[graemeatwellbank]

Just thought I would share this with you.
It has been a long cold winter and a strange spring but yesterday I lifted all my garlic (170 in total - my wife uses it almost every day) and it is a bumper harvest. I normally do well with my garlic but this year they are, in general, huge.
Planted 10th November and covered by a fleece.
New plot where I removed the turf, covered in cardboard, then spoiled haylage, then council compost.
Garlic from Marshalls. Varieties are Maddock (the best), Rhapsody (big but started to open so maybe left them too long) Rose (big not huge but lovely to look at) and Kingsland (just normal size). All Wight? Right.
I'm saving the best of each to sow this year. 10th November seems to be right.
And the soil in the plot they have come from looks and feels great.
Garlic now in the greenhouse on mesh to dry off.
Scapes from the Rose and Kingsland. Some eaten last night were lovely the rest I will try chopping and freezing.
Fresh garlic very mild but real taste test later when they have dried out.

[Anke]

Yes I had a good year as well, all home saved from Purple Wright Early. But 170 bulbls is quite some! I have about 90 and my family considers that excessive.


I'll make a note of the varieties you have used, I would like to get another one, as having all of mine one variety only is probably asking for trouble at some point....

[edstrong]

How do you store the garlic? Mine either dries out to dust or starts to sprout even in a nice dark dry garage. I did freeze some cloves last year and they did keep but seemed to lose some of their flavour.

[graemeatwellbank]

Yes, they eventually turn to dust at about 9 months.
I tie mine onto lengths of bailer twine at 50mm intervals and hang from the rafters of my workshop (last year) or hay barn (previous years). Workshop more dry but barn more airy. Same results.

[edstrong]

Perhaps too dry for us both? Hard to get the humidity just right: too dry and they dry out, too damp and they either sprout or get mouldy.

[Anke]

I hang mine in our garage - cool and relatively dry, but door is open most days. It doesn't last ,ong enough to dry out... but if you want to make sure it lasts the year, freezing minced in either olive or a plainer oil (in ice cube trays), may just be the best way.

[edstrong]

What about botulism, or is this not a problem if it's frozen in oil?

[Anke]

What about botulism, or is this not a problem if it's frozen in oil?

I wouldn't have thought so, not if you freeze straight away and then use it to cook. You can also freeze garlic in water in an ice cube tray, but I find the oil is more convenient. I just pop a cube or two straight into the frying pan.