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.
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This chicken door from @chickcozy_ is so easy to install and use too, and right now you can get one for a steal during their Black Friday sale!
Save over $40 off an automatic chicken door, plus use my coupon code for an ADDITIONAL DISCOUNT!
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Comment “Chicken” below for more info and to get my exclusive coupon code! 🐓
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Yes, you read that right…
Modern Homesteading Magazine is coming to an end.
This decision has not come easily, but there’s a season for everything, and more and more I’m feeling called to transition out of this season and into the next in both life and business.
And so this final farewell issue is bittersweet. On the one hand, it’s the first ever annual issue, with 100 pages packed with brand new content that celebrates the best of the past 32 issues!
And it’s the first issue I’ve ever offered in PRINT!
But on the other hand, it marks the end of an era, and of this publication that I’ve absolutely had the pleasure of creating and sharing with you.
If you’re a digital subscriber, you will not be charged a renewal fee going forward, and will continue to have access to the digital library until your subscription runs out. As part of your subscription, you’re able to download and/or print each issue of you like, so that you never lose access to the hundreds of articles and vast amount of information in each issue.
Rather than subscribing, you can now purchase an all-access pass for a one-time fee of just $20, which gives you access to our entire digital library of issues.
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I’m also still taking preorders for the print version of this special edition issue, but only for a few more weeks!
When you preorder the print issue, you’ll also get a digital copy of the special edition issue (this issue only), and will receive a print copy in the mail later this year (hopefully by Christmas so long as there are no shipping delays!)
Click the link in my profile or visit modernhomesteadingmagazine.com to check out the latest issue, purchase an all-access pass to the digital library and/or preorder the print issue today!
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#modernhomesteading #homesteading #homesteadersofinstagram
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And more!
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Link in profile to enroll before midnight tonight, or go to thehouseandhomestead.com/society
#homesteading #selfreliance #selfsufficiency #homesteadingskills #preparedness
There are so many reasons to grow your own food at home:
💰 Saves you money at the grocery store
🍴 Healthier than conventionally grown food
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🫙 Gives you an abundance to preserve and share
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In my online membership program, The Society of Self-Reliance, you’ll learn how to grow your own food, from seed to harvest, as well as how to preserve it so you can enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labor all year long!
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The doors to the Society are now open for a limited time only. Click the link in my profile or go to thehouseandhomestead.com/society to learn more.
#foodsecurity #homegrownfood #homesteading #selfreliance #selfsufficiency #homegrownfoodjusttastesbetter
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When I first launched this online membership program last year, my goal was to create a one-stop resource where members could go to learn and practice every aspect of self-reliance, as well as a space to connect with other like-minded people pursuing the same goal. And that’s exactly what you’ll get when you join!
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I also saw a clip of him playing a Farmers Market last week, and anything that has to do with Farmers Markets always has my attention;)
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The world has changed drastically in the last few years especially, and it’s set to change in immense ways over the next few years. Today I’m feeling thankful for people like @oliver_anthony_music_ who give a voice to what so many are feeling right now.
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(Continued in comments…)
Another garlic harvest in the books!
Garlic is easily one of my favourite crops to grow. It’s pretty much a “set if and forget it” crop. We plant in the fall and leave it to overwinter, fertilize a couple times in the spring, start watering only once the ground starts to dry out, and then harvest in the summer. We can even plant a fall succession crop after our garlic if we want so it really makes great use of garden space all year round.
Over the years we’ve managed to become completely self-sufficient with garlic. We now grow enough to eat all year (and then some!), plus we save our own seed garlic and usually have extra to sell or give away. And around here fresh, organic garlic ain’t cheap, so it’s a good cash crop for anyone who’s serious about selling it.
It took me a few years to really get the hang of garlic, but it’s one crop I’m now very confident with (knock on wood, because it’s always when we make statements like this that next year’s crop fails! Lol.)
A while back I compiled a comprehensive guide to growing, harvesting and using garlic both as an edible and medicinal crop. This is usually only available as part of a paid bundle (or in the fall 2022 issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine if you’re a subscriber;), but for a limited time I’m offering it for free, no strings attached!
Plus you’ll also get access to my step-by-step video lesson on planting garlic so you can set yourself up for success with your garlic crop this year.
Comment “Garlic” below or head to thehouseandhomestead.com/garlic-guide to get your free copy!
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#garlic #garlicharvest #homesteading #selfsufficient #selfsufficiency #selfsufficientliving #selfreliance #homegrown #groworganic #growfoodnotlawns #gardenersofinstagram #homesteadersofinstagram
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Glad to be back home and more excited than ever to involve my kids in everything we’re doing. But also, I think I speak for my whole family when I say we can’t wait to go back someday!
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If you’re simply looking for ways to save a little extra cash this summer and live well for less, here are 12 tried and tested frugal living tips for summer that you can use to save money this season without sacrificing a thing.
Head over using the link in my bio!
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/12-frugal-living-tips-summer/
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In this issue:
🌱 How to forage and use five common edible and medicinal weeds
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👨👩👧👦 Tips for managing a homestead while raising a family (big or small!)
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🌹 How to grow and arrange your own cut flowers at home
🍓 The many ways to preserve summer berries (including 5 delicious recipes!)
💇How to make your own all-natural herbal hair care products at home
🧑🌾 Why “community sufficiency” is the new self-sufficiency
And more!
Visit modernhomesteadingmagazine.com (or click the link in my bio) to subscribe or login to the library and read the latest issue.
Plus, be sure to check out all of our past issues as well! There’s a wealth of information in our library on everything from farming and gardening to cooking and canning to herbal medicine, natural living and so much more!
*** This will be the last quarterly issue! ***
This little magazine has grown so much over the past 4 years and 32 issues, and now it’s time for another exciting evolution.
I’m excited to announce that we will be moving to an even more robust annual publication with the intention of offering the first ever print edition this fall if there is enough demand.
I’m also excited to announce the brand new Modern Homesteading Magazine blog, which is currently under construction and will be launching soon. While we will still be maintaining digital subscriptions, the blog will be accessible to all, free of charge, so that more people might benefit from the empowering and increasingly important information that we cover in each issue.
Thanks to everyone who helped make this issue happen! @homesteadingfamily @oatsandhoneyhomestead @omnivore.culture @thetaylor.leigh @doeraydesign (and more who don’t have IG pages;)
And a HUGE thank you to everyone who has subscribed over the years. Modern Homesteading Magazine would never have become what it is today without each and every one of you.
#homesteading #modernhomesteading #selfsufficiency
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.
These are garlic scapes, and believe it or not- they make delicious pesto! Get the recipe through the link in my bio- https://thehouseandhomestead.com/garlic-scape-pesto/
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#houseandhomestead
#homesteadmom
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#homesteadingskills
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#suburbanhomesteading
#lovemyfarm
#modernhomesteader
#countrygal
#country_living
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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/
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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!