Love pickles and garlic? Then you are going to love the flavor of these pickled garlic scapes. Garlic scapes are the flower stalks of hardneck garlic. They have a delicious mild garlic flavor that is delicious pickled.
Learn how to preserve garlic scapes by pickling for a delicious, garlicky flavored snack, side dish, or sandwich topping.
If you grow hardneck garlic you are in for a treat because the plant provides two harvests. Several weeks before the garlic bulb is ready for harvesting, it sends up a flower stalk.
The stalk grows upwards, then curls once or twice before continuing to grow. Removing this stalk, or garlic scape allows the plant to devote its energy into growing a larger bulb of garlic.
If you don’t grow garlic, you may have spotted the squiggly stems at your local farmers market. The garlic scape is edible and has a mild garlic flavor with a hint of sweetness.
Enjoy pickled garlic scapes on sandwiches and burgers, as a side dish with grilled meats, or in a classic pickle tray. My favorite way to enjoy pickled garlic scapes is simply snacking right out of the jar.
Equipment Needed to Pickle Garlic Scapes
- Water bath canner or large pot with a rack
- Pint sized canning jars
- Lids and bands
- Canning tools: lid lifter, jar lifter, canning ladle, funnel, and bubble popper
- Plus basic kitchen supplies such as a large bowl, small pot, towels, knife, and a cutting board
How to Make Picked Garlic Scapes
The ingredients listed in the recipe below are for one pint of picked garlic scapes. Multiply by the number of pints you are making.
Step 1: Prepare your jars and lids
Wash the jars and lids in warm, soapy water, and rinse well. Place the jar rack into a water bath canner or large pot. Add water to cover the jars and boil for 10 minutes to sterilize. Turn off heat and add the lid to the warm pot to soften.
Step 2: Prepare your garlic scapes
If the ends of the garlic scapes are fibrous and woody, remove them by bending the stalk the same way you would asparagus. Gently bend each stalk until it snaps. Each scape will snaps off right above the spot where it turns woody.
Rinse the garlic scapes and cut into 4-inch long pieces to fit in the jar. Separate the flower tops and ends and freeze them for making chicken or turkey stock.
Step 3: Heat the pickling liquid
Add the vinegar, water, and pickling salt in a small pot. Bring to a boil and stir until the salt is dissolved.
Step 4: Pack your jar
Remove the jar from the canner, drain, and place on a kitchen towel. Add mustard seeds, black peppercorn, allspice berry, clove, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes or chili pepper to the jar. Pack the garlic scapes into the jar.
Step 5: Pour the vinegar mixture into the jar
Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the garlic scapes, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles with your bubble popper and wipe the rim. Add the lids.
Step 6: Process your jars
Place the jars into your water bath canner, adjust the water level, bring the canner to a boil, and process the jars.
Let the canner cool, remove the jars, and let them cool completely. Date, label, and store in a cool location.
If you enjoy pickles and garlic, you are going to love the flavor of these pickled garlic scapes.
- 1 pound garlic scapes
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorn
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 allspice berry
- 1 whole clove
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1 dried chili pepper
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar 5% acidity
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon pickling salt
Prepare your jar and lid by washing in warm, soapy water, and rinsing well. Place your jar rack into a small water bath canner or large pot. Add water to cover the jar and boil for 10 minutes to sterilize. Turn off heat and add the lid to the warm pot to soften.
Rinse garlic scapes and cut into 4-inch pieces to fit in the jar. Discard the top of the flower and tough ends (or toss into a freezer bag and save to use for making stock).
Combine the vinegar, water, and pickling salt in a small pot. Bring to a boil and stir until the salt is dissolved.
Remove the warm jar from the canner, drain, and place on a kitchen towel. Add the mustard seeds, black peppercorn, allspice berry, clove, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes or chili pepper to the jar. Pack the garlic scapes into the jar.
Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the garlic scapes, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles and wipe the rim. Use your magnetic lid lifter to lift the lid out of the warm water, center the lid on the jar, and tighten the screw band until it is fingertip tight.
Place the jar into your water bath canner, adjust the water level so it is 2-inches above the top of the jar. Bring the canner to a boil, and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat, allow the canner to cool, remove the jar, and place it on a kitchen towel to cool. Check seals and store in a cool, dark location. Allow 2-4 weeks for the garlic scapes to develop their flavor. Once the jar is open, store in the refrigerator for up to 2-weeks. Recipe makes one pint.
You May Also Like:
- How to Harvest Garlic Scapes
- 10 Ways to Use Garlic Scapes
- How to Plant Garlic in Your Fall Garden
- 8 Easiest Crops to Grow in Your Garden
- Granny’s Bread and Butter Pickles
Good planning is key to a successful vegetable garden.
Whether you are new to growing your own food or have been growing a vegetable garden for years, you will benefit from some planning each year. You will find everything you need to organize and plan your vegetable garden in my PDF eBook, Grow a Good Life Guide to Planning Your Vegetable Garden.
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Susan Mercurio
We have wild garlic here in West Virginia, growing by the side of the road. And then the highway department sprayed the roadside – probably with Roundup®! Uuuggghhh!
©Rachel Arsenault
Oh, that is a shame!