Garlic is a versatile and delicious ingredient used in cuisines around the world. But did you know that in addition to the common garlic bulbs, you can also eat the mini garlic bulbils that grow atop the curled stems of hardneck garlic plants? These crunchy little cloves offer a milder garlic taste perfect for both raw and cooked uses.
Read on to learn all about garlic bulbils, including what they are, how to use them, and why you should be harvesting and eating these bite-sized garlic bits from your garden.
What Are Garlic Bulbils?
Garlic bulbils, sometimes called garlic tops, garlic flowers, or aerial garlic, are the small cluster of cloves that form at the end of hardneck garlic scapes (the curly flower stalks that emerge from the bulbs in early summer).
Botanically speaking bulbils are a form of vegetative reproduction that allow the garlic plant to propagate without sexual reproduction. If left alone the bulbils will drop to the ground, take root, and grow into brand new garlic plants. Many gardeners actually use bulbils as a way to expand their crop rather than planting individual cloves each season.
In addition to their reproductive abilities bulbils can also be eaten just like regular garlic. Their taste and texture make them a unique culinary treat.
The Flavor and Culinary Uses of Bulbils
So what do garlic bulbils taste like? The flavor is often described as milder and more mellow than regular garlic cloves. There is a distinct garlicky essence, but not quite as pungent or sharp. Some people detect grassy, herbal nuances as well.
The bulbils have a very satisfying crunch and juicy pop when bitten into, thanks to their crisp texture. Their small size and mild kick make them extremely versatile for both raw and cooked applications.
Here are some of the many ways you can eat garlic bulbils:
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Chopped raw as a garnish for salads, pastas, pizzas, burgers, etc.
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Added to dressings, dips, spreads, pestos, and infused vinegars and oils.
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Pickled or marinated bulbils.
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Sautéed into stir fries, fried rice, omelets, etc.
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Baked into breads, biscuits, and other baked goods.
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Used as a seasoning when dehydrated and ground into powder.
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Roasted along with veggies.
Because the bulbils are quite small, you’ll need to use more of them compared to regular garlic cloves to achieve a similar intensity of flavor. But they add wonderful texture and eye appeal.
Growing Garlic Bulbs from Bulbils
If left on the plants, garlic bulbils will drop to the ground when the scapes start to dry and will grow into brand new garlic plants. You can take advantage of this natural reproductive process to easily expand your garlic growing operation. Here’s a simple process:
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Allow the scapes to fully mature until the bulbils are plump and firm.
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Snip off the entire scape when around half the bulbils have turned from green to tan/brown.
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Gently remove the individual bulbils and discard any with blemishes.
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Replant immediately, or store in a cool dry spot until fall planting time.
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Plant the bulbils 2 inches deep and 6 inches apart in prepared garden beds. Mulch well.
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Bulbils will grow into full garlic bulbs within 1-2 growing seasons.
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Harvest when the lower leaves begin browning and cure bulbs for long term storage.
Growing garlic from bulbils is an easy, cost-effective way to increase your harvest. Enjoy some bulbils fresh, replant the rest, and expand your garlic patch!
Proper Harvesting and Storage of Bulbils
For the best flavor and viability, it’s ideal to harvest garlic scapes for the bulbils when around half of the bulbils have turned from green to tan/brown. This indicates maturity. You can either detach the bulbils immediately or hang the trimmed scapes to dry for 1-2 weeks before removing the individual bulbils.
For fresh enjoyment, use the crisp bulbils soon after harvest. To preserve them:
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Allow fresh bulbils to cure/dry in a shaded, well-ventilated area for 1-2 weeks.
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Dehydrate in a food dehydrator or low oven until completely dried out.
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Store the dried bulbils in an airtight container in a cool, dark spot. They’ll keep for 4-6 months.
Proper curing, drying, and storage will allow you to enjoy these nutritious garlic bits well into the winter and beyond!
Discover the Joys of Harvesting and Eating Bulbils
Rather than letting those garlic bulbils go to waste, start harvesting and eating these bite-sized treats! With their mild garlic zing, addictive crunch, and fun appearance, they open up a world of culinary possibilities.
Let some replant to expand your garlic crop, but be sure to use plenty in your everyday cooking as well. Toss them in salads, blend into dressings, bake into breads, or just snack on them raw. You’ll be amazed at their versatility.
So next time you see garlic scapes forming in your garden, let some fully mature to produce those tasty bulbils. Then get ready to start cooking up some delicious ways to eat them! Both your taste buds and your garlic plants will thank you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Garlic Bulbils
Are garlic bulbils safe to eat?
