Pickled Garlic Scapes
Pickled garlic scapes are the perfect way to preserve garlic scapes right on your pantry shelf. They're crisp and flavorful right out of the jar, and they're perfect on a charcuterie plate or next to a lunchtime sandwich.
Ingredients
- 1/2 Pound Garlic Scapes about 2 to 3 farmer's market bunches
Basic Pickled Garlic Scapes
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/4 cups vinegar white, cider, or any type standardized to 5% acidity
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. mustard seeds 1/2 tsp per pint
- 2 tsp. black peppercorns 1/2 tsp per pint
Dill Pickled Garlic Scapes
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/4 cups vinegar white, cider, or any type standardized to 5% acidity
- 2 Tbsp. salt
- 2 tsp. dill seeds 1/2 tsp per pint
- 2 tsp. black peppercorns 1/2 tsp per pint
- A few fresh dill fronds optional
Bread and Butter Pickled Garlic Scapes
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp mustard seeds 1/2 Tbsp per jar
- 1 tsp celery seed 1/4 tsp par jar
- 1 tsp ground turmeric 1/4 tsp per jar
Spicy Pickled Garlic Scapes
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/4 cups vinegar white, cider, or any type standardized to 5% acidity
- 1 Tbsp canning salt
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 to 4 tsp. red pepper flakes 1-2 tsp added to each pint jar
- 4 tsp. black peppercorns 3 tsp, one tsp added to each pint jar
Instructions
- Start by choosing your brine from the list above. Each type will make enough brine to fill about 2 pints, which will pickle about 1/2 pound of scapes (1/4 pound per pint jar).
- Prepare your garlic scapes by cutting them however you choose. You can do short segments, curly Q's, long straight pieces or just the blossom ends. Pack them into jars leaving 1/2 inch headpace.
- Add the dry spices to each jar (or fresh dill fronds, if using).
- If canning, prepare a water bath canner at this point. (Optional)
- Prepare the brine by adding all the brine ingredients for the type you've chosen to a saucepan (just water, vinegar, salt and sugar). Bring it to a boil and stir to dissolve the salt/sugar.
- Pour the boiling brine over the garlic scapes and spices in each jar, maintaining 1/2 inch headspace.
- Seal with 2 part lids.
- For refrigerator pickles, allow the jars to cool to room temperature and then store in the refrigerator. The pickles need at least 2 days for the spices to infuse before eating. They'll keep in the refrigerator for at least a month.
- If canning, process the jars in a water bath canner for 10 minutes (or 15 mintues above 6,000 feet in elevation). Check seals and store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator for immediate use. Properly canned and sealed jars of garlic scape pickles will maintain peak quality on the pantry shelf for about 12 months, but be safe to eat so long as they're properly sealed. Refrigerate after opening.
Notes
This recipe for pickled garlic scapes is actually four different recipe variations. Each type listed above is enough brine to pickle 1/2 pound of scapes, yielding about 2 pints. Choose your type and just use the ingredients for the type you've selected.
You can cut the recipe in half if you only have enough scapes to pack a single pint jar, or increase the recipe if you have more. Be sure to pack the scapes into jars first so you know how much brine you'll need. It takes a bit more than 1 cup of brine to fill a pint jar if it's well packed with garlic scapes.
Feel free to add other vegetables to the mix, especially if you don't have quite enough scapes to fill the jar. Garlic cloves and sliced onion work particularly well. (If canning, be sure they're canning apporve vegetables. For refrigerator pickles, any will do.)