Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe
If you’ve ever grown your own garlic, you might have noticed the spiral-shaped shoots that suddenly pop up in the centre of the stem, usually about a month or so before the garlic bulbs themselves are ready to be harvested. Even if you haven’t grown your own, you’re likely to see these long, green spirals at your local farmers market around this time each year.
If you’re wondering what the heck they are, you’re not alone. Many people don’t know what they are because we don’t usually see them in supermarkets. But these shoots are edible, they’re garlicky and they make an excellent pesto, among many other things. They’re called garlic scapes, and if you haven’t tried them, you are missing out my friend.
I first tried garlic scapes at a farmers market a few years ago and I was hooked. They weren’t in season at that time, but I found a vendor selling jars of pickled scapes. This intrigued me since I had never even heard about garlic scapes before, let alone tried them. The minute I tried the pickled variety I knew I had stumbled upon something special. I couldn’t believe I had never known about these little delicacies!
I did a little research and found out that the scapes tend to shoot up from the plants sometime around mid-June. It was only November! And I couldn’t get any more pickled scapes because I had bought them at a market away from home while Ryan and I were on our honeymoon. And now I had to wait until June!
Well, June did eventually come and I found some fresh scapes at one of our local farmers markets. I had never pickled or canned anything at that time and was still a little intimidated by the process. But I did love to cook, and I really loved to use local, seasonal ingredients in my cooking as much as possible. So I decided to make garlic scape pesto instead.
Watch: How to Grow and Harvest Garlic Scapes
Related: How to Grow, Cure & Store Garlic At Home
I can’t remember exactly how that first batch turned out, but Ryan seems to recall it being a little too garlicky. I’m not sure exactly how I made it or what recipe I followed, but I do know that when I made it today it was a total hit with our family. It was definitely garlicky, but it was mild enough that our 10-month-old daughter happily devoured a bowl of garlic scape pesto pasta I whipped up for dinner.
All I did to make it was take the key ingredients for a good pesto and substitute chopped garlic scapes for basil leaves. Pine nuts, parmesan, a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of salt and a little olive oil were all I needed to turn the often overlooked garlic scapes into a savoury, bold pesto that was perfect over pasta, with chopped tomatoes and olives to balance out the flavour.
I used about 15 garlic scapes and got about 1½ pints of garlic scape pesto, which is way more than I ever seem to get out my basil when I make traditional pesto. So on top of being really yummy, garlic scape pesto goes a long way and has the added bonus of being a frugal food source since it gives garlic growers a “bonus” harvest before the rest of the garlic is ready.
We used about half a pint over top of a pot of pasta, gifted another half pint to our neighbours and the last half pint should store well in the refrigerator for about a week. Alternatively, if you want to preserve it for longer you can freeze it. I will definitely be making more to freeze for later so we can continue to enjoy garlic scapes when they are no longer in season.
Pesto of all kinds, however, is not safe for canning. There are no safe, reputable home canning suggestions, so do not attempt to preserve it by canning it. Instead, you can freeze your garlic scape pesto in jars or freezer bags to preserve it. I like to use my FoodSaver to freeze mine as it sucks all the air out and ensures it won’t get a build up of ice (that will turn to water) inside the pack, which helps to maintain the quality of the pesto for a much longer period of time.
Related: Radish Top Pesto Recipe
If you’ve never grown your own garlic, I highly encourage you to give it a go! You can easily grow it even if you don’t have much space. It’s a great candidate for container gardening if all you have is a balcony or a small yard. We have raised beds and we’re growing 28 heads of garlic this year in approximately 6 square feet of space. And not only will we get 28 heads of garlic, we also get 28 garlic scapes! Not too shabby:)
* 2021 Update: I originally wrote this 4 years ago when we were living in our old house. This year we’re growing 96 head of garlic and we increase our planting every year because we use garlic in EVERYTHING! Click here to learn more about how to grow, cure and store garlic at home for year-round use.
Of course, if you aren’t yet growing garlic, it’s too little too late for this year. Garlic does best when planted in the fall, so plan ahead for next year. But in the meantime, hit up your local farmers market and grab some scapes! Aside from pesto, they are excellent when sautéed and added to stir-fries, eggs, frittatas, pasta dishes or mixed vegetables. And, of course, you can pickle them too. I definitely will be! But for now, garlic scape pesto is oh-so satisfying. And it tastes like summer… at last.
Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- About 12 to 15 garlic scapes, roughly chopped
- 1 cup of olive oil
- 1 cup shredded parmesan
- 1 cup pine nuts (you can substitute walnuts or almonds)
- juice from half a lemon
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
- Chop garlic scapes into small pieces that will fit in your food processor. You can use the entire scape, including the bulb.
- Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend on high until all ingredients are mixed well and you are happy with the consistency of the pesto. * Use a spoon or spatula to scrape the sides of your food processor if some ingredients are sticking to the sides or not blending well.
- Once blended, transfer to a glass jar (like a Mason jar) and store in the fridge for up to a week, in the freezer for up to 6 months or in Food Saver bags in the freezer for a year or more.
- Enjoy as you would any other pesto, on pasta, bread and as a garlicky dip!
Notes
* Some people suggest not adding the parmesan if you intend to freeze pesto as the taste of the cheese can change. I haven't had that experience, but you might choose to omit the cheese and add it in once defrosted, right before you are ready to eat your pesto. You can just mix the parmesan in by hand instead of using the food processor.
CATEGORIES
5 Comments
Submit a Comment
ABOUT ANNA
You Might Also Like
Go Beyond Organic Gardening to Grow More Food With Less Work
You’ve most likely heard of organic gardening before, but have you ever heard of beyond organic gardening? In this post, we’ll go over exactly what this means, and how you can implement “beyond organic” practices in your own garden to grow more...
What is Hugelkultur Gardening (And What Are the Benefits?)
Learn about the many benefits of hugelkultur gardening and start your own highly productive and 100% sustainable hugelkultur raised bed! This is a guest post by Sunflower Craig of Permies.com Hugelkultur (pronounced: hoogle-culture) is German for...
This honey and chive blossom vinaigrette is a frugal, easy and healthy homemade salad dressing that pairs beautifully with fresh garden salads all season long.
Get the recipe through the link in my bio.
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/chive-blossom-vinaigrette/
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#houseandhomestead
#herbalgarden
#gardenherbs
#herbsfromthegarden
#freshherbsfromthegarden
#gardenfreshherbs
#chiveblossoms
#homesteadmom
#homesteadmoments
#homesteadingskills
#homesteady
#thehomestead
#thehomesteadlife
#summeronthehomestead
#suburbanhomesteading
#lovemyfarm
#modernhomesteader
#countrygal
#country_living
#urbanhomesteading
#selfsustainableliving
#homesteaderslife
#seasonalrecipes
#eatinseason
#liveseasonally
#eattheseasons
#seasonaleats
#summersbounty
#eatseasonal
Whether you live in the city and grow a few herbs on your balcony, have a few backyard chickens in the suburbs or live in the country and have a larder full of enough home-canned food to survive the apocalypse, if living a more homemade, homegrown, self-sufficient lifestyle is important to you, Modern Homesteading Magazine was made for you!
Read it today through the link in my bio!
https://modernhomesteadingmagazine.com/
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#houseandhomestead
#homesteadmom
#homesteadmoments
#homesteadingskills
#homesteady
#thehomestead
#thehomesteadlife
#summeronthehomestead
#suburbanhomesteading
#lovemyfarm
#modernhomesteader
#countrygal
#country_living
#urbanhomesteading
#selfsustainableliving
#homesteaderslife
#granolamom
#urbanhomesteader
#homesteadlifestyle
#farmerslifeforme
#backyardhomesteading
#homesteadingfamily
#sustainablelifestyles
#happyhomesteading
#homesteadersofamerica
#homesteaders
#backyardhomestead
#hobbyfarmer
#selfsufficientliving
This radish top pesto recipe makes good use of the edible radish greens that often get discarded once they’re separated from the root. The end result is a peppery, slightly spicy twist on a classic pesto recipe.
A perfect condiment for all your summer snacking!
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/radish-top-pesto-recipe/
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#houseandhomestead
#radishes
#vegetablerecipes
#sustainablecooking
#foodforeveryone
#eatlocallygrown
#seasonalrecipes
#freshandlocal
#eatingseasonally
#eatlocallygrown
#seasonalproduce
#eatseasonalfood
#seasonalshift
#seasonalfoods
#homesteadmom
#homesteadmoments
#homesteadingskills
#homesteady
#thehomestead
#thehomesteadlife
#summeronthehomestead
#suburbanhomesteading
#lovemyfarm
#modernhomesteader
#countrygal
#country_living
#urbanhomesteading
#selfsustainableliving
#homesteaderslife
Why are radishes still being relegated to boring garden salads when they could be roasted and caramelized in honey butter instead??? Try this delicious recipe today!
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/roasted-radishes-with-honey-butter/
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#houseandhomestead
#kitchengardener
#gardennerd
#radishrecipe
#gardengoodies
#eatyouryard
#homegardener
#gardenfreshveggies
#ediblegardens
#foodfromthegarden
#homesteadmom
#homesteadmoments
#homesteadingskills
#homesteady
#thehomestead
#thehomesteadlife
#summeronthehomestead
#suburbanhomesteading
#lovemyfarm
#modernhomesteader
#countrygal
#country_living
#urbanhomesteading
#selfsustainableliving
#homesteaderslife
#urbanhomesteader
#homesteadlifestyle
#farmerslifeforme
#backyardhomesteading
This homemade herb butter is versatile and easy to make. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to preserve your fresh summer herbs to enjoy all year long!
