What the heck is a "garlic slip?"

[steelykal]

Picked up a bunch of garlic slips at the farmer's market this morning. The place was packed, so I didn't really have an opportunity to chat with the man at the stand to figure out what I could use garlic slips for. I gave him my $ and figured out that I could just look something up when I got home.

"Garlic Slip" isn't even in Wikipedia. The closest I could find was "Sweet potato slip" which is, essentially a seedling.

Should this be under the topic Gardening? Did I just buy some baby garlic that needs to be planted????

[Novelli]

Garlic scapes...100%...sometimes they're curly, sometimes they're straight, but those are garlic scapes none the less! Great for stir frys or steeping in milk for a garlic custard.

[John E.]

I didn't look at the enlarged photo until reading your post. You are correct, they are scapes.

[emeats]

Hmmm... my best guess would be to use them like ramps: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_t...

[John E.]

What you bought was spring garlic, that is garlic harvested before the garlic heads are mature. Use it just as you would regular garlic. If any part of the green shoots are tender you can cook with them as well.

[meadandale]

You mean garlic scapes?

http://gardening.about.com/od/herbsat...

Garlic scapes are the thin flowering heads sent up by hard neck garlic varieties. They are normally cut off and are commonly used in cooking. They add a mild garlic flavor.

[steelykal]

Most definitely a garlic slip. Small green bulb at the bottom and thin kinda stiff shoot coming out of the bulb. No flowers.

[kengk]

I've never heard them referred to as slips but I grow green garlic to eat. Use it like you would a green onion, will have a stronger flavor than onion but less than a mature garlic clove.

[steelykal]

The shoot is green, but tough. The flavor is quite pronounced. So I should use it like I would chopped garlic?

[kengk]

What is the overall length of these things?

I break apart heads of garlic from the grocery and plant the individual cloves. Start eating them when they are about six inches tall.

I would think you could either chop them up and eat them or plant them.

[steelykal]

I tried post a pic. They are about 6 inches long. But the bulb part doesn't look like a clove of garlic?

[kengk]

Those are scapes.

[steelykal]

I thought scopes were curly & tender?

[JMF]

Those are the top part of the scapes. the bulb is actually the flower bud.

[wincountrygirl]

Is this "green" garlic - does it kind of look like garlic but the cloves are not really formed with a long stalk?

[steelykal]

I'm not sure at all...