Garlic Scapes

A hard to find culinary delicacy with a short window of availability: the tender, curly, unopened flower stalk of hardneck garlic.

• Raw flavor: mild mix of garlic and onion, texture of young, tender asparagus

• Cooked flavor: becomes sweeter and more mellow 

• No waste usage recommendation: Both ends tend to be firmer and tougher than the middle section. We prepare our scapes by cutting off the flower end and a couple inches of the opposite stalk end. We finely chop or thinly slice the ends and use those for cooking where they will become tender. We use the tender middle area for any fresh uses.

• Our favorite fresh uses: fresh salads, pesto, garlic butter, fresh salsa, finely chopped on bruschetta, added to tuna or egg salad. 

• Our favorite cooked uses: for tender parts, we leave these in ½ inch pieces and cook into chunky dishes like stir fry, pastas topped with sauteed meat or veggies, or added to a grilled vegetable medley. Tougher ends we substitute the garlic or shallots of any cooked dish. 

• Storage: left uncut, wrap scapes in a barely damp paper towel, and place in a plastic bag - left partially open for ventilation - in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. Stored this way, garlic scapes will last 4-6+ weeks. Can be frozen for longer storage, but must be used for cooked dishes once thawed.