How to Grow a Green Garlic Garnish Without Any Soil

Garlic cloves sprout to create tasty chive-like garnishes.

A green garlic garnish not only adds a touch of greenery to your meal, but a powerful taste that is reminiscent of a strongly flavored garlic chive. You can grow your own green garlic garnishes at home without using soil, making it easy to introduce the tasty sprigs of green garlic to a myriad of meal creations. This endeavor doesn't take many materials, or much time, either.

Things You'll Need

• Shot glass
• 2 toothpicks
• Garlic clove

Instructions

1. Place a toothpick into each side of a garlic clove, with the rooted end pointed downward. Place the clove into the shot glass. The toothpicks will help the clove hover in place without falling into the glass.

2. Fill the glass with tap water until the rooted end of the garlic clove is submerged.

3. Sit the shot glass containing the garlic clove in a sunny windowsill. Let it sit for one week as it begins to sprout. Add water to it every couple of days to keep the rooted end submerged in the water. After a week or two, a green sprout will emerge from the top of the clove. This will grow continuously, so snip it as needed.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a pair of small, clean scissors to snip the garnish over a salad, soup or your dinner plate for added taste and texture.

• Keep the water and garlic clove in the shot glass. As long as you keep a small bit of green growing from the top of the garlic clove, it will continue to grow and grow for multiple uses.

• Do not submerge the entire garlic clove in water. Doing so may cause it to rot.

• Do not grow your garlic green garnish in a home that is heavy with cigarette smoke. Plants filter smoke and this is true with your garlic garnish as well. The taste is not pleasant when the plant has filtered dense smoke for weeks.