When life gives you lemons.....

I have to say I was annoyed when I found the garlic in this state.... sprouting! Its annoying to cook with garlic in this state (I don't know if its the right thing to do but I just pull the sprout out and continue to use it... I assume it decreases the flavor).(UPDATED NOTE: I should add that you can actually cook with the garlic sprout... its very common in Indian cooking to use the leaves of the garlic plant (learned this from my infinitely wise cousin).. and the sprout is essentially the leaves. You can use the leaves of the garlic plant chop them up and throw them in at the end... similar to how you would use chives.)

Anyway so this time I decided to try something a little different.. if they are going to sprout, lets let them sprout. So I pulled off the peel and stuck them in a planter I have sitting outside doing nothing for the next month or so (the way this snow is coming in the northeast it may be empty for several months). I've seen garlic grown in coffee cans (with dirt not coffee) on pinterest, so my big old planter should work. I space them about 4 inches apart about 2 inches down with the green stem sticking up. Lets see how it goes.

Apparently grocery store garlic is mostly from California. So I understand that you can put it in the ground in early spring and it will be ready mid summer. The other garlic I bought for planting, German red toch garlic needs to be planted in the fall and needs the freezing winter temperatures. I have had that garlic in the ground for months now.