Never buy garlic if you see this red flag at the store

Look closely at those bulbs before you buy.

If you look at midcentury American cookbooks, one thing that stands out is their conservative use of garlic. If it’s called for at all, it’s usually just one clove.

This makes me smile, because I rarely make dinner without smashing four or five cloves of garlic. And that means we go through a lot at my house.

Shopping for fresh garlic has become frustrating in recent years. I feel like the quality has tanked. That’s why I scrutinize each bulb of garlic before I buy it, and I never buy one if I see a certain something peeking out of the top.

Related: One Easy Trick for the Best Garlic Flavor

Green Shoots Make for Less-Good Garlic

When you buy garlic, it’s still alive; if you plant a clove, it’ll grow. But we’re buying garlic for cooking, not gardening. Green shoots growing from a bulb mean the garlic is old or was stored incorrectly—exposed to light, heat, or both, triggering it to grow.

Sprouted garlic tastes harsh when raw, and sometimes metallic or bitter when cooked. Sprouted garlic is safe to eat, but why not avoid it if cooking with quality garlic gives you much better results?

Read More: Is It Safe To Eat Sprouted Garlic? Here’s What the Experts Say

What To Do if You Have Sprouted Garlic

You don’t have to throw sprouted garlic away. If I’m cooking and notice a sprout, I cut the clove in half and pull out the shoot, which is said to make food taste bitter. Likely, though, most people won’t know the difference. Fishing out the shoot is a fiddly operation, so let’s say it’s optional since it won’t make anyone sick.

What I don’t love is how sprouts in garlic are often a sign that it’s old. Old garlic can get rubbery and darken slightly, and at that point it’s only a shadow of its former flavorful self, muting the flavor of your final dish. 

What To Look for When Buying Garlic

If you’re a fan of fresh garlic, know the stores that won’t let you down and stock up there. Some stores routinely have poor quality garlic (I’m looking at you, ALDI!); I just avoid those. Here’s what you want to see when buying fresh garlic:

• Smooth, intact skins
• Bulbs that are closed, not separating into cloves
• A patch of brown roots at the bottom of the bulb
• Firmness—give the bulb a squeeze
• No green sprouts!

Whenever I can, I buy locally grown garlic. The difference in flavor is amazing; when I’m cooking with it, the aroma is so much more enticing. But in the winter months, I’m stuck with truck farm garlic, like most of us … and I’m extra on the lookout for green shoots.

Read the original article on Simply Recipes