Scape Time!
Garlic Scapes are the "flower stalks" of hard neck garlic plants. If you grow garlic you will want to pick these flowers. If you don't pick them the flower will continue to mature and take energy away from the forming bulb. You can leave a few to mature and you will get little bulbils that can be planted (or eaten). It will take a couple years of planting and replanting to get full sized garlic from the bulbils...best to save some of your big bulbs to replant. Since you have to pick them all at once...what to do!?
Start a new jewelry trend that is sure to keep vampires away?
Bouquets?
Scape are just too yummy! Time to crank the tunes and get chopping!
These curvy critters can be hard to tame. My preferred method it the over the table method. I snip off the flower pod and then chop into about inch long pieces.
Some I grind up with olive oil to make pesto cubes. Others I blanch for 2 minutes and put in zip bags to freeze. I am experimenting this year with some unblanched scapes. Lots of folks say they have good results and the flavor is protected...blanching does seem to lessen the flavor. This year I am made 2 jars of pickled flower pods. I am just keeping them in the back of the refer for 6 weeks. My son adores all types of pickles. Once they are ready they won't last long. So here is my harvest...
Be sure to save some to eat right away. I just saute them in olive oil...delicious!
No comments:
Post a Comment