Tis the season to be stockpiling your garlic! [General]
2011 Aug 9
last year I stored mine in a large two layer bamboo steamer. 3 lbs of garlic (I love it)
It worked very well and the garlic just started sprouting around Apr May.
My garlic crop this year, (all 4 cloves) are pretty small. My Mother had great success growing hers this year and she has it drying.
It worked very well and the garlic just started sprouting around Apr May.
My garlic crop this year, (all 4 cloves) are pretty small. My Mother had great success growing hers this year and she has it drying.
2011 Aug 10
The 15th annual Choose Your Own Garlic fundraising event held by Ottawa-Carleton Association for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (OCAPDD)
emcottawasouth.ca
No idea what this is like. Nor do I know anything more than what is in the article but I thought I'd share.
emcottawasouth.ca
No idea what this is like. Nor do I know anything more than what is in the article but I thought I'd share.
2011 Aug 10
Hipfunkyfun I bought some garlic from Glengyle farms at Lansdowne last weekend. I bought a box of 15 bulbs and I "think" I paid around $9 for it. (I was loading up on lots of stuff so I may be off by a dollar or two.)
live4food I bought some garlic from Silver Spring Farms years ago when they had a stall set up at the (no longer existant) Stittsville flea market. It was the best garlic I ever had. I don't drive so getting to the farm may be a little tricky but where there's a will there's a way-;)
Francis I have a garlic keeper similar to the one on the right. It's a clay pot which I place in the fridge and it keeps for months in there. I think last time it took about six months for me to get through all my garlic (I think I started with around 12 to 15 bulbs) and it mostly kept well. By the time I got to the last bulb though it was starting to sprout abit and there was a tiny bit of mold sterting to form around the root end.
live4food I bought some garlic from Silver Spring Farms years ago when they had a stall set up at the (no longer existant) Stittsville flea market. It was the best garlic I ever had. I don't drive so getting to the farm may be a little tricky but where there's a will there's a way-;)
Francis I have a garlic keeper similar to the one on the right. It's a clay pot which I place in the fridge and it keeps for months in there. I think last time it took about six months for me to get through all my garlic (I think I started with around 12 to 15 bulbs) and it mostly kept well. By the time I got to the last bulb though it was starting to sprout abit and there was a tiny bit of mold sterting to form around the root end.
2011 Aug 10
mart242 I bought mine at the Originals craft fair. But I have also seen them at the Signatures craft fair and the Nepean craft fair. If you can't wait until craft fair season in late fall/early winter you can try the kitchen stores like Domus, Ma Cuisine or Kitchenalia. I have actually heard that storing garlic in a brown paper bag is actually a good way of storing them. Perhaps it might keep longer if you stored it in the fridge?
2011 Aug 10
I made it out to Silver Spring Farm today for the Choose Your Own Garlic fundraiser. It started at 9:30 am and they say it was pretty nuts at that time.
They told me they sell between 30,000 and 40,000 bulbs and they usually are sold out within the week.
Pricing was done based on bulb size. $1.50, $3.00 and $4.00. There were small bulbs going for 3 for $2.00. There were also braids ranging in price from $12. to $32.
The garlic is all Music garlic.
I took lots of pictures. Though, it might be hard to get a sense of size from the pictures.
Here is my blogpost from the day if you want to see the pictures and read more about my garlic plans.
ottawafood.blogspot.com
They told me they sell between 30,000 and 40,000 bulbs and they usually are sold out within the week.
Pricing was done based on bulb size. $1.50, $3.00 and $4.00. There were small bulbs going for 3 for $2.00. There were also braids ranging in price from $12. to $32.
The garlic is all Music garlic.
I took lots of pictures. Though, it might be hard to get a sense of size from the pictures.
Here is my blogpost from the day if you want to see the pictures and read more about my garlic plans.
ottawafood.blogspot.com
2011 Aug 14
We went to the Perth Garlic Festival yesterday because, really, we'll use any excuse we can get to head out to Perth for the day (last time we the Maple Festival, for those keeping score).
Bought a braid of 14 bulbs of French Red for $20 from Forest Farm. They were the only booth I saw that had French Red, rather than Russian Red, so I was powerless to resist "the unique variety". "How does it taste compared to Music?" I asked. "Well, it's stronger than Music, but it's way better. It's the finest garlic." they said.
Even though they weren't exactly the best marketing shills, they were right. In the day since we bought the braid, we've already gone through four bulbs.
It's heavenly. Since it's my first time buying fresh garlic, I'm at a loss to compare it to anything definitively.
