Allium sativum L. Garlic (Allium sativum) is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the onion genus Allium.

Extremes in weather can also cause garlic plants to be stunted, which may include a small, underdeveloped bulb. Pests, including onion thrips and nematodes in the soil, may cause similar stunting. Make sure the plants will have enough cool nights to develop bulbs and cloves.

About 10 to 12 cloves of garlic make up 1 bulb in an average grocery store size garlic head. Some varieties of hardneck garlic have as much as 30 or 40 cloves in 1 garlic bulb.

Other examples of true bulbs include garlic, amaryllis, tulips, daffodils and lilies. The most well-known tuber is the potato. Other examples of tubers include dahlias and caladiums.

Garlic too is a true bulb. Common flowering true bulbs include tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, amaryllis, lilies, and Dutch iris. The second type of bulb is the corm. Corms are actually stems modified for storage.

Are garlic scapes edible? These tender green stalks are both edible and delicious, rather like tender, young asparagus with a delicious hint of garlic flavour.

Yes, you can use freshly dug garlic right away, raw or cooked. You can also eat garlic before it’s cured. A good way to split your harvest is to set a handful of bulbs aside that you can eat within three weeks, then cure the remaining garlic so they’ll store for several months.

Will Supermarket Garlic Grow? Yes, store bought garlic bulbs can be used to grow garlic. In fact, growing garlic from the grocery store is a pretty handy way to go about growing your own fresh bulbs, especially if you have one in the pantry that has already begun to grow.

Those pretty spiral stems that form above your garlic in June are edible. By removing them you’ll improve your garlic harvest! The stalk is thicker than the leaves and is called the garlic scape. The scape, if left on the plant, will form a flower and then seed (you can eat those tiny seeds!

1. Cut garlic scapes into 6-inch pieces and pickle them. (Think pickled green beans or thin kosher dill pickles.)
2. Sauté scapes and use them as a pizza topping.
3. Use the scapes whole in a warm-weather-friendly braise.
4. Mix chopped scapes with a stick of butter to make a garlicky compound butter for grilled or pan-fried fish.

Garlic scapes can be used just like garlic in recipes. They are very versatile. Try them in a sauté, roasted, pickled, added to soups, and more. The most tender tops of the stem and the buds are delicious chopped up raw.

In a food dehydrator (affiliate link) garlic scapes take at least 6 hours to fully dehydrate. They are done and ready for storage when the pieces of the garlic scapes easily crumble in your hands. They are still going to be bright green. Put the dehydrated garlic scapes in a glass jar or other sealable container.

6-8 hours

Once scapes are cleaned, place them into a sandwich bag or a gallon storage bag and keep them in your crisper drawer. They should last between 4 and 7 days; perhaps longer. Discard if they become to discolor, shrivel, become slimy, or secrete fluids.

When young enough it can be chopped and added raw to salads. When a little older it can be sauteed and added to eggs or pasta. Many folks simply toss them on a grill until they’re tender. We love to make a garlic scape pesto with them.

What part of garlic scapes do you eat? The entire garlic scape is edible and you can use the whole scape in pestos and other purees. However, the area from the bulb (where it bulges out) to the skinny tip can be rather tough and stringy, so I discard that portion.

Chop garlic, wrap it tightly in a plastic freezer bag or in plastic wrap, and freeze. To use, grate or break off the amount needed. 2. Place garlic bulbs or cloves (peeled or unpeeled) in a freezer bag or container and freeze; remove cloves as needed.