Apparently I didn't find all my garlic bulbs last fall and they grew to 4 feet tall this spring. They have a large, white flower head. I want to try cooking with it, but don't want to risk my family's health.Does anyone know if the different parts of the plant are edible? Also, would the bulbs be good for food?
Add a comment
|
2 Answers
From what I gather garlic flowers are safe to eat. From this site:
Alliums (leeks, chives, garlic, garlic chives): All parts of these plants are edible. The flowers tend to be stronger flavoured than the leaves. Suitable for salads, in egg dishes such as omelettes and in soups.
Also see the wikipedia entry on garlic
Other parts of the garlic plant are also edible. The leaves and flowers (bulbils) on the head (spathe) are sometimes eaten. They are milder in flavor than ...
Here's also a post by someone on gardenweb who was answering the question of what is edible in garlic:
... the entire thing is edible. That includes the scape itself, the spathe, and the bubils inside the spathe. However, if you let them go too long they toughen up and turn woody; and are generally inedible that way. Try and break them off no later than when they first curl. If they've straighened out, then still break them off, for the sake of bulb development. But don't bother trying to eat them.
-
9The bulb just before it flowers -- including the stalk -- is called the scape. It not only edible, but delicious, I frequently buy it from my farmer's market and make pesto of it. Commented Jun 15, 2011 at 20:15
Yes, garlic flowers are delicious. Pull the petals off and use them in your cooking. We generally put them in salads, on steaks, in rice or mashed potatoes.. Etc.
