Whether you grow your own or buy them fresh from the market, you may be wondering what to do with garlic scapes. This post explains how to store them, dry them, grind into garlic scape powder – as well as ideas for cooking scapes and making pesto.
But first, garlic scape basics
In early summer, stalks shoot up from the center of each hardneck garlic plant. These are called garlic scapes; they are thicker than the plant’s leaves. If they are left on the plant, each scape will form a flower and seeds. By cutting off the scapes, the plants stop growing flowers and seeds – and instead they direct their energy on growing nice fat garlic bulbs.
Only the hardneck varieties grow garlic scapes; the softneck varieties do not.
Wait until the scapes have grown enough to curl and loop around, as show in the above photo.
If left too long, they may become woody – and/or begin to grow flowers and seeds like in the photo below.
Harvest them in late morning after the dew has evaporated.
Use a sharp knife to cut the garlic scapes as low down as you can without damaging the surrounding leaves. The video below gives a close up view of scapes being cut.
Overview of what to do with garlic scapes
My husband plants 300 to 360 heads of hardneck garlic each Fall, and has been doing so for the past 15 years or so. Each spring he harvests a huge crop of scapes. He basically plunks them on our kitchen island and says something to the effect of “there you go,” and it’s up to me to figure out what to do with them. I’ve gotten better at using them up in creative ways over the years. Here are some of my favorite ways to store and use them.
Refrigerate
As soon as the garlic scapes are picked, put them into BPA-free plastic bags or reusable silicone bags; don’t seal the bags completely. I find they will keep stored this way for at least two months in the refrigerator. The ends will begin to shrivel up over time, but you need to trim them anyway before using. If the bags become full of moisture, wipe them dry, and/or add some paper towels to the bags to prevent the scapes from molding.
Add to various cooked dishes
Garlic scapes can be added to stir fries, soups, stews, and more. Use them anywhere you would like to add a garlicky flavor.
Grilled scapes
They are especially wonderful when cooked on a gas grill. Rub or brush a bit of olive oil, onto the scapes, sprinkle with a bit of salt, and grill over medium low heat until they brown and the ends just begin to char.
Garlic scape pesto
Garlic scapes make a wonderful pesto – with or without oil – and with or without basil. Here are two scape pesto recipes that I created.
Dehydrate scapes
To extend their shelf life, consider dehydrating scapes. I explain “how to” in the recipe below. Please note, cut up scapes take a long time to fully dry. I include alternate instructions to speed up the drying process in the recipe notes.
Dried scapes can be tossed into soups and stews. If you want to saute them in oil or add them to stir fries, rehydrate them first in a bit of warm water. Add the garlic infused soaking water to your dish as well.
Grind into garlic scape powder
Dehydrated scapes can easily be ground into powder as explained below. Use garlic scape powder anywhere you’d use garlic powder.
Drying Garlic Scapes and Making Garlic Scape Powder
Equipment
- dehydrator
- bullet blender (or other blender)
Ingredients
- garlic scapes
Instructions
How to dehydrate scapes
- Wash the garlic scapes and let them air dry.
- Trim away the tip from each scape just below the flower bud (see photo). Discard the tips or save them for making vegetable broth.
- Cut the scapes into 1/2" to 1" pieces. Arrange them single layer on dehydrator trays.
- Dehydrate at 135º until dry and brittle; this will take about 24 hours.Yes, they take a long time to fully dehydrate! To speed up the process, see the alternate step explained below.
- Let the dried scapes cool down before placing them into a glass jars(s). Tighten the lid(s) and store in a cool, dry, dark location for best results.
How to make scape powder
- To make garlic scape powder, grind about a cup of dried scapes in a bullet blender, or other blender. A coffee grinder used for this purpose would also work.1 cup of dried scapes will yield about 3/4 cup of powder.
- Store the powder in a small glass jar with a tight fitting lid. As an optional step, add a few small dried beans to the jar to help absorb any remaining moisture; this will also help to prevent clumping.
Notes
- Moisture content of the scapes
- Temperature of the dehydrator
- Whether or not the dehydrator has a circulating fan to evenly distribute the heat
- How often the dehydrator is opened and if it opens from the front or top
- Humidity in the room
If you like “What to do with garlic scapes” you may also enjoy another of my posts “Planting Garlic in the Fall.”
Thanks so much for these hard-earned tips!
You’re so very welcome!
I planted my first ever garlic crop last September. Now it’s March in the burbs of Chicago and I’ve got dozens of little scapes!!
