Make the most of wild garlic (allium ursinum) with our expert foraging tips and recipe suggestions. This punchy springtime herb can be used in pestos, garlic butter, soups, marinades and more.
Wild garlic (allium ursinum) has become one of the food joys of spring. It grows in abundance, it’s easy to identify, the whole plant is edible, and it can be enjoyed raw or cooked. Barney Desmazery has everything you need to know about foraging for this seasonal green along with the best wild garlic recipes.
Please note that as with all foraging, you’ll need the landowners permission and should only ever pick as much as you need. It is illegal to dig the wild garlic plant up by its roots, however much of it there is, on common ground.
Can You Eat Garlic Seeds?
Garlic seeds, also known as garlic bulbils or topsets, are a part of the garlic plant that many home gardeners overlook. But did you know that these tiny structures are not only edible but also packed with garlic flavor? Keep reading to learn more about garlic seeds and the best ways to eat them
What Are Garlic Seeds?
Garlic seeds, also referred to as bulbils or topsets, are the small, grain-like pods that form after garlic plants produce flowers called scapes. The scapes emerge in early summer and will develop seeds if left intact. Each seed contains a miniature garlic clove that can be used to propagate new garlic plants. However, the seeds can also be eaten just like regular garlic!
Garlic seeds form on hardneck varieties of garlic, which produce a flowering stalk. Softneck garlic varieties do not produce scapes or seeds. When allowed to fully develop, the scape will bend and deposit the seed pod onto the ground, allowing new garlic plants to take root. This is how garlic naturally spreads and reproduces.
Appearance and Flavor
Fresh garlic seeds are green with a papery outer layer. As they mature, the seeds will turn brown and become brittle. Inside each papery sheath is a tiny garlic clove. Since the cloves are not fully developed, garlic seeds have a milder flavor than regular garlic. The taste is distinctly garlicky but more mellow and nutty than fully mature garlic.
When Should You Harvest Seeds?
Garlic seeds can be harvested once the seed pods turn brown and become dry. This usually occurs in mid to late summer after the garlic plant begins to die back. Gently break apart the seed head and collect the individual seeds, letting them dry further in a cool, well-ventilated area for a few days before storing.
How to Eat Garlic Seeds
The mild garlic flavor makes seeds versatile to use in cooking. Here are some of the most popular ways to eat garlic seeds:
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Roast them whole to garnish soups, salads, pasta, pizza, etc. The roasting process mellows the flavor even further.
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Mince raw seeds and add to dressings, dips, hummus, tapenades, etc.
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Use like garlic powder. Dehydrate seeds and grind into a powder. Sprinkle on meats, vegetables, eggs, etc.
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Ferment into a garlic paste. The probiotics boost the health benefits!
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Infuse in oil by slowly heating seeds in olive oil. Great for cooking.
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Pickle in brine to make garlic capers. Delicious in salads or on snacks.
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Add to any dish that calls for raw garlic, just use more seeds.
Garlic Seed Nutrition
Garlic seeds provide the same nutritional value as mature garlic cloves. They contain antioxidants, vitamin C, manganese, vitamin B6, selenium, fiber, calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B1. The only difference is that because the cloves are smaller, you get a lower amount per seed.
Garlic has anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and immune-boosting properties that benefit health. Studies show garlic may help lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar levels. The antioxidants may also combat cancer. So enjoy garlic seeds for both their flavor and health perks!
Storing Garlic Seeds
You can save harvested garlic seeds in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year. For the best viability, refrigerate the seeds and aim to plant them within 3-6 months. Well-stored seeds will grow just like freshly harvested ones when planted.
Planting Garlic Seeds
One of the best aspects of garlic seeds is that they can be planted to grow an endless supply of garlic! Each seed contains one clove that will grow into a bulb. Plant them in fall about 1-2 inches deep and 2 inches apart in well-draining soil. Keep the area weed-free.
