Question about garlic scapes

[Dak]

Looks like I have scapes starting to form, I'm guessing they're edible at this point, but at what point are they at their best?

[TomNJ]

Scapes are edible up to the point when they begin to get woody, usually as they straighten up. I pick mine when they are still in the curl and about 18" long. I have 400 hardnecks in the ground now so I'll be swimming in scapes in another month here is southwestern Virginia. Fortunately they keep a good one to two months in the fridge!

TomNJ/VA

[Durgan]

In 2012 I allowed about ten bulbs to retain their scrapes since I wanted some bulbils. Curiously the cloves from the hardnecks ,which had the scapes were more than perceptually larger than the bulbs with the scapes removed. I have always removed the scapes before they straighten out completely, using the much touted assumption that energy will be put into the cloves. Now I dispute this and will do some further testing.

This year I will not remove the scapes,allowing them to grow until harvest to determine if there is any advantage in this practice. Also I don't particularly enjoy eating the scapes.

[Father'sDaughter]

Ever since I started making garlic scape pesto, no one wants basil pesto anymore! And there's a really, really good recipe out on the web for garlic scape carbonara.

Like Tom, I also pick them while they are still curled and they do keep for a really long time in the fridge. I do know they sell for a small fortune around here at farm stands and farmers markets.

[bower]

Garlic scapes are so delicious, but even better, there were a few leftover scapes in my vegetable bin last summer that produced bulbils. I was amazed to see them produce these 'flowers' that spit off their little cloves while lying in a bin with no water or nutrients. I planted them in the fall, just took the kelp mulch off them this morning and yessirree, I have baby garlics. They wanted to be.....

[Dak]

So right now, they're at best 6 to 8" long, I should be able to expect that they will get a bit longer before they begin to straighten? So within the week? Last year I waited too long, some were a bit woody.

I think I will try letting one or two flower, just to see a garlic flower would be fun. The varieties I'm growing are Music and Burgundy, Burgundy is a creole garlic, no scapes. Organic garlic is expensive (with shipping), so I've been saving large heads of garlic from the year before, it really does keep quite well.

Interesting, Durgan, I will try and make similar observations on the ones I let flower vs cut. Sounds like a YMMV scenerio.

Can't wait to try some scape recipes! Thank you all for your help.

[rxkeith]

cut them before they start to straighten. once they start they get woody. music will from a scape about 18 inches long, and uncut will form many little bulbils about the size of a grain of wheat. getting full size bulbs from those little suckers is a three year process. i've done it just to try it. you have to be real patient.
i have noticed that my bulbs tend to be smaller if the scapes are left on.



keith

[Durgan]

http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/overview.htm A Garlic Overview

Garlic, the sweet breath of life! Research story about garlic.

[Tormato]

Originally Posted by Dak

Looks like I have scapes starting to form, I'm guessing they're edible at this point, but at what point are they at their best?

The point they are at their best is when they come in contact with your taste buds.

[Dak]

Originally Posted by Tormato

The point they are at their best is when they come in contact with your taste buds.

I made garlic scape pesto over the weekend, man, that's some potent stuff!

[austinnhanasmom]

Scape pesto is strong! You can tame it by mixing with basil pesto.

I harvested SO many scapes today, I am going to freeze some. What I did was rinse them, cut into 2-3" pieces and then drop them into boiling water for a minute. I then dropped them into ice cold water.

Now they are air drying and will be packaged, maybe 1/2 cup increments, because they are so strong, tomorrow for freezing.

I do this (except sliced smaller) with my Egyptian Walking Onions in the fall, added them to an emptied water bottle and whenever a (cooked) recipe called for green onions, I shook out some frozen onion slices. AWESOME! Good for chives too.

Tomorrow, I am also going to grill some full length scapes - olive oil and salt and pepper over direct flame.

I didn't take all of the scapes yet, so eventually I shall make these recipes (taken from internet):

White Bean and Garlic Scapes Dip yield – 1.5c
1/3 cup sliced garlic scapes (3 to 4)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, more to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling.

1. In a food processor, process garlic scapes with lemon juice, salt and pepper until finely chopped. Add cannellini beans and process to a rough purée.
2. With motor running, slowly drizzle olive oil through feed tube and process until fairly smooth. Pulse in 2 or 3 tablespoons water, or more, until mixture is the consistency of a dip. Add more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice, if desired.
3. Spread out dip on a plate, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with more salt.

Garlic Scape Risotto serves 4
2T olive oil
½ c chopped garlic scapes – sliced into ¼” rounds
1c Arborio rice
1/2c white wine
4 c chicken broth or stock
Salt and pepper
1/4c fresh sage – chopped
1/2c Romano cheese – grated

Heat oil over med heat. Saute scapes for 5 min. Add rice and toast for 1 minute. Add wine and stir. Heat the broth in another pan. Allow wine to fully absorb into rice. Begin adding broth, 1 ladle at a time until absorbed. Repeat for about 25 minutes and until rice is tender but al dente. Add remaining ingredients and heat 2-3 more minutes.

Edamame Basil Hummus
2 cups shelled, cooked edamame
2/3 cups garbanzo beans (chickpeas) drained and rinsed
Garlic Scapes - add to taste

1/2 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil


puree all ingredients in food processor

[Redbaron]

YUM!

[Dak]

How did I miss this post? Yum indeed, thanks for the recipes!

What a great thread! I just invested in several types of garlic to plant for the first time this fall. I had never heard of a "scape" and obviously had no idea what to do with one! Love this forum, I never go away without learning something new about gardening. Thank you all for contributing.

[joseph]

The advantage of leaving scapes on is that it is less labor, and the difference in size is imperceptible to me.

The disadvantage of leaving scapes on the plant is that they form bulbils, and bulbils can become weedy next growing season.

I leave scapes on because I am interested in growing pollinated garlic seeds, and that requires flower stalks.