Lacto-Fermented Garlic Scapes

I absolutely LOVE growing hardneck garlic. It goes into the ground in the fall when most of your homesteading preservation is done for the year and then it pretty much takes care of itself until harvesting. Plus you get the added bonus crop of garlic scapes!

Garlic scapes are the flower portion of all hardneck garlic varieties. In order the ensure the best garlic crop possible, it’s wise to remove the flowering heads. We don’t want the plant expending energy producing flowers, instead we want to store as much energy in the bulb (the main reason we grew garlic).

Now we don’t just discard these flower stalks! They are incredibly tasty with their garlicky flavour and are very versatile. We use them in pesto, scrambled eggs, stir fry and of course, we ferment lots.

What are Fermented Foods?

A food is fermented when it undergoes a process known as lacto-fermentation; lactic acid is created when natural bacteria consumes the starch and sugar in food. This process creates loads of probiotics, beneficial enzymes to aid in digestion, b vitamins and Omega-3 fatty acids. In addition this will also preserve whatever you are making.

Fermented foods are delicious, versatile and have been shown to increase overall health:

  • probiotics: this introduces beneficial bacteria to your digestive system resulting in a healthy balance of gut flora
  • nutrient absorption: in order to properly digest and absorb your food you need healthy levels of probitocs and digestive enzymes, both of which can be accomplished eating fermented foods

Supplies

  • Mason jar – size of choice (I used 1 litre)
  • A good chopping knife

Optional

I’ve written about how much I love my Pickle Pipes and accompanying fermentation weights many times. While they certainly are not necessary, the make the job fool-proof for me. My first batch of carrots failed because I had a lone carrot float above the brine and go moldy. While some folks say I could have just taken that carrot out and the rest of the batch would be fine… I just don’t chance it with mold. This problem is completely solved with the fermentation weights and the use of the Pickle Pipe means you don’t have to remember to burp your jars.

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