but I apologize as not all varieties are for sale as of yet.*
*We are growing them to increase our seed stock, so we can have them for sale in the future.
Hardneck and Softneck
Purple Stripe, Porcelain, Rocambole, Artichoke,
Silver Skin, Asiatic Turban
Rickertville Garlic Varieties
_Hardneck Garlic
Brown Tempest (not available for sale 2013)
Type: Glazed Purple Strip Hardneck
Origin: Originally from Moldova
Flavor: Eaten raw, the cloves have a fiery flavor which mellows to a pleasing aftertaste. A little goes a long way. It has a mild, clean taste in small to medium sized bulbs.
Storage: Long-lasting storage – stores into spring. Stores longer than many hard-necks
Maximum Head Weight: 1.8 oz., Average 4 to 6 cloves per bulb with nice shape and size.
Growing:
Harvest: mid-late summer - stores into spring.
From a grower’s perspective:
Notes: Brown cloves with a hint of rose blush and no stripes. It is listed in the Seeds of Diversity Canada catalogue of heritage varieties.
This Glazed Purple Stripe variety is a huge garlic with a flavor that is even bigger. It can get really big and beautiful enough to put on a pedestal in an art museum. Brown Tempest has a lot more brown in the bulb wrappers than most Purple Stripes. This great fireball garlic stores much better, stays firmer and longer than the standard group of Purple Stripe garlic varieties.
Their bulb wrappers are thick, luxuriant and parchment-like and the outer ones are white and brown. As you peel away the outer wrappers more and more purple striping shows up and they become almost solid purple by the time you get down to the cloves. The clove covers are dark brown with purple streaks and long sharp pointed tips.
Origin: Originally from Moldova
Flavor: Eaten raw, the cloves have a fiery flavor which mellows to a pleasing aftertaste. A little goes a long way. It has a mild, clean taste in small to medium sized bulbs.
Storage: Long-lasting storage – stores into spring. Stores longer than many hard-necks
Maximum Head Weight: 1.8 oz., Average 4 to 6 cloves per bulb with nice shape and size.
Growing:
Harvest: mid-late summer - stores into spring.
From a grower’s perspective:
Notes: Brown cloves with a hint of rose blush and no stripes. It is listed in the Seeds of Diversity Canada catalogue of heritage varieties.
This Glazed Purple Stripe variety is a huge garlic with a flavor that is even bigger. It can get really big and beautiful enough to put on a pedestal in an art museum. Brown Tempest has a lot more brown in the bulb wrappers than most Purple Stripes. This great fireball garlic stores much better, stays firmer and longer than the standard group of Purple Stripe garlic varieties.
Their bulb wrappers are thick, luxuriant and parchment-like and the outer ones are white and brown. As you peel away the outer wrappers more and more purple striping shows up and they become almost solid purple by the time you get down to the cloves. The clove covers are dark brown with purple streaks and long sharp pointed tips.
Chesnok Red (Available September 2013)
Type: Purple Stripe Hardneck
Origin: Chesnok Red, yet another of the garlic varieties from the Republic of Georgia the former USSR.
Flavor: Chesnok Red is a full flavored garlic with a mellow aftertaste that sticks around nicely for a while. Some years it can also be a hot and strong garlic, other years it is much less hot, but it is always full flavored. When roasted it becomes very sweet.
Storage: Through mid-winter about six months from harvest. Purple Stripes do not store as well or as long as the soft-neck varieties but are generally more intensively flavored and retain their flavor better when cooked.
Maximum Head Weight: 2.1 oz. They're not as large as Artichoke garlic varieties but are larger than Silverskin varieties. (Average diameter of extra-large size is around 2 inches).
Growing notes: Large bulbs will have about a dozen cloves and even the inner ones are of good size. They can run an inch or two up the central scape (false stem) and are not only attractive but make the cloves easy to peel. They have fewer but larger cloves (average of 8 to 10) arranged in a rather circular pattern.
Harvest: Harvests early-mid summer
From a grower’s perspective: they seem to do fairly well in most locales but seem to want to be planted early in the fall. Chesnok Red can become a rather large garlic bulb with excellent growing conditions.
Notes: They have about as much purple as a Rocambole but the background color of the bulb wrappers is much more whitish, making for a very attractive appearance. The outer bulb wrappers are a little thin & loose, but the more you peel away, the thicker and tighter they get, making the bulb wrappers easy to peel. Once the cloves are revealed, they are large and with long thin points and are all milky white with cranberry-colored streaks up the outsides of them. Chesnok is a standard Purple Stripe and has the typical heavy purple striping that gives this variety its name.