And now I know what to do with them later on.
thanks so much,
Frank
Hi Frank,
Oh I’m so glad you’re growing garlic! It’s an easy and wonderful crop to grow 🙂 What you are seeing right now are the garlic plants starting to pop. The scapes don’t come until later on. The scapes grow in CT in early June, so probably around that time for you too.
You can see photos of early garlic plants in another of my posts called Planting Garlic in the Fall.
https://alifewellplanted.com/15516/planting-garlic-in-the-fall/
Did you plant hardneck or softneck? Only the hardneck will grow the scapes.
Our garlic is sprouting now too – so exciting!
Enjoy,
Judy
I usually plant my garlic a little later than September, usually late October or early November because once the scape comes up the bulbs have to have some time to grow. I harvest end of June or when the leaves turn brown. Of course, it depends on when your soil freezes.
My husband grows quite a bit of garlic. I never thought of dehydrating the scapes. Thanks for posting that tip. Do you think I could add the scapes to my dehydrated basil, oregano etc for an Italian seasoning? Thanks!
Hi Sherrie. You’re welcome! I didn’t realize you can dry and powder scapes until recent years myself. It’s a great way to put them up. As far as mixing them with herbs, I don’t think it will work because the scape powder tends to clump. That’s why I suggest adding a few small dried beans to the jar with the powder. You can try it though and let me know how it goes 🙂
I’m going to freeze dry my scapes. can the tips be dried as well? Seems a shame to throw them away.
Hi Karen. I’ve never dried the tips; however, I have used them for making veggie broth.
I hope this helps!
What on earth does your husband do with 300 garlic plants
He plants that much because I use a head of garlic most days when cooking dinner.
I use a lot of garlic…just like you do. I always am amused when people, as they are eating my dinner and saying how delicious it is, remark “ oh I never use garlic because it makes you stink, and it makes the food too strong.” When I asked them if I stink, they always reply into the negative. Then I tell him well. The roast you’re eating had 10 cloves of garlic and the recipe. 😉😁😁
Thank you so much for this great idea. I do have a commercial one , which I use all the time. I’m about to harvest 1000 plants.
You’re welcome! Wow that’s 3 times what we grow!
What about the tops of the scapes!!! I don’t want to just trow them away!!!
You don’t have to throw them away. As I suggest in my recipe, you can save them for making vegetable broth.
What is the best way to grind the garlic scapes into powder after drying them out in my over (I don’t own a dehydrator)? I tried grinding them in my mini chopper but there is still pieces that aren’t ground up enough to my liking. Thanks
Hi Yvonne. I use a bullet blender or full size blender (depending on how many dried scapes I am working with) to grind into powder. You can also use a grinder.
I’m curious – did they dry well in your oven, without becoming cooked? What temperature did you dry them at? How long did it take?
I have a tiny sieve that I put my garlic scape powder through. The larger chunks go into soups and stews, the smaller mixed into goat cheeeeese!
I followed your recipe and made Garlic Scape powder for the first time ever! Thank you for teaching me how to do it. I used the left over scapes and cooked them in water. It says to make a vegetable broth I have to process the broth in a pressure canner. Can I do it in a water bath canner instead?
Hi Marilynn. You’re welcome!
You need to pressure can broth; it wouldn’t be safe to use a boiling water bath. Follow the instructions on https://nchfp.uga.edu/ or directions on the website of a University Extension Service. They have lab tested recipes and give detailed instructions. Improperly canning foods can result in botulism and/or listeria contamination which is serious. Contaminated food doesn’t necessarily looks, smell, or taste spoiled.
Freezing is a much easier way to preserve broth. I explain how to freeze liquids here https://alifewellplanted.com/?s=how+to+freeze+liquids
Great recipes, hubby’s trying them all! I’m excited for the powder.
Hi Susan. Thanks for the feedback 🙂 I love having the powder on hand! We’ll be harvesting our scapes this week. I’ll create a YouTube video when I do. This is the one I posted today (I show our garlic patch and scapes) and so much more. https://youtu.be/oIkoWCSSqrA
can scapes be dehydrated in the oven
Hi Deborah. Technically yes, but I guess it really depends on how low you can set your oven temperature. I always dry scapes at 135 degrees in my dehydrator. Let us know how it goes.
Hello Judy,
Do you know if drying them on a rack in a convection oven with only the oven light and fan would work?
I do not own a dehydrator.
I just cut most of my scapes and like the idea of making them into powder for future use.
Thank you
I’m not really sure. Do you know how hot the oven gets with just the fan and light on? I dry them at 135 degrees and it still takes about 24 hours. What’s the lowest oven temperature setting on your oven?