Pickled Garlic Scapes

I decided to try some pickled garlic scapes this year.  I found three different recipes on-line that I combined and adjusted.  http://onegreentomato.wordpress.com/2011/06/23/pickled-garlic-scapes/
http://healthylifehappycook.com/2011/recipes/pickled-garlic-scapes/
http://puttingupwiththeturnbulls.com/2011/06/26/pickled-garlic-scapes-an-overlooked-ingredient/
Here's what I came up with:
Ingredients
garlic scapes
2 c vinegar
3 c water
1/4 c pickling salt
1/4 tsp pickling spice per jar
1/4 tsp mustard seed per jar
scant 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
dill

Wash and sterilize four pint jars and lids.

I used kitchen shears to cut the scapes.  I cut them at the first leaf.

I also cut and washed some dill - both leaves and flowers.

I cut off the seed pod and cut the tough part of the scape off as well.  One recipe said this is similar to trimming asparagus but since I don't grow any, that didn't help.  I found you could feel where the scape was softer and where is was woody just by squeezing the scape.  The woody part was also harder to cut.

I used 1/4 tsp each of whole pickling spices and mustard seed in each jar. 

I also used almost 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes in each jar.

I added dill leaves and flowers to each jar.  If you don't have any fresh, you could probably use dried dill weed and dill seed instead.

I cut the scapes into pieces around 3 to 4 " long.  I included the curly parts as well.

I divided the scapes into the four jars.

Boil together water, vinegar and salt.  When salt is dissolved and mixture is boiling, ladle the brine into the jars.  Clean top of jars and tighten the lids. 

Boil in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.  Remove and let cool.  Brine and spices should work for several weeks to a month before trying the pickles. 

I made these mainly for my parents because they always fight for the garlic in the pickle jar.  I hope they will like them.  ;)

Planting Garlic

Fall is the perfect time to plant garlic.  You just have to take a few precautions and you're fine.

First you choose your largest, healthiest heads.  You do not want shriveled, dry garlic as it may not sprout.  The two smaller heads were from bulbils off garlic scapes.

Choose your plot.  I usually plant mine at an edge or in an out of the way spot.  I tilled and raked the area.

I dug two more or less straight rows about a foot and a half apart.

Lulu came by to inspect my work.

It didn't quite pass as she had to do some minor adjustments to the rows.

Break the head of garlic into cloves.  I usually plant only the largest cloves and use the rest for cooking but since I am going away for a couple of weeks I just planted everything.  I also decided that since I planted the bulbils off the garlic scapes this year and they grew fairly well, smaller cloves will work fine.

Press the clove, whisker side down into the dirt. 

Cover the garlic with soil.

You now have to cover the garlic for the winter.  I use hay as it works well plus you don't have to remove it in the spring, the garlic just grows up through it.  The first year I lived here, I planted garlic in the fall but did not know enough to cover it.  It sprouted and grew and then when the weather froze, there was no protection and the garlic did not regrow the following spring.

Here the hay is spread on the rows and everything is good to go for the winter.

Here is the inspector checking out the laying of the hay.

Lulu must be satisfied with my work because after eating a few seeds from the hay, she decided it was fine and found a sunny spot to have a dust bath in the newly tilled garden.