Origin: Chesnok Red, yet another of the garlic varieties from the Republic of Georgia the former USSR.
Flavor: Chesnok Red is a full flavored garlic with a mellow aftertaste that sticks around nicely for a while. Some years it can also be a hot and strong garlic, other years it is much less hot, but it is always full flavored. When roasted it becomes very sweet.
Storage: Through mid-winter about six months from harvest. Purple Stripes do not store as well or as long as the soft-neck varieties but are generally more intensively flavored and retain their flavor better when cooked.
Maximum Head Weight: 2.1 oz. They're not as large as Artichoke garlic varieties but are larger than Silverskin varieties. (Average diameter of extra-large size is around 2 inches).
Growing notes: Large bulbs will have about a dozen cloves and even the inner ones are of good size. They can run an inch or two up the central scape (false stem) and are not only attractive but make the cloves easy to peel. They have fewer but larger cloves (average of 8 to 10) arranged in a rather circular pattern.
Harvest: Harvests early-mid summer
From a grower’s perspective: they seem to do fairly well in most locales but seem to want to be planted early in the fall. Chesnok Red can become a rather large garlic bulb with excellent growing conditions.
Notes: They have about as much purple as a Rocambole but the background color of the bulb wrappers is much more whitish, making for a very attractive appearance. The outer bulb wrappers are a little thin & loose, but the more you peel away, the thicker and tighter they get, making the bulb wrappers easy to peel. Once the cloves are revealed, they are large and with long thin points and are all milky white with cranberry-colored streaks up the outsides of them. Chesnok is a standard Purple Stripe and has the typical heavy purple striping that gives this variety its name.
German White (Available September 2013)
Type: Porcelain Hardneck
Origin: It originally came from Germany.
Flavor: Hardy, rich, garlicky, hot, strong garlic.
Storage: Stores a long time at cool room temps, around 10 months or longer.
Maximum Head Weight: 2.5 oz
Growing notes: German White Grows well in most states even in Warm Winter Areas but will be marginal at best in most of Florida and south Texas.
Harvest: early-mid summer - stores into spring.
From a grower’s perspective: it is a tall dark green plant and is a very good survivor, usually grows healthy and appears to be somewhat resistant to many of the diseases that can affect garlic. Grows well in all but the most southerly states where it is marginal.
Notes: German White, also known as German Extra-Hardy, Northern White and German Stiff-neck. It is large, beautiful and well-formed porcelain garlic. These are all the same garlic but grown in different places under different names. Its flavor is very strong and robust and sticks around for a long time.
Origin: It originally came from Germany.
Flavor: Hardy, rich, garlicky, hot, strong garlic.
Storage: Stores a long time at cool room temps, around 10 months or longer.
Maximum Head Weight: 2.5 oz
Growing notes: German White Grows well in most states even in Warm Winter Areas but will be marginal at best in most of Florida and south Texas.
Harvest: early-mid summer - stores into spring.
From a grower’s perspective: it is a tall dark green plant and is a very good survivor, usually grows healthy and appears to be somewhat resistant to many of the diseases that can affect garlic. Grows well in all but the most southerly states where it is marginal.
Notes: German White, also known as German Extra-Hardy, Northern White and German Stiff-neck. It is large, beautiful and well-formed porcelain garlic. These are all the same garlic but grown in different places under different names. Its flavor is very strong and robust and sticks around for a long time.
Killarney Red (Available September 2013)
Type: Rocambole Hardneck
Origin: Killarney Red's source of origin is unknown and is thought to have come from German Red or Spanish Roja, but is said to grow better than both these varieties today.
Flavor: Being a Rocambole garlic, its flavor is very strong, hot and spicy, and sticks around for a long time.
Storage: Stores through fall into winter. Being a Rocambole garlic, this is not a very long storing bulb as the outer bulb wrappers are thin and flake off easily hampering long storage.
Maximum Head Weight: 2.0 oz, It is a generally good sized and can be a larger garlic bulb variety, usually over 2 1/2 inches in diameter.
Growing notes: Grows better in cold winter gardens. It is an easy to grow Rocambole for the northerly growers.
Harvest: early-mid summer. It harvest is in mid-season but a little later than most of the other Rocamboles.
From a grower’s perspective: it grows well in cold winter areas and usually grows healthy surprisingly uniform sized bulbs. For those up north who want to grow their own garlic, it is said to grow better in wet conditions than most other Rocamboles.