My best attempt is that it has all of the deep, intense, assertive garlicky flavour that you want, but without that annoying, acidic, raspy overtone that makes you think "MAN this is too much garlic." It seems almost impossible to add too much.
In celebration of the garlic, we've already had escargots, linguine aglio e olio, and lobster with garlic butter. And that's only the beginning. Given that almost 100% of my wife's cooking involves ginger-garlic paste, and it's her turn to cook the next couple of weeks, I'm kinda excited.
Although now I'm thinking we should have bought more.
Bought a braid of 14 bulbs of French Red for $20 from Forest Farm. They were the only booth I saw that had French Red, rather than Russian Red, so I was powerless to resist "the unique variety". "How does it taste compared to Music?" I asked. "Well, it's stronger than Music, but it's way better. It's the finest garlic." they said.
Even though they weren't exactly the best marketing shills, they were right. In the day since we bought the braid, we've already gone through four bulbs.
It's heavenly. Since it's my first time buying fresh garlic, I'm at a loss to compare it to anything definitively.
My best attempt is that it has all of the deep, intense, assertive garlicky flavour that you want, but without that annoying, acidic, raspy overtone that makes you think "MAN this is too much garlic." It seems almost impossible to add too much.
In celebration of the garlic, we've already had escargots, linguine aglio e olio, and lobster with garlic butter. And that's only the beginning. Given that almost 100% of my wife's cooking involves ginger-garlic paste, and it's her turn to cook the next couple of weeks, I'm kinda excited.
Although now I'm thinking we should have bought more.
2011 Aug 14
momomoto - you definitely do not have enough garlic. fresh, local garlic is so wonderful, you will weep when your pile runs out in the spring. if you like heading out to Perth, you can continue on to Westport, just 25 minutes further south. they have a tiny (teeny - 5 stalls) farmer's market on saturday mornings. one vendor sells paper bags full of fresh bulbs of garlic, usually 4 or more types to choose from. on a nice day it is a great place to go for the day, you can load up on bakery treats at the swiss bakery across from the grocery store.
one place that is always worth a stop is foodsmiths in perth. a local wholefoods type place.
one place that is always worth a stop is foodsmiths in perth. a local wholefoods type place.
2011 Aug 17
Found this pic (a photography class assignment) of what I store the garlic in. Bamboo steamer. You can fit about 1 lb per tray, it lets in air but not light.
It also looks pretty nice. I leave it on the shelf to the basement which is generally dark.
When I'm in Tatlock, I get garlic from a local grower (he also sells in Perth). This year was $7./lb. 29 bulbs of med to large size.He had music and russian red.
I was surprised at some of the prices, 3/$5. and some $2. each. I'll have to make a better effort planting cloves in fall.
I forgot to mention that I bought 3 lbs of garlic. That was 29 bulbs of med to large.
The pic is from last summers garlic and was taken in mid February.
It also looks pretty nice. I leave it on the shelf to the basement which is generally dark.
When I'm in Tatlock, I get garlic from a local grower (he also sells in Perth). This year was $7./lb. 29 bulbs of med to large size.He had music and russian red.
I was surprised at some of the prices, 3/$5. and some $2. each. I'll have to make a better effort planting cloves in fall.
I forgot to mention that I bought 3 lbs of garlic. That was 29 bulbs of med to large.
The pic is from last summers garlic and was taken in mid February.
Food Is Fun!
AUGUST 10 AND ONWARDS (Nepean):
The garlic at Silver Spring Farm will be going on sale Wednesday, August 10 at their location at 3501 Richmond Road (where Richmond meets Baseline Road on the edge of Bells Corners). Readers can call the Garlic Hotline at 613-569-8993 ext. 409 for updates to confirm the start date and also hours of operation. This is the 15th year for the annual 'Choose Your Own Garlic' fundraiser.
AUGUST 13 AND 14 WEEKEND (Perth and Carp):
The 14th annual Perth Lions Garlic Festival will be held August 13 and 14 at the Perth Fairgrounds, starting at 9:00 am. Pam Callacutt will be doing a cooking demonstration at Noon on the Sunday. Admission to the festival is $5.
Also this weekend is the 12th annual Carp Farmers' Market Garlic Festival. It starts at 8 am on Saturday and 10 am on Sunday at the Carp Fairgrounds. Of the 100 vendors at their Farmers' Market, 30 will be selling garlic and garlic related products. Free admission and free parking.
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If you are interested in reading the rest of the post regarding other festivals in Ontario, here you go.
ottawafood.blogspot.com
Love to hear about people's garlic stockpiling plans. How much do you tend to buy to get through the winter? Where are you storing it? Do you have favourite varieties that you tend to buy? Do you have favourite vendors?