It's garlic time!

TorontoJoe

TorontoJoe

Administrator
One of the reasons I love garlic is that it's that it's one of the first crops that I can harvest. When I got home earlier I decided that it was ready. The harvest was good but the bulb size was a bit smaller than usual. I think I fed them enough. My best guess is it's because they sprouted early then May was brutally cold. That may have stunted them a bit. The tops looked more mature than they should be but the bulbs are nice and solid.

IMG_0739.jpg

The Music is pretty respectable....

IMG_0738.jpg

The Italian Purple I've been trying to size up for some time and while the flavour and aroma is outstanding and has notes of mortadella.... I can't seem to get it any bigger than this... and only a few were this large.

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But there's a lot of garlic to enjoy

Please show me your garlic when you pull it up :)
 
My garlic looks about the same size as yours. I’m growing chesnok, music, and Spanish red. I plant mine in a 12’x3’ elevated bed and im thinking that because it sits above ground level, the ground is frozen earlier in the fall and it’s losing the establishment period. I’m gonna do a trial to see if Im onto something.
 
Figsee said:
My garlic looks about the same size as yours. I’m growing chesnok, music, and Spanish red. I plant mine in a 12’x3’ elevated bed and im thinking that because it sits above ground level, the ground is frozen earlier in the fall and it’s losing the establishment period. I’m gonna do a trial to see if Im onto something.
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When does it typically freeze?
 
I just placed my order for garlic yesterday. I bought German Extra Hardy. I also wanted Montana Giant but I found out today they won’t be available until next year so I bought Pehoski Purple instead. I pre ordered them and they ship between September 1 - October 31st. This will be my first time growing garlic. I ordered from Keene Organics. The girl I spoke to on the phone I asked her what other things they sell and when she reached up to horseradish I replied I would want that too but they don’t sell till January if I remember correctly. They will notify me with a email when that’s ready. My husband loves a good hot horseradish.
 
DCallahan said:
Do you guys harvest the scaps? I love them!!! and I dont think many people know about that part of garlic.
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At $6-10/lb at grocery stores, it is hard to miss. And it flies off the shelf even at these prices.

I have been telling myself to grow garlic for years, either I missed the planting time or they sold out by the time everyone has theirs planted.:(

Can I grow hardneck in Texas? It seems to have cold exposure requirement.
 
TorontoJoe said:
One of the reasons I love garlic is that it's that it's one of the first crops that I can harvest. When I got home earlier I decided that it was ready. The harvest was good but the bulb size was a bit smaller than usual. I think I fed them enough. My best guess is it's because they sprouted early then May was brutally cold. That may have stunted them a bit. The tops looked more mature than they should be but the bulbs are nice and solid.

View attachment 10916

The Music is pretty respectable....

View attachment 10917

The Italian Purple I've been trying to size up for some time and while the flavour and aroma is outstanding and has notes of mortadella.... I can't seem to get it any bigger than this... and only a few were this large.

View attachment 10918


But there's a lot of garlic to enjoy

Please show me your garlic when you pull it up :)
Click to expand...
I have to say usually I always see just white garlic at the supermarket. Always full of very small cloves that are a pain in the you know where to peel and don’t have that real nice garlic taste. Then one day I found a purple one that was a nice size head with good size cloves. It cost more money but I decided by one and try it. It was so easy to peel and smelled and tasted good. I’ve been buying it ever since. I don’t know what variety it is but here’s a picture.

image.jpg
 
Figgerlickinggood said:
I have to say usually I always see just white garlic at the supermarket. Always full of very small cloves that are a pain in the you know where to peel and don’t have that real nice garlic taste. Then one day I found a purple one that was a nice size head with good size cloves. It cost more money but I decided by one and try it. It was so easy to peel and smelled and tasted good. I’ve been buying it ever since. I don’t know what variety it is but here’s a picture.

View attachment 10937
Click to expand...

That’s the good stuff. Probably from Spain or California. China grows most of the world’s commercial garlic now but the quality is nowhere near as good.
 
TorontoJoe said:
That’s the good stuff. Probably from Spain or California. China grows most of the world’s commercial garlic now but the quality is nowhere near as good.
Click to expand...
It’s why I purchased the Pehoski Purple today because of the purple one I buy at the store. Then today when I saw your post of your harvest what you said about your Italian Purple I was convinced that any garlic in a purple variety must be vey good.
TorontoJoe said:
That’s the good stuff. Probably from Spain or California. China grows most of the world’s commercial garlic now but the quality is nowhere near as good.
Click to expand...
here’s a picture and the description of the Pehoski Purple.

IMG_2567.pngIMG_2568.png
 
Figgerlickinggood said:
It’s why I purchased the Pehoski Purple today because of the purple one I buy at the store. Then today when I saw your post of your harvest what you said about your Italian Purple I was convinced that any garlic in a purple variety must be vey good.

here’s a picture and the description of the Pehoski Purple.

View attachment 10947View attachment 10948
Click to expand...

It looks excellent. I tend to like the purple as well.

TIP: I grow a years worth. Some don't make it through to the following season. If they're starting to get soft, peel them all and chop in a food processor. Mix the crushed garlic in a healthy amount of olive oil and spoon it into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen you can empty the garlic cubes into a mason jar and keep in the freezer until you need them. Use dedicated ice cube trays as they will smell like garlic forever.
 
Figsee said:
Are there any growers, growing soft neck varities?
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I've tried a few that were supposed to be suited to long day zones but I was never very successful with them. I don't know if I can blame the garlic though. The bulbs were splitting on me. It may be that they were ready earlier than my hardnecks and I just left them in the ground too long.

The farm that I got much of my garlic from does have softnecks and he's way north of me near Winnipeg, Manitoba.

FWIW, His garlic is excellent and he litterally wrote the book on garlic. I find myself going back and referring to it every season.

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Figsee said:
Are there any growers, growing soft neck varities?
Click to expand...
I tried softneck garlic in my first year because I wasn’t sure which would do better in the mid-Atlantic.

I grew German Extra Hardy (hardneck) and Early Italian (Softneck)— both from Keene garlic. Though both varieties had similar sized bulbs/grown in the same conditions, the German Extra Hardy was far larger, more flavorful, and lasted longer.
 
Figgerlickinggood said:
I just placed my order for garlic yesterday. I bought German Extra Hardy. I also wanted Montana Giant but I found out today they won’t be available until next year so I bought Pehoski Purple instead. I pre ordered them and they ship between September 1 - October 31st. This will be my first time growing garlic. I ordered from Keene Organics. The girl I spoke to on the phone I asked her what other things they sell and when she reached up to horseradish I replied I would want that too but they don’t sell till January if I remember correctly. They will notify me with a email when that’s ready. My husband loves a good hot horseradish.
Click to expand...
I never really thought about growing horseradish, although it’s one of my favorite condiments. Grinding horseradish root with beets is the perfect compliment to ham and kielbasa for Easter dinner.
 
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