Notes: Killarney Red usually has anywhere from 8 or 9 easy to peel cloves that are of good size, with some smaller inner cloves. It only takes a year or two to grow all you can eat. This variety is grown primarily for its rich flavor and good growing characteristics in wet soil. Its thin bulb wrappers have a lot of purple and brown color in them.
Origin: Killarney Red's source of origin is unknown and is thought to have come from German Red or Spanish Roja, but is said to grow better than both these varieties today.
Flavor: Being a Rocambole garlic, its flavor is very strong, hot and spicy, and sticks around for a long time.
Storage: Stores through fall into winter. Being a Rocambole garlic, this is not a very long storing bulb as the outer bulb wrappers are thin and flake off easily hampering long storage.
Maximum Head Weight: 2.0 oz, It is a generally good sized and can be a larger garlic bulb variety, usually over 2 1/2 inches in diameter.
Growing notes: Grows better in cold winter gardens. It is an easy to grow Rocambole for the northerly growers.
Harvest: early-mid summer. It harvest is in mid-season but a little later than most of the other Rocamboles.
From a grower’s perspective: it grows well in cold winter areas and usually grows healthy surprisingly uniform sized bulbs. For those up north who want to grow their own garlic, it is said to grow better in wet conditions than most other Rocamboles.
Notes: Killarney Red usually has anywhere from 8 or 9 easy to peel cloves that are of good size, with some smaller inner cloves. It only takes a year or two to grow all you can eat. This variety is grown primarily for its rich flavor and good growing characteristics in wet soil. Its thin bulb wrappers have a lot of purple and brown color in them.
Montana Giant (not available for sale 2013)
Type: Rocambole Hardneck
Origin:
Flavor: Full rich garlic flavor, with sweet overtones.
Storage: Stores well for a hard-neck
Maximum Head Weight: This strain is said to produce consistently extra large bulbs. Averages 8 to 10 tight cloves per bulb.
Growing: Harvest:
From a grower’s perspective: Reported to grow well
Notes: Montana Giant is as BIG as a Montana sky!! Maybe not that big, but it is a consistently large garlic none the less. It is also big on flavor!
Origin:
Flavor: Full rich garlic flavor, with sweet overtones.
Storage: Stores well for a hard-neck
Maximum Head Weight: This strain is said to produce consistently extra large bulbs. Averages 8 to 10 tight cloves per bulb.
Growing: Harvest:
From a grower’s perspective: Reported to grow well
Notes: Montana Giant is as BIG as a Montana sky!! Maybe not that big, but it is a consistently large garlic none the less. It is also big on flavor!
Music (Musik) (Available September 2013)
Type: Porcelain Hardneck
Origin: Originated from Germany. It is an Italian variety brought back to Canada by Al Music in the 1980s from his homeland. According to the story, this garlic was given to him to try by a fellow Yugoslav countryman
Flavor: A rich musky Porcelain hard-neck garlicky garlic who’s flavor is good, sweet and pungent, very hot when eaten raw.
Storage: stores into spring.
Maximum Head Weight: 2.2 oz, Averages about 5 cloves per bulb.
Growing notes: Grows well in most states even some cooler season in warm winter areas, but will be marginal in years with early hot summers. Plants are vigorous and tall with large scapes.
Harvest: Early - mid-summer
From a grower’s perspective: it is a tall dark green plant and is a very good survivor, usually grows healthy and appears to be somewhat resistant to some of the diseases that can affect garlic. It likes cold weather and can get quite large in good growing conditions.
Notes: Music is a beautiful large and well-formed porcelain garlic similar to Northern / German White. This strong and robust garlic flavor sticks around for a while, it's very popular for this reason.
DNA testing indicates that German White / Northern White and Music are all the same variety.
Origin: Originated from Germany. It is an Italian variety brought back to Canada by Al Music in the 1980s from his homeland. According to the story, this garlic was given to him to try by a fellow Yugoslav countryman
Flavor: A rich musky Porcelain hard-neck garlicky garlic who’s flavor is good, sweet and pungent, very hot when eaten raw.
Storage: stores into spring.
Maximum Head Weight: 2.2 oz, Averages about 5 cloves per bulb.
Growing notes: Grows well in most states even some cooler season in warm winter areas, but will be marginal in years with early hot summers. Plants are vigorous and tall with large scapes.
Harvest: Early - mid-summer
From a grower’s perspective: it is a tall dark green plant and is a very good survivor, usually grows healthy and appears to be somewhat resistant to some of the diseases that can affect garlic. It likes cold weather and can get quite large in good growing conditions.
