What is a Garlic Scape?

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July 13, 2009

I’ve posted a couple of recipes lately in which I used garlic scapes.

I’ve gotten emails.

Garlic scapes? WHAT are garlic scapes? Where do I buy them? Help!

I have to be honest. I never heard of garlic scapes before they came in our box from our CSA.

But they came several weeks in a row, so I had to figure out what to do with them.

Apparently, garlic scapes are the shoots that garlic bulbs send up as they’re growing. Garlic bulbs want to become garlic plants, so they send up green things like onions do.

Farmers harvest these shoots so that the plant uses its energy to make a bigger bulb instead of making a bigger plant. I get this. That’s how plants work.

Instead of throwing the sprouts in the compost pile, our farmers send them out in the CSA boxes. I’ve heard you can also buy them at some farmer’s markets or directly from farmers who grow garlic.

Garlic scapes definitely taste like garlic, but the flavor is very mild. They’re like garlic essence, without the bite you back quality of a clove of garlic.

If you love garlic like I do or if you like garlic but hate to smell for days, you should definitely look for garlic scapes.

And then come back and tell me about it.

To inspire you, I found a few recipes featuring garlic scapes:

My pesto primavera
My zucchini eggs
A newsletter with recipes for scape pesto, fried scapes, and spinach and scape frittata
An article with lots of tips for use, plus garlic scape tortillas, mashed potatoes with scapes, and chicken with scapes and capers
Thanks to Annie at PhD in Parenting for sharing a recipe with me for grilled garlic scapes

Happily submitted to Share my Recipe Sunday, Mouthwatering Mondays, Homemaking Monday, Make Something Monday, Recipe Swap, Make Do Monday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Kitchen Tip Tuesday, Tuesday Toot, Tasty Tuesday, Tackle It Tuesday, Talk About Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, and Works for Me Wednesday

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Melissa said:

I’d never heard of garlic scapes, either. I’ve grown garlic a few times, but I just let the tops grow. I’ll have to try clipping them off to use.
Melissa´s last blog ..Cucumber Salad

# 13 July 2009 at 10:42 am

TooManyHats said:

Never heard of them. Now I am going to have to look for them. Thanks for the lesson.
TooManyHats´s last blog ..Recipe Swap 7/13/09

# 13 July 2009 at 12:18 pm

Nicole Feliciano said:

Thanks for this info. I see these at the farmer’s market and will try them.
Nicole Feliciano´s last blog ..Kickboard USA Scooter Giveaway

# 13 July 2009 at 12:29 pm

anissa said:

I’ve never heard of that! Sounds pretty good because I love to cook with garlic. Thanks for sharing.
anissa´s last blog ..Toddler Virtue Tees Reviews

# 13 July 2009 at 3:50 pm

Robyns Online World said:

I had never heard of them either – but heck they taste like garlic so they must be good! I will be on the lookout for them when I get to a farmer’s market.
Robyns Online World´s last blog ..What a Man!

# 13 July 2009 at 4:13 pm

Harriet said:

I didn’t know you could actually use those. hhhhmmmmmm. thanks

http://iamharriet.blogspot.com/2009/07/monday-crazy-questions-and-recipe-swap_12.html
Harriet´s last blog ..THE JULY COMMENT CHALLENGE!!!!!!

# 13 July 2009 at 4:50 pm

rachel-asouthernfairytale said:

How neat!!! I had never heard of these before and they sound great for lovers of Garlic!

Thanks for sharing this info!!!

# 13 July 2009 at 5:22 pm

Make-Do Mondays: Make-Do Mousepad « said:

[...] Feels Like Home (garlic scapes) [...]

# 13 July 2009 at 6:06 pm

Ann Kroeker said:

Ya learn something new every day! Thanks for educating us!
Ann Kroeker´s last blog ..Make-Do Mondays: Make-Do Mousepad

# 13 July 2009 at 6:09 pm

angie said:

think I learned something else off your blog thanks

# 13 July 2009 at 9:33 pm

Piera-Jolly Mom said:

I’d never heard of them either. Thanks for letting us know! I will look for them!
Piera-Jolly Mom´s last blog ..Back to School: Dorm Room Makeovers on a Budget

# 14 July 2009 at 1:41 am

Annie @ PhD in Parenting said:

We love scapes! We toss them in olive oil and put them on the BBQ. Delicious!
Annie @ PhD in Parenting´s last blog ..Learning and Nodding: Raising My Boychick

# 14 July 2009 at 8:08 am

Bonnie said:

I have never heard of garlic scapes either. Good to know if I ever try growing them.
Bonnie´s last blog ..Tackle It Tuesday

# 14 July 2009 at 9:07 am

mub said:

Yum! I need to keep my eyes out for these and see if I can pick some up to try out.
mub´s last blog ..No Roll Pie Crust

# 14 July 2009 at 10:59 am

Wendy said:

I love Garlic, I am actually growing some now. Thanks for sharing.
Wendy´s last blog ..Factory Outlets in Pa Dutch Country

# 14 July 2009 at 11:10 am

Jenna @ Newlyweds said:

I’ve never grown garlic, but I do grow shallots and we cut the greens off the top and use them all the time, delicious!! Thank for sharing.
Jenna @ Newlyweds´s last blog ..Multiples and More Interview

# 14 July 2009 at 1:34 pm

Lisa@Blessedwithgrace said:

Thanks for the recipe and sharing your summer veggie tips with us. I am glad you joined us for TMTT this week.
Lisa@Blessedwithgrace´s last blog ..Tempt My Tummy Tuesday….Black Bean Salad

# 14 July 2009 at 3:26 pm

renee @ FIMBY said:

I love those little scrapes and I too had never heard of them before they arrived in our csa share.
renee @ FIMBY´s last blog ..Oh my. It’s so hot and dry

# 15 July 2009 at 6:19 am

Erin @ Closing Time said:

Wow! I’ve never heard of or seen these before. I’ll have to keep an eye out for them, and I’m looking forward to trying your recipes!
Erin @ Closing Time´s last blog ..WFMW: Sensitive Skin Products That Work!

# 15 July 2009 at 8:04 am

melinda@mamabearscubhouse said:

i just learned a lot. thank you:)
love garlic!!

# 15 July 2009 at 10:19 am

Jenny said:

are those the same as the cloves? Or do they taste different?
Jenny´s last blog ..A Whole New Start

# 15 July 2009 at 10:33 am

niki said:

Wow, you learn something new every day! I have never ever heard of these!

niki´s last blog ..WFMW…Frugal or Free Pet Toys

# 15 July 2009 at 2:28 pm

Tara (author) said:

Jenny – The taste is very similar to the cloves, but when it’s cooked, it is much more mild. I’ve heard that they’re nasty when raw.

# 15 July 2009 at 2:56 pm

Audrey said:

I’ve never heard of these before. I love cooking with garlic. I’ll have to see if there’s a place I can get these here locally
Audrey´s last blog ..Slow Cooking Thursday

# 16 July 2009 at 3:07 pm