Spring garlic is basically immature garlic that still didn’t fully develop bulbs yet.

People harvest green garlic during March and April when it has a similar shape to chives or scallions.

As for the taste, this green garlic has a light taste that resembles that of green onions.

In this article, we gathered all the information you need to know about spring garlic, its nutritional values, health benefits, cooking tips and recipes, tips on how to buy and store spring garlic alongside the precautions you need to know before consuming it.

But first:

What is spring garlic?

Farmers around the world have the habit of planting extra garlic just to make it up for the ones that don’t germinate.

During mid-season, the fields may get overcrowded and some of the garlic needs to be harvested prematurely. (1)

Fortunately, immature plants don’t go to waste as they offer a great aroma and nutrients.

In fact, thanks to their easy-to-use properties they are suitable for any recipe just like garlic.

Nowadays, some of the farmers even choose to harvest all of their garlic early due to the growing demand in the market.

Spring garlic has a more fresh flavor than actual garlic with a milder taste perfect for salads and fresh recipes. (2)

As for the shape, spring garlic has long green stalks and premature bulbs that didn’t break into cloves yet.

Nutritional values of spring garlic:

since spring garlic and garlic are basically the same plants, they share a lot of similarities nutritionally.

Nonetheless, spring garlic has a slightly different nutritional composition than classic garlic.

This is because classic garlic bulbs are usually drier than green garlic and don’t have the same moist properties.

Unlike ordinary garlic, the green stalks of spring garlic are also edible and that means plant-based nutrients.

Improves metabolism:

Spring garlic can improve the different metabolism processes and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. (3)

This is because of the many antioxidants in this vegetable that have many benefits including:

• Reduces blood pressure.
• Lowers bad cholesterol levels.
• Enhances the overall blood flow.
• Increases the absorption of good cholesterol.

Enhances the immune system:

As we all know garlic, in general, has many virtues for the immune system and this is the same with spring garlic. (4)

In fact, the immature garlic contains “chlorophyll” which adds to the antioxidant properties of this vegetable.

Spring garlic also contains about 13% of vitamin C per 25g (serving) which helps meet the daily needs.

Consuming green garlic regularly help:

• Speeding up the healing process.
• Activate the immune system.
• Heal faster from colds and other seasonal diseases.

Reduces the risk of cancer:

Immature garlic contains different antioxidants from polyphenols to chlorophyll to vitamin C and Allicin.

All of these plant-based components give spring garlic a good reputation facing cancerous cells.

By acting on the cellular level, regular consumption may prevent cancer and even stop the spread of an already existing one. (5)

In fact, several studies show the efficiency of Allicin in reducing oxidative stress in the body.

This natural antioxidant reduces the risk of cell mutation and the harmful effect of free radicals in the body.

With low oxidative stress the body has a low risk of developing:

• Colon cancer.
• Stomach cancer.

Smoothens the digestion:

With the strong antioxidant profile of spring garlic, it could as well reduce stomach inflammation.

For instance, eating green garlic helps create a balance in terms of gastrointestinal bacteria.

This would allow the bowel movement to carry on faster and smoother without risks of digestive issues. (6)

Helps flush out poisons:

Just like parsley and oranges, spring garlic activates the bladder and encourages urination.

This would encourage the kidneys to flush out poisons that we may inhale or ingest during the day. (7)

In addition, this type of garlic enhances blood flow and encourages its filtration in the liver which helps exclude poisons faster.

Other benefits of spring garlic:

• Reduces joint inflammation.
• Increases bone density.
• Helps fight acne vulgaris. (8)
• Protects the heart.
• Prevents Alzheimer’s.

Consuming spring garlic:

Unlike classic garlic, when you use spring garlic you will use many parts of the plant and not just the bulb.

For instance, you will cut off the stems and leaves which may as well be used the same way we use scallion.

The most common use of spring garlic is in soups and salads to add a gentle garlic flavor that is not very strong like normal garlic.

When you are using immature garlic, you don’t need to peel the bulb however, you need to get rid of the roots. (9)

The leaves and stems of this immature garlic may also be a great addition to your pizza recipe.

The one thing you need to retain is that immature garlic offers more culinary options than garlic as it has a milder taste.

In fact, the flavor intensity of just one clove of garlic is equal to a whole stalk of spring garlic.

Generally, you can cook spring garlic the same way you cook leeks or green onions: raw or cooked.

You can chop the green parts of spring garlic and use them raw in an omelet, pasta, salads, and stuffing.

In addition, you can use chopped green garlic to add flavor to your broths and cooking sauce.

Recipes using spring garlic:

Salmon with spring garlic sauce:

Ingredients:

• 3 salmon fillet (600g).
• 6 full spring garlic stems (stem + leaves + bulb).
• 2 tbsp of cooking cream.
• ½ cup of water.
• 2 tbsp of olive oil.
• 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of ground black pepper.