Notes: Music is a beautiful large and well-formed porcelain garlic similar to Northern / German White. This strong and robust garlic flavor sticks around for a while, it's very popular for this reason.
DNA testing indicates that German White / Northern White and Music are all the same variety.
Softneck Garlic
Inchelium Red (Available September 2013)
Type:: Artichoke Softneck
Origin: Its true origin is unknown as it was discovered growing on an Indian reservation and no one seems to know where it came from.
Flavor: Delightfully robust but no so strong as to be overpowering. Inchelium Red has been said to be a benchmark for true medium garlic; often people will compare the tastes of all garlic varieties as being milder or stronger than Inchelium Red. It has medium rich garlickness and medium pungency, or, hotness when eaten raw. On a scale of 1 to 10 on flavor and taste, it gets a 5 in each category.
Storage: The outer bulb wrappers are thick and protect the bulb well so it is a good storing but still peels easily.
Maximum Head Weight: 2.9 oz, Bulbs are usually over 2 ½ inches in diameter and normally has anywhere from 12 to 20 cloves even the interior cloves are generally of good size.
Plant Height: 12-18 in. (30-45 cm)
Growing notes: For those who want to grow their own garlic, it has enough cloves that it doesn't take but a year or two to grow all you can eat.
Harvest: Mid-season, late for an artichoke and takes a little longer than average to cure because of its large size
From a grower’s perspective: Grows very well in warm winter areas. It is a large and healthy garlic to grow and appears to be relatively resistant to most of the diseases that can affect garlic.
Notes: lnchelium Red is a large and beautiful artichoke variety. In 1990 Rodale Kitchens, part of the parent organization of Organic Gardening magazine, sponsored a garlic tasting contest. Inchelium Red won the contest. The verdict was not unanimous, of course, as people's tastes vary widely, but it won anyway.
Origin: Its true origin is unknown as it was discovered growing on an Indian reservation and no one seems to know where it came from.
Flavor: Delightfully robust but no so strong as to be overpowering. Inchelium Red has been said to be a benchmark for true medium garlic; often people will compare the tastes of all garlic varieties as being milder or stronger than Inchelium Red. It has medium rich garlickness and medium pungency, or, hotness when eaten raw. On a scale of 1 to 10 on flavor and taste, it gets a 5 in each category.
Storage: The outer bulb wrappers are thick and protect the bulb well so it is a good storing but still peels easily.
Maximum Head Weight: 2.9 oz, Bulbs are usually over 2 ½ inches in diameter and normally has anywhere from 12 to 20 cloves even the interior cloves are generally of good size.
Plant Height: 12-18 in. (30-45 cm)
Growing notes: For those who want to grow their own garlic, it has enough cloves that it doesn't take but a year or two to grow all you can eat.
Harvest: Mid-season, late for an artichoke and takes a little longer than average to cure because of its large size
From a grower’s perspective: Grows very well in warm winter areas. It is a large and healthy garlic to grow and appears to be relatively resistant to most of the diseases that can affect garlic.
Notes: lnchelium Red is a large and beautiful artichoke variety. In 1990 Rodale Kitchens, part of the parent organization of Organic Gardening magazine, sponsored a garlic tasting contest. Inchelium Red won the contest. The verdict was not unanimous, of course, as people's tastes vary widely, but it won anyway.
Loiacono Italian (Available September 2013)
Type: Artichoke Softneck
Origin: Pete Loiacono brought this garlic with him when he arrived from his homeland of Italy in 1912. Pete passed the seed from his garlic to family members and close friends
Flavor: We think it has a good mild fresh garlic flavor with a combination of salty and sweet coming to mind when we tasted it. This garlic taste like a nice garlic butter, a sweet salted butter with mellow garlic overtones. This garlic is fantastic for making garlic bread, pasta with olive oil and cheeses; and sauteing vegetables. It will also lend a wonderful mellow garlic sweetness to your tomato sauces, and makes an excellent base for your pesto.
Storage: Appears to be longer storing garlic, stores until late winter
Maximum Head Weight: 2.3 oz , Averages 20 cloves per bulb (SEE NOTES)
NOTES: This year was unique in mid-western Michigan. Very early spring and then hot arid temperatures throughout the growing season. Our bulbs are unusually large, with only 3 or four cloves per bulb. These large cloves will make for some very hardy bulbs next season.
Height: 18-24 in. (45-60 cm)
Growing notes: We have found, while we do live in Michigan and have cold winters, that we do not have to mulch this garlic very heavy or at all.
Harvest: Middle
From a grower’s perspective: Wonderful braiding garlic.
