Spring, Ramps and Butter?
March 29, 2024Spring means ramps, and ramps mean celebrations!
A spring tradition – ramps!
Ramps, also known as ramson, are a native perennial to the Appalachian mountain region. These notoriously pungent greens can be found growing in shady, moist, deciduous forests all over West Virginia.
Used as a tonic in traditional folk medicine, ramps provided vitamins and minerals as one of the first vegetables available to harvest each spring. Ramps are a savory leek-like plant with flavors of onion and garlic. They can be pickled, dried, fried and used in all kinds of savory recipes just like onions and garlic. Festivals and dinners are held during the peak of ramp season during late April to mid-May. Once the forest trees get their leaves, the green ramp leaves die, leaving a flower stalk. Ramp flowers will emerge in June along with a seed head to ensure a good harvest for the next spring.
Each spring, harvesting ramps became a symbol to the end of winter, with communities all over Appalachia celebrating the ramp harvest with dinners and festivals. If you are interested in trying these regional delicacies, be sure to check out a ramp festival or ramp dinner:
Camp Creek Ramp Lumberjack and Ramp Festival
April 13, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Camp Creek State Park
Flea market starting at 8 a.m. with the Lumberjack competition and Ramp Dinner starting at 11 a.m.!
85th Annual Feast of the Ramson and Arts and Crafts Show
April 13, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Richwood Community Center
Come chow down on ramps, ham, potatoes, brown beans, cornbread and more, while we enjoy old-time music and and activities. Tickets are $20.
May 4, 12 to 9 p.m. at ACE Adventure Resort
The fifth Annual Ramp Festival at the Lost Paddle at ACE Adventure Resort. Menu items include Wood-Fired Ramp & Potato Pizza, Ramp O’roni Rolls, Ramp Quiche, Ramp Meatloaf & more. Plus live music featuring Andrew Adkins and Alabaster Boxer.
Bring some ramps home and try out this recipe:
Ramp Butter
One of the best ways to preserve ramps and add their unique oniony/garlicky flavor to foods is to make ramp butter. Once you’ve made the butter, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 4 months. The butter can be used as a spread on crackers or breads, or added to recipes and used for sauces or cooking.
Cleaned, diced and very aromatic ramps!
Ingredients:
- 2 Sticks of butter, softened
- A handful of ramps, cleaned and sliced
- Salt and pepper
Before you use the ramps, you will need to trim and clean then. Soak the ramps in cold water and
use your fingers to gently pull the leaves back to rinse out any dirt. Allow the ramps to drain and dry before using. Once the ramps are dry, finely slice or mince them.
Place the butter in a mixing bowl, and beat until creamy, then add the ramps and a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Mix for 1 minute and scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again until all the butter and ramps are combined. You can store the butter in a container, or scoop it out onto a piece of parchment paper and roll it into a log.
Have you tasted a ramp? What did you think?
