my first answer to many questions regarding an abundance of vegetables....
Ferment Them; At least experiment with some...Scapes were one of my first successful ferments after getting comfortable with more traditional ferments like: kraut, kim chi, yogurt and beer. here was my process:
- Get a bunch of mason jars. get as many as you need to fit in all of the garlic scapes. (you'll get more than you actually need, but that is good; you'll be fermenting/storing/canning/drinking with these extra jars soon enough.)
Wash Jars. At the bottom of each jar, put in some combination of the following Fermenting Flavors: garlic cloves(of course), dried or fresh onion, black peppercorns, dill (flower, seed, whatever), cumin, FolkFoods Master Sauce, ginger, dried lemon rind, bay leaves, heads of garlic, mustard seed, celery seed, garam masala, hot peppers, oregano, parsley, or anything else you can think of (it would be great to hear people's favorite combination of Fermenting Flavors!)
Add Salt.
How much? It depends. It will keep longer (and be saltier) with more salt, duh. Less salt, less keeping; find the balance that works for you. I don't really measure anymore - I will try to measure the next time I do it.
STUFF the scapes into the jar. I leave them whole. Really stuff them in there, you can get a lot more that you think.
Fill the jars with water. fill to give about 3/4 inch head space.
Cover Jars with cheesecloth, a kitchen towel, a napkin, whatever. and a rubber band.
Leave in an undisturbed place for about a week.
Taste the brine, and maybe a scape or two.
When sour to your liking, cap and put in your basement, cupboard or fridge.
Eat.
I had a half gallon jar in my cupboard for almost two years and they stayed wonderfully tasty and healthy. (The only reason that they lasted so long is that i made a TON of them.)
How to use them:
- Now, make pesto. it is even better, albeit different, than fresh scape pesto
- toss with olive oil and perhaps FolkFoods Master Sauce (or other seasonings), and grill, broil, bake or cut small and add to stuffing or filling of some sort
- use as a stir/garnish for the best Bloody Marys on the planet.
- cut to desired size and use in a dense cheddar bread.
- i mentioned grilling them, right?
- cut small, they really accent various breakfast hashes
- snack on them right out of the jar, like pickles -- great side to a sandwich and chips.
- play with the idea of adding them to most savory fillings; this one has helped with many of my meals!
- use the brine as an AMAZING base for salad dressings, add it to the best Bloody Marys on the planet, and deepen flavor tomato-based sauces.
Good evening!
Jason
