Food & Cooking Recipes Seasonal Recipes Spring Recipes Ramp Butter 4.0 (15) Making a compound butter is Martha's favorite way to enjoy this ephemeral spring food. Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 0 mins Total Time: 5 mins Servings: 8 Yield: 1/2 cup Jump to recipe Ramps are one of Martha's favorite spring foods. The foraged greens, which have an assertive, garlicky flavor and are members of the onion family, have a short window of availability, so you'll have to move fast when you see them at the farmers market or out in the wild. One way to use up your bunch? Make a compound butter using softened butter, finely chopped ramps (and their the leaves, too), salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Use your ramp butter on everything from slices of bread to steak. Go ahead and make an extra batch for the freezer, so you can enjoy the unique flavor of ramps all year long. 14 Spring Fruits and Vegetables You Should Be Eating Right Now Credit: Jason Donnelly How to Buy or Harvest Ramps Ramps are in season in the Northeast, Midwest, and South from April to May. Since they can typically only be wild harvested and not farmed in the traditional way, finding them—whether in at a farmers market or in the forest—is a real treat. At the Market When shopping for ramps, look for ones that have firm stems and healthy, vibrant looking leaves; they shouldn't look smashed, bruised, or limp. And since over-harvesting can have a serious impact on the plant's ability to reproduce, it's important to buy them from foragers who source responsibly and leave the roots behind. In the Wild You can identify ramps by both their flat, broad leaves (usually two per plant), a thin white or pinkish stem, and small white bulb. If you think you've come across a ramp patch, rub a leaf between your fingers and take a sniff: You should get hit with an assertive, oniony smell right away. Use a small knife or scissors to trim off the bulb just above where it meets the roots and leave plenty of ramps behind for others (and future harvests). You'll have the easiest time making compound butter with thoroughly softened butter. Cut the butter into small pieces and let it sit out for 20 to 30 minutes to come to room temperature before using. Directions Credit: Jason Donnelly Mix all ingredients: Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined. Credit: Jason Donnelly Shape into a log; wrap and twist ends to seal: Transfer butter to the center of a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper. While pulling the plastic or paper taut, push with a straight edge (such as a bench scraper) to gently shape the butter into an even log, pressing to remove any air pockets. Wrap the plastic or paper around to cover the butter completely, then twist the ends to seal. Credit: Jason Donnelly Credit: Jason Donnelly Credit: Jason Donnelly How to Store Ramp Butter Ramp butter can be refrigerated for up to 1 week. For longer storage, wrap it well in plastic wrap, place in a freezer-safe bag and seal, then stash it in the freezer for up to 3 months. 6 Ways to Use Ramp Butter Spread it onto crusty bread or a savory scone Stir it into a pot of steamed rice or pasta Melt it onto seared or grilled lamb chops, steak, or salmon Toss it with roasted, steamed, or boiled vegetables like asparagus, peas, or potatoes Spread it until the skin of chicken before roasting Use it in place of plain butter in your favorite garlic bread recipe 5 More Compound Butter Recipes to Try Steak Butter Seared Tuna Steaks With Caper Butter Radish Canapes With Black-Olive Butter Strawberry Butter Easy Steamed Artichokes With Tarragon Butter Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.