Home Grown Garlic

Did you plant garlic this year?  Well if you did it's time to check and see if it's ready to harvest.  I've never planted garlic but I've never needed to.  When we moved to this farm 20 years ago, the elderly couple who lived here before us planted the garlic and I've been reaping the benefits since then. Evidently the type of garlic that they planted all those many years ago is self seeding and continues to spread.  From what I have read about different varieties of garlic, it looks like mine could be silverskins, it has a nice strong full bodied flavor.

 The reason I think my garlic is reseeding, do you see the sign on left side of the road?  Well from that sign, clear down to the curve, the garlic has spread along the ditch bank.  Nice bulbs of garlic.

Garlic everywhere

How do you know when it's time to dig the garlic?  When the stem of the garlic down close to the ground begins to die and turn brown, it's time to dig.

After a good summer rain about a week ago,  I pulled the garlic up by the hand fulls.  The ground was moist and it was easily pulled up.  It's best to plant garlic in an out of the way spot because it does spread like crazy.  I'm pretty sure that is why it's on this ditch bank.

Fresh garlic adds amazing flavor to meat and vegetables.   Larry even noticed when I used it for the first time and he never makes a comment about food.  He'll eat just about anything with no complaint.  When I added the fresh garlic to stir fired vegetables, he said "wow that's good what did you put in this that's different?" It really does make a difference.

Garlic will keep best in a the refrigerator but If your going to use it up quickly you can leave it hanging in a little garlic basket.  I made this basket pretty quick out of some scraps of chicken wire.
Add some flavor to your life, plant some garlic.
Angie