Origin: Pete Loiacono brought this garlic with him when he arrived from his homeland of Italy in 1912. Pete passed the seed from his garlic to family members and close friends
Flavor: We think it has a good mild fresh garlic flavor with a combination of salty and sweet coming to mind when we tasted it. This garlic taste like a nice garlic butter, a sweet salted butter with mellow garlic overtones. This garlic is fantastic for making garlic bread, pasta with olive oil and cheeses; and sauteing vegetables. It will also lend a wonderful mellow garlic sweetness to your tomato sauces, and makes an excellent base for your pesto.
Storage: Appears to be longer storing garlic, stores until late winter
Maximum Head Weight: 2.3 oz , Averages 20 cloves per bulb (SEE NOTES)
NOTES: This year was unique in mid-western Michigan. Very early spring and then hot arid temperatures throughout the growing season. Our bulbs are unusually large, with only 3 or four cloves per bulb. These large cloves will make for some very hardy bulbs next season.
Height: 18-24 in. (45-60 cm)
Growing notes: We have found, while we do live in Michigan and have cold winters, that we do not have to mulch this garlic very heavy or at all.
Harvest: Middle
From a grower’s perspective: Wonderful braiding garlic.
Nootka Rose (Available September 2013)
Type: Silverskin Softneck (Heirloom)
Origin: Nootka Rose is a magnificent old heirloom silver-skin from Washington state but its true origin is unclear.
Flavor: This very imperial looking garlic has a taste as bold as its looks. It has the full flavored character typical of silver-skin garlic varieties.
Storage: Nootka Rose is just about always the last garlic to mature and be harvested. It is usually the longest storing garlic of all. Because it is a long storing variety, you might want to grow some and save them for the time when your other varieties have already sprouted and are no longer in an ideal eating condition. It's worth having this one just for its decorative possibilities, even if you don't eat much garlic.
Maximum Head Weight: 1.6 oz. Bulbs can become large for a silverskin and contain 15 to 20 or more cloves.
Height: 12-18 in (30-45cm)
Growing notes: Clove colors can become a little more subdued when grown in rich garden-type soils.
Harvest: Very Late
From a grower’s perspective: Grows well in most of the country but "iffy" in warmest winter areas. During growing season 2011, Nootka Rose garlic produced a true scape at Rickertville Farm.
Notes: As with many silver-skins its bulb wrappers are thick and creamy white. The cloves; however, are a beautiful deep mahogany color with red streaks and almost solid red elongated tips. It makes an excellent braiding garlic. You can also strip off the bulb wrappers down to the cloves and use its burgundy-on-rosewood appearance as an attractive table centerpiece a special occasion. Its parchment-like bulb wrappers are easy to peel.
Origin: Nootka Rose is a magnificent old heirloom silver-skin from Washington state but its true origin is unclear.
Flavor: This very imperial looking garlic has a taste as bold as its looks. It has the full flavored character typical of silver-skin garlic varieties.
Storage: Nootka Rose is just about always the last garlic to mature and be harvested. It is usually the longest storing garlic of all. Because it is a long storing variety, you might want to grow some and save them for the time when your other varieties have already sprouted and are no longer in an ideal eating condition. It's worth having this one just for its decorative possibilities, even if you don't eat much garlic.
Maximum Head Weight: 1.6 oz. Bulbs can become large for a silverskin and contain 15 to 20 or more cloves.
Height: 12-18 in (30-45cm)
Growing notes: Clove colors can become a little more subdued when grown in rich garden-type soils.
Harvest: Very Late
From a grower’s perspective: Grows well in most of the country but "iffy" in warmest winter areas. During growing season 2011, Nootka Rose garlic produced a true scape at Rickertville Farm.
Notes: As with many silver-skins its bulb wrappers are thick and creamy white. The cloves; however, are a beautiful deep mahogany color with red streaks and almost solid red elongated tips. It makes an excellent braiding garlic. You can also strip off the bulb wrappers down to the cloves and use its burgundy-on-rosewood appearance as an attractive table centerpiece a special occasion. Its parchment-like bulb wrappers are easy to peel.
Blossom (not available for sale 2013)
Type: Asiatic Turban Softneck
Origin: Brought to the U.S. by Greg Czarnecki, Dayton Ohio, from the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China
Flavor: Smooth and mild when baked, hot when raw.
Storage: Asiatic and Turbans are short storing garlic varieties as most don't last more than 5 months at room temperature before sprouting.
