green garlic: now in season

Green garlic, otherwise known as young or spring garlic, is now available at local markets. It’s one of many springtime garlic variations–garlic chives and scapes being others. Milder than its full-grown counterpart, spring garlic can be used anywhere you might add garlic or onions. Because it’s more mild than garlic, green garlic can play a mellow role in spring-friendly raw garlic dishes like pesto. read more »

victory!

Green garlic grown in your yard, pot, or window is a delightful late spring ingredient. Keep a close eye and you can pull your green garlic out of the dirt to suit desired flavors. Pull early for more tender, less pungent green garlic, and wait a while for a spicier, more robust garlic flavor. You can even wait until an entire new bulb has formed, although this will take several months. I pulled the plants pictured above just as the top leaves bent over, after 5-6 weeks. The flavor is mild and buttery, something to be used in abundance sauteed or grilled, on sandwiches or pizzas, in sauces, bread salads, spring soups, or diced into a salsa verde.

Green garlic is exceedingly forgiving and easy to grow–a resilient addition to your victory garden, urban or otherwise. Simply purchase two bulbs fresh and firm garlic and break off several cloves. Be sure to keep the papery skin on. Place the garlic flat side down (or pointy side up) into roughly 4″ of dirt. Keep the soil moist and make sure it gets sunlight. After a little more than a month you will have green garlic. I suggest succession planting for a regular supply.