Last fall Maid Elizabeth brought home 3 pounds of garlic bulbs from a local farmers market. I planted what I could and canned what was left. The garlic flourished over our mild winter and has taken off in our warmer-than-usual spring. As I was weeding the garlic bed last week, I noticed that the scapes were getting large and begging to be harvested. Oh joy!
Garlic scapes are the flower stem of the garlic plant. It is necessary to cut scapes off the plant in early to middle June in order to encourage bulb growth rather than flower growth. Scapes really are the first harvest of the wonderful garlic plant. They can be used fresh or preserved for future use and are incredibly versatile.
Scapes should be harvested while very young if you are planning on eating them fresh. Before they start to curl they are incredibly tender and can be eaten raw, right off the plant. When they are larger, with a bigger flower "bulb" and have curled, they can be eaten like green beans, with a crunchy texture and decidedly garlicky flavor. They are wonderful sautéed with peppers and onions and can even be pickled.
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| Master Calvin cutting the last scape! |
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| Always use good olive oil! |
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| The olive oil completely covers the scapes |
Our scape harvest was only big enough for one fresh meal, so I opted to preserve the scapes in an attempt enjoy their sublime flavor long after the summer has waned and the garlic bulbs have been harvested. To keep their pungent, fresh flavor, I simply washed the scapes, trimmed the small end near the flower bulb and chopped the scapes in the smallest pieces possible. With Dragon Snack helping, we chopped all of the scapes and filled two canning jars to the top. After the jars were full, we poured good quality olive oil over the scapes and screwed the caps into place. The scapes will infuse the olive oil with wonderful flavor and be and incredible addition to pizza, pasta sauce and even garlic butter. The olive oil will preserve the scapes and become a gourmet addition to many future recipes.
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| Ready for use! |
Don't just enjoy your garlic harvest once when you can enjoy it twice by harvesting the scapes! Believe me, your taste buds will thank you!!
This is news to me. I'll have to plant some garlic now!
ReplyDeleteTimely post, Enola! Typically our summer is about three weeks ahead of yours but with the rough winter/spring we had this year we seem to be running neck and neck. Our scapes are just now developing, too. I never thought to harvest and can them. One question: Does the olive oil/scape combo need to be refrigerated or may it be kept on a shelf in the pantry? Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteMary Beth;
DeleteA few thoughtful reader wrote to let me know that I was mistaken about keeping the scapes on the pantry shelf! Please keep your scapes in the refrigerator (for up to 4 months). The links are provided and well worth reading. Happy harvesting!
Enola
As delicious as this sounds, it is also a recipe for botulism poisoning. Please rethink your storage method.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.livestrong.com/article/485148-eating-raw-garlic-botulism/
Thank you so much for posting that link! The scapes went into the refrigerator!
DeleteEnola
We harvested ours 3 days ago. It was bubbling on the counter this afternoon! Thanks so much for posting this! Glad I read the comment section! We poured out the whole quart!
DeleteIt's not safe to store fresh garlic in oil. I'm not being critical, but I want you to stay safe. Heaven knows I've made mistakes with food storage and I appreciate when someone helps me to keep my family safe.
ReplyDeletehttp://umaine.edu/publications/4385e/
Yes, I do to! Thank you so much for the link. I have canned garlic in the past and now will keep the scapes in the refrigerator! Thanks again.
DeleteEnola
We are going to plant garlic for the first time this fall and I had honestly never heard of scapes - thank you for an educational post!!
ReplyDeleteAfter returning from Church yesterday morning, I made an omelet with onions and scapes cooked in olive oil. It was very good.
ReplyDeleteGarlic scape pesto on pasta.... Yum
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to stop by and say thank you so much for all of your great posts. I haven't commented in awhile, but I always check in to catch up and enjoy the posts. It's like sharing a coffee with a great friend! Just wanted to say "Hi, and Happy Summer :-) "
ReplyDelete~Clare