Name: Garlic Scape Relish
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 10 cups garlic scapes; 3 cups onions; 4 red bell peppers; 5 tablespoons Salt; 3 cups Sugar; 3 cups apple cider vinegar or white vinegar; 1 teaspoon turmeric; 1 teaspoon dry mustard; 1 teaspoon Black Pepper; 1 teaspoon celery seed

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Garlic scape relish is incredibly easy and a great way to preserve lots of garlic scapes in one recipe. Great on burgers, hot dogs and more.

Close up of a jar of relish. — Garlic Scape Relish

If you have ever planted garlic, then you know that in the early spring to late spring, you’ll have to harvest lots of scapes. It can be hard to preserve them for use throughout the year. Not with this relish.

It’s so easy to make, only takes a few minutes to put together and only about 30 minutes to cook down. No continuous stirring like with jams either. So hands on time is only about an ten minutes and total time is less than an hour.

What are garlic scapes?

Garlic scapes (sometimes referred to as a pigtail) are the flower bud and the stalk of the flower (botanically the peduncle) of the garlic plant. They are curly, green and originate directly from the bulb.

If the garlic “scapes” are not removed from the leaves, the flower will take nutrients from the bulb, so that the bulb of the garlic will be smaller. Therefore, it is important to break or cut the garlic scapes off, before they flower.

In upstate NY they emerge from the beginning of June to the beginning of July. Remove them as soon as you see them emerge for best results. Continue to check for them for at least a few weeks, in case you missed any, or new ones emerge.

Pick the scapes as soon as they curl once. They are most tender when they are harvested young.

You can eat the whole garlic scape, including the flower bud. They have a more mild flavor than garlic and they are also safe to eat in small quantities for a low fodmap diet, unlike the bulb.

Curly garlic scapes on barnwood board. — Curly garlic scapes

Where can you find scapes?

They used to be incredibly hard to find. Now they are becoming more common. Find them at farmer’s markets, farm stands and in some specialty Asian markets.

What you need

garlic scapes
onion
bell pepper – red bell pepper will give you the best presentation but you can really use any color.
kosher salt
sugar
cornstarch
turmeric
apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
dry mustard
black pepper
celery seed

Ingredients for garlic scape relish. See recipe below for details. — Ingredients for garlic scape relish.

How to make it

Step One

Chop scapes into smaller pieces. Add to food processor bowl.

Chopped garlic scapes in food processor bowl. — Chop scapes in small pieces.

Step Two

Pulse until pieces are fine but not pureed.

Small chunk of garlic scapes. — Pulse until pieces are fine but not pureed.

Step three

Process bell pepper into small pieces.

Chopped bell peppers in food processor bowl. — Process peppers after the scapes.

Step Four

Process onions.

Chopped onions in food processor bowl. — Process onions after the scapes.

Step Five

Add vegetables to a plastic bag or bowl.

Vegetables and salt in storage bag. — Add all of the vegetables to a bag.

Step Six

Mix well.

Let the bag sit overnight on the counter.

Vegetables in storage bag mixed up. — Mix the salt into the vegetables.

Step Seven

Place the vegetables in a fine mesh strainer.

Rinse salt off well.

Add the rinsed veggies and the remaining ingredients to a large pot. Mix well.

Spices added to the vegetables in a large pot. — Rinse. Add to a pot with remaining ingredients.

Step Eight

Cook the mixture over medium heat, down until most of the juices have evaporated and it is relish consistency.

Cooked down relish in pot. — Cook the mixture down.

To can it

Step Nine

Ladle hot relish into hot jars using a canning funnel.

Canning funnel with relish in jar. — Ladle into jars.

Wipe rims with a damp paper towel.

Remove air bubbles with a bubble remover or a wooden chopstick.

Center lids. Screw on jars fingertip tight.

Woman's hand wiping rims of jars. — Wipe rims.

Process in a water bath canner for 20 minutes. Turn off canning pot. Allow jars to cool for 5-10 minutes in the hot water.

Carefully remove jars with a jar lifter to the counter.

Allow them to cool 12-24 hours. Test lid for seal. (If lid flexes up or down the jar hasn’t sealed and should be stored in the refrigerator).

Jars of garlic scape relish with fresh scapes.

How to use this relish

Top hot dogs or burgers or sausages with relish.
Add relish to potato salad, egg salad, chicken or tuna salad or macaroni salad.
Use as a condiment for cheese trays, charcuterie boards and grazing platters.
Add to deviled eggs.
Add to ketchup or mayonnaise for a tasty new condiment.
Substitute it for cucumber relish in Thousand Island Dressing.

More recipes for preserving garlic scapes

Helpful tools

Three jars of relish on black background.

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I hope you enjoyed the recipe today!

Enjoy. And have fun cooking!

Originally published July 7, 2022.

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Garlic Scape Relish