Learn how to transform garlic scapes into a delicious pesto. Try this simple garlic scape pesto recipe and discover a new way to enjoy this flavorful ingredient.
Scapes, once regarded as a part of the plants that farmers discarded, are now widely used worldwide in many recipes, replacing garlic.
How To Remove Garlic Scapes
Patience is essential when growing organic garlic, but the secret is you don’t have to wait as long as you thought.
For years, farmers and gardeners would compost scapes until someone said, hey, these are delicious.
Plus, according to research, when you don’t remove the scapes, the bulb is reduced in size by 30%.
What happens is that the energy that should be put towards the garlic bulbs is put into the scape.
All it takes is one person to try something; if it works, it may change how we appreciate nature.
Saving money buying food is a top priority for Canadians, so finding ways to use all edible parts of what we grow instead of composting them is essential.
Read Ontario.ca for more information about growing garlic.
Ways To Use Garlic Scapes
If you’re growing garlic for the first time and come across these green, long, curly stalks with a small flower, don’t let them waste; throw them away or leave them on your garlic plant.
These pretty garlic curls are the next best food instead of fresh organic bulbs.
Once you snap the scapes from the garlic plant, smell them.
The aroma of garlic is not spicy but enough to know that you can create something special with it.
How To Clean Scapes
Cleaning scapes is easy with a quick wash under cold water and trimming complex parts like you would asparagus.
If it feels challenging or looks brown, cut it off.
You can use scapes the same way you use garlic, making growing them far less expensive than buying organic garlic at the grocery store.
Cost Of Organic Garlic
According to the Organic Price Tracker Canada website, garlic scapes 2015 were sold in Western Ontario for $4.00lb.
When I tell you that we had boatloads of scapes in our community garden to harvest this season, I’m not joking.
It’s worth the small effort to grow garlic.
What Do Garlic Scapes Taste Like?
Garlic scapes are milder than garlic and a cross between spring onions and garlic, which is why they are so popular and expensive.
The garlic season just finished for Ontario in mid to late June, and we had to devise a plan to use them so there was no food waste.
Just think this is the beginning, as we will dig up the organic garlic bulbs to dry in our cantina by the end of July.
We will have organic garlic all year long, which makes garlic growing double the fun.
Cooking And Storage
You can cook and preserve or freeze garlic scapes but can’t keep them around for long.
Clean and refrigerate them for up to two days and then process them.
If you aren’t quite sure, you can freeze them for later use, but they are best used fresh and preserved in pesto or other means, such as those below.
- Pickled Garlic Scapes– Prepare them just as you would make homemade pickles. Great to munch on like pickles or to drop in your favorite mixed drink, such as a Caesar.
- BBQ Garlic Scapes– Delicious charred with butter and salt
- Pan-fried Garlic Scapes in butter– If you don’t have a BBQ, simply pan-frying on the stovetop works just as well.
- Garlic Scapes Pesto– This is a simple way to preserve scapes.
- Garlic Scape butter– Jazz up your butter with minced garlic scapes to create a garlic butter to die for!!!
- Garlic Scape Soup– Make a delicious broth base for just about any soup with a hint of garlic or onion.
- Garlic Scape Salad Dressing– This recipe was easy because we use garlic quite a bit in our salad dressing, especially for summer tomato salad. Add garlic pesto or minced scapes to your dressing and shake away.
How To Make Garlic Scapes Pesto
- Recipe Type: Condiment
- Author: Mr.CBB
- Prep time: 15 mins
- Total time: 15 mins
- Serves: 3
Ingredients
- 15-20 garlic scapes
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper (add as desired)
- 1 teaspoon salt (add as required to taste)
- 1 cup toasted cashew nuts
- 1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces
- 1 cup avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Wash and clean the scapes, trimming off any tricky bits, brown parts, or wilted ends.
- In a food processor, add your cleaned scapes and mince them up.
- Add the nuts, seasoning, and cheese, and stream the avocado oil through the top of the processor until the pesto is combined.
- Scrape your pesto into a container or mason jar and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 6 months.
- Yield approximately 3-4 cups or small mason jars.
Garlic scapes produce gas, so eat them in moderation because we found out the hard way.
Let me know what you think of this recipe if you make it.
Thanks for stopping by,
Mr.CBB
Easy Garlic Scape Pesto
Garlic Scapes can be made into a creamy, vibrant green pesto which can be used in so many recipes.
Ingredients
- 15-20 garlic scapes
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper (add as desired)
- 1 teaspoon salt (add as required to taste)
- 1 cup toasted cashew nuts
- 1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces
- 1 cup avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Wash and clean the garlic scapes trimming off any tricky bits, brown parts or wilted ends.
- In a food processor, add your cleaned scapes and mince them up.
- Add the nuts, seasoning, and cheese, and stream the avocado oil through the top of the processor until the pesto is combined.
- Scrape the pesto into a container or mason jar and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 6 months.
- Yield approximately 3-4 cups or small mason jars.
Discussion: What is your favorite way to use garlic?
Please leave me any comments or reviews on my recipe below.
Hi Mr. CBB,
I just want to check before I make this pesto — your recipe calls for 2 TABLESPOONS of freshly ground pepper. Is there any possibility that this is a typo? 2 tablespoons seems like a lot of pepper to me.
I will appreciate your answer as soon as possible.
That should read teaspoons you’re correct. I’ll go sort that now and thanks for letting me know Claire. 🙂 Enjoy the recipe, I use it in everything right now.