Preparation:

• Start by cutting the salmon fillet into small cubes of 1 inch then season them with salt and pepper.
• Chop the spring garlic lengthwise, wash them with cold water then continue cutting them into small pieces.
• Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, then fry the salmon cubes for 3 minutes on each side until they turn brown.
• Take off the fried salmon cubes then stir-fry the chopped spring garlic until they become soft then add the water and cooking cream to the pan.
• Let the pan cook for 5 minutes until it boils and thickens then return the fried salmon cubes to the pan for 1 minute.
• Take off the pan from the heat and serve the dishes topped with chopped parsley if wanted, enjoy it!

Ps: you can use this recipe as a sauce for your boiled rice or pasta.

Omelet with spring garlic:

Ingredients:

• 12 eggs.
• 6 spring garlic stalks (stems + leaves + bulb)
• 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of ground black pepper.
• 1 tbsp of olive oil.
• 1 tbsp of butter.

Preparation:

• Cut the spring garlic stalks into small pieces.
• Using a frying pan, fry the chopped garlic pieces until they become soft.
• Beat the eggs lightly in a bowl with salt and pepper just enough to mix the ingredients but not too much.
• Add the butter to the frying pan and wait until it fully melts.
• Now add the beaten eggs and do not mix them with the fried garlic pieces then let the omelet cook.
• Once the omelet is solid enough go ahead and turn it to the other side so that it cooks evenly. (1 minute on each side).
• Serve the spring garlic omelet and enjoy it with your loved ones!

Precautions before you consume spring garlic:

Despite all the great benefits of spring garlic, it can still cause some side effects for some people.

Same as classic garlic, we should consume this premature vegetable in moderate amounts and avoid them in case of allergies.

A strong blood thinner:

This could be harmful to certain people especially those that have troubles with blood pressure.

This is because generally, hypertensive patients usually take medicines to thin their blood, and spring garlic can aggravate that effect and mess up the doses of the drug. (10)

Skin irritations:

Spring garlic contains good amounts of allicin, which is an enzyme also found in garlic. (11)

This chemical compound can cause rashes and itching, especially for those who have sensitive skin.

To avoid that, specialists recommend using gloves when dealing with spring garlic and garlic in general.

Troubles with the digestive system:

By eating too much spring garlic there is a risk of raising stomach acidity according to some research.

This is why consuming large amounts of garlic or spring garlic can cause severe heartburns and stomachaches. (12)

Buying spring garlic:

Usually, you can easily find spring garlic in the markets between March and April.

The first thing you need to look for is that the stalks must not be dry or yellow but green all the way towards their ends.

If that’s the only ones you can find, go ahead and buy them then take off the spoiled long leaves as we do with scallions.

Also, spring garlic also should still have its immature bulbs intact along with the small roots.

You can also plant your own garlic during November as they are easy to plant and that way you harvest your own spring garlic.

Here’s how to plant garlic in case you are interested! (13)

Storing spring garlic:

Generally, you can store spring garlic the same way you store leek or scallions in the fridge for 5 days.

Nonetheless, since spring garlic is only available for a short period of time, some people want to store it for too long.

To do that, all you need is to do is to wrap these green garlic in a paper towel then put them in a freezing bag before you put them in the refrigerator. (14)

By doing that, spring garlic can last up to 10 days and even a month or two in case you place the bags in the freezer.

Since spring garlic is basically premature garlic, you can put them in a cup with its roots in water and place the cup in the fridge.

 

References:

(1): The Trick of Knowing When to Harvest Garlic – Garden Betty
(2): Why Spring Garlic Is the Best Garlic | The Kitchn
(3): The Health Benefits of Spring Garlic – Nao Medical
(4): My Garlic Is Green Inside: Should I Eat It? (veganfoundry.com)
(5): Garlic and Cancer, Benefits of White & Black Garlic – AICR
(6): Frontiers | Role of gut microbiota-derived signals in the regulation of gastrointestinal motility (frontiersin.org)
(7): Kidneys & The Bladder Work Together To Remove Toxins (crystalrunhealthcare.com)
(8): Pemphigus Vulgaris | Johns Hopkins Medicine
(9): Spring Garlic – From Garden to Table • Butter For All
(10): Garlic | Complementary and Alternative Medicine | St. Luke’s Hospital (stlukes-stl.com)
(11): Garlic: a review of potential therapeutic effects – PMC (nih.gov)
(12): Garlic and Acid Reflux: Is It Safe? (healthline.com)
(13): Planting Spring Garlic (growagoodlife.com)
(14): How to Store Fresh Garlic to Last Longer – Plants Spark Joy