You may be asking yourself, “What in the heck is a garlic scape?” In a word: Delicious! More specifically though, the garlic scape is a thicker stem that grows out of the center of the hard neck garlic varieties. A flower bulb forms on the end that will produce seeds if left alone. The scape grows tall and will eventually curl around, giving it a rather exotic look. These tend to come up in June depending on your location and climate. Garlic basically gives you a double harvest: 2 months before it is time to pull them out of the ground, you get to harvest the scapes and enjoy some early summer treats.
You want to cut the scape low to the plant, but be sure not to damage any leaves around it. It was recommended to me to cut them in the afternoon. The idea behind this is the warmer temperatures will help to scab the wound you just created which will help minimize infection or fungus from ruining your garlic plant.
Most people grow garlic from a clove off a bulb planted in the Fall versus seeds. We planted these cloves in the previous Fall and have found it to produce better than in spring. Since you usually plant what you also eat, you want your harvest to be the largest and healthiest it can be! Cutting the scape after it curls but before the flower opens (some sites say to cut before it curls) is a must as the energy will be sent back into increasing your bulb size instead of producing the flower and seeds. The best part is these scapes are 100% edible (yes, even the bulb) and have a fantastic garlic flavor. If you let your scape get too large, it may be tougher and more ‘woody.’ I have a couple that are like that and my plan is to freeze them and use them in a stew or soup that will simmer for several hours on a low heat. They will soften and release all that incredible flavor. You can also dehydrate them by cutting them into 1/4 inch pieces to be used later.
For the tender, young shoots of garlic goodness the possibilities are limitless. Saute’ them up with some other greens, use like a green onion, chop it up into a salad, use in a marinade (which I plan to do tonight) for some extra flavor. There is also the option of just eating them raw and whole after cutting them as well but I wouldn’t suggest kissing anyone right after. đ You can preserve them by freezing. They will last a good 4-5 days in the fridge as well. I would imagine that they would also be something really special if you pickled some! I plan on taking a few of them and dehydrating them that will be featured in a future post. I haven’t heard of anyone dehydrating them before. If they are successfully dehydrated and then rehydrated…I will try to grind it into a powder and see how that goes, too so keep an eye out for more as the summer progresses. (UPDATE: They dehydrated well but did not grind into a powder.)
Today I harvested about half of what was available. The other half isn’t quite ready. Notice the difference in bulbs in the picture? That is because 4 of our garlic plants are an elephant garlic variety (milder flavor, HUGE bulbs and cloves) that we got sent to us from Mr. Dreamer’s family on Vashon Island in Washington. It is doing incredibly well; the stalks are almost double the thickness of my thumb!
Do you grow garlic? What kind? What do you do with your scapes? Give us a comment below, we love hearing from our readers!
dave says
frist time growing it need some add vise in s.c. up state
homesteaddreamer says
If you are in the northern part of the state, our USDA zones are similar. For you, though, that summer heat can do serious damage to your garlic. I would get it planted AS SOON as the soil is workable. You can do a spring planting but I would strongly suggest that you plant again this fall for a larger harvest next year. Here, this article will help you further. If you have more questions, just ask and thanks for the comment Dave!
Growing Garlic for Beginners: http://www.homesteaddreamer.com/2015/03/05/for-beginners-growing-garlic/
Why Planting Garlic in Fall is Better than Spring: http://www.homesteaddreamer.com/2014/08/18/why-planting-garlic-fall-not-spring/
Juanita says
Hello, Just read about growing garlic in the fall being the best time for planting. I Thanks for youe time and advice. live in Pittston, Pa. and I am wondering if I can plant now and what variety would be best for container planting.
homesteaddreamer says
Hello! Thank you for the question. Do you plan on growing them inside exclusively? Garlic likes cooler temperatures overall. Early morning sun is best. If they get too warm, they wilt and perform poorly. Planting now is possible, but I would need more information on what you’re working with as far as them being inside or outside, how much you want to get out of it, how much space you have, etc.
The issue with planting them now is that they may not split out properly. Your bulbs will be smaller overall, too. Garlic needs a certain amount of cold temperature days and nights for it to do really well. That is why it does best to plant in the Fall, before the hard frosts settle in. They need to sprout and set a bit before going dormant in the cold. Garlic is one of the first things that sprouts in the garden and also one of the first things harvested. It’s great because you can plant some quick-growing greens to enjoy until it’s time to plant garlic again. Anyway, yes you can plant now but I need some more information, please! Feel free to message me of Facebook, leave a reply here, or email me at akhomestead.dreamer@gmail.com.