Here are my favorite recipes and tips!
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/homemade-herb-butter/
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#houseandhomestead
#herbbutter
#compoundbutter
#seasonalrecipes
#freshandlocal
#eatingseasonally
#eatlocallygrown
#seasonalproduce
#eatseasonalfood
#seasonalshift
#seasonalfoods
#herbalgarden
#gardenherbs
#herbsfromthegarden
#urbanhomesteading
#selfsustainableliving
#homesteaderslife
#granolamom
#urbanhomesteader
#homesteadlifestyle
#farmerslifeforme
#backyardhomesteading
#homesteadingfamily
#sustainablelifestyles
#happyhomesteading
#homesteadersofamerica
#homesteaders
#backyardhomestead
#hobbyfarmer
Who else saves their canning lids? 🙋🏻♀️
Even though canning lids should never be reused for CANNING, they are super useful for storing other things like:
• Dry goods (beans, rice, oatmeal, pasta, spices, etc.)
• Dehydrated fruit and vegetables
• DIY home and body products (body butter, bath salts, sugar scrubs, home cleaners, lids for candles, etc.
• Store dried herbs for your home apothecary
• Punch holes in them and let your kiddos collect bugs and nature treasures in a Mason jar!
• Paint them or cover with fabric to make your own ornaments and crafts
• And of course, save them to store open jars of home-canned food in the fridge!
I’m sure I’m missing some things.
Can you think of any other ways to reuse canning lids? Let me know in the comments!
Oh, and P.S., there are just two days left to save 15% off your order at @denalicanning !!!
Use code ANNA15 to save 15% off your order of $75 or more at denalicanning.com.
Stock up on canning lids, rings, home canners and preserving supplies and be prepared for the onslaught of garden goodies come summer and fall!
And remember to save those canning lids when you’re done!
.
.
.
.
.
.
#canning #homecanning #denalicanning #denali #preserve #preservetheharvest #homesteading #foodpreservation #lifehacks #homesteadhacks #frugal #frugalliving #frugallivingtips #reuse #zerowaste
As far as weeds go, yarrow is definitely one you want growing in your garden. It’s a powerhouse of a plant, packed with medicinal properties to help cure everything from fevers and colds to bleeding, bruises and everything in between.
Learn how to use it to treat almost any ailment through the link in my profile.
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/yarrow-home-remedies/
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#houseandhomestead
#growingherbs
#homeopathics
#naturesmedicinecabinet
#naturesmedicines
#herbsaver
#healthyfamilies
#tincturetuesday
#herblove
#herbsheal
#tipsforwellness
#wellnesstipsforliving
#naturalherbalremedies
#growyourownherbalremedies
#happyhomesteading
#homesteadersofamerica
#homesteaders
#backyardhomestead
#hobbyfarmer
#selfsufficientliving
#homesteadingmama
#offgridhomestead
#modernfarmhousekitchen
#crunchymama
#rusticfarmhouse
#farmhouseinspo
#farmhouselife
#modernhomesteading
Calendula has to be my favourite flower to grow. For starters, it’s incredibly easy to grow from seed and requires very little care. Second, it looks gorgeous in the garden. But third and most importantly, calendula is packed with medicinal properties and is an incredibly powerful, natural home remedy.
Learn how to use it through the link in my bio.
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/calendula-healing-powers/
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#houseandhomestead
#herbalmedicinemaking
#herbalmedicines
#planthealing
#herbalgarden
#gardenherbs
#herbsfromthegarden
#freshherbsfromthegarden
#gardenfreshherbs
#healinginnature
#herbalinfusions
#herbalgarden
#herbschool
#herbalmedicinecabinet
#allherbal
#calendula
#homegardener
#homesteadmom
#homesteadmoments
#homesteadingskills
#homesteady
#thehomestead
#thehomesteadlife
#summeronthehomestead
#suburbanhomesteading
#lovemyfarm
#modernhomesteader
#countrygal
#country_living
#urbanhomesteading
I’m not gonna lie: when I first decided to learn how to make kombucha at home, I was feeling pretty intimidated.
But as it turns out, making kombucha at home is actually one of the quickest and easiest things that I now DIY on a regular basis.
Follow the link in bio to find out how easy it will be for you too!
