Harvest Garlic

How to store:

If you plan to use the bulbs within a month or so, store garlic at room temperature 60° to 70°F (15-21°C) at low humidity. Store bulbs in a mesh bag or dish in a cupboard. Don’t hang garlic in the kitchen, where it will be exposed to bright light. At room temperature, garlic will keep for 1 to 2 months.
If you want to store the bulbs for several months, keep them in a cool (32°-40°F), dry, dark place.
Garlic will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 9 months.
Discard garlic that develops mold during storage.

A favorite farm recipe:

Ingredients

1 pound garlic (6 to 8 heads, depending upon size)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a serrated knife, slice off top quarter of garlic heads, exposing as many cloves as possible. Arrange garlic heads, cut side up, in an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish (make sure garlic heads sit flat).
Step 2 - Season garlic with salt and pepper and sprinkle with thyme. Slowly pour oil over each head, letting it soak into and around cloves. Cover dish tightly with foil and roast until cloves are golden, completely soft, and begin to protrude slightly from skins, about 1 hour. Let stand until cool enough to handle.
Step 3 - From the bottom up, squeeze each head to push out cloves (peel skins from any completely enclosed cloves). Transfer garlic and cooking oil to an airtight container. (Garlic will keep, refrigerated, up to 2 weeks.)

Cook's Notes

This recipe keeps for two weeks -- double it and bring a jar to a friend or neighbor. It will be much appreciated.

Quick Ideas for Roasted Garlic
Mix into mashed potatoes. Use in place of mayonnaise on your favorite sandwich. Toss into steamed vegetables like broccoli. Add to creamy dressings, vinaigrettes, or dips.

Planting: Garlic is planted in October and grows for 8 months before being ready to harvest.

Harvest: Find the variety you are looking for, a garlic plant in moist soil, and pull the garlic out of the ground. You are harvesting the entire plant. The garlic scapes (the greens on the garlic) are edible.

Enjoying your garlic: garlic is edible dried or undried.

Drying your garlic: lay your garlic in a shady, dry, and hot place for 2 weeks to 1 month until the garlic is completely dry. This extends the shelf life of the garlic. After drying store your garlic in a dark, cool, and dry place for 6 months or more.

Garlic is known to have been grown and used for at least 7000 years, and likely longer. It originated from South Central Asia (the “Garlic Crescent”) and has a long history of use as a food, medicine, and a preservative. It spread across Europe, up into Siberia and the Orient, as well as North and South America. Garlic is loved world-wide for its use as a seasoning in almost every kind of recipe imaginable.

These are our three favorite varieties of garlic and a little about each of them:

GEORGIA CRYSTAL is a white porcelain hard neck variety originating from Cichisdzhvari in the central Republic of Georgia.
Porcelains are a healthy choice for their high allicin content which helps increase circulation and boosts the immune system when eaten raw, as in salsa or ceviche. They are an excellent source of vitamins B6, C and calcium.

KISKLYK is a purple stripe hard neck variety originally from Kisklyk, in the southern region of Uzbekistan. With the classic light purple stripe, it has a complex medium to hot flavor. Another healthy choice as an excellent source of vitamins and calcium.

KRANAGASGAR RED is a dark purple striped hard neck variety from the Kamchatka Peninsula in Siberia. The flavor is medium hot, aromatic, and spicy. It is delicious roasted or baked. It also is an excellent source of vitamins B6, C and calcium.