Maximum Head Weight: 1.7 oz, averages 9 cloves per bulb
Growing notes: Asiatics and Turban varieties are always the first garlic varieties to sprout in the fall. Asiatics and Turbans share some interesting characteristics, they are the very earliest harvesting of all garlic varieties and if you can grow them you'll have garlic before anyone else has any near ready to harvest.
Harvest: A very early maturing turban.
From a grower’s perspective: They are also unusual in that they don't mature gradually like all the other garlics; when they are ready, their tops start to fall over, like onions. That's the time to check their bulb size and get ready to start harvesting them before they lose all their bulb wrappers, as they will if they stay in the ground for very long after they are ready to be harvested. If they lose their bulb wrappers, their storage time will be reduced even more than usual.
Notes: Large bulbs with dark stripes. Asiatics have rather white bulb wrappers which can be thick and parchment-like and straw-colored clove covers and have 8 to 10 fat cloves with no tiny internal cloves. When they have a scape, their bulbils are few but very large, pea-size bulbils.
Origin: Brought to the U.S. by Greg Czarnecki, Dayton Ohio, from the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China
Flavor: Smooth and mild when baked, hot when raw.
Storage: Asiatic and Turbans are short storing garlic varieties as most don't last more than 5 months at room temperature before sprouting.
Maximum Head Weight: 1.7 oz, averages 9 cloves per bulb
Growing notes: Asiatics and Turban varieties are always the first garlic varieties to sprout in the fall. Asiatics and Turbans share some interesting characteristics, they are the very earliest harvesting of all garlic varieties and if you can grow them you'll have garlic before anyone else has any near ready to harvest.
Harvest: A very early maturing turban.
From a grower’s perspective: They are also unusual in that they don't mature gradually like all the other garlics; when they are ready, their tops start to fall over, like onions. That's the time to check their bulb size and get ready to start harvesting them before they lose all their bulb wrappers, as they will if they stay in the ground for very long after they are ready to be harvested. If they lose their bulb wrappers, their storage time will be reduced even more than usual.
Notes: Large bulbs with dark stripes. Asiatics have rather white bulb wrappers which can be thick and parchment-like and straw-colored clove covers and have 8 to 10 fat cloves with no tiny internal cloves. When they have a scape, their bulbils are few but very large, pea-size bulbils.
Elephant Garlic
Elephant Garlic (Available September 2013)
Type: Imposter!! Elephant garlic is not true garlic; it is a leek. All garlic species are botanically classified as Allium Sativum and elephant garlic is Allium Ampeloprasum, formerly Allium Gigantum.
Origin:
Flavor: a tender, mild, slightly sweet flavor. Some consumers enjoy elephant garlic because it can be eaten raw and used in cooking for a hint of garlic flavor without being overwhelming.
Storage: It can be stored at room temperature for up to ONE YEAR.
Maximum Head Weight:
Growing notes: Elephant garlic usually is grown the same way as a hard-neck/ bolting garlic, except that these big bulbs are planted farther apart. It resists virtually all garden insects and disease. You plant like regular garlic.
Harvest: elephant garlic matures from mid-May to June or early to midsummer.
From a grower’s perspective: This variety of allium is much less productive (an in: out ratio of 1:3) than true garlic cultivars. Also the plant is less winter hardy than all common garlic cultivars so it is not recommended in climates with very cold winters. (Gough, 1999)
Elephant garlic is worthy of great respect because it is extremely hardy and re-seeds itself every year assuring you of many future crops with minimal effort. Elephant garlic is generally pretty resistant to many things that bother true garlic much to the gardeners delight.
Notes: It’s an imposter! Elephant garlic is actually a type of leek not garlic, but it is beloved for its giant mildly garlic flavored cloves. It is a specialty for people who want milder garlic or who need a larger clove due to reduced dexterity or arthritis.
Origin:
Flavor: a tender, mild, slightly sweet flavor. Some consumers enjoy elephant garlic because it can be eaten raw and used in cooking for a hint of garlic flavor without being overwhelming.
Storage: It can be stored at room temperature for up to ONE YEAR.
Maximum Head Weight:
Growing notes: Elephant garlic usually is grown the same way as a hard-neck/ bolting garlic, except that these big bulbs are planted farther apart. It resists virtually all garden insects and disease. You plant like regular garlic.
Harvest: elephant garlic matures from mid-May to June or early to midsummer.
From a grower’s perspective: This variety of allium is much less productive (an in: out ratio of 1:3) than true garlic cultivars. Also the plant is less winter hardy than all common garlic cultivars so it is not recommended in climates with very cold winters. (Gough, 1999)
Elephant garlic is worthy of great respect because it is extremely hardy and re-seeds itself every year assuring you of many future crops with minimal effort. Elephant garlic is generally pretty resistant to many things that bother true garlic much to the gardeners delight.