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/how-to-make-kombucha-at-home/
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#houseandhomestead
#fermentingisfun
#kombucha
#kombuchalove
#homemadekombucha
#homesteadmom
#homesteadmoments
#homesteadingskills
#homesteady
#thehomestead
#thehomesteadlife
#summeronthehomestead
#suburbanhomesteading
#lovemyfarm
#modernhomesteader
#countrygal
#country_living
#urbanhomesteading
#selfsustainableliving
#homesteaderslife
#granolamom
#urbanhomesteader
#homesteadlifestyle
#farmerslifeforme
#backyardhomesteading
#homesteadingfamily
#sustainablelifestyles
#modernfarmhousekitchen
#crunchymama
In a world where so much is out of our control, it's time to reclaim your independence. I've put together a whole collection of online courses for your path to your homestead- whether you're off the grid already or in a city apartment!
Head over the link in my bio.
.
https://thehouseandhomestead.mykajabi.com/
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#houseandhomestead
#liveanauthenticlife
#livinginspired
#homesteadmom
#homesteadmoments
#homesteadingskills
#homesteady
#thehomestead
#thehomesteadlife
#summeronthehomestead
#suburbanhomesteading
#lovemyfarm
#modernhomesteader
#countrygal
#country_living
#urbanhomesteading
#selfsustainableliving
#homesteaderslife
#granolamom
#urbanhomesteader
#homesteadlifestyle
#farmerslifeforme
#backyardhomesteading
#homesteadingfamily
#sustainablelifestyles
#happyhomesteading
#homesteadersofamerica
#homesteaders
#backyardhomestead
#hobbyfarmer
My honey brioche bread makes delicious French toast- perfect to spoil Mom on Mother's Day this Sunday!
Get the recipe through the link in my bio.
.
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/honey-brioche-bread-recipe/
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#houseandhomestead
#mothersdaybreakfast
#homemadebread
#modernhomesteading
#happyhomesteading
#homesteadersofamerica
#homesteaders
#backyardhomestead
#hobbyfarmer
#selfsufficientliving
#homesteadingmama
#offgridhomestead
#modernfarmhousekitchen
#crunchymama
#microfarmer
#granolamom
#urbanhomesteader
#homesteadlifestyle
#farmerslifeforme
#backyardhomesteading
#homesteadingfamily
#suburbanhomesteading
#lovemyfarm
#modernhomesteader
#countrygal
#country_living
#urbanhomesteading
#selfsustainableliving
#homesteaderslife
Every year in the spring, I plant the seeds that will eventually turn into the crops to be harvested from our annual vegetable garden.
I’ve grown an annual garden for 8 years now, and every year is just as exciting as the last. But it is work, and it requires diligence in the spring to get all of your seeds planted on time and set up with the proper growing conditions.
With a new baby, I’ve found myself struggling to get everything started and planted out in time, which is why I’m so thankful this year for our perennial food plants; The ones we planted long ago and continue to enjoy every year, no seed starting and little to no work required in the spring!
Perennials need only be planted once and will continue to provide a harvest year after year.
Aside from just being a great return on your initial investment, in an uncertain economy and with our global food supply under more pressure than ever before in our lifetime, knowing you can rely on your land to produce even some food every year without worrying about being able to get seeds, or hitting your seed starting window on time, or whether those seeds will germinate or not can provide a lot of peace of mind.
Plus there a whole bunch of other great benefits for your garden and your soil too!
If you do nothing else this year, I recommend adding at least one perennial edible plant to your homestead, no matter where you live or what size space you’re working with.
Check the link in my profile for 12(plus!) Edible Perennials to Plant Once and Harvest Every Year!
(Or visit https://thehouseandhomestead.com/edible-perennials for the full list).
.
.
.
#ediblegarden #permaculture #perennials #homesteadhacks #homesteading #modernhomesteading #gardentips #gardentipsandtricks
I have 2 bunches waiting on me to make a decision.
I’ve made Garlic Scape Pesto but… with Fennel Fronds added.
It was amazing!!! 😋
When I make garlic scape pesto, it has a sharp flavor (which I love, but no one else here does). I put it little glass jars and freeze for about 5-6 months and it mellows quite a bit. Something summery to look forward to in the winter!
I would like to water process my garlic scape pesto to save freezer space and keep them on a shelf. I do this for salsa and jams etc in a canning pot.
Hi Sheila,
Please do not water bath can pesto. Garlic scapes and the other ingredients in this pesto, including the oil, are not safe to water bath can and can develop botulism because the ingredients have too high of a PH (not acidic enough) and the heat from boiling water just can not penetrate all the way through this thick pesto to kill all possible bacteria. The only safe tested way to preserve this pesto is to freeze it. It’s just not worth the risk to try to can it. Stay safe.
Thank you so much for the jar of the Scape Pesto.. and to think you only made 2 jars and gave us one! So wonderful to have good , generous, thoughtful neighbours!