How to Make Garlic Scape Salt (Oven or Freeze Dryer)

If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a pile of garlic scapes and wondering what to do with them all—this one’s for you. For many of us who grow our own garlic, the harvest of these curly green stems is a sure sign that summer is in full swing. Garlic scape salt is one of my favorite and, I think, the best way to preserve that fresh, garlicky goodness for months to come. It’s simple, versatile, and makes the perfect seasoning for everything from roasted veggies to scrambled eggs and even garlic bread.

It’s a great way to ensure no part of your harvest goes to waste. I’ll walk you through two methods to make it—using either a freeze dryer or your oven. No fancy skills are required.

What Are Garlic Scapes?

Garlic scapes are the curly green flower stalks that grow out of hardneck garlic plants in late spring or early summer. Harvesting them is a win-win: first, it encourages the garlic plant to send all its energy into growing a bigger garlic bulb for your main harvest. Second, it gives you a bonus crop with a delicious, mild garlicky flavor that’s somewhere between garlic and green onion.

They are only available for a short window, and you won’t often find them in grocery stores, so preserving them is a good idea if you’re lucky enough to have a lot of garlic growing.

What You’ll Need

• Fresh garlic scapes: From your garden or a local farmer’s market.

• Coarse salt: I like using sea salt or kosher salt for the best texture.

• A food processor or high-powered blender: To create the initial paste.

• An oven or freeze dryer: For drying the salt.

• Parchment paper and a baking sheet: For the oven method.

• An airtight jar or spice shaker: For storage.

Method 1: Oven-Dried Garlic Scape Salt

This method is great if you don’t have a freeze dryer—it just takes a little patience.

Step-by-Step:

1. Prep the Scapes: Wash and thoroughly dry your garlic scapes. Trim off any tough, woody ends, then chop them into smaller pieces to make blending easier.

2. Blend: Toss the scapes into a food processor with your coarse salt. I usually do a ratio of about 1 part salt to 1 part scapes by volume. Blend until it forms a bright green, damp paste.

3. Spread and Dry: Spread the paste thinly and evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at the lowest temperature your oven allows (ideally 170°F / 75°C or lower), with the door cracked open to allow moisture to escape. Let it dry out completely—this can take 4–6 hours. It needs to be totally brittle.

4. Break It Up: Once it’s fully dry, crumble the hardened sheet of salt back into your food processor or a spice grinder and pulse until it becomes a fine salt.

5. Store: Pour it into a clean jar and store it in a cool, dry spot. It keeps beautifully and adds a burst of flavor to just about anything.

Method 2: Freeze Dryer Garlic Scape Salt

If you have a freeze dryer, this method preserves even more of that fresh, pungent garlic scape flavor and vibrant color.

Step-by-Step:

1. Prep the Scapes: Same as above—clean, trim, and chop.

2. Blend with Salt: Mix your garlic scapes and coarse salt in the food processor until you get that same vibrant paste.

3. Freeze First: Spread the paste on a freeze dryer tray in a thin layer. I like to line my trays with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Pre-freeze the trays for a few hours until solid.

4. Freeze Dry: Run the trays through a full freeze dryer cycle until the salt is completely dry and lightweight.

5. Grind and Store: Break the dried chunks into pieces and grind them into a fine salt using a blender or spice grinder. Store in an airtight container.

Alternative Ways to Preserve Garlic Scapes

Salt is fantastic, but it’s not the only way to save your harvest! Here are a couple of other popular options:

1. Make Garlic Scape Pesto: This is a classic for a reason! It’s a vibrant, delicious pesto you can use on pasta, sandwiches, or as a dip.

• How to Make It: In a food processor, combine about 1 cup of chopped garlic scapes, ½ cup of pine nuts, ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. While the processor is running, slowly drizzle in ½ cup of good olive oil until it’s smooth.

• How to Store It: Garlic scape pesto freezes beautifully. A great tip is to portion it into ice cube trays, freeze until solid, then transfer the pesto cubes to plastic bags. This way, you can just pop out a single serving whenever you need it.

2. Make Garlic Scape Powder: If you want the flavor without the salt, garlic scape powder is a fantastic alternative to regular garlic powder.

• How to Make It: Simply chop your scapes, dehydrate them until they are completely brittle (either in a dehydrator or a low oven), and then grind them into a fine powder in a spice grinder. Store it in an airtight jar.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What if I don’t have a food processor?

You can still make this! It will just require more elbow grease. Chop the scapes as finely as you possibly can with a knife, then mix them with the salt in a bowl, using the back of a spoon to crush and bruise the scapes to release their juices.

Can I use less salt?

Yes, but the salt acts as both a flavor agent and a preservative that helps draw moisture out. I recommend sticking close to the 1:1 ratio by volume for the best results and shelf life, but you can experiment with slightly less.

How is this different from the garlic salt I see in grocery stores?

There is no comparison! Store-bought garlic salt is typically just salt mixed with dehydrated garlic powder. This homemade version uses fresh scapes, giving it a much brighter, fresher, and more complex mild garlicky flavor.

If you’ve got garlic scapes, this is one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to use them up. It’s one of those things you’ll find yourself reaching for over and over again—and once you taste it, you’ll wish you made more.