By Boulder County Farmers Markets

There is something so precious about spring. Everything is new and fresh, but these seasonal delights are only here for a short amount of time. Sweet overwintered greens, asparagus, strawberries, and green garlic are a few of the delicious items we see at farmers markets here in Colorado that disappear in a flash. For that reason, we do our best to get our fill on these items while we have them.

One way to ensure the season doesn’t pass us by is preserving the goodness of spring so that we can enjoy it all year long. This could mean canning, freezing, or in the case of today’s recipe, dehydrating. Author, blogger, and social media content creator Kait Welch is an urban homesteader based out of Denver and a regular at the Boulder Farmers Market. Her website, social media channels, and cookbook are full of sustainable food solutions and creative recipes, and many of the ingredients can be found at our markets! The recipe below is her creative way to bring green garlic into summer and beyond.

Ingredients

Green garlic

Instructions

Prep the garlic stalks: Green garlic typically includes roots, a bulb, and leaves. Trim off the roots, discard any yellowing or mushy parts (compost them!), and keep the rest.

Slice the stalks into 1—2 inch pieces, then halve them lengthwise. Cut the leaves into 2-inch sections. Herb snips work well if you don’t want to use a knife.

Thoroughly wash all pieces, then pat dry. Arrange them in a single layer on dehydrator trays. Dry at 90°F overnight or until the pieces snap cleanly in half. They must be completely dry to avoid clumping in the powder.

Add the dried garlic (leaves and stalks) to a food processor in batches. Grind until everything is as fine as possible. Use a fine mesh sieve over a bowl to sift the powder. Return any larger bits to the food processor and reprocess until they pass through the sieve.

Transfer the garlic powder to an airtight container and keep it in a cool, dark place. Best used within a year.

You can find more recipes, sustainability tips, and adorable pet content by visiting modernhippiehabits.com or following Kait on Instagram @modhippiehabits. Her cookbook, Cooking Mindfully: Make Food Your Ally with Sustainable, Low Waste Recipes for Every Season was published by Page Street Publishing Co. in 2024, and can be found online or at your local bookstore.