Woody garlic scapes

July 14, 2024 5:00 PM

For reasons, our garlic scapes never quite curled as much, which is when I'd usually harvest. We already have recipes for the tender curl (or what there is of it). However, what should we do with the long woody stems?

Most scape recipes seem to have you discard these, but I'd love to figure out something to do with them that isn't just freezing and using for flavoring broth later.

Thanks all!

posted by ellerhodes to Food & Drink (8 answers total)

oil, season, slow roast? dunno how tender they'd get.
posted by j_curiouser at 5:09 PM on July 14, 2024

Have you boiled or steamed some to see if they ever get tender? If they do become something you can bite through comfortably, then you could maybe sauté with tough greens like collards and then do a long slow simmer. Or maybe blanch and then pickle them, like a fridge pickle with a vinegar brine?
posted by Mizu at 5:35 PM on July 14, 2024

I would think they'd still be good in garlic scape pesto.
posted by JanetLand at 5:45 PM on July 14, 2024 [1 favorite]

Yummy!! I would use them as an edible skewer for grilled meats/veggies.
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 8:31 PM on July 14, 2024 [4 favorites]

If they’re still flavorful, vodka infused with garlic and jalapeños is dreamy in bloody marys and I’ll bet they’d carry the garlic part!
posted by centrifugal at 10:40 PM on July 14, 2024

Came to suggest infusing into vodka (or some spirit... tequila?) too....
posted by wats at 11:58 PM on July 14, 2024

I think the half closer to the ground is going to be inedible but the upper parts might be okay? It is difficult (in my experience it's impossible) to undo 'woody' but the flavor is there.

So I would make garlic oil or freeze for stock or to throw a couple in to anything you are cooking to infuse as you would with aromatics.

You don't have to wait until they curl; you can cut them earlier. Supposedly it directs energy to bulb formation. The scapes do continue to grow after you cut the initial 8" or whatever, but you can snip it off. I did the early snip for the first time this year and my garlic is larger (I've harvested a few bulbs but not the whole crop) and it seems...maybe? But one year isn't much data, even enough to be considered anecdata.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 2:12 AM on July 15, 2024

Gah sorry you don't want to freeze for stock. But using as aromatic might be good and garlic oil is nice to have around. Simmering in butter and freezing the resulting butter would be good too.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 2:14 AM on July 15, 2024