Notes: It’s an imposter! Elephant garlic is actually a type of leek not garlic, but it is beloved for its giant mildly garlic flavored cloves. It is a specialty for people who want milder garlic or who need a larger clove due to reduced dexterity or arthritis.
Green Garlic, Garlic Scapes, Braids and other Alliums
Garlic Scapes (available June 2013 - farmers market or special order)
Scapes are the flower stalks of the garlic. They are harvested while they are still curled and tender.
Garlic Bulb anatomy lesson: Garlic bulbs grow underground where they begin their journey, soft and onion-like. As the bulb grows larger and gets harder becoming more like the garlic we know, a shoot pokes its way through the ground. The shoot then sends up a flower stalk, the shoot is long and thin and pliable enough to curl into gorgeous tendrils.
This stage of growth is the garlic scape. If left unattended, the scape will begin to harden off as it straightens out and transform from green to the familiar opaque white/beige color of garlic peel.
Type: Garlic Scape (Flower Stalk of the hard-neck garlic bulb)
Flavor: Mild subtle garlic flavor.
Storage: Garlic scapes store well, though freshly cut scapes taste the best. You can keep them in the refrigerator for a month or more, in a paper bag to avoid turning them into a slimy science project. They freeze well, too--blanched or not--but they tend to lose some of the garlicky heat during storage. You can remove the stalk tip above the pod before using; some people use the whole scape, but the pod and tip are more fibrous than the tender stalk.
Harvest: mid-June
From a grower’s perspective: Garlic scapes, or seed stalks, emerge from hard-necked varieties of garlic in June. The stalks wind up as they grow and form eccentric curlicues. Snipping off the scapes before the seeds develop directs more energy into developing a larger garlic bulb, and so we snip them off for a scape harvest in mid-June.
Notes: When the garlic scapes are still in full curl, they are tender and succulent. They have a taste that is milder than the garlic cloves, and have a broad spectrum of uses from soup to salads to garnishes. The garlic scape is an allium delicacy that is highly prized and traditionally used in Southern, Eastern European, Middle Eastern, and Korean cuisine because of its subtle garlic flavor and tender-crisp texture.
Garlic Bulb anatomy lesson: Garlic bulbs grow underground where they begin their journey, soft and onion-like. As the bulb grows larger and gets harder becoming more like the garlic we know, a shoot pokes its way through the ground. The shoot then sends up a flower stalk, the shoot is long and thin and pliable enough to curl into gorgeous tendrils.
This stage of growth is the garlic scape. If left unattended, the scape will begin to harden off as it straightens out and transform from green to the familiar opaque white/beige color of garlic peel.
Type: Garlic Scape (Flower Stalk of the hard-neck garlic bulb)
Flavor: Mild subtle garlic flavor.
Storage: Garlic scapes store well, though freshly cut scapes taste the best. You can keep them in the refrigerator for a month or more, in a paper bag to avoid turning them into a slimy science project. They freeze well, too--blanched or not--but they tend to lose some of the garlicky heat during storage. You can remove the stalk tip above the pod before using; some people use the whole scape, but the pod and tip are more fibrous than the tender stalk.
Harvest: mid-June
From a grower’s perspective: Garlic scapes, or seed stalks, emerge from hard-necked varieties of garlic in June. The stalks wind up as they grow and form eccentric curlicues. Snipping off the scapes before the seeds develop directs more energy into developing a larger garlic bulb, and so we snip them off for a scape harvest in mid-June.
Notes: When the garlic scapes are still in full curl, they are tender and succulent. They have a taste that is milder than the garlic cloves, and have a broad spectrum of uses from soup to salads to garnishes. The garlic scape is an allium delicacy that is highly prized and traditionally used in Southern, Eastern European, Middle Eastern, and Korean cuisine because of its subtle garlic flavor and tender-crisp texture.
Green Garlic (available June 2013 - see us at the farmers market)
Green Garlic is just young immature garlic. They are planted from the small cloves and some of the larger bulbils (the "garlic seed") they are ready to harvest very early in the spring
Type: Depends on Garlic Bulb cloves planted
Flavor: Mild garlicky flavor, sweeter then mature garlic
Storage: 3 to 5 days under refrigeration.
Maximum Head Weight: small similar to green onions or shallots
Harvest: Early Spring
Notes: Green Garlic, Spring Garlic or Baby Garlic is young garlic which is harvested before the cloves have begun to mature. The stalks are completely green, usually about one foot long, and the bulb resembles that of a green onion or a shallot, rather than a segmented head of garlic.
