Garlic Sprouting

[donnakebab]

I had a good crop of Garlic last year (Marco), but the bulbs are starting to sprout. I recently heard one of the TV chefs say that the green sprout is too bitter to eat. Has anybody found this? I just chop it up and throw it in as normal and haven't tasted any bitterness.

Now that I have a food processor I have been making a sort of garlic paste using vegetable or olive oil, several cloves of garlic and a little salt. I put it in a jar and keep it in the fridge and just use a spoonful as I need it. I've no idea how long it would keep safely in the fridge. Maybe it could be frozen.

Any thoughts out there? I don't want to let it sprout anymore but I don't want it to go to waste either.

[Bill Door]

Hi Donnakebab.

As I have found it all depends on your "taste". To some the green bit can be very garlicky and give a bit of a "strong" garlicky smell to others even the next day.

Some have said that it gives a bit of a sensation like heartburn but not as severe.

So if it affects you then you can crush the clove and pinch out the soft green centre. You can then chop the garlic up and use in your cooking.

I don't take out the green bit when the garlic will be cooked for a long time (stews etc.). I take the green bit out for stir frys etc.

So it is up to you and the people that eat your food to decide.

regards

Bill

[Chippy Minton]

I often just use it like you, we make garlic oil and it makes no difference, but I saw one of the cheffy programmes they cut the clove in half and extracted the "sprout", so I do that now for using direct.

[Small pumpkin]

I saw one of the cheffy programmes they cut the clove in half and extracted the "sprout", so I do that now for using direct.

I do that to.

[roitelet]

You could also plant some of it. Made lazy garlic last year, chopped garlic and white vinegar. Kept well in the fridge. Waste not want not!

[muddled]

I find the green sprouts horribly bitter even when cooked.

When I have a large amount of garlic to deal with, usually if the bulbs have split in the ground and won't store well, I make batches of 'persian garlic' (don't have a recipe with me just now...try gurgle) which is delicious and keeps ages.
I also make a sort of umami style paste by cooking the peeled cloves very gently in oil along with anchovies, parmesan rinds (kept in the freezer for this purpose) olives and herbs. Blitz in the blender, cool and freeze in an old ice cream tub.
The oil keeps it supple enough to take out a spoonful while still frozen and its a deeply flavourful addition to any sauces or gravies or even just to stir through hot pasta with chopped fresh cherry tomatoes and basil.

[Scarlet]

Same as Roitelet & muddled here. I make lazy garlic. Mince it up in the food processor, pack in sterilised jars and top withi white wine vinegar. Depending on space in the freezer I'll put some in oil and freeze to, sometimes with someo mild chillies in ready for the boys chilli con carne. I wouldnt keep it any longer than a 5-7days in the fridge stored in just oil.


If ive any surplus herbs , chives, parsley etc. I'll often mix them in with a Little butter and store them in the freezer too.. Great to top fish if you are in a rush.

[donnakebab]

I planted more Marco garlic in October but a also planted some of last years crop to see what would happen. When I last looked at it it seemed that last years was doing better. We'll see.

[Scarlet]

For years ive saved my own garlic to plant out again in the Autumn and usually get a brilliant crop. I save the biggest cloves to plant back out. Unfortunately ive had white onion rot for the past two years so ive had to buy in new, this year ive gone the whole hog, new cloves and a brand new growing bed.

[Lisasbolt]

I also would plant a few, you know that it should do well in your ground, people spend years establishing their own garlic for their own ground.

Be careful when storing garlic in oil or in the fridge in oil, i got scared a few years back hearing stories of botulism, so i make up small very small batches and use within the week.