What is a Garlic Scape?

Garlic is related to lilies.  Some varieties of garlic send up a shoot with a seed head with bulbils.  The grower has a choice: leave the seed head called a scape to get big or cut it when small to stimulate the bulb growth.  Scapes are delicious - use them as you would garlic.  

In Europe people let the scapes get larger and pickle them.  I usually chop them up for that fresh garlic flavor before the bulbs are ready to harvest and cure.