What Are Garlic Scapes? – How to Use Garlic Scapes

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garlic scapes

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Just as ramps season comes to a close and we’ve eaten enough scallions from early spring to get us through the rest of the season, we’re heading back to the farmers’ market to see what the late spring and early summer harvest can bring us. Among rows of asparagus, spring lettuces, and the final moments of strawberries and rhubarb is a lesser-known vegetable called garlic scapes that may seriously shake up your seasonal cooking. Here’s everything you need to know.

What are garlic scapes?

If you’ve ever seen long green, slightly curly tubular plants in a bundle at the farmers’ market that smell slightly like garlic, you’ve likely seen a garlic scape. They can sometimes even look like green beans, says Lee Jones, a farmer behind The Chef’s Garden.

Garlic scapes are a by-product of garlic, explains Lawrence Tse, farm manager at Dig. The scape you see at markets is actually the flower of a variety of garlic called hard neck garlic. Farmers will often rip off the long green scape and flower so that the plant can concentrate the growing energy on making a flavorful bulb at the base of the plant, he says. But you can actually eat both the green scape and the beautiful purple flower at the top.

The vegetable itself has a mild, sweet garlic flavor and a slight crunch, Tse says. Juliet Glass, director of communications at FRESHFARM, a non-profit that operates producer-only farmers’ markets in the Mid-Atlantic region adds that they have a lighter, grassier taste than garlic and are great for people who want an herbaceous addition to meals or don’t love a strong garlic flavor.

“They’re really fun, so don’t miss out,” Glass says. “They’re only around one time of year.”

Are there health benefits to garlic scapes?

Garlic scapes have a very similar nutritional profile to the cloves themselves, explains Jessica Levinson M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N., culinary nutrition and communications dietitian based in New York.

“Garlic scapes come from garlic, so they contain the same nutrients like antioxidants Allicin, vitamin C, and selenium, all of which are involved in heart health,” she notes.

People throughout history have turned to garlic to treat many different conditions and even considered it an option to improve strength and performance. Other research suggests garlic has heart health benefits and can help support the immune system against colds and viruses.

Where can you get garlic scapes?

You may be a little familiar with garlic scapes now, but it’s only been in the last five or so years that they’ve begun to spring up in large quantities in your local farmers’ market, says Debra Moser, co-founder of Central Farm Markets in Washington D.C.

Most grocery stores won’t have them in stock, in part because they’re labor-intensive, but also because much of the garlic we see in American grocery stores actually comes from China, she notes. The variety they grow there, and the effort to ship the scapes with the garlic bulb make it very unlikely anywhere but a farmers’ market will sell garlic scapes. Tse adds that most grocery store garlic is a variety called soft neck garlic, which is easier to grow and store longer, but they don’t produce scapes.

Instead, you’ll likely see the green tubes sold in bunches from mid-May through June at your local farmers’ market, Moser says.

So, why are they so popular now? Tse hypothesizes that farmers have always used scapes, but they realized recently that it’s a versatile product they can sell and encourage consumers to use. That way, farmers are able to make more profit on their harvest, and there’s less waste in a wave of people wanting to use the entirety of a plant.

“We have been conditioned in the United States to follow a grocery store perspective,” Jones agrees. “As farmers’ markets have emerged and as we look at plants, and what we’ve learned from chefs, at every single stage of a plant’s life it offers something unique for the plate.”

How to use garlic scapes.

The good news is that garlic scapes are really hard to mess up. They add a nice garlicky flavor to dishes, they’re difficult to overcook, and they add a nice pop of color to your meal, Moser says.

Before you’re ready to eat the scapes, be sure to store them in a zip-top bag in your refrigerator with a wet paper towel, Tse suggests. They should last a few weeks like this, he notes. Then, pick your favorite garlicky recipe and swap in garlic scapes anywhere you’d like for cloves. Our experts also shared that it is best to cook the chopped scapes instead of enjoying them raw. Try these other cooking ideas.

  • Mix them into soups. For a little extra color and garlicky flavor, Moser likes to add chopped garlic scapes to her spring and summer soups.
  • Blend it. Glass recommends blending garlic scapes into a pesto or green goddess dressing for amazing flavor.
  • Accompanied by beans. Stir-fry some garlic scapes and then add a can of beans with spices for an easy weeknight protein, Moser suggests.
  • Make them a pizza topper. Top cooked garlic scapes and other late spring vegetables on pizza, Moser says. Bonus points if it’s a homemade pie!
  • Pickle them. Yes, pickled garlic scapes are a thing, and Tse suggests you do this ASAP for delicious toppers all year long.
  • Roast them on a sheet pan. When you get to the end of the week and you’re roasting a sheet pan of your leftover veggies, Jones recommends adding some chopped garlic scapes for a delicious roasted garlic flavor.
  • Top a salad. After sautéing in some butter or olive oil, Jones suggests topping your salad with the scapes for an extra garlicky flavor.

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