Pickled Garlic Scapes

Pickled garlic scapes was how I was introduced to garlic scapes almost 20 years ago at the Elkhorn Ranch near Richmond, IN one night whole bartering German white hardnecked garlic for a bushel of ripe bell peppers. The pickled scapes were the first lesson on how to grow hard necked garlic-you got to take off the scapes in May for full size corms in July. But what to do with several hundred scapes when you have no market for them (something we developed later on)? You pickle them by the quart!

Scapes in the raw

Scapes cut into approx 3" section and the tips, but not the flower bud, removed

The brine-7 cups white vinegar and 7 cups water along with about 1/3 cup pickling spices and a TBL of cayenne flakes. bring to a boil

Packing jars and adding brine

Lids on and ready for the canner

10+minutes in a hot water bath

and they are done!