Pickled Garlic Scapes
Pickled garlic scapes perfectly preserve the scapes from the garlic plant in the form of a tasty appetizer with some zing.
Equipment
- Canning Jars with Two-Part Lids, either 2x pint or 4x half pint sizes
- Water Bath Canning Pot, if canning
Ingredients
- ½ pound Garlic Scapes
Regular Pickled Garlic Scapes
- 1 ¼ cup Water
- 1 ¼ cup Vinegar, can be white, white wine, cider, or any vinegar as long as the acidity is 5% or greater
- 1 ½ Tbsp Canning Salt
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 2 tsp Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp per pint jar
- 2 tsp Black Peppercorns, 1 tsp per pint jar
Spicy Pickled Garlic Scapes
- 1 ¼ cup Water
- 1 ¼ cup Vinegar, can be white, white wine, cider, or any vinegar as long as the acidity is 5% or greater
- 1 Tbsp Canning Salt
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, 1 tsp per pint jar
- 2 tsp Black Peppercorns, 1 tsp per pint jar
Instructions
- Cut scapes to appropriate size and pack tightly in jars. Add spices directly to each jar (mustard and black peppercorns for regular scapes, red pepper flakes and black peppercorns for spicy scapes).
- Create brine by bringing water, vinegar, salt, sugar to a boil, dissolving sugar and salt.
- Add brine to jars, bringing up to ½ inch headspace. If you're short on brine, top up with vinegar. Wipe rims and put on two-part lids.
- For Refrigerator PicklesPut jars in the fridge and let sit for at least a few days before consuming.For Canned PicklesPut jars in a water bath canner filled with hot water, with the jars submerged by at least an inch of water. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. (Adjust for elevation as needed.) Remove canner from heat and let sit for five minutes. Remove jars using a jar lifter and let sit undisturbed overnight. If jars are properly sealed, then they can be stored in a cool dark place for up to a year before quality (but not safety) starts to degrade. If any jars did not properly seal, they should be put in the fridge and consumed first. Allow jars to sit for at least a few days before consuming.
Notes
This recipe is intended for two pints of scapes, but can easily be divided or multiplied for smaller or larger quantities. I usually pack the jars first to see how many pints I get before figuring out the brine, and then I usually do a little extra brine just in case. (If you're dividing or multiplying, ensure your math is correct so you get the correct ratios of ingredients.)
Feel free to add more spices to the jar if you want spicier scapes.
Refrigerator pickles will result in crispier and bright green scapes, but canned pickles will result in shelf-stable scapes that can sit in a cupboard for several months before opening (but refrigerate upon opening).