Garlic Scape Pesto

What are garlic scapes? Are there health benefits that can be derived from eating them? What is a delicious way to use an abundance of garlic scapes? This article contains answers to all 3 questions.

Look at this bunch of garlic scapes!

I’m holding a giant stainless steel bowl of scapes.

In this picture, the scape, the central stalk of a hardneck garlic plant, is shown. Can you see the flower bulb on the end?

This bowl is full of garlicy, green goodness (pesto).

Hello everyone!

Have you ever heard of garlic scapes?

Scape was a new word for me until we started planting hardneck garlic in our garden.

Right before the garlic bulbs are ready for harvest, hardneck varieties produce a scape that can be harvested.

Garlic scapes have a bold, garlicy flavor and numerous health benefits.

With any abundance of a certain crop from the garden, I’m on the hunt for the perfect recipe that is both tasty and easy.

I have our family’s favorite garlic scape recipe to share with you.

What are Garlic Scapes?

We plant our garlic in the fall right before our last frost. In Zone 7, this places garlic planting in the month of October.

After planting, the garlic pops little green shoots from the earth before the winter weather hits.

In the spring, the growth of the plant quickens as the plant matures with the warmer temperatures.

A couple weeks before harvest in June, the garlic produces a hard central stalk with a bud on the end. This central stalk, called a scape, holds the flower containing the seeds of the garlic plant.

By cutting this scape from the plant before flowering, we encourage the plant to put its energy back into the bulb.

Plus, we can make the most delicious pesto I’ve ever had with the scapes.

For more information on growing garlic, I would encourage you to read this informative article.

Health Benefits

Garlic scapes have numerous health benefits. The number of health benefits that can be achieved by consuming scapes leaves me convinced to incorporate them into my diet especially when they are garden fresh in the spring.

Due to space, I will mention just 3 of my favorite health benefits that garlic scapes offer.

Vision Improvement

You may have heard that beta-carotene, an antioxidant, protects the health of our vision. Did you know that garlic scapes have significant amounts of provitamin A which can be transformed into vitamin A? Carrots aren’t the only spring garden vegetable that will help keep a 20/20 vision.

Bone Health

Certain enzymes can quicken the breaking down of bone tissue. Thankfully, garlic scapes contain 2 ingredients, allium and allicin, that can block these enzymes from being produced.

Anticancer Properties

Diallyl sulfides have been found in the stalks of the garlic plant, scapes. These substances are linked to cancerous cells’ programmed cell death. This process is called apoptosis. From this information, there’s reason to believe garlic scapes can prevent the spread of cancer cells.

If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of garlic scapes for health, check out this article.

Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe (Dairy-Free)

Time: 10 mins
Difficulty: easy
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This pesto has a bold garlic flavor and holds a bright green color longer than basil pesto.

*Ingredients*

20 garlic scapes
2/3 cup unsalted cashews (can substitute with walnuts or pistachios)
2/3 cup nutritional yeast
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup olive oil

*Instructions*

1. Cut the scapes into 1 inch pieces. Scissors are my preferred tool.
2. Add cut scapes, cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to food processor.
3. Blend until scapes are thoroughly pulsed and all ingredients mixed well.
4. With food processor running, slowly add the olive oil until all ingredients are smoothly blended together. Texture will be a slightly chunky and runny paste.
5. Enjoy with crackers, pizza, veggies, or whatever you choose. Freeze extra in airtight bags or containers for up to a year.

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Conclusion

Hardneck varieties of garlic have repeatedly grown well in our Virginia garden, but I also prefer them for the scapes they produce.

Yearly, I bring in more than just bulbs of garlic. Also, I bring in a bountiful, delicious harvest of scapes.

If you stop by my home between October and June, I will likely have garlic in the garden and hopefully garlic scape pesto to share with you… if it’s not all eaten!

Have a blessed day, friends! I will be back with more to share soon.

Garlic Scape Pesto