Photo by Stephanie Thurow
Fermented scapes are great, but I feel like a little of the garlic flavor is lost during both fermentation and water bath canning, so I like to add extra garlic. As with pickled scapes, fermented scapes are great on sandwiches, in salads, or used as a cocktail garnish.
Yield: 1 quart
Ingredients:
- 3 bundles thin scapes (thick ones tend to be chewy)
- 1 garlic clove, crushed (optional)
Brine:
- 1 tbsp. kosher salt, dissolved in 2 cups of water
Directions:
- Wash the scapes and trim off the tough ends; typically, the bottom couple of inches. They tend to have a natural point of breakage, like asparagus. You can either leave the flower bloom on or trim it off; that is up to you. It will not affect the flavor one way or the other to leave the bloom on.
- To pack the jars, you can either chop up the scapes into pieces or do as shown in my photo and wrap them into circles. I think wrapping them up gives the jar a very beautiful and unique look. To do this, just wrap a few scapes at a time around your fingers and carefully place them in the jar. Cut up any extra scapes and shove them down the middle of the jar to pack it as much as possible.
- Once the jar is packed, pour the brine over the scapes. Use a weight to hold the scapes underneath the brine. Cover the jar or crock with a cheese cloth or other breathable cover to keep dust and bugs from entering your ferment. Store at room temperature, ideally between 60 and 75°F. If you are using a clear jar, keep out of direct sunlight or wrap a dish towel around the jar to keep the light out.
- This is a 2-week ferment. Check on the ferment every few days to make sure the brine remains over the scapes and that no mold or yeast forms. If the brine is low, press down the weight to bring the brine back over the ferment. Once fermentation is complete, store in an alright glass jar and refrigerate.
Bonus Recipe: Garlic Space Spread
Yield:
- Parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
Purée canned or fermented scapes in a food processor with Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and pepper. Toss the mixture with pasta or zucchini noodles, and you will have a quick and delicious meal you’ll dream about. It’s also a flavor-packed spread for Italian-style sandwiches!
More from Can It & Ferment It:
Excerpted with permission Can It & Ferment It: More Than 75 Satisfying Small-Batch Canning and Fermentation Recipes for the Whole Year by Stephanie Thurow. Copyright 2017 by Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
