Last Updated on May 5, 2024
This weekend I spotted the first wild garlic of the season in my local Farmers’ Market. It’s a useful indicator for me, a novice gardener, of when to start picking from the tiny plot I have planted in my garden. I’d already noticed a few mature wild garlic leaves but had been postponing cutting any. When there’s plenty I make wild garlic pesto and freeze it in an ice-cube tray to use through the year. So early in the season though there’s scarcely enough for that, but, the very young and tender leaves are perfect for wild garlic butter
Wild garlic (Allium ursinum) is also known as ramsons or bear’s garlic. A wild relative of chives, onions, and garlic it is native to Europe and parts of Asia but can now be found in other regions. I know it best from the hedgerows and ditches in Cornwall, where at this time of year it starts to make an appearance, carpeting the ground with bright green foliage. A few weeks later, tiny star-shaped flowers appear – it’s really pretty (if somewhat pungent!)
Both the leaves and flowers of wild garlic are edible and have a mild garlic flavour. The leaves can be used raw in salads, pesto, or as a garnish. They can also be cooked in soups, stews, or as a substitute for spinach or garlic in various dishes. The flowers can be eaten raw in salads or used as a garnish. It’s full of nutrients – vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, and sulfur compounds and has a long history of use in traditional medicine as a remedy for high blood pressure and high cholesterol, or as a general tonic.
There are some fascinating legends associated with wild garlic thanks to its use in traditional medicine. The beautiful Wild Garlic Witch or Bärlauchhexe (literally bear’s garlic witch) lived deep in the forest. Known for her kindness and knowledge of the healing properties of wild garlic, the villagers often approached her for remedies for various ailments. However, a greedy and envious herbalist in a nearby village was jealous of her popularity and started to spread rumours that her remedies were bewitching the villagers and controlling their minds.
Fearful of the witch’s supposed powers, the villagers confronted her and demanded that she leave. As soon as she did so the wild garlic stopped growing and the villagers realised their mistake. As they pleaded with her to return, she cried – and where her tears fell wild garlic grew again. But, she wouldn’t return to the forest – and from that point on the villagers honoured her memory, recognising the healing powers of wild garlic and the importance of kindness and trust.
I’m not sure this wild garlic butter has any particular medicinal value, but it does taste amazingly good. You can make it with just the smallest amount of wild garlic as I did here. I had 12 grams of wild garlic – and used 100 grams of butter with half a lemon to make this recipe. I did add salt, pepper and a dash of olive oil to help stop the butter from burning. No cooking of course – this takes about 10 minutes to put together if you use an immersion blender as I did. Make sure your butter is at room temperature before you start – or soften it in the microwave for 20 seconds! Tear your garlic leaves rather than chopping them, zest and juice your lemon and season to taste. Seasalt flakes will help break down the leaves so it’s easier to make this dish with unsalted butter. If you don’t have any, then just use the smallest amount of salt. Even without the salt this is a very simple dish to make – if you don’t own an immersion blender, you could make it in a pestle and mortar too.
You can use wild garlic butter on top of a steak or under the skin of the chicken that you are grilling or roasting. It makes fabulous garlic bread too. It’s a lot milder than cultivated garlic bulbs so it works well as a butter to enjoy with fish – anything from salmon to this decadent ham-wrapped monkfish dish I made for my supper.
Wild Garlic Butter
Ingredients
- 10 grams fresh wild garlic you can use up to 15g per 100g of butter
- 100 grams unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 lemon zested and the juice extracted try to use an unwaxed lemon
- pinch salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make sure the butter is at room temperature and soft. If necessary soften it for 20 seconds or so in a microwave
- Tear the wild garlic leaves into a beaker
- Add the salt, pepper, lemon zest, oil and butter
- Blitz with an immersion blender
- Stir through lemon juice to taste
- Pile the mixture into a small ramekin and cover with clingfilm.
- If you are not planning to use this in the next few days, you can freeze the mix in an ice-cube tray and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months
Now why have I never done this? I always make pesto. Inspired! Can’t wait to try it
It’s great if you just have a few leaves!
This is such a wonderful idea – it really does taste amazing! I love this on potatoes!!!
It is too early for ramps to be dug here, but I am saving this fantastic idea for when I can get some. Brilliant!
Oh, I can’t wait for the wild garden that grows in my yard every year to pop up! Great wait to use it. Thanks!
I love wild garlic season. It makes a walk in the woods so fragrant! This butter is a perfect use for it.