Wild garlic butter is really simple to prepare and very easy to freeze in serving sized portions. A really versatile butter that tastes great with grilled vegetables, fish, chicken or steak.
Wild garlic butter is one of my favourite things to make every Spring. Wild garlic is one of those ingredients that I look forward to every spring. Even better it’s free food as a forage wild garlic in the woods close to where I live.
This seasonal green is around for such a short period of time that I am always looking for ways to enjoy it well outwith the growing season. Finding ways of preserving the wild garlic is something I’ve worked on over the years and this wild garlic butter with lemon is one such idea.
Wild garlic butter is quick to make in less than 15 minutes. Then it’s just a case of chilling in the fridge for an hour before portioning up and popping into the freezer.
The butter is perfect left to melt over grilled vegetables and meat, my own favourite is over a medium-rare ribeye steak.
How to make Wild Garlic Butter – recipe steps:
- Take the butter out of the fridge and allow to soften a little at room temperature.
- Look out the remaining ingredients.
- Place the wild garlic leaves in a food processor and pulse to break up the leaves.
- Add the remaining ingredients and blitz in the food processor until it is all combined together.
- Alternatively, if using a bowl and spoon, add to the softened butter, along with the grated lemon zest and black pepper and give everything a good mix together to combine.
- Spoon the mixture onto some clingfilm or grease-proof paper and form into a sausage shape. Fold over the clingfilm and holding the ends together roll gently back and forth to form a regular sausage shape. Place in the fridge and allow to chill for an hour.
- Once the butter has been chilled it is easy to slice and can be used immediately. However if you wish you can slice the butter block, place the slices in a box and freeze until you need it.
How to forage for wild garlic:
If you fancy foraging for wild garlic it can be found growing in woodlands around the UK from March to June. You won’t find it growing out in the open, it likes to grow under the shade of trees, often in damp ground, so look in shaded woodland.
The broad leaves are vibrant green, and best picked young when they are most flavoursome, before they start to flower. That’s not to say you can’t eat the leaves once they are in flower, you can! In fact I eat these delicious leaves the entire growing season to make the very best of wild garlic while it is here!
Please take care when picking wild garlic to only remove the leaves, don’t pull too hard or you’ll remove the bulb as well and you don’t want to spoil next years crop. As with all foraging take only what you need and treat the site with care so you can enjoy it again next year.
Finally, if you fancy foraging for wild garlic please be mindful. Don’t pick from the side of the road as there is too much pollution here from cars.
What does wild garlic taste like?
Do not be put off by the pungent smell of this green, leafy herb. The aroma of wild garlic hits you well before you arrive at a patch of it and it can be quite overpowering! However, the taste is a lot more mellow than the smell wafting from a decent handful might suggest!
Wild garlic has a mellow garlic flavour, somewhat like a garlic chive. The flavour is far fresher and herbal, rather than pungent like a garlic clove. This makes it ideal for eating both cooked and raw.
Worth noting, wild garlic is best picked when young, before it flowers, that’s when it is at it’s most flavoursome. However, that’s not to say that you can’t enjoy it once it is in flower.
How to use wild garlic butter?
Wild garlic butter is really versatile and can be used in a variety of different ways. It tastes great when served on top of some grilled vegetables, fish or meat. Just imagine melting a pat over a juicy steak that’s just come off the barbecue on a summers day.
This butter works beautifully with potatoes, place a slice inside a hot baked potato. Or how about adding to mashed potato with some sour cream for a simple wild garlic mash that tastes out of this world!
Melt some over steamed vegetables for a great tasting side dish. The options are endless.
Wild Garlic Soup Recipe ingredients:
- Wild garlic is a great leafy green that cooks similar to spinach in that you just need to wilt it in the soup – no need for a long cook here. Although it smells quite pungent the flavour of garlic comes through a lot milder once cooked.
- Salted butter are added to the base of this soup, to thicken the soup without the need to add any flour. I think this results in a far lighter soup. Just take care to only add three medium sized potatoes, no more than that.
- Lemon zest pairs really well with the wild garlic and adds a great tasting citrus note to the butter. Lemon is entirely optional and if you prefer you can leave the zest out entirely.
- Black pepper is added to season the butter.
Can you freeze wild garlic butter?
Wild garlic is only around for a couple of months each year so I like to make the very best of it while I can. This butter also freezes really well and is a great way of enjoying wild garlic well outwith its growing season.
I like to make a double batch of butter and cut it into individual slices. I then place the slices of butter into an airtight container, with a sheet of parchment paper between each layer. Once frozen you can store this butter in the fridge for up to 4 months, allowing you to enjoy the flavour all summer long.
Useful hints & tips:
- Take the butter out of the fridge a good half hour before you plan to make this butter and allow it to soften. This will make it a lot easier when you come to combine everything together.
- A food processor makes light work of this butter and you can have the whole block processed ready for the fridge in 15 minutes. However, if you don’t have a food processor use a stick blender to blitz the wild garlic and then a mixing bowl and spoon to combine everything together.
- For a vegan or dairy free alternative replace the regular butter with a non-dairy option.
- Allergy advice: gluten free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.
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Additional recipe suggestions:
If you enjoyed this recipe then why not try some of our other wild garlic recipes:
- Warm Potato Salad with Wild Garlic
- Comte & Wild Garlic Tart
- Wild Garlic Soup
- Wild Garlic Chimichurri
Also have a look at our 5 Wild Garlic Recipes post which features our favourite ways to make the most of this delicious leafy green when it is in season.
Wild Garlic Butter
Ingredients
- 250 g salted butter
- 100 g wild garlic leaves
- grated zest of one lemon (optional)
- black pepper
Instructions
- Take the butter out of the fridge and allow to soften a little at room temperature.
- Place the wild garlic leaves in a food processor and pulse to break up the leaves. Add the remaining ingredients and blitz until it is all combined together.
- Spoon the mixture onto some clingfilm in a sausage shape. Fold over the clingfilm and holding the ends together roll gently back and forth to form a regular sausage shape. Place in the fridge and allow to chill for an hour.
- Once the butter has been chilled it is easy to slice and can be used immediately. However if you wish you can slice the butter block, place the slices in a box and freeze until you need it.
Notes
• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •
Janice
Wednesday 29th of March 2023
This is such a great way to preserve wild garlic. I served it with roast chicken and it was incredible. So easy to make too.
Lesley
Thursday 30th of March 2023
Thank you Janice, it is perfect with roast chicken, I often melt some over a grilled steak too.
Cat
Wednesday 29th of March 2023
I finally found some wild garlic and knew I wanted to make this recipe. I didn’t quite pick enough so I made a small batch to start off with but I’ll be going back asap to pick more so I can make the full amount. I need to have this stashed in my freezer so I can have the delicious flavours year round. Simple but incredibly tasty!
Lesley
Thursday 30th of March 2023
Thank you Cat, I'm really pleased you enjoyed this. I make this butter every year, so I can have a supply well after the growing season is over.