It will take at least 2-3 years for the seeds to reach full maturity and produce large bulbs for harvest. But once established, they provide a self-sustaining source of garlic. Plus, you can continue harvesting and planting the seeds they produce for years to come.
Bottom Line
Don’t throw away those garlic scapes! Allow some flowers to develop so you can harvest the nutritious and flavorful seeds. With their mild garlicky kick, seeds are an excellent way to boost the flavor and nutrition of your meals. Roasting mellows their taste even further while fermenting intensifies it. Garlic seeds also offer a sustainable way to keep growing garlic from your own plants.
So next time you see garlic scapes in your garden, leave a few and let the seeds mature. Then get ready to enjoy these underutilized garlic treats in your cooking!
How to forage wild garlic safely and responsibly
There are a couple of poisonous plants that could be mistaken for it, Lords and Ladies being the most common, but the identification is in the scent – none of the other plants will smell of garlic. With all foraging, BBC Good Food recommends you go with someone with experience and knowledge and refer to recognised foraging books as well as websites. Never eat anything you are unsure of – if in doubt leave it out – always seek the landowners permission and only ever pick as much as you need.
What’s the best way to pick wild garlic?
To pick wild garlic you need nothing more than a pair of shoes you don’t mind getting muddy, some scissors and a basket or bag. If you have permission to dig the edible bulbs, a gardening trowel will help. ‘Picking’ wild garlic is as simple as snipping the leaves or whole plant with a pair of scissors.
Garlic Hacks – How to make the most of Garlic
FAQ
Which part of garlic is not edible?
Additionally, the immature flower stalks (scapes) of the hardneck are sometimes marketed for uses similar to asparagus in stir-fries. Inedible or rarely eaten parts of the garlic plant include the “skin” covering each clove and root cluster.
Can you eat garlic seed heads?
Some types of garlic (hardneck) send up a seed head, called a scape. It needs to be removed so that the plant concentrates its energy on making nice bulbs, not seeds. The scapes are a delicacy in the kitchen and one of the last seasonal crops left on the market.
Is it safe to eat sprouting garlic?
The short answer is: sprouted garlic is 100 percent safe to eat, but it has a distinctly different flavor. Besides maybe bad breath, there are no side effects to eating sprouted garlic. They may even have a health benefit, according to a 2014 study that found higher levels of antioxidants in older cloves.
Can you eat raw garlic?
Eating raw garlic can protect against cough, fever, and cold illnesses. Eating two chopped garlic cloves every day is the best way to benefit. Should I trim my garlic leaves? By cutting off the scape you are asking the plant to send all of it’s energy in to increasing the bulb size, rather than in putting energy toward flowers and seed.
Is cooked garlic good for you?
Cooked garlic has the same health benefits as raw garlic, such as reducing high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, promotes cancer prevention, has antibiotic properties and prevents Alzheimer’s and dementia.
What is garlic seed?
Garlic seed is made in abundance after homegrown garlic plants flower in the late spring or early summer. More often than not, ‘garlic seed’ actually means planting the garlic that feed stores buy from farmers that were too ugly or misshapen to be sold in a grocery store as cooking garlic.
Can you save garlic seed instead of seed?
Growing garlic from seed can be more rewarding than using seed garlic. While an heirloom hard neck garlic variety may only produce 4 to 8 large cloves for seed, it will produce somewhere between 20 and 100 little bulbils if the scapes are left intact. Using these bulbils as seed pays back in huge dividends.
Why should garlic seeds be planted separately?
Garlic seeds should be planted separately because they’ll take extra time to mature and you’ll be disappointed if you accidentally harvest them with your garlic crop the summer following planting. Start by planting garlic seeds in the fall at the same time as your regular garlic bulbs.
Should you plant garlic seed or cloves?
Many commercial growers choose to plant garlic seed instead of seed garlic, making it the most cost-effective way to propagate garlic. To start, leave a few scapes on garlic plants in the spring.