How to Freeze Garlic Scapes

Garlic scapes are the flowering shoots that garlic plants put out in late spring or early summer. Though garlic scapes are not purported to have any health benefits, they can replace or reduce unhealthy flavoring added to dishes that may be high in salt, sugar or fat -- e.g., store-bought dressings or marinades. Freeze garlic scapes and use them as you would chives to add a new variety of garlic flavor to your dishes throughout the year.

• Rinse off garlic scapes briefly to remove any debris or soil.

• Chop garlic scapes into 1/8- to 1/4-inch segments as you would chives. You may also leave them whole for freezing.

• Place garlic scapes into a cheesecloth bag or fine mesh strainer and blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds. This is important to kill any bacteria or other microorganism from the soil that may affect food safety. To blanch, dip a batch of scapes in the strainer or cheesecloth in boiling water and then cool them in a bowl of ice water. This will briefly cook them, kill any bacteria and then cool them to stop the cooking process.

• Spread garlic scapes thinly on a cookie sheet and freeze. Freezing initially on a cookie sheet helps prevent clumping.

• Place frozen garlic scapes in a freezer bag or sealable plastic container and store in the freezer. Use within a month for the best flavor, according to the National Gardening Association.

Things You Will Need

• Knife or scissors
• Pot
• Strainer or cheesecloth
• Bowl
• Baking sheet
• Freezer bag or container

Tip

• You can also use garlic scapes to make pickles or pesto. They may also be dried or dehydrated.
• Harvest scapes by cutting a few at a time 1 inch above the ground, rather than cutting the tips off of the whole plant. This will minimize the shock and keep your garlic bulbs developing well. You may also clip off the flowering tips to minimize spreading.