6 Ways To Use Garlic Scapes

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The garlic scape is the flower bud portion of hard-neck garlic.  They are a curly shoot that comes up from the middle stalk of the plant. Garlic scapes might just be one of the most underrated seasonal ingredients in the kitchen. These vibrant green shoots bring a fresh, mild garlic flavor that’s perfect for all kinds of summer dishes. If you’ve picked some of these scapes up and are wondering how to use them, you’re in the right place. Here are six delicious and creative ways to make the most of garlic scapes this season.

1. How To Make Garlic Scape Butter

Learn how to make garlic scape butter with this time-tested simple recipe that will take so many of your from scratch dishes up a notch!  

Garlic scape butter is a combination of simple ingredients that can be frozen for several months and used on steaks, pasta, burgers, garlic bread and many other things.  

I like to have garlic scape butter in my freezer to give my food that special summer flavor even in the dead of winter.  

I’m also always looking for new ways to preserve the things I grow in my garden, and this is an excellent way to preserve garlic scapes.

2. Pickled Garlic Scapes

Pickled garlic scapes are a tasty treat to have in the winter when fresh vegetables are hard to come by.  They are similar to pickled asparagus and make a great side for almost any meal.  

We like to eat them with a sandwich or hot dogs and potato salad.  This simple and easy canning recipe is a great way to preserve garlic scapes, and is one of our favorite pickled foods in our homestead pantry.

3. Simple And Easy Roasted Garlic Scape Recipe

This simple and easy roasted garlic scape recipe is my favorite way to use garlic scapes when they are in season in the late spring and early summer.  This seasonal treat has a milder flavor than raw garlic cloves and is good plain, on burgers, steaks, or with almost any dish that goes well with garlic.  

They have a subtle garlicky flavor, and remind me a bit of thin asparagus.  I like how quickly these roasted garlic scapes can be made, and while I typically cook them on the stovetop, you can also roast them on the grill or in the oven.  The possibilities are endless when it comes to garlic scapes!

4. Easy Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe 

This easy garlic scape pesto recipe is one of our favorite things to make every summer when the garlic scapes are ready to harvest in the garden.  The mild garlic flavor of the scapes combines with parmesan, nuts and olive oil to make an incredible pesto.  

We like to eat it on pasta, pizza and as a dip for chips and crackers.  So healthy and refreshing and a great way to get lots of raw garlic in your diet.

5. How To Make Dehydrated Garlic Scape Powder

Making dehydrated garlic scape powder is very simple and a great way to preserve garlic scapes to use in many different recipes throughout the year.  We like to use it in recipe that calls for garlic powder or combine it with salt to make garlic salt.  

It’s amazing how many garlic scapes you can fit into a quart jar once they’ve been dehydrated and ground up.  Garlic scape powder can also be stored on your pantry shelf for several years, if it lasts that long.

6. Easy Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta Recipe

This easy creamy garlic chicken pasta recipe is one of our favorite dishes to make especially in the summertime when the garlic scapes are in season.  It combines roasted garlic scapes in a creamy garlic sauce with chicken, mushrooms and spinach for a comforting and delicious meal that will become a family favorite.

We grow a decent sized market garden and raise a lot of garlic.  So when the garlic scapes are ready to harvest in June, one of the first things we make is this creamy garlic chicken past.  I make it using my own home canned chicken which makes it extra easy.  

You could make it using any kind of leftover chicken, or cook some up just so you can make this, it is so worth it.  Don’t have garlic scapes?  Just make it with regular garlic and it will have the same delicious flavor.

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