Garlic Scape Pickles

This mild garlic pickle can be used in a variety of dishes, including pasta dishes, salads, or potato salad.  They are great on a pickle tray or try throwing them in a classic vodka Caesar.  Really, use them anywhere you would like a mild garlic flavour in your dish.

Garlic Scape Pickles

Yield:  3 to 4 - 500 ml or 6 to 8 - 250 ml jars

Ingredients

2 pounds garlic scapes 3 cups water 3 cups apple cider vinegar (5%) 3 Tbsp pickling salt 3 tsp pickling spice 1/16 tsp Bernardin pickle crisp (per jar)

Directions

1. Place water in boiling water canner.  Heat to a simmer.  Place 3 clean, warm 500 ml mason jars on a rack in canner.  Cover with simmering water.  Place SNAP LIDS® in a bowl full of warm water.  Keep both jars and lids warm until ready to use. 

2. Combine water, vinegar and pickling salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil just before you are ready to pour over the garlic scapes.

3.   Wash garlic scapes under cool running water.  Cut off the blossom end just below the blossom.  Set these aside.  Cut the curled end off so that you have a straight end and a curled end.  Remove jars one at a time from the canner to a covered countertop.  Place ½ tsp of pickling spice and 1/16 tsp of Bernardin pickle crisp in the bottom of each jar.  Tightly pack the cirled ends around the inside of the jar.  Then pack the straight ends into the middle of the jar, leaving ½ inch of head space.  If the spear is too tall for the jar, cut the bottom end off.  You want the spears standing up in the jar, with the top ½ inch below the surface.  All cut ends can be placed in a separate jar with pickling spice and Bernardin pickle crisp.

4. Pour boiling hot pickling brine over scapes, leaving ½ inch headspace.  Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed.  Wipe jar rim. Place SNAP LID® and screw band on jar.  Tighten until fingertip tight.  Place in canner on rack.  Repeat until all jars are full.

5.  Add enough hot water to the canner to ensure jars are covered by 1 inch of water.  Place lid on canner.  Bring to a full rolling boil.  Boil 10 minutes (adjusting for altitude).  Turn off heat.  Remove lid and wait 5 minutes.  Remove jars with a jar lifter, without tilting, to a protected countertop.

6.  Cool upright 24 hours.  After cool, check that the jars are sealed.  Sealed jar lids curve downward.  Clean, dry, remove screw bands and label with contents and date. 

 TIP:  The garlic scapes can also be cut into 2 inch pieces and placed in the jar to cut down on prep time. Add garlic cloves if you run out of garlic scapes to fill the jar.

 TIP:  If there is left over brine, pour it over a jar packed with peeled garlic cloves, leaving ¼ inch headspace.  Add the lid and place it in the canner and process it along with the garlic scapes. 

 TIP:  Use the flower bud ends to make garlic scape pesto.  The pesto can be added to mashed potatoes. Mix it with mayonnaise to make a garlic pesto aioli and spread it on crackers, sandwiches or dip your French fries in it. Use it as a base for pizza sauce or add it to pasta.

 TIP:  Never throw out your pickle brine.  It can be used for so many different things.  Try making pickled eggs, add it to potato salad or include it in a homemade salad dressing.