Dig into our garlic scape guide to infuse fresh, robust flavor into your spring menu.
If this hits home, we have three pieces of great news:
Read on for all the dirt.
You might just dig up your new favoritespring vegetable!
Credit: Brie Passano
What Are Garlic Scapes?
Unlike most fruits and vegetables with one harvest season, garlic has two.
The first harvest hits in late spring and early summer and involves garlic scapes.
Credit: Blaine Moats
Harvesting the garlic scapes is an essential part of garlic’s life cycle.
So think of cooking garlic scapes as a way to promotebeautiful bulbsa few months later.
In generations past, many peoplecompostedor tossed scapes.
Garlic scapes are the tender stem and flower bud of thehardneck garlic plantthat produces garlic bulbs with many cloves.
Their texture is akin to fresh, slim asparagus stalks.
But garlic scapes aren’tgreen onions, green garlic, or ramps.
Since garlic scapes taste “greener” than regular garlic, their flavor is reminiscent of garlic andchives.
Garlic scapes recipes showcase them raw or cooked, sliced thin or cooked whole.
Look for garlic scapes at yourfarmers market, Asian supermarkets, and grocery stores.
Store garlic scapes in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks.
