Vampires beware....

We planted garlic last October, overwintering it in three of our backyard beds. It was experimental. We've grown garlic every winter, with varying degrees of success, so this year, in the interest of increasing our 'storable' yield (read: self-sufficiency in garlic) we attempted to be more strategic and take better notes.

In the past, we've saved back a few heads from the CSA or grabbed strong candidates at the market and planted them. This year we bought heads of garlic specifically propagated for seed--the benefits here include selection of varieties that do well in this region and knowing the exact variety planted.Of course, these benefits accrue only if you are mindful enough to write down the variety when you buy the heads (ahem, of the three we know that one is Spanish Roja...)


Either way, we patiently waited until this past week to harvest. Definitely worth the wait: 108 heads of garlic total, only two that had underground damage (splitting) and four that were savagely mauled during the harvest (read: struck by the shovel).

The Spanish Roja

Softneck garlic

third bed: garlic leaves

The take.

Dry curing on old screens in the garage

Root trimmings

 After a few days of curing we cleaned and trimmed and braided the garlic. Braiding is an art, we are clearly not artists...but in theory the braids allow the garlic to continue curing while being stored in a more compact and manageable manner. The next stage of the experiment will be to see what storage area works best. Garage? Pantry? Something else....

The goal: to not have to buy garlic for the year.

Braids!

So, if you have a need for warding off vampires (although, I hear they are all the rage now) or enjoying some exquisite deliciousness...garlic!