Honey Vinegar Preserved Ramps

**By Chadwick Boyd**
Photo by Brooke Sleezak

The Easiest Way to Preserve Fresh Ramps

Ramps are wild onions that grow mostly in the Eastern United States. Their season typically is mid-April to mid-May, depending on the weather. They are hot ticket items in farmers markets and typically are snapped up fast.

Every year, I go ramp hunting with Allan Benton in the foothills of the North Carolina or East Tennessee mountains - depending on where the ramps decide to flourish that year. We carefully forage among the ramp patches to harvest only the most mature ramps. We leave the rest to ensure more will grow in the years to come. I haul a large bag of ramps back to my Test Kitchen and turn them into various dishes and condiments.

Most people like to chop up ramps and use them like scallions in dishes, such as quiche or stir fry. Others like to make compound butter or ramp pesto. I prefer to quickly soften them whole and preserve them in a mix of olive oil, vinegar and honey to have on hand for a couple months. The tender, luscious ramps are delicious spooned over grilled fish, roast chicken or in salads.

I like to give these preserved ramps to family and friends for them to enjoy on a charcuterie board. They are fantastic, too, spread on toasted bread with some garlic. You can find this ramp recipe also featured by AllRecipes.

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Chadwick’s Checklist

What you need to know before you cook.

Make sure the jars and lids are fully clean. I run them through the hot dishwasher beforehand.
Leave an hour or so after finishing the ramps to let the jars come to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator
I like to use assorted 8-to-12-ounce jars in differing shapes

Serves: Makes 3-4 jars Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound ramps, cleaned and trimmed
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1½ teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
½ teaspoon sea salt
1¼ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup honey

Directions

Place the ramps in a 12-inch skillet. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss with tongs to fully coat. Heat the skillet on medium-high and cook the ramps 3-4 minutes until the stems and leaves are gently wilted. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and toss to combine. Take off heat.
Using the tongs, transfer to two sterile 8-ounce glass jars with sealable lids. Tuck the leaves and stems into the jars with a table knife or spoon. Divide the remaining olive oil between the jars. Set aside.
Place the vinegar and honey in a small sauce pan. Whisk well. Simmer on medium heat for 7-10 minutes. Take off heat. Pour over the ramps to cover. Let cool to room temperature. Seal and place in the refrigerator for up to two months.