approx. 2 tsp. of salt and 2 tsp. of pepper.

I like to use pink Himalayan salt along with flaky sea salt.

Then I mix in 6 lbs. of softened butter; I used Amish roll butter.  Mix and stir until you have an homogenized mass.

I use an ice cream scoop to make nice even balls which I can give as gifts and use on charcuterie boards or bread boards.  Each scoop is about 1/2 cup.

I roll the rest into 1/4 lb. sticks.

I place the balls on a sprayed sheet pan and freeze them.

Here they are right out of the freezer.

You just pop them into ziplock bags and place them back in the freezer and they last until the next ramp season.  I use ramp butter in all sorts of things. Since the ramp butter is seasoned, you can use them to make scramble eggs and omelets and you don't need to add anything more to the eggs for outstanding flavor.  I melt it and spread it on my pizza crust before baking.  I brush it on sandwiches and use it in soups and stews for a finishing touch that gives them a punch of flavor.  It is wonderful melted over vegetables too.  Use it with potatoes and rice and it seems like I could just go on and on! If you can't find ramps, you can still use this process for making other compound butters such as garlic butter.  None of this ever goes to waste.

Winnie said, 'Enough about all of this butter. Give me something I can eat.'