It Might as Well Be Spring: Green Garlic Makes Early Appearance

Three Sisters Garden Delivery Included This Cherished Early Crop

First green garlic of the 2025 season, from Three Sisters Garden in Kankakee, Illinois

Don't get me wrong, I love the local produce that is available over the winter, whether it's storage crops such as winter squash and apples or season-extension greens grown in hoophouses.

But by mid-March, I'm longing for warmer weather and the awesome variety of local vegetables and fruit that spring, winter and fall will bring. So I was pleasantly surprised this past week when friend Tracey Vowell at her Three Sisters Garden farm in Kankakee, Illinois announced that green garlic — one of the most beloved early spring crops — had made a very early arrival.

First, a quick primer on green garlic. It is the first stage in the growth of garlic plants. At its immature stage, it has a white bulb (similar to that of green onions) and tender greens. In the second stage, the greens — then known as garlic scapes — harden and curl. In the final, full maturity stage, the bulb evolves into the multiple cloves that make up a head of garlic.

To be sure, I added a big packet of green garlic to my Saturday delivery order from Three Sisters Garden. If you want some of the most beautiful produce in the region with the convenience of home delivery, click the button below and see if you are in their delivery area.

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Here's some green garlic knowledge from Tracey's newsletter:

Photo of green garlic growing, from Three Sisters Garden

I just checked, and we came on with green garlic on March 20th last year, and this year, I have added it to the list a full 10 days earlier. We are always happy to see our product list grow, and 10 days does not sound like much, but in early spring emergence, it is. 

Two years ago, we came on in the first days of April. So, yes, I am delighted to see the green garlic sized up enough to hit the list, and at the same time, the recesses of my mind are winding up to start worrying about what the summer will be like. 

Considering that last summer was the hottest on record for this area, and the gate just swung open on our first up spring crop, ten days earlier than last year, it is not likely an overreaction to feel concern. 

Still, green garlic is on the website, honestly at my preferred size, right about a foot tall-ish. It is more dramatic when it is larger, but I like the brightness of the flavor, and the more delicate texture, when it is younger, so we start earlier than most farms. 

You can chop and add it to any dish you would normally add garlic to, and, of course, my favorite thing to do with it is to make a green garlic confit that I store in the fridge until winter, usually. 

If you have an affinity for potato leek soup, I suggest substituting half, or all, of the leeks with green garlic, and carrying on with your recipe as usual. 

Or, you can give the Potato Spinach Soup in the blog a go, and add the garlic in there. 

And, of course, this garlic is earlier, and more tender, making it a choice for grilling whole and using, or just eating, like a grilled green onion. While I love to grill it whole, I do take a little time to make sure it is a bit more thoroughly cooked than a green onion, mellowing it a bit.

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