Garlic Scape Hot Sauce Recipe

Name: Garlic Scape Hot Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 3 cups garlic scapes (roughly chopped, about ~25 6-inch scapes); 8 jalapeno peppers (or about 3 cups, sliced); 1 teaspoon salt; 1.5 cups vinegar (or enough to cover the hot sauce, see instructions and note below for consistency)

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This garlic scape hot sauce recipe is tangy and spicy, with fresh garlic scapes, vinegar, and jalapeno peppers for some heat! A great way to use extra scapes and enjoy them for weeks to come.

Ready in 15 minutes, this simple hot sauce has just 4 ingredients and is made in a food processor for ease – home cooks of any skill level can make this sauce. Add it to quick vegan garlic sesame noodles, stir it into creamy Cajun pasta, or spice up your next chickpea veggie burger!

Want more garlic scape recipes? Try our quick pickled garlic scapes or grilled garlic scapes for some great ways to enjoy your scape harvest.

garlic scape hot sauce recipe with fresh scapes and jalapeno peppers in a jar with a spoon.

Table of Contents

We love growing our own garlic every year – we plant bulbs in the fall and harvest the fresh garlic in mid-summer. But before harvest, we always pick the garlic scapes and enjoy some really fantastic garlicky flavor!

We normally make our favorite Thai hot sauce recipe with fresh garlic and peppers, but decided to try a fun variation using garlic scapes instead of cloves. The result? A garlicky, fresh hot sauce that is a little spicy, savory, and so versatile!

Why This Recipe Works

It’s quick – ready in just 15 minutes, you can transform your garlic scapes into a fresh and spicy condiment.
Simple – with just 4 ingredients and a food processor or blender, you can make about a quart of hot sauce fast.
It’s delicious – the earthy and strong garlic scapes give the sauce a wonderful fresh taste.
Use it for weeks – this hot sauce will last up to 4 weeks, so enjoy a jar or two yourself and share the rest with family and friends.

Ingredients You’ll Need

ingredients for garlic scape hot sauce: jalapeno peppers fresh garlic scapes, white vinegar, and salt.

Garlic scapes – scapes are the flowering part of the garlic plant. The can be harvested in summer before the flowers on the garlic plant start to bloom and the leaves begin to yellow.
Jalapeno Peppers – we used jalapeno peppers for this recipe as they give the wonderful green color and medium-spicy flavor!
Vinegar – we use regular white vinegar for this hot sauce.
Salt

Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!

Substitutions and Variations

You can use a flavored vinegar like apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar to a different taste.
Try different peppers instead of jalapeno peppers. Use larger poblano peppers for a milder salsa, or smaller serrano peppers for extra hotness.

How To Make This Recipe

trimmed garlic scapes with tough stems removed on a cutting board.

Step 1: Prep your scapes – remove any tough woody stems and the ends of the flowering scapes. You want the scapes to be flexible and not hard so they can’t bend. I trim the ends right after the flower bulb at the top, and trim off the hard parts of the stems towards the bottoms of the scapes.

a food processor with equal parts garlic scapes and jalapeno peppers

Step 2: Roughly chop the scapes, and add them to a food processor or blender. Roughly chop the jalapenos and add them as well. Add the salt. Pulse for 2 minutes or so until you get a fine mix of scapes and peppers, finely chopped.

a food processor with garlic scapes, peppers, and vinegar being blended into a hot sauce.

Step 3: For a thinner pureed hot sauce: add the vinegar into the food processor with the scapes and jalapenos. Process for 2-3 minutes until the hot sauce is a smooth consistency. Add the mix to jars, refrigerate and store for up to 4 weeks.

a spatula scraping peppers and garlic scapes into a jar for a chunky hot sauce.

Step 4: For a chunkier hot sauce: using a spatula, add the garlic scape and jalapeno mixture to half pint mason jars: Fill them 3/4 of the way full in each jar, and top the jars with enough vinegar to cover the scapes and peppers. Seal with an airtight lid, shake, and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks.

Recipe FAQs and Tips

Can I make this hot sauce in a blender?

Absolutely! Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender (instead of a food processor) and blend well until combined. Store in airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks.

Can I make this hot sauce in an immersion blender?

Yes! Fill 2 quart-sized mason jars (use a wide-mouth jar) with equal amounts of garlic scapes, jalapeno peppers, salt, and vinegar. Insert your immersion blender into the jars and blend for 2-3 minutes on high speed until the sauce is well combined and blended.

How long does this hot sauce last?

In an airtight container, this hot sauce will last up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator.

Expert Tips

When chopping the scapes and jalapenos, make them roughly the same size. You want the pieces consistent for the food processor.
To make this hot sauce less spicy, remove the seeds from the jalapeno peppers before adding them to the food processor.
For a thinner hot sauce, add 1/4 cup more vinegar at a time.
For a thicker hot sauce, you can strain out some vinegar using cheese cloth.

a spoon scooping hot sauce with garlic scapes and peppers.

Serve This Hot Sauce On

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Garlic Scape Hot Sauce

By Kelly Jensen

This garlic scape hot sauce recipe is tangy and spicy, with fresh garlic scapes, vinegar, and jalapeno peppers for some heat! A great way to use extra scapes and enjoy them for weeks to come.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 0

Total Time 15

Course Condiment, Sauce

Cuisine American

Servings 1/4-cup servings

Calories 58 kcal

Equipment

▢
Food processor, or blender
▢
spatula
▢
Half-pint mason jars

Ingredients

▢ 3 cups garlic scapes roughly chopped, about ~25 6-inch scapes
▢ 8 jalapeno peppers or about 3 cups, sliced
▢ 1 teaspoon salt
▢ 1.5 cups vinegar or enough to cover the hot sauce, see instructions and note below for consistency

Instructions

Prep your scapes – remove any tough woody stems and the ends of the flowering scapes. You want the scapes to be flexible and not hard so they can’t bend. I trim the ends right after the flower bulb at the top, and trim off the hard parts of the stems towards the bottoms of the scapes.
Roughly chop the scapes, and add them to a food processor or blender. Roughly chop the jalapenos and add them as well. Add the salt. Pulse for 2 minutes or so until you get a fine mix of scapes and peppers, finely chopped.
For a thinner pureed hot sauce: add the vinegar into the food processor with the scapes and jalapenos. Process for 2-3 minutes until the hot sauce is a smooth consistency. Add the mix to jars, refrigerate and store for up to 4 weeks.
For a chunkier hot sauce: using a spatula, add the garlic scape and jalapeno mixture to half pint mason jars: Fill them 3/4 of the way full in each jar, and top the jars with enough vinegar to cover the scapes and peppers. Seal with an airtight lid, shake, and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks.

Notes