Yes, garlic bulbils are completely edible and safe for most people to eat. As with regular garlic cloves, some individuals may experience digestive upset if eating very large quantities. Those with garlic allergies should avoid bulbils.
What’s the difference between bulbils, cloves, and scapes?
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Bulbils are the small aerial cloves that form at the end of the curly scape stalks.
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Cloves are the individual cloves that make up the underground garlic bulb.
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Scapes are the tough, curled flower stalks that emerge from the garlic bulbs in early summer.
How do you prepare garlic bulbils for eating?
Bulbils can be used raw or cooked. Most people don’t peel them since the skins are very thin. Simply rinse and pat dry, then chop, mince, or leave whole depending on the recipe. Sauteeing, roasting, pickling, and dehydrating are all great preparation methods as well.
Can you plant garlic bulbils to grow more garlic?
Absolutely! Allow some bulbils to drop and take root, or replant them yourself. In 1-2 growing seasons they will develop into full bulbs that can be harvested and cured. Growing garlic from bulbils is an easy way to expand your crop.
What garlic varieties produce the best bulbils?
In general, hardneck garlic varieties produce scapes and bulbils much more prolifically than softneck types. Rocambole and Purple Stripe varieties are known for abundant bulbil production.
How long do garlic bulbils last in storage?
Properly cured and dried bulbils will keep for 4-6 months in a cool, dark spot in an airtight container. Refrigeration can extend their shelf life. They can also be pickled or frozen.
Can you plant garlic bulbils in fall or spring?
You can plant bulbils in either fall or spring. Fall planting works best in mild winter climates. For cold climates, delayed spring planting avoids freeze damage. Just be sure to “vernalize” the bulbils first by storing for several weeks in cold temps.
So embrace the unique treat of garlic bulbils! Both your cuisine and your garden will benefit when you harvest and enjoy these little garlic pearls.
Spring garlic’s summery, delicate offspring is as lovely to stumble upon as it is to use in virtually any dish.
Published OnJuly 7, 2014
Foraged vegetables are always more fun to cook. So our resident forager, Tama Matsuoka Wong, is introducing us to the seasonal wild plants we should be looking for, and the recipes that will make our kitchens feel a little more wild.
Today: Spring garlics summery, delicate offspring is as lovely to stumble upon as it is to use in virtually any dish.
When the summer days are long, as they are now, we spend evenings on the porch barbecuing with friends and family who drop by for some summer greens and pasta salads, Asian summer rolls, and anything on the grill.
Our guests often ramble around on the paths in our meadow or the edges of our backyard, and I love to point out the burgundy-tinted globes dotting the fields. They are wild garlic aerial bulblets, which we clip, break open, and add to all our casual summer dishes.
What I find fascinating about foraging is that it teaches me to better observe and use wild plants at their different stages through the year. I enjoy wild garlic shoots in the spring, but they soon turn bitter, sharp, and wiry. In summer, the garlic plant refocuses on making underground bulbs and, sometimes, above-ground bulblets.
By spring’s end, wild garlic shoots up stalks two feet or higher that form papery white wrappers known as spathes, inside which forms a burgundy-colored globe of mini bulblets. These are known as “aerial” bulblets, and in my opinion, they taste even better than their underground counterparts.
Bulblets are commonly found in sunny fields, between farm and vegetable garden rows, and in “poorly maintained” lawn areas. Theyre often packed together tightly — sometimes, youll find as many as 300 little bulblets on a single globe. You can tell when they are ready because the spathe will split open. The globes must be ripe enough to split apart into the hundred or so bulblets, each one with a burgundy tinge at one end and a papery white tip at the other.
Some of the bulblets will form little green shoots and an occasional flower at the tip, which look like static electricity hair standing straight up on end. These shoots are fine to eat.
Garlic bulblets are crunchy, juicy, and sweetly garlicky. Theyre wonderful sprinkled raw on top of salads and hamburgers, tossed on the grill, or slipped into sandwiches instead of onion slices. You can also cook them into an oniony jam, or bake them into a lovely biscuit, like these.
4 cups flour1/2 cup sugar2 tablespoons baking powder1 1/2 tablespoons salt1/2 pound unsalted butter, cold, and cubed3/4 cup wild garlic bulblets, broken apart1 cup heavy creamMilk (for brushing)Onion salt (optional)
Photos by Yossy Arefi
Note: When foraging, always choose high-quality landscapes (not next to the highway or on post-industrial or sprayed sites), and make sure to obtain permission if it is not your own yard. If possible, go out with an experienced forager. We assume no responsibility for any adverse effects from misidentification or incorrect use of featured wild plants. For more information and identification advice please consult us at meadowsandmore.com.