06/04/2026
Do you know what garlic scapes are? Garlic scapes are little curly offshoots that appear near the end of the garlic growth cycle. We like to remove the scapes so the plant can focus more on growing underground, but we don’t just toss these scapes away as they are edible and can be used in cooking! What can you use garlic scapes for?
You can sauté or grill them. You can cook them up whole in some olive oil and salt, or chop them up into little pieces and add them to a stir fry.
You can turn them into pesto! Mix the scapes with olive oil, nuts (such as pistachios), lemon juice, some Parmesan, and presto! You now have some pesto!
You can pickle them! You can add them to a salad after brining them whole.
What sort of taste can you get from scapes? Well, they have a strong garlic flavor with an onion-like texture when eaten raw. If you grill or cook the scapes, then the texture gets a little softer, but still crisp. They have a sweeter flavor that is similar to that of roasted garlic.
Why am I going on and on about garlic scapes? That’s because it’s something many people may not know about and it is something we should have available at our farm stand later in the season.