Many large grocery stores do not stock green garlic, but it can often be found for sale at a farmers' market in the spring, and can also be grown at home relatively easily from garlic bulbils or seed garlic.
The flavor of green garlic is still garlicky, but is much milder with less of a pungent bite then mature garlic cloves. When cooked, the green garlic sweetens in the same manner as mature garlic, lending a new layer of depth to a dish. Unlike mature whole bulbs of garlic, Green Garlic’s entire plant can be used, including the leave. Green Garlic can be used raw or cooked in a broad assortment of cuisines.
When buying Green Garlic, you want to pick out sturdy crisp stalks which do not appear wilted, and you should check for mold and mildew on the stalks. You can store your green garlic in the refrigerator for three to five days, so make sure to use it up as Green Garlic will not cure like regular garlic. Green Garlic may last longer when storing in glass of water which you change out daily.
Type: Depends on Garlic Bulb cloves planted
Flavor: Mild garlicky flavor, sweeter then mature garlic
Storage: 3 to 5 days under refrigeration.
Maximum Head Weight: small similar to green onions or shallots
Harvest: Early Spring
Notes: Green Garlic, Spring Garlic or Baby Garlic is young garlic which is harvested before the cloves have begun to mature. The stalks are completely green, usually about one foot long, and the bulb resembles that of a green onion or a shallot, rather than a segmented head of garlic.
Many large grocery stores do not stock green garlic, but it can often be found for sale at a farmers' market in the spring, and can also be grown at home relatively easily from garlic bulbils or seed garlic.
The flavor of green garlic is still garlicky, but is much milder with less of a pungent bite then mature garlic cloves. When cooked, the green garlic sweetens in the same manner as mature garlic, lending a new layer of depth to a dish. Unlike mature whole bulbs of garlic, Green Garlic’s entire plant can be used, including the leave. Green Garlic can be used raw or cooked in a broad assortment of cuisines.
When buying Green Garlic, you want to pick out sturdy crisp stalks which do not appear wilted, and you should check for mold and mildew on the stalks. You can store your green garlic in the refrigerator for three to five days, so make sure to use it up as Green Garlic will not cure like regular garlic. Green Garlic may last longer when storing in glass of water which you change out daily.
Garlic Braids (available for sale - see us at the farmers market or online special order.)
What Are Garlic Braids?
A garlic braid typically consists of between ten and twenty bulbs of softneck garlic with their stems braided (or plaited) together so that the bulbs are arranged two or three across in a line. We can customize a braid to fit any budget, my creative husband has the ability to design a braid using only 4 bulbs of garlic and I will decorate it with natural materials to spice up the overall appearance.
Our Garlic products are seasonal and are always sold fresh. Fresh cured garlic will be braided into a perfect decoration for your kitchen. It will be difficult for you to decide whether to use the garlic in your cooking or just look at it. You will be able to do both for a long time as softneck garlic varieties will store about 8 to 12 months providing you a wonderful, fresh supply of garlic for your kitchen. While garlic braids will last for a very long time if used decoratively; they will however will dry out if not used up by next summer therefore if you are passionate about garlic it is best to consume all the garlic bulbs by spring-time.
We suggest that you cut the bulbs from the top of the braid working your way down, this will keep the remaining bulbs in a nice cluster and allow you to have an attractive braid until you cut the last bulb.
We sell braids by weight (see sales page)
A garlic braid typically consists of between ten and twenty bulbs of softneck garlic with their stems braided (or plaited) together so that the bulbs are arranged two or three across in a line. We can customize a braid to fit any budget, my creative husband has the ability to design a braid using only 4 bulbs of garlic and I will decorate it with natural materials to spice up the overall appearance.
Our Garlic products are seasonal and are always sold fresh. Fresh cured garlic will be braided into a perfect decoration for your kitchen. It will be difficult for you to decide whether to use the garlic in your cooking or just look at it. You will be able to do both for a long time as softneck garlic varieties will store about 8 to 12 months providing you a wonderful, fresh supply of garlic for your kitchen. While garlic braids will last for a very long time if used decoratively; they will however will dry out if not used up by next summer therefore if you are passionate about garlic it is best to consume all the garlic bulbs by spring-time.
We suggest that you cut the bulbs from the top of the braid working your way down, this will keep the remaining bulbs in a nice cluster and allow you to have an attractive braid until you cut the last bulb.
We sell braids by weight (see sales page)
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