Make your own pickled garlic scapes as a unique, and hot flavored, pickle. You can pickle garlic scapes in the traditional method, or through lacto fermentation for a probiotic boost.
I prefer lacto-fermented pickles due to the ease of making them, and the probiotic boost. While garlic scapes are available, we also normally have warm weather which makes the fermentation pickling process only take a few days. I prefer using freshly picked garlic scapes for pickling, as it helps them stay crisp.
If you’re new to lacto-fermention, check out a basic recipe like sauerkraut, or dill pickles to gain confidence. You only need a few basic things to get started making an abundance of naturally fermented pickles. And most of what you need is already in your kitchen.
Number one, a large, wide-mouthed glass jar as your fermentation vessel. You’ll also want a fermentation lid that lets gases escape, or gives expansion and flex. A weight to hold down your vegetables below the brine level, a glass weight is nice but I’ve used a cut-to size piece of plastic when needed. Lastly, non-iodized salt like sea salt or Himalayan pink salt, or even kosher pickling salt, and a bit of whey or juice from a successful fermentation batch.
Canned pickles, like you find in the grocery store, are pickled in vinegar brine. Lacto fermented pickles encourage beneficial lacto bacteria that produce their own lactic acid, which turns the salt liquid around your fermenting vegetables into a non-vinegar brine. Vinegar pickles are also often canned or hot processes, especially with a hot brine, and can end up soft. I find that lacto-fermented pickles remain crisp, unless over-fermented or forgotten, and they stay good in the refrigerator for several months. They are even better than refrigerator pickles. Mine get eaten before eight months are out, so I know they stay good for at least eight months.
What is a Garlic Scape?
A garlic scape is the flower stalk of a hard neck garlic plant. Most soft neck garlic doesn’t send up scapes. Hard neck garlic is the type of garlic that needs a cold period to form proper heads and cloves, while soft necked garlic doesn’t need the same chill time. If you are growing your own garlic, you can harvest garlic scapes from your own plants for pickled garlic scapes. If you’re not growing garlic, check out your local farmer’s market, as they may have garlic scapes for sale. Your local farmers market can also tell you what time of year garlic scapes are available, if you missed this year’s season. They are most often available in late spring.
If you aren’t impressed by pickled garlic scapes, a nice garlic scape pesto may fit the bill better. Check out this recipe if you have an abundance and need more ideas.
Making Pickled Garlic Scapes:
Make sure you’re working with fresh garlic scapes, clean counters, and clean jars. I like pouring boiling water over my jar, weight, lid, and cutting board before starting, just to help keep things clean.
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Pickled Garlic Scapes
Description
A simple lacto-fermented pickle made from garlic scapes. Can be spicy
Ingredients
- 1–2 pounds fresh garlic scapes
- 2 tablespoons non-iodized salt
- 1–3 sprigs dill (optional)
- 2 tablespoons whey or juice from a successful lacto fermentation
Instructions
- Wash garlic scapes.
- Sterilize jar and lid.
- Chop garlic scapes into 2″ lengths, to help them fit in the jar.
- Put garlic scapes and dill into the jar.
- Dissolve the salt in 1 cup warm, filtered, water. Add to jar. Top up jar with clean filtered water to the jar’s shoulders.
- Add the whey, your sterilized weight, and cap.
- Place the jar on a plate or catch tray. If using an air lock or flex lid, there is no need to burp the jar. If using a standard lid, rather than a fermentation lid, you’ll need to burp the jar daily, or twice daily if it’s hot out.
- Let the jar ferment for 3-7 days, it will be faster if the ambient temperature is warm and slower if it’s cool. The jar will bubble with large bubbles for 1-2 days, starting 6-12 hours after set up. Once the bubbles die down to fine air bubbles, do a sniff check and see if the pickled garlic scapes are smelling like pickles. If they do, move the jar to the fridge.
Ingredients:
- 1-2 pounds fresh garlic scapes
- 2 tablespoons non-iodized salt
- 1-3 sprigs dill (optional)
- 2 tablespoons whey or juice from a successful lacto fermentation
Directions:
- Wash garlic scapes.
- Sterilize jar and lid.
- Chop garlic scapes into 2″ lengths, to help them fit in the jar.
- Put garlic scapes and dill into the jar.
- Dissolve the salt in 1 cup warm, filtered, water. Add to jar. Top up jar with clean filtered water to the jar’s shoulders.
- Add the whey, your sterilized weight, and cap.
- Place the jar on a plate or catch tray. If using an air lock or flex lid, there is no need to burp the jar. If using a standard lid, rather than a fermentation lid, you’ll need to burp the jar daily, or twice daily if it’s hot out.
- Let the jar ferment for 3-7 days, it will be faster if the ambient temperature is warm and slower if it’s cool. The jar will bubble with large bubbles for 1-2 days, starting 6-12 hours after set up. Once the bubbles die down to fine air bubbles, do a sniff check and see if the pickled garlic scapes are smelling like pickles. If they do, move the jar to the fridge.
I like letting my lacto fermented pickles sit in the fridge for 14 days before starting to consume them. This lets flavors meld and age so the pickles are more enjoyable to eat. Make sure to label your pickled garlic scapes, as they can look a lot like dilly beans and eating garlic scapes instead of beans could be a shock to some people’s taste buds.
Note: If you don’t like dill, use a different spice like red pepper flakes, coriander seeds,ย a teaspoon mustard seeds, or black peppercorns.
How to Use:
The garlic scapes have a mild garlic flavor, compared to fresh garlic bulbs. The fermentation further tones down the flavor. You can use pickled garlic scapes on charcuterie boards, in sandwiches, in potato salad, as a topping on burgers, or as a side on their own. Save the pickles for autumn and have a nice reminder of early summer flavors.
If you like sweet pickle relish, you could make your own cucumber pickles and add some pickled garlic scapes for additional punch.
There is no need to can lacto-fermented pickles. The fermentation keeps them shelf stable, and refrigeration keeps them crisp. Now, if you’re making other types of pickles like green bean pickles, or dill pickles, that are non-lacto fermented, follow your recipe’s directions for using a water bath canner, or a boiling water bath. Due to the vinegar, water bath canning is safe for pickles.
If you chose to make more traditional pickles with garlic scapes, you’ll want to can them in pint jars. For different flavors, add bay leaves and chili peppers. Pour your prepared vinegar brine over the jars, leaving at least an inch of headspace. For stronger garlic flavor you can add some whole garlic cloves too. Then can according to your canner’s directions.
Back to You:
What is your favorite traditional pickle type? What is your favorite lacto-fermented pickle? Leave a comment!
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