What’s a garlic scape? It’s the stalk of a garlic plant. They look like skinny scallions (green onions) but they taste like garlic – only milder. [Update: Since I first shared this post in 2014, many of you have told me that these are actually garlic leaves and not garlic scapes. Sorry for the confusion – as I mentioned above I have a brown thumb and was mistaken about this. I was just so excited to see something growing in my kitchen window that I had to share 😂 I hope you still enjoy this post!] While there are a ton of resources that’ll teach you how to grow your own garlic – if you’re a newbie wannabe grower like me and you don’t have a garden (or even a deck… sigh) and want something fresh and green growing in your kitchen, then this post is for you. All you need:
A small, clear container (I used tiny plastic shot glasses so that my glass shot glasses wouldn’t smell like garlic… coconut rum + garlic = gross)Unpeeled garlic cloves (make sure the garlic is from your local farmer’s market)Water
Add a bit of water at the bottom of your shot glass or small container – just enough to cover the bottom of your clove (don’t submerge the clove or it’ll rot). Keep this on your windowsill and after a few days, you’ll have scapes! Let them grow until they’re several inches tall, then cut from the top. I know for some of my readers with actual gardens, this post might seem silly but if you’ve ever lived in a tiny apartment (or a townhome without a deck), then you know how awesome it feels to have something growing in your kitchen. Using these homegrown garlic scapes will make ya feel fancy. Snip some off the top and add them to scrambled eggs, a bowl of soup or sprinkle them on top of a baked (sweet) potato. Use these scapes to garnish any meal – and definitely use them when your friends come over – they’ll be super impressed and think you’re trendy/cool. I mean, growing garlic scapes in a shot glass… is way cooler than what shot glasses are actually meant for.
