Garlic Scape Season: Harvesting, Preserving & Making Fresh Pesto 🧄
Garlic Scape Season is Here!
This is one of those short but wonderful garden moments we look forward to every year: garlic scape season. If you grow hardneck garlic, those curly green shoots start popping up in late spring and early summer, letting us know it is time to get out there and cut them.
Why We Cut Garlic Scapes
Garlic scapes are the flower stalks of hardneck garlic. They look beautiful twisting and curling above the plants, but cutting them helps the garlic send more energy back down into the bulb. Bigger bulbs underground and delicious scapes above ground? Yes please.
A Fresh Garden Bonus
We never let scapes go to waste. Their flavor is milder than garlic cloves, with a fresh, green bite that works beautifully in so many recipes. You can chop them, sauté them, roast them, blend them, or preserve them for later.
Garlic Scape Salt
One of our favorite ways to preserve garlic scapes is by dehydrating them and grinding them into garlic scape salt. It makes the best seasoning for roasted vegetables, eggs, potatoes, meats, soups, and homemade breads.
Cooking with Scapes
Garlic scapes are delicious cooked in either olive oil or butter. Sauté them until tender and slightly golden, then add them to eggs, potatoes, pasta, rice, chicken, fish, or veggies. Butter gives them a rich, cozy flavor while olive oil keeps things fresh and bright.
Our Favorite: Scape & Basil Pesto
Garlic scape pesto is one of the easiest and tastiest ways to use this seasonal harvest. It is bright, garlicky, fresh, and perfect for pasta, sandwiches, roasted vegetables, grilled meats, or spreading on warm sourdough.
I’d love to see your creations and if you have any questions, please tag me on Instagram @thehippiefarmer or share on Facebook. I'm not able to answer questions in the comments, but always love reading them!
With love and garlic breath,
The Hippie Farmer
Garlic Scape & Basil Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- 10–12 garlic scapes, chopped
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup pine nuts, walnuts, or sunflower seeds (Optional!)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash and roughly chop the garlic scapes.
- Add scapes, basil, Parmesan, and nuts or seeds to a food processor.
- Pulse until everything is finely chopped.
- Slowly drizzle in olive oil while blending until smooth.
- Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Store in the refrigerator for up to one week, or freeze in small portions so you can enjoy a little taste of scape season later in the year.
1 comment
Garlic scape pesto! I’m inspired and going to make this. Thank you so much for posting. I enjoy your fb posts and Love your homestead & store!!!