Garlic scapes have become one of my favorite spring vegetables!
And to think a little over a year ago, I didn’t know what they were.
In fall 2024, I planted hardneck garlic for the first time in my garden.
My neighbor across the street has grown garlic for years and shared some with me. I was excited about finally growing some myself!
The following spring, I noticed several gardening colleagues chatting on Mastodon about garlic scapes.
I wasn’t sure what they were talking about.
A quick search and I learned the long green curly stalks growing from my garlic plants were garlic scapes. The white bump toward the end of the scape is the bud.
Which, if you don’t harvest the scape, will turn into a flower.
Considered by many gardeners an early bonus (and special treat!) for growing hardneck garlic, scapes are an early notification your garlic bulbs will soon be ready to harvest.
Cutting scapes off your garlic plants gives you a lovely spring vegetable. And allows garlic plants to spend their energy on growing bulbs.
For me, I’ve now grown garlic for two years. I look forward to when I can harvest my scapes to eat raw, add to salads, or cook.
Garlic scapes are pretty special and something you’ll only find in spring/early summer at farmer’s markets. If you don’t grow garlic.
(I found one vendor at the Plymouth, Michigan farmer’s market that sells scapes. I’m not sure other vendors sell scapes.)
Quick note: I do cut off the bud and the rest of the stem above the bud.
One of my favorite garlic scapes recipes is a simple one.
- Cut the scapes into one to two-inch pieces.
- Heat up some olive oil in a skillet.
- Saute for a few minutes, while stirring quickly.
- Add salt and pepper while cooking.
- In the last minute of cooking, add soy sauce.
Yum!
