Garlic scapes are a unique seasonal delicacy that often sparks curiosity among cooks and gardeners alike. This sought-after vegetable is only available for a brief window in late spring or early summer, making it a prized ingredient for its distinctly mild flavor. Understanding which type of garlic plant yields this curly green stem is the key to both harvesting a bonus crop and ensuring a successful main garlic bulb harvest. This fleeting harvest provides a subtle, fresh alternative to the pungent clove.
What Exactly Is a Garlic Scape
A garlic scape is the stiff, smooth flowering stalk that emerges from the center of the garlic plant. Biologically, it is a peduncle, a leafless stem designed to support the plant’s developing flower head, which contains tiny bulbils for reproduction. This green stalk is typically round and coils into a loop before it begins to straighten out. Scapes emerge in late spring, generally three to four weeks before the main underground bulb is ready for harvest.
If left on the plant, the scape diverts the plant’s energy toward producing these aerial bulbils. This process comes at a cost to the underground bulb, which will remain significantly smaller. The tender, edible stage of the scape is brief, as the stalk begins to toughen and become fibrous if allowed to mature fully.
Hardneck Garlic The Scape Producer
Only hardneck garlic varieties develop a scape, which is the woody central stem that runs through the middle of the bulb and extends upward. This physical characteristic is what gives the hardneck variety its name, as the central stalk becomes rigid at maturity.
Softneck garlic, in contrast, lacks this flowering stalk structure, allowing its “neck” to remain pliable and soft at harvest time. This flexibility is why softneck varieties are commonly braided for storage and are the type most frequently found in grocery stores. Hardneck varieties are better suited for colder climates, often requiring a period of cold temperatures, or vernalization, to initiate proper bulb and scape formation.
Several popular hardneck varieties reliably produce scapes, each offering a slightly different flavor profile in their cloves and stems. Examples include the robustly flavored Rocambole family, which often features an especially pronounced curl in its scapes. Porcelain varieties, known for their large cloves and strong flavor, are also consistent scape producers.
The Purple Stripe family, encompassing varieties like Glazed Purple Stripe, is another reliable scape-producing group valued for its rich, complex taste. This central stalk structure also means hardneck garlic produces fewer but larger, easier-to-peel cloves compared to softneck types.
Harvesting and Culinary Uses
Removing the scape prevents the plant from expending energy on flower production. By removing this stem, the plant redirects its resources back down into the underground bulb, which can increase the final bulb size by up to 25 percent. The correct timing for removal is when the scape has formed one or two complete loops but before the curl begins to straighten out.
To harvest, the scape should be cut with a sharp knife or snapped off at the point where it emerges from the top set of leaves. Waiting too long past the curly stage will result in a tougher, less desirable texture. The harvested scapes offer a mild, grassy flavor that is noticeably less pungent than a mature garlic clove, often described as a cross between garlic, chive, and scallion.
The culinary uses for scapes are extensive, taking advantage of their tender, asparagus-like texture when cooked. They are excellent when puréed into pesto, replacing the traditional basil for a garlicky spread. Scapes can also be chopped and sautéed in stir-fries, roasted with vegetables, or grilled whole with a little oil and